How To Build Your Own Personal Actor Website? (3 Methods)

Why is it necessary to have a personal actor website? Today actors are not looked at just as artists but they are also considered as a brand. I have seen many people who have huge social media followings are now being cast in major web series and films. With the rise of online platforms like Netflix, HBO, HULU, Amazon Prime, etc. this trend may gain momentum.

Another advantage of having a website is that you can maintain a profile online which is easy to share. All you have to do is send the link to your website to the agent or the casting director.

So how to build your own actor personal website? There are many ways to make a website using platforms like WordPress, Wix, Drupal, etc. 

But I am going to assume that most of you have no experience when it comes to creating a website. So I am going to suggest to you the most simple way of all—webforactors.com (click here to visit the site now). It is perfect for those with zero experience in website creation. However, if you are a little tech-savvy, WordPress would be a great option. 

Also Read: How To Make A Portfolio For Acting?

What Are Different Ways To Build Your Own Personal Actor Website?

There are three different ways to build your own personal website:

1. Web For Actors
2. WordPress 
3. Wix

Registering Domain

Before getting into how to make your website, make sure you buy a domain in your name. If your name is John Wayne, make sure you get a domain that is something like johnwayne.com. Do not make it fancy like johnsays.com or starjohnwayne.com. It has to be your name. 

In case, you are not able to get the domain on your name which is possible then adding an actor after your name or before your name. So keeping the example of John Wayne in mind, it can be actorjohnwayne.com or johnwayneactor.com. 

Acceptable format while registering your domain:

“Your Full Name”. Com

Or

“Actor + Your Full Name”.com

“Your Full Name Actor”.com

Here are the best places to register a domain for your personal actor’s website:

• BlueHost (Best Hosting Service)
• GoDaddy
• Hostinger
• NameCheap

Let’s look at each method one by one.

1. Web For Actors

In my experience, this is the best way and the easiest way of making your personal actor website. The big reason being the service is specifically designed for actors. Each element of the website is designed specifically to keep in the needs of actors. 

For example, each theme they offer considers how your headshot will be displayed.  And how your work links or audition links will be displayed? How your basic bio will be displayed. Everything is well thought out.

Most important of all, you will be able to create your website in 90 seconds! That’s what their official website says. According to their official data, there are currently 3.1 K websites (recently updated) created using their service. 

So how do you make your own actor personal website using the website webforactors.com?

To begin with, go to the website and just register by clicking here. 

You can register using your email Id. I suggest you use an email that you use regularly because the same email Id will be used for login into the backend of your website. 

As soon as you click on start building, you will be taken to a page that will guide you through the process to set up your website. 

The process is so simple, as it takes you just a few minutes to do everything. 

The great thing about their process is that they take all your details from profiles you have created on popular casting websites like Backstage, Actor Access, IMDB, etc. You can even import your profile from Facebook. 

I suggest you create profiles on these casting websites first so that it is easier to make a website of webforactors.com. 

Also, you will need some headshots and demo reels that you will have to upload. So make sure you have them on your computer. 

If you want to know how to shoot perfect headshots at home. Please do read our post by clicking here. 

Once you finish the step-by-step process, your website will be automatically created. 

Next, you can log in to your backend and change themes, and manage other content easily. 

If you wish to make it more professional you can buy one of the subscription packages which has a lot many features. 

Here is the overview of the packages :

With free packages, you will be limited to two actor website templates only and also you won’t be able to add a domain of your own. 

I recommend getting a monthly or annual plan because it opens up all the actor website templates as well as you have all the tools at your exposure which includes custom domain as well as your personal email address. 

Final verdict

If you are not good technical and have no idea how to create a website, I suggest you get a plan with webforactors.com and it literally takes a few minutes due to its simple building process. Also managing content is also easy. However, it is expensive compared to the other two methods. But it is the best website builder for actors. 

2. WordPress  

WordPress is the most popular CMS to build websites. This is the most powerful way to build an actor’s personal website because it gives full control over the content as well as a lot of customization is available. 

Believe me, it’s easy to use, you just need little knowledge on how to manage it, you are good to go. And since we are building a simple portfolio website, you won’t have to learn too many things about using WordPress. 

But there are two prerequisites of having a WordPress website. You need shared hosting and a domain which we have explained earlier. 

Buy your new hosting from Bluehost now {insert affiliate link} and get a domain for free. 

Once you get the shared hosting, set your domain for your shared hosting. It is easy to add domains, your hosting provider will ask for them after you make the purchase. 

