My Journey in Building a Professional Website

One thing that I have always struggled with using effectively and efficiently is technology, which has been extremely evident in my struggles to utilize technology to become an effective and competent creator. One such example of my technological blocker becoming an issue was in the fall when I had to build my own professional website on WordPress. While this task is challenging enough on its own, my struggles were only deepened as a result of my blocker when it comes to using technology in an efficient and effective manner. Because of this, I think it is pertinent that I explain my journey in building my own professional website, and how I overcame the obstacles that WordPress and my own perceived technological inabilities presented, which I believe will help content creators overcome similar technological blockers.

To begin, the first hurdle that presented itself to me and my fellow content creators was that of time. Specifically, while it may seem that building the professional website is something that only requires focus at the end of the quarter, this is a fallacy and in actuality the only way to successfully build a professional website is to start early and work on it often. What I mean by this is that whether you are like me and have a blocker when it comes to working with technology, or maybe you have never used WordPress before, or even if you feel confident in your website building ability, building your own professional website requires more time, energy, and effort than you believe it does. Personally, knowing that I had a technology blocker I started working on my own professional website a month before it was due, and I made an effort to spend at the very least fifteen minutes per day working on some element of my website. What this did for me was allow me to make steady progress on my website without having to comprise my work for other classes, IMC, or any personal matters that needed attention. Further, through committing to this work schedule I was able to make steady progress each day which culminated in my final week of the quarter being devoted entirely to editing, revising, and reviewing my website, which meant less stress and I believe a better website as I had ample time to overcome any technological problems that presented themselves. Overall, from my own experience in building a professional website I implore you to start early and work often, which not only spares you from stress, but results in a higher quality professional website. In summation, from my own experience I can assure you that whether one of your blockers is using technology efficiently, or if you have other important and time sensitive work that needs to be done, or if you just want less stress, starting your professional website early is the key to success as ample time gives you a cushion to resolve issues and perfect your website without comprising other important tasks.

Moving on, the next piece of advice I learned when developing my own professional website is to watch as many YouTube videos as you can about how to properly use WordPress. One of the biggest problems I had in developing my own professional website was not knowing how to use WordPress, which frustrated me and slowed down my progress. Personally, I recommend starting by going to WordPress’s YouTube and watching their videos on how to use the editor, how to build a page, and five easy steps to build your website. These videos are a great resource