What are the best free platforms to build a website?

Substack is a great free option, particularly for starting an email newsletter. While not a traditional website, it's easy to set up and has built-in distribution capabilities for your content.

What are the best paid platforms for building a website?

For beginners, Squarespace is recommended for its ease of use at $13/month. For those more comfortable with computers, Ghost is a highly recommended $9/month option that the speaker has used since 2016.

How much does a domain name cost per year?

A custom domain name, like 'yourname.com', typically costs around $10 per year, which is less than a dollar a month and is a worthwhile investment for a professional online presence.

What pages do I absolutely need on my website?

Your website needs only three essential pages: an About page, a Contact page, and a Blog page. Your homepage can simply be your About page or your latest blog post.

What should I write about on my personal website?

Write about anything that could potentially be useful to at least one other person. This includes insights from books or podcasts, experiences like being a student, or documenting your daily life and routines.

How do I get people to read my blog if I have no audience?

Share your blog posts on your social media channels like Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. This allows your existing network to discover your content, and they may share it further.

Should I worry about SEO for my personal website?

No, for most personal websites, especially in the beginning, SEO is not a primary concern. Focus on creating good content and sharing it on social media, as organic sharing is more effective for traffic than relying on search engines early on.

Key Moments

How To Build A Website in 2026

Ali Abdaal

Education4 min read23 min video

Apr 11, 2021|2,498,419 views|70,774|2,212

Ali Abdaal Ali abdal how to make a website best platforms for hosting best platforms for websites how to create a website website with no coding no coding how to make a website for free create a website how to build a website build a website

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Key Moments

TL;DR

Create a personal website to develop ideas, boost your career, build connections, and find opportunities.

Key Insights

A personal website offers six key benefits: idea development, professional advancement, networking, unique opportunities, increased impact, and potential monetization.

Creating a website is simple, requiring only a platform (like Ghost, Squarespace) and a domain name.

For beginners, Substack is a free option, while Ghost or Squarespace are recommended paid alternatives.

The focus should be on consistent, quality content creation (e.g., weekly blog posts) rather than technical details or design.

Promote your content by sharing blog posts on social media; organic sharing and engagement are more critical than SEO initially.

Overcome the fear of putting yourself out there by focusing on documenting your experiences and sharing valuable insights.

THE MULTIFACETED BENEFITS OF A PERSONAL WEBSITE

Establishing a personal website offers significant advantages beyond a mere online presence. It serves as a crucial tool for developing and refining one's ideas through regular writing, enhancing communication skills. Professionally, it acts as a dynamic online CV, impressing potential employers and opening doors to discussions about shared interests. Moreover, it fosters global connections by allowing individuals to network with like-minded people worldwide, leading to collaborative opportunities and a broader reach for their message. This platform can also expose users to unforeseen opportunities, such as being invited to write for publications or participate in podcasts. Ultimately, a personal website expands an individual's impact and potential for influence in their chosen field.

SIX KEY ADVANTAGES DRIVING WEBSITE ADOPTION

The primary benefit of a personal website is its role in idea development, encouraging clearer thinking and communication through regular writing. Secondly, it significantly aids professional life; potential employers often Google candidates, and a website showcases curated content and expertise, acting as a powerful online resume. Thirdly, it fosters connections, allowing individuals to network with others globally based on shared interests documented on their site. Fourthly, a website can lead to unexpected opportunities like guest writing, podcast appearances, or speaking engagements. Fifthly, it amplifies impact, enabling ideas to reach a wider audience than traditional networking allows. Finally, while not the primary goal, a well-established website can be monetized over time.

SIMPLIFYING WEBSITE CREATION: PLATFORMS AND DOMAINS

Creating a website today is remarkably straightforward, demystifying a process once thought to require coding expertise. The essential components are a platform, which hosts your website's content, and a domain name, which serves as its unique address (e.g., yourname.com). Numerous platforms exist, ranging from free options like Substack, ideal for newsletters and beginners, to paid services such as Squarespace and Ghost. Ghost, used by the creator, is a recommended paid option for its robustness and ease of use at $9/month, while Squarespace is a slightly more expensive but user-friendly alternative for those less comfortable with technology. A domain name typically costs around $10 per year and significantly enhances a website's professional appearance.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT TOOLS: FREE VS. PAID OPTIONS

For those hesitant to invest financially, Substack offers a completely free entry point, merging website functionality with an integrated email newsletter, though it uses a subdomain. For individuals with the means, paid options provide greater flexibility and professionalism. Squarespace is highlighted for its user-friendliness, making it ideal for beginners, and offers bundled domain registration when paying annually. Ghost is the creator's personal recommendation, praised for its performance and open-source nature, with its Pro hosting service costing $9 per month. The key takeaway is that the platform choice is less critical than the consistent creation and publishing of valuable content.

