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As an actor, it’s crucial that you make a great first impression both offline and online. If you’re serious about your acting career, you are going to need a website to showcase your work.
Both agents and casting directors view and share actors’ websites, and it is a powerful platform that you can use to help shape your reputation and future. In this article, we’ll show you how you can make an amazing actor website all by yourself, without any coding or technical know how!
Can Actors Make Their Own Website? Yes!
Hiring a professional web designer is often times out of the question for many actors just starting out, as this can be a very expensive and unnecessary route. A custom designed website can cost well over $2,000 whereas you can make one yourself for free (by using a website builder, which I’ll get to in a moment)!
You could probably find a freelance web designer online willing to do one for less, but why not try to make one yourself and save that money for some more acting classes?! Many aspiring actors make the mistake of assuming they can’t build one themselves, or feel pressured into hiring a web designer that their agent or acting coach recommends. However, making a professional actor website is easier and faster than you think.
QUICK TIP: Making a professional website for your acting career is something that you can do yourself! Avoid being scammed into paying your agent or acting coach thousands of dollars for a simple website package!
Making Your Own Actor Website to Match Your Style
The best way for an actor to make his or her own website is to use a website builder, such as Wix. Website builders give you everything you need to easily create your own actor website. It’s a great tool because you don’t need to know any programming or coding skills! It still takes time and dedication, but can easily be done yourself. I’d recommend watching our full video series guide.
Some Quick Actor Website Examples
Wix, Squarespace and Webnode are popular choices for (screen, stage and voice) actors, models, and performers and listed below are some examples of actor website templates that you can use to get started:
Wix: Example Actor Website Template #1
This template from Wix follows the more traditional approach. It’s direct, simple, and effective.
> Use this template to create a website for free
Wix: Example Actor Website Template #2
This Wix template is similar in content, yet offers a completely different design with some key information on the front page.
> Use this template to create your site for free
Squarespace: Example Actor Website Template #3
This Squarespace layout is using typography to impress. It’s minimalistic but brings the message across.
> Use this template to create your site for free
Webnode: Example Actor Website Template #4
Finally Webnode follows a classic approach. Your photo takes the center stage.
> Use this template to create your site for free
Example of a Real Actor Website with a Customized Template
Listed below is a great example of a real site made by actress Olga Elliot. As you can see, this template is completely customized and she has done a great job of making it her own. It’s also based on the Wix website builder.
You should aim to do something similar for your website where you’ll take a pre-existing template and then fully customize it to make it your own.
REMEMBER: Templates are pre-designed to help give you a starting point. Use your creativity to fully customize them to fit your own brand & style!
The 5 Best Website Builders for Actors
Here’s our top 5 site builders for actors and actresses:
1. Wix
Wix is the most popular website builder, not only for actors. But it’s especially the portfolio-type websites that Wix excels at. It allows you to create a professional and visually appealing web presence to push your actor’s career.
It offers more designs than any other website builder, making it easy for you to showcase your acting credentials. Wix offers an ad-supported free plan too, which is great to get to know the platform. If it’s the very beginning of your acting career, it’s probably even acceptable to use a free Wix website for your portfolio.
Annual contracts include a free custom domain name for 1 year. It’s also possible to add custom email addresses via Google Workspace (which is based on Gmail).
Pros of Wix
- Wide range of templates for actors and actresses
- Wix websites are highly customizable and SEO-friendly.
- For complete beginners, there’s an extra simple, AI-based editor.
- Access to Wix App Market, which lets you add things like contact forms, photo galleries or a professional video player. It’s also easy to connect your social media channels like Instagram and TikTok.
Cons of Wix
- It’s not cheap! The ad-free entry-level Light plan costs $17/month. It’s only worth it if you are planning to use a lot of Wix’s advanced features.
- Wix can feel a bit overwhelming for beginners due to the large range of features.
> Read our complete Wix review
> Try Wix yourself for free (save 10% using discount code “TOOLTESTER10!”)
2. Hostinger Website Builder (Zyro)
If you find Wix too expensive or complicated, you might like this one. Hostinger Website Builder is, in many respects, very similar to Wix. But at a fraction of the cost! A simple portfolio website starts as low as $9.99 / month.
It is popular among actors for its user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop editing tools. The most suitable templates for actors can be found in the resume section.
Pros of Hostinger Website Builder (previously known as Zyro)
- Great value – it’s one of the cheapest website builders.
