MightyType.xyz – Squarespace customer (United States)
Your website is a place of unlimited freedom to create, share what you do, and promote the things you’ve made. It’s the place you have full control to show the world what you’re most proud of. You may want to highlight past work, share current projects, or promote your personal business. One of the best parts about your website is that you can use it to share all this and more. This week’s #WebsiteWednesday is a multi-talented individual who serves as a stellar example of how to do just that: MightyType.xyz.
MightyType.xyz is the online home of skilled creative Tanner Vargas. An architecture student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Tanner researches social infrastructure and inclusive space. He uses his website to share articles he’s written on these topics along with other pieces on creative mediums like music, movies, and short stories. This content is how Tanner began expressing his creativity online, calling it The Type. He’s since expanded to include his photography work and a dedicated page for his independent store, Mighty Merch. This marked his website’s evolution into MightyType.xyz.
Tanner shares his written work in the Typed section of his website. His pieces often focus on the topics he’s most passionate about. He writes about architecture, exploring ideas for future city designs and discussing how architecture impacts people. His article on inclusive infrastructures in cities, for example, seeks to address the problems of division against minorities. He writes about music, giving his captivating criticism of new albums, songs, movies, and trends. These come in the form of compilation lists like best songs of the year, as well as individual album reviews. He writes about films his audience may want to check out and gives an analysis on why they are worth watching or skipping, as well.
Going beyond standard blog updates, Tanner displays his own creative writing prowess by completing a short story series he dubbed “short story Sundays.” His horror-themed narrative explores different emotions, from fear to overcoming internal battles. This series shows Tanner’s impressive writing ability while also allowing his audience to join in his love of creating.
On his dedicated architecture page, Tanner introduces readers to his professional passion and explains why he chose it for his studies. He links to papers he’s written and shares photos of designs he’s created in the program. All this content is enough to make for a robust personal portfolio website, but it’s only half of how Tanner uses MightyType.xyz.
Tanner also uses MightyType.xyz as an online store to sell what he’s dubbed “Mighty Merch.” The Mighty Shop features prints and stickers of Tanner’s original artwork as well as clothing designs he created with his partner Daniell. Shoppers can buy photo prints inspired by architecture or Tanner’s own artistic interests. Some print designs prominently feature the MightyType.xyz URL to help spread the word about his website.
The shop also launched an original line of screen printed shirts and sweaters featuring The Mighty Type artwork in a similar style to their stickers and prints. In addition to original designs, the store features upcycled vintage shirts or sweaters refinished with an acid wash look. Some have custom embroidery done by Daniell to add a unique touch.
Many clothing items in the shop are one of one, making them especially unique for the buyer. Tanner uses an e-commerce store he set up through Squarespace (where you can get a free .xyz domain) to process orders, which also allows him to see data on what products are most popular. Buyers can check out right on his website, then switch over to reading his content and enjoying his creative work.
Your personal website can be anything you want it to be. Tanner uses the freedom his personal website provides to blend his creative work with his passions. He also uses it as a platform to launch his own independent business through his shop. Take inspiration from Tanner to harness the power of your personal website to share your passions, start a side hustle, or create anything you want to put out to the world. Connect with Tanner on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or get alerts on MightyType.xyz shop sales by joining the Mighty Mail newsletter.
MarquesColston.xyz – GoDaddy customer (United States)
.XYZ has proven to be a conduit for next-generation leaders to establish a memorable online presence. For example, look no further than autonomous delivery project Starship.xyz and Massachusetts Institute of Technology startup accelerator Engine.xyz. .XYZ’s reputation as a domain for innovators has inspired notable figures to join the movement and brand on .xyz domains themselves. In this week’s #WebsiteWednesday we’ll meet one such leader. This Ex-NFL player is sprinting into the next chapter of his career, branded on his own FirstNameLastName.xyz domain: MarquesColston.xyz.