ESSENTIAL WEBSITE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT STRATEGY

Once a platform and domain are secured, the focus should shift to content. A personal website typically needs only three core pages: an About page, a Contact page, and a Blog page. The primary objective is to consistently publish new blog posts on a weekly basis. The content itself should be anything that could potentially be useful or interesting to at least one other person. This includes documenting personal experiences, summarizing books or podcasts, sharing insights from academic or professional journeys, or exploring topics of personal passion. The guiding principle is to 'document, don't create,' making content generation more accessible and authentic.

PROMOTING CONTENT AND OVERCOMING COMMON CONCERNS

After publishing content, the next step is ensuring it gets seen. Sharing blog posts across various social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook is the most effective initial strategy for driving traffic. While SEO is often considered, it is a long-term consideration and should not be the primary focus for new personal websites. Similarly, concerning design, relying on default themes from platforms like Ghost or Squarespace is perfectly acceptable, as content quality is far more important than aesthetics. For those hesitant to share, remember that consistency and documenting your journey are key to overcoming fear and building an online presence over time.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Software & Apps

●Companies

●Books

●People Referenced

How to Build Your Personal Website: A Quick Guide

Practical takeaways from this episode

Do This

Have a personal website to develop ideas, enhance professional opportunities, build connections, and increase impact.

Choose a platform (Substack for free, Squarespace for ease, Ghost for self-hosting).

Get a custom domain name (around $10/year) to look professional.

Focus on creating quality content consistently (ideally weekly).

Include an About page, Contact page, and a Blog page.

Write about topics that could be useful to at least one other person.

Document your life, learnings, and experiences ('Document, don't create').

Share your blog posts on social media (Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook).

Don't worry excessively about design; focus on content.

Don't obsess over SEO in the early stages; focus on content and sharing.

Don't focus on monetization for the first 1-2 years.

Avoid This

Don't think the platform choice is the most critical factor; content is key.

Don't use a free, non-custom domain long-term if aiming for a professional look.

Don't overthink the content; focus on usefulness and documenting your journey.

Don't neglect sharing your work on social media.

Don't worry about website design; pick a default theme.

Don't prioritize SEO over content creation and social sharing initially.

Don't worry about monetizing your website within the first two years.

Common Questions

A personal website helps you develop your ideas, enhances your professional profile by acting as an online CV, builds connections worldwide, exposes you to opportunities, increases your impact, and can potentially be monetized.

Topics

Content Creation Mindset & Self-Improvement Technology & Innovation Personal Branding Social Media Strategy Digital Marketing Professional Development Online Presence Career & Skills Website Building

Mentioned in this video

Companies

Wix.com

Mentioned as a known website platform.

Instagram

Mentioned as a social media platform for sharing blog posts, particularly effective for reaching friends and family.

Twitter

Recommended as a platform for professional networking and for sharing blog posts to drive traffic.

Facebook

Mentioned as a social media platform where blog post links can be shared.

Substack

A free platform recommended for starting a newsletter or basic website, suitable for beginners or those with no budget.

Squarespace

A paid website platform recommended for beginners, known for its ease of use, costing $13/month, and offering a free domain with an annual payment.

Netlify

Mentioned as a free option for website hosting, but the speaker suggests beginners focus on content rather than optimizing for free technical solutions.

Google Domains

The service the speaker uses for domain registration, described as easy to use.

Namecheap

A recommended domain registrar, especially for students who can get a free .me domain.

Software & Apps

WordPress

Mentioned as a known website platform.

Recommended for professional networking and sharing blog posts with a professional audience.

Ghost

A paid web hosting solution recommended by the speaker, used since 2016, costing $9/month, and offering an open-source software option.

Webflow

Mentioned as one of many website platforms that people might research extensively, but the speaker advises not to overthink platform choice.

Heroku

Mentioned as a free option for website hosting, but the speaker suggests beginners focus on content rather than optimizing for free technical solutions.

People

David Pereira

Referred to as a friend who describes a personal website as a 'serendipity vehicle'.

Gary Vaynerchuk

His quote 'Document, don't create' is cited as a helpful concept for generating blog post ideas.

Seth Godin

Mentioned as a guest on The Tim Ferriss Show, whose insights could be a source for blog post content.

Richard Wiseman

Author of the book '59 Seconds', which contains ideas about creativity linked to desk greenery.

Books

59 Seconds

A book by Richard Wiseman that discusses how greenery on a desk can encourage creativity, cited as an example of content for a blog post.