- Very user-friendly editor with great functionality
- Easy creation of multilingual websites – to advance your career internationally
Cons of Hostinger Website Builder
- No free trial: they ask you for payment right away (with a 30-days money guarantee)
- Blogging feature is very basic (no commenting or more complex structures possible)
- Range of additional website features (apps) is very limited
- No video player (but it’s possible to host videos from YouTube)
> Read our complete Hostinger Website Builder review
> Try Hostinger Website Builder
3. Squarespace
Squarespace is extremely popular with creative folks. It offers a range of tasteful templates and additional design options. Their pricing is very similar to Wix, positioning it in the more expensive category of website builders.
It’s an excellent site creator to host films, pictures or even podcasts. Squarespace’s blog is one of the best around if you care to share your acting experiences.
Pros of Squarespace
- Sleek and modern design options
- Great galleries and a video player
- Top blogging feature and social media integration
- SEO-friendly
- Extremely helpful live chat support
Cons of Squarespace
- It’s pricey. The cheapest Squarespace plan starts at $16 / month (it’s called Personal)
- Not enough specific templates for actors
- No free plan, only a 14-days free trial
- Page loading speed isn’t the best
> Read our complete Squarespace Review
> Try Squarespace for free (save 10% using discount code TOOLTESTER10)
4. Webnode
Webnode is another affordable option, also sporting a free plan. You can use a custom domain name with the Limited plan for only $4.50 / month (with a small Webnode ad). Webnode’s range of templates isn’t enormous, but there are a few good portfolio themes that can work well for actors.
Editing a website is intuitive, partly because Webnode doesn’t offer too many features. Luckily, it lets you add a contact form so agents and fans can get in touch with you. Webnode also offers plans that include custom email addresses.
> Read Webnode review
> Try Webnode for free
5. Ucraft
While Ucraft isn’t the easiest website builder, it does have a good range of stylish designs. With a price of $10 / month for an ad-free website, it’s an affordable option. If you don’t need more than 15 pages you could even try our their free plan (keep in mind though that you won’t be able to connect a domain name).
Let’s now go through the steps to creating an actor website:
How to Get Started With Your Actor Website
Here are 5 simple steps to get you started with your website:
1. Pick the Right Template
The first step is to choose a good template for your website. This is the design of your website. Check out the various website templates Wix or other website builders offer and search for an actor/model themed template.
Pick one that suits your personality and creative style. Then customize it with your own photos, reel, text, and more. Keep in mind that these templates are fully customizable and with a bit of creativity – you can truly make them unique and design it to fit your own personality.
2. Register a Domain Name
Next, you’ll want to register a domain name and link it to your website. Your domain name is the address of your website. But it’s also so much more. Having your own domain is a way to build your online brand, get your name out there, and set yourself apart. When choosing one, try to stick to your own name or stage name. For example, johndoe.com.
If the .com version of your name is already taken by someone else, you can always go for a .me, .actor or other domain endings (usually they are less than $20 per year). Also, if your name is lengthy or difficult to spell, you may want to consider creating a shorter version. Once you find the right domain name for yourself, buy it and keep it! Technically, you can’t buy a domain name (you lease them for a set amount of time), but make sure you don’t let yours go. It’s a part of your branding now!
3. Create a Business Email Address
Once you have your domain name registered and linked to your website, you’ll want to create a business email address with it. An example of this would be something like [email protected]. You can easily create your new email address in Wix (or any other website builder) by going to “domains & mail” (or similar). A single custom inbox costs usually between $3-6 per month.
Although you should always list your agent’s contact information for casting directors, you may still prefer to let others know how they can reach you personally. From now on, you can finally stop using your old Gmail email address and use your new, business one!
4. Add Essential Content to Your Site
Next, you’ll need to fill your website with relevant content. This means all the pertinent information you’ll want casting directors, agents, and anyone else to see. Remember, your website is one of the most important platforms for showcasing your work and shaping your reputation—and fortunately, this is something you have full control over. Be sure to include your best headshots, demo reel, resume, bio, photos, videos, and more.
5. Optimize Your New Website for Search Engines
Now that your website is pretty much done, you’ll want it to show up on Google & Bing when people do a search for your name. To have this happen, you’ll need to start performing SEO (search engine optimization) on your website.
Conclusion
And that’s the 5 simple steps for building an amazing actor website! As a professional in a creative field, you need a website that really reflects who you are and what you do. Remember to customize your template and design it to match your personality. Good luck, err, I mean “break a leg” with your new website!
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below!
FAQ
It can be, but I generally would advise against it. While WordPress offers a wide range of templates and can be very affordable, it’s also quite technical.
You have to set up everything yourself and also deal with regular WordPress and plugin updates.
For beginners, it’s definitely easier to pick a website builder like Wix or Webnode.
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