There are many different platforms, processes, strategies and website agencies, which makes comparing solutions difficult. The technology changes often, which can make it tough to keep up with the latest trends.

The process of building a website for the first time often goes like this. You start searching on Google and find over a billion results for something like "great looking websites". After clicking around for a while, you decide it is all too hard and ask a digitally savvy friend for advice.

A friend recommends someone they know (let us call him Steve) who builds websites in his spare time. You meet Steve, he is technical enough, he shows you some of the sites he has built and they look good. His price seems fair so you kick off the project.

After a few weeks the website begins to take shape. It looks great and you are excited. Your site has nice photos, a modern design, a slick layout and well-written copy. Eventually Steve finishes your website and it is ready to launch.

Before building anything, it helps to start with a clear strategy. Ask yourself:

• What will your website be used for?

  • A personal portfolio or profile

  • A place to show work samples and projects

  • A way for hiring managers to find and contact you

• What do you want someone to do when they land on your site?

• What would make a hiring manager feel confident reaching out to you?

Think about exactly what you need your website to do right now and build a strategy suited to that. If you are clear on where you want to be in your career, consider how your website can grow alongside you.

It is important to understand where your website fits into your job search. If you are not sure how to approach it, get some guidance early. Getting this wrong from the start means your website will not work as hard for you as it should.

We recommend investing in a personal website for your personal brand. You can also use landing pages, which are single-page promotional sites you use to highlight specific work or projects. You do not need to build everything at once. Start with your personal website and add to it as your career develops.

The personal websites that work best are simple but specific. They will include a photo, a short biography, links to your social media profiles, contact details, a contact form and written copy that accurately represents who you are and what you are looking for.

Once you have chosen your template, colours, fonts and layout, you gather your content. From that point it only takes a few days to get the site live. However, this process can become long and drawn out if you have not put enough time into the basics first. The more preparation you have done and the more content you have collected (photos, graphics, project examples and videos), the easier the build becomes.

Research shows that people research online before making decisions. When hiring managers investigate potential candidates, they want to find multiple pieces of information about you across different places. That is why having a personal website matters. It is not just one more page. It is a signal that you take your career seriously.

You want anyone investigating you online to keep coming across your content. Your personal brand is not limited to one website. A good strategy also includes blogs, videos, social media, articles and photos. Use social media to build your presence and personal brand, then direct people back to your website. Make it easy for a hiring manager to find you, like what they see and reach out.

At its core, a personal website is a digital profile. It tells people who you are, what you do and what you bring to the role.

Your website should give a hiring manager enough information to decide if you are someone they want to meet. If they like what they see, your website leads them to the next step. If it is not the right fit, you have both saved time.

Like any profile, websites deliver information through words and images. Unlike a static document, a website can include videos, links to your work, testimonials, contact forms and more. With all this available, it is easy to get caught up in the features and lose sight of the purpose. What do you actually want your website to do for your job search?

A good personal website takes someone who has heard your name or found you through a referral and gives them a reason to want to meet you. That means they arrive with some curiosity and your website makes it easy for them to like what they find and take the next step. That next step could be emailing you, connecting on LinkedIn or viewing your portfolio.

What are hiring managers looking for when they visit your site?

• To learn more about you and get a sense of who you are

• To see your work, skills and any relevant experience or projects

• To find your contact details quickly

Hiring managers make quick decisions, so your website needs to communicate your value fast. Make it easy for them to find these three things.

Once someone lands on your website it is tempting to tell them everything about yourself. Be careful not to overwhelm them with too much text and too many images about you. What they really care about is whether you can help them. The key is to be clear and concise, and let them explore more if they want to.

For example, start with a short description of who you are, keep it to 100 words, and then have a "Learn More" button that goes to a longer biography page. Show a sample of your work with a click-through to see the full portfolio. Keep the homepage focused and easy to scan.

Think about the four questions your website needs to answer:

1. What value do you offer?

2. How do your skills and experience demonstrate that?

3. Why should a hiring manager choose to meet you?

4. What is the next step for them to take?