Marques Colston is a former National Football League (NFL) wide receiver and Super Bowl champion, best known for his 10-year career on the New Orleans Saints. During this time, Marques also developed a second career off the field in business development. He began by serving as President and General Manager of professional indoor football team the Harrisburg Stampede and purchased a share in Arena Football League team the Philadelphia Soul. Since retiring from the NFL, Marques has grown his business leadership profile through roles for the NFL Players Association, his alma mater Hofstra University, and Virtua Health. He’s also become a partner in New Orleans-based juice bar franchise Main Squeeze, consulting firm Dynasty Innovation, and an adjunct professor at the University of New Orleans. Marques shares his wealth of experience from these roles through his own consulting service, MC Consulting. His website, MarquesColston.xyz, is the official page to book him for management training, performance coaching, and corporate development consulting.
Marques’ coaching aims to help businesses shift their thinking and develop strategies for sustainable success. He does this through a method he has developed called “creating separation.” The system gets its clever name from Marques’ football experience. As a wide receiver, Marques needed to create separation from his defenders to catch the ball and score. Now, he uses this analogy to help companies and professionals create separation from competitors. Marques teaches the mindset needed to “create separation” through 3 steps: irrational confidence, creativity and possibility, and dynamic decision making. He credits this mindset for his ability to overcome obstacles in his career and sustain success in football and business.
On his website homepage, Marques breaks his philosophy down further by giving an overview of each step. First, the “art of irrational confidence” helps individuals perform at seemingly unattainable levels. After unlocking this mindset, creativity and possibility help them generate value. Finally, through dynamic decision-making, they can sustain this value and reach long-term success.
Marques teaches this system through bespoke training and speaking engagements. He breaks down potential topics for clients based on their needs. In leadership development training, Marques helps organizations give new leaders the tools for dynamic decision-making. For professional development training, he teaches team strategies aiming to transfer skill sets and unleash creativity. Lastly, he helps athletes transition to professional life by teaching them to manage their personal brand. Each training leverages his business leadership skills and past experience as a professional athlete.
It’s easy to book Marques for a training session right on his website. He includes options to request information under each specific area he’s available to speak on. He offers frequently requested speaking topics on his website to make booking the right talk easier for clients, as well. Marques has already done speaking engagements for many high-profile organizations, including the NCAA, NFLPA, the University of New Orleans, the New Orleans Saints, and the Entrepreneurs’ Association. Many have praised his training, shown by testimonials featured on his website from the University of New Orleans, the Virtual Center for Innovation, and D1 sports who each spoke on the value of his talks.
Showing his branding knowledge, Marques places his memorable website URL at the center of his online promotion. He shares it in all his social media bios and includes it in the banner graphics on each page, as well. This strategy fully utilizes the memorability of his domain name. Potential clients will see this URL and have it stick in their minds thanks to Marques’ being able to use his own name and brand on a memorable extension – .xyz. Making his website the center of his promotional activities means he is not limited by any third-party platform constraints. This gives him complete control over how he presents the benefits of his training.
Innovators like Marques who share their expertise and pass their success strategies on to others are a stellar example of the .xyz community. Marques is a great example of the forward-thinking .xyz philosophy, and his domain perfectly brands his services to reach the next generation of business leaders. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram or reach out to bring his expertise to your organization at MarquesColston.xyz.
A personal website is your place online to share all the things you’re most proud of or passionate about. It’s your own piece of the internet, introducing your work, achievements, experiences, and anything else you want to share to a global audience. But, the portfolio-like nature of a personal website doesn’t require you to follow a cookie-cutter design to fit the status quo. Your website can show your own individuality so that you make a memorable impression on your visitors. In this week’s #WebsiteWednesday, you’ll meet two .xyz adopters whose personal websites are a great inspiration for how to let your personality shine through on your own personal website.
If someone asked you to think of one of your favorite public figures, chances are you would likely be able to picture their voice or way of speaking. It may be a famous author known for their poignant prose or a comedian treasured for hilarious one-liners. Either way, the language they use and how they use it helps them stand out as unique.
