GoOctopus – Thank you! Although, even if thousands of people don’t visit your blog, you can still get a lot from having your own site. It makes a big difference in helping you rank for your own name online, and since we know employers are looking for our names online, it’s getting more important every day!

If you know how to set up your own Wordress site on your own domain, customize the colors, are able to install social widgets you want, are prepared to optimize it for search, know exactly how to organize your site, have already hired someone to edit your documents – you don’t want errors in your online profile – you probably don’t need me! Honestly, I believe the free edit I provide is worth more than the entire cost of the product/service!

Customers choose between some customized WordPress templates available on my site. I also include boutique hosting and register the domain for the first year and provide a WordPress training video series and an ebook to help people who don’t already know how to use WordPress. I also incorporate the information clients provide into the site — effectively building the whole thing based on my expertise.

By any estimation, this is a bargain. I should probably be charging $1000+ for the services alone. However, if you already know how to do all of that yourself, I would suggest doing it, as having your own, optimized site isn’t going to get any less important!

A Google profile is one good step, but cannot come close to the benefits your own site provides. It’s the same argument: I have a LinkedIn profile, why do I need my own website? When you have a site in your own name, you have a much better chance of ranking for your name, and you have a lot more control over what people to learn about you when they Google you. Additionally, when clients work with me on their sites, they benefit from my expertise in terms of how to organize their site and I offer a free edit of their information. That, in and of itself, is probably worth the entire price!

Additionally, having a Google profile doesn’t really indicate any tech savvy, as having a website does. In my estimation, there is no comparison. Get a Google profile, but consider it one step along the way to owning your own digital footprint.