Mermaid websites & portfolios

Hello my fishes and welcome back to another blog post!

Today we are going to be talking about creating your mermaid website and online portfolio. I'm going to cover resources, first steps, basic concepts/ideas, and give you an overall picture of where to start because I know how overwhelming it can be.

step 1

What are you even doing?

You can't very well get your online presence off the ground if you don't actually know what it is you are planning on sharing with the world.

Are you a business? What do you sell?
Are you a performer? What do you specialize in?
Are you an online personality? What kind of content do you want to share?

These are some key questions that you should already have answered before you start to think about who you are going to be online.

step 2

Is the name you want to use available?

This is a biggie. Take some time while your building your brand to look up the name you want to use online. GOOGLE IT! Check all the main social media platforms you are interested in using to make sure that no one is already using your chosen name.

If they are, you have two options:

1. Go for something different.
2. Try to compete with them in the same space.

Now depending on the foothold your competition has with the same name you might be able to squeeze in, but more likely you will struggle (especially if they are well established).

If you name is taken, don't be upset, the world is a big place and there are lots of other options and room for creativity. That being said, don't make the name you choose so difficult and complicated that people won't be able to easily remember it.

While you are checking various social platforms, also make sure you are looking at different URL options as well.

Step 3

What platform?

Now that you know what your name will be and you've found it is in fact available on all of the platforms you want to use, it is time to go ahead and set up all of your accounts.

Mermaids are typically found on places that are more visual like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube etc.

What about websites?

There are a lot of different places you can go for your website/hosting/shop/URL needs, here are a few that I have tried with varying degrees of success:

Weebly*
Shopify*
​Netfirms*
Wordpress
Wix
Etsy

*These are the three that I currently use for my business. I like these platforms for the simplicity, ease of use, and customer service.

dos and don'ts

Design and functionality is KEY!

Making your content easy to navigate and clear for people to enjoy is hugely important.

People decide within the first few seconds (I'm talking less than 5 seconds in some cases) whether or not your content is for them so it needs to get the point across right away.

You can't have GIANT images taking minutes to load, broken links, missing images, too many different illegible fonts, or too many videos (that auto-play UGH) because the average human does not have the attention span for that anymore. Let's be honest, we are bombarded by millions of images daily trying to pull our attention hundreds of different ways, what makes your's stand out?

Originality is also helpful. While it's important to look at what others are doing, it's important to remember that what works for one person won't necessarily work for you. Instead look at the things that grab your attention and ask yourself WHY? Then try to replicate that WHY with your own work.

Make sure your links WORK and that they link to and from all of your other platforms with the exceptions of sites like Instagram which do not like you linking to other social media platforms (it boggles the mind really).

If I land on your website, I want to know that I'm going to easily find anywhere else that you might be on the internet that is relevant.

mobile users are key

Think of the mobile user.

This is more important than you might realize. For example, looking into my analytics, I can see that most of you right now are viewing this website through browsers on your cell phones and tablets. This is the way of the future. Yes it is important for things to look good on a desktop machine, but if your website does load nicely and read clearly on a mobile device, you are missing out on BIG opportunities to engage with your audience.

Summary 

Let's be honest.

Your website is your online mermaid grotto. You can make it anything and everything you want it to be. You can share whatever it is you want to share, it is YOUR space.

That being said, you do need to think of the user experience, especially if you are planning on running a business.

Your website is how you will reach and communicate with the world. What do impression do you want your's to give?

Are you trying to start a website? What is your biggest struggle so far? Comment below!

Happy Swimming!
​Courtney Mermaid