Your personal voice and way of speaking is an important part of your personal brand. That’s why using it to write the content on your website is a strong way to let your personality show through. For some inspiration on how to nail using your personal voice to write engaging website content, check out JamieLoftus.xyz.
JamieLoftus.xyz – eNom / Open SRS customer (United States)
Jamie Loftus is a Los Angeles-based comedian, writer, and animator. Her talents have earned her features in Vulture, The Boston Globe, and Forbes. She’s written for The New Yorker, Paste Magazine, Vice, and popular animated sketch show Robot Chicken. Jamie’s sharp, satirical wit is one of her greatest strengths. She uses this strength to write unique content on her website.
Starting from her home page biography, Jamie writes using various quips while sharing her skills and experience. This helps show visitors other talents while also introducing them to her style of comedy. Jamie uses dedicated pages to promote her podcast, past sketches, cartoons she’s animated, and her stand up comedy. Each of these pages includes a short description of her work, written in her own signature comedic style. Website visitors may even feel like they’re being treated to a mini comedy show just by navigating around Jamie’s website.
Try writing your website copy in your own unique voice to introduce your personality to visitors. This helps make your website’s content more impactful.
Your interests are intimately tied to your own personal brand. That’s why sharing them through the animated graphics and images on your website can be a great way to introduce yourself to potential collaborators, clients, or fans. To see a good example of this design strategy, check out the portfolio website SplendifeRachie.xyz.
SplendifeRachie.xyz – Freenom customer (United States)
SplendifeRachie.xyz is the online portfolio of singer, student, and YouTuber Rachie. A superfan of anime and Japanese culture, Rachie made her name by sharing vocal covers of Japanese songs to her more than 300,000 YouTube subscribers.
To show how much her interest in the culture means to her, Rachie has centered her website theme around anime characters and illustrations. Both her homepage and About page feature large illustrations of her as an anime character. The primary visual content on her website consists of thumbnails for her videos, which are almost always of anime characters as well. These colorful illustrations help her website viewers enter the world of anime and Japanese culture, where Rachie’s passions lie.
Include your biggest passions into your website imagery to help your visitors engage with and share in them just as you do.
Showing personality in your personal website allows you to connect with your desired audience and share what you love about your work or interests with the world. Your personal website is where you can share your passions. Since it is your own place online, it’s only fitting that it sounds, looks, feels, and says exactly what you want in your own personal style. Follow the example of these two .xyz adopters and infuse your personality into your personal website.
Tribe.xyz – Namecheap customer (Czech Republic)
The design of your website plays a critical role in winning customers for your business online. To maximize your success in driving leads, there are a few key elements your website should include. This week’s #WebsiteWednesday features a lead generation website that is a great example of how to use these elements effectively: Tribe.xyz .
Tribe.xyz is a recruiting consultancy offering candidate sourcing, screening, and hiring coordination. Their business relies on driving leads from companies looking for talent recruiting in Europe. To attract leads, they’ve added website design cornerstones like an explanation of their services and a pitch of what sets them apart. They also include strategic elements that guide website visitors toward reaching out to try their service.
Here are 5 elements Tribe.xyz includes on their website that you can follow to help improve lead generation from your business website.
A potential customer needs to know what your service is before they can decide if it’s right for them. Come up with a quick pitch that explains your product or service in easy-to-understand terms. This will help you cast the widest possible net and avoid turning away potential leads with difficult language.
Tribe.xyz explains step by step how their service works, starting right beneath the main image of their homepage. This puts the most crucial information a potential customer will want to know front and center on their website. They use icons corresponding to each step in their process, as well. This is a smart way to reinforce value props using visuals.
Make it simple for potential leads to learn about what your business does by using visuals and step by step, simple language.