Once your domain and hosting are in place, go to the control panel of the hosting provider and install WordPress. If you don’t know how to install it, you can follow this simple guide {add Link}. 

Once you have set up your WordPress, log into the backend of your website and install a theme. 

Now it is important to have a theme that is tailor-made for actors because you want to showcase your portfolio upfront. 

These are some of the WordPress themes for actor personal websites that I recommend:

{list of themes}

Now start adding your headshots, bio, demo reels. I suggest making a separate page for each. Also most important, ensure you have your contact details if anyone wants to get in touch with you. 

I will shed more light on how to plan content for an actor’s personal website in a while but for now, just understand how you can set up a website. 

Final Verdict

If you have little knowledge about WordPress, you will be able to create a beautiful-looking website without spending much. Also, WordPress has tons of plugins and themes that give you a lot of options in terms of customization. However, I suggest getting a good-looking premium website. 

3.Wix

If you think WordPress is too complex and webforactors.com is expensive, Wix could be a good option to build your website. 

Wix doesn’t have all the complexity of WordPress, it is easy to set up a website due to its user-friendly website editor. Everything is simple drag and drop. 

You can buy a custom domain of your name and connect it with Wix. However, in order to connect to a custom domain, you will have to buy a premium plan. 

I suggest buying combo or unlimited plans as it provides you with the maximum features for your actor website. Avoid basic plans because your website will have unnecessary ads from Wix. You want your website to be clean and attractive. 

Here is the complete detail of the plans: 

Once you get a hang of the Wix editor, it will be a breeze to manage your website. 

Final Verdict

I suggest you go for Wix only if you don’t like WebForActors or WordPress is too much for you. Wix should be used as a last resort. 

How To Plan Content?

Once you have a website in place, it’s time to plan your content. The way you put out your content is important because you want casting agents for directors to see everything without clicking too many buttons. 

To begin with, plan different pages instead of making different posts. Why pages?

Well, pages are easily accessible from the main menu of the website. so I advise you to create separate pages for everything. 

These are the pages that your actor personal website must have:

1. Home

The home page is very crucial because whoever visits your website will land on this page first. It would be compelling to put everything on this page but don’t do it. 

It will be a hassle to go through everything at once. If everything is well organized the person can easily navigate to the thing they want to see first. 

So how should you plan your homepage?

The best way to go about it is to introduce yourself briefly. Maybe in 100 words and drop links to different pages like bio, demo reel, headshots, contact, etc. 

Also, I suggest adding a good headshot on the homepage will also help. So add a headshot too. It can be added just before the short brief. If you want you can add a slideshow at the top too.

This slideshow could include your headshots, stills from different gigs, etc.  

2. Resume

Once the home page is done, dedicate one page for the Bio or resume. You can put your complete resume in there. 

You don’t have to write stories, just copy-paste the resume that you send to casting agents or directors. It is more than enough. 

However, ensure it is easy to follow and well organized. 

It should be designed in a way that anyone can go through it in minutes. If it’s too long, no one will bother to read it and you might even lose the gig just because the casting agent had no time to read through your elaborate and long essay-like resume. 

3. Headshots

The third thing that you must have on your website is a separate page for our headshots and pictures. On this page, you can display all kinds of headshots and pictures. 

The first section you can keep is the latest headshot. You can keep this section updated. A good practice is to get a headshot every time you change your look or get a new headshot every six months. 

The next section you can keep is the collection of pictures from different gigs that you have done in the past or just keep different photos that show your different looks. 

One thing you have to ensure is that the quality of the pictures is good. Don’t just upload selfies from your phone. It has to be professional-looking photos even if you have shot it by yourself. 

4. Demo Reel

The fourth page should be the demo reel. If you haven’t booked anything yet you can make a demo reel showing acting skills and if you have done few things, you can include those videos. 

The demo reel will be all about showing your acting skill. I suggest keeping a couple of different showreels. One should be a positive character and the other should be a negative character. This way the casting person will be able to imagine all kinds of characters. 

Keep your demo reel also updated. The moment you shoot something new just updates it. 

5. Contact Me

This is the must-have page. You must give your phone number, email address, and mailing address to ensure that anyone who wants you to book your or call for an audition should be able to reach you with ease. 

Final Thought 

I have tried to incorporate all the necessary information which will you build your personal website with ease. If you get stuck in any part of the process you will find a lot of information on the respective website or you can try youtube too if you want to into detail. Among all the three websites for actors is the best website builder for actors.