Creating Personal Websites

By: Angela Dela Cruz

Creating your own website can help build your professional portfolio since it informs people of your business. It is a form of self advertisement that reaches a larger audience, creating an effortless means of communication. In an article by Wendy Fawthrop, she states that not only is it important to keep a clean social media presence, but to "build your brand". It is easy to learn technicalities, but people cannot be taught personality or charisma. It is also important to capture moments of your work, whether it is participating in some community service or simply typing an essay on your laptop, because this helps strengthen your portfolio. People can create their own digital portfolio through programs such as Wix or Weebly, both allowing a hefty amount of customization.


Wix starts off with having 500 designer made templates ready to go, with certain types such as 'business', 'video', 'travel & tourism', 'portfolio & CV', and so many more. It gives a lot of organization since it is not just one long page but has tabs that I can assign for different divisions, and I can change the page design and background for each tab. There are many things I may add into my website such as a contact tool and an interactive element such as a full width slideshow. With these tools I am able to create an intricate website that is also easy to navigate.

In an article thats gives advice on how to use Wix, users are showed how to insert their social network into their own sites. People can add elements from Facebook such as the like button which can link directly to their Facebook, so that whenever a user clicks it, they will go directly to the creator's Facebook page. People using Wix can also add the social bar, which adds the icons of Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus, and they can link their URL's to each icon to go directly into their own personal page. This helps readers learn more about the person who created the website and helps with self advertisement. 

Weebly is another program that is similar to Wix. It starts off by asking users if they would like to choose a template, and it can be a template for business, portfolio, personal, event, blog, or other. There are many things one can add to their site, such as a gallery, a slideshow and can structure their pages using a spacer or divider. People can even change the theme while editing their websites, and it does not erase any of the edits that someone makes, allowing them to continue from wherever they left off. I have noticed that Weebly also has fewer tools than Wix, which is beneficial since it is not as confusing to use and provides a more minimalistic design which could be easier to navigate. 

An article by Vijay compares and contrasts Weebly and Wix. Both are user friendly but in terms of functionality, Wix is a little more complicated which is seen in how specific some tools are, whereas Weebly is more straightforward with their actions. This is a slight disadvantage but also a benefit for Wix because although Weebly is simpler, Wix wins in providing a more in depth customization. In terms of navigation, Weebly is more structured since its template designs are effortless to use not only on desktops but also mobile devices. Both of the sites have their drawbacks and advantages, and in order to get a full opinion I believe exploring both programs will help people come to their own conclusions. 

The last website talked about in class that allows people to create their own site or blog is WordPress, which has evolved into a content management system. Users are able to control their documents, files, and the design of their content. The software contains over 2,600 themes and over 31,000 plug ins, allowing people to incorporate them into any of their sites. It is easy to use and painless to manage, making it more favorable for those who have never made a website before. In addition Wordpress is mobile ready, meaning it will look eligible in any device. All these features help the creation of websites straightforward and uncomplicated. 

In chapter 10 and 11 of lol...OMG, it basically summarizes that people can choose whether or not they are good digital citizens. People can test if they are are through the offline test, which is when people ask themselves what is the real world equivalent of what they are doing, or if they would be willing to do whatever they do online in the real world. It also talked about how the internet started off bad and had a reputation for being used by pedophiles and hackers, but by learning how to use the internet and what it is we have made it into a more productive tool.