The main goal of your website is to drive leads. It’s crucial that you have your content flow toward well-placed calls-to-action (or CTAs) that guide visitors to reach out to you. These CTAs act as signposts for visitors, showing them the way to learn more about you and try your product or service.
Tribe.xyz includes one CTA under the main description on their homepage and another underneath the step by step explanation of their business. This strategic placement aims to have a visitor read about Tribe.xyz, understand the value they offer, and then show that visitor how to try Tribe.xyz‘s service.
Try giving potential leads an easy way to get in touch with you by strategically placing CTAs under content that pitches your services.
A lack of structure on your website can drive visitors away before they even reach out to you. If you design your website with distracting colors or long blocks of text, you are asking the visitor to put in a lot of effort to understand what you do. Lead generation website designs that emphasize only valuable information and focus on guiding visitors to specific actions tend to perform the best.
Tribe.xyz uses only four colors in the design of their website. They keep all text short and easy to read, as well. This helps them convey only the most important information quickly and effectively. It also saves their visitors time by reducing reading and avoiding navigating a confusing website layout.
Use this simple design technique on your website to avoid cluttering your message and to clearly communicate value to potential leads.
Like the last tip, this one is about keeping the layout of your site simple for visitors. A clearly-labeled navigation menu is like a map your website visitors can carry with them as they interact with your website. It gives them an understanding of what information your site has to offer and helps instill trust through simplicity.
On Tribe.xyz‘s clearly labeled top navigation menu, the first tab acts as a CTA to “Hire Recruiter.” Their “Careers” tab signals to those seeking to work at Tribe.xyz. The “Log in” tab shows existing users where to log into the service. This straightforward layout helps Tribe.xyz direct visitors to specific destinations on their website, and avoids distracting from their message.
Add a simple navigation menu with clear labels to your site to make sure potential leads know where to go, and don’t get lost in content.
This may seem obvious, but it is also critical. Your potential leads need a way to get in touch with you, and a contact page gives a clear label of where to do that (along with your CTAs). Contact pages help increase user trust, and lend credibility by offering a direct line of communication for your visitors. Your contact page should include a phone number if applicable, and an email or contact form.
The link for Tribe.xyz ‘s contact page is in the footer at the bottom of their website. The page itself lists their physical address as well as an email to reach out to them. With this page, Tribe.xyz shows their company’s home base and provides a simple method to get in touch. This information helps potential users get a picture of Tribe.xyz ‘s company beyond their lead generation website.
Make sure to include a contact page on your website to increase consumer trust and avoid losing out on potential leads who cannot contact you.
The quality of your lead generation website’s design determines its effectiveness. The more clear, simple, and navigable it is – the better it will be at driving leads. Keep your lead generation site simple by using an uncluttered design. Clearly label pages via your menu so your visitors don’t get lost and leave your site. Create a contact page and use clear CTAs to earn site visitors’ trust and turn them into leads.
Tribe.xyz is a great benchmark to follow for these tips, and also serves as an example of how .xyz adopters are leading their industries with aspirational website designs. Check them out at Tribe.xyz to get inspiration when building your lead generation site.
AleydaRocha.xyz – GoDaddy customer (Austria)
Your own personal website gives you an ideal platform to share your accomplishments and interests with the world. If you have a lot of information you want to share, it can be challenging to publish it all in an interesting and engaging way. This week’s #WebsiteWednesday, AleydaRocha.xyz, offers a great example of how to do just that. She uses eye-catching video on her website to make her work as a researcher and artist as enthralling to her visitors as it is to her.
Aleyda Rocha is a researcher and artist, based in Vienna by way of Mexico. Aleyda completes most of her work in her role as a Scientific Researcher at the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Her research examines practices of extractivism and colonialism. More specifically, she’s focused on sustainability and fighting for social justice. Aleyda completes this work in her role as founder of the Dismantle Extractivism Network, which aims to visualize and fight extractive environmental practices. She’s also a founding member of Revoltosas Mexico, a non-profit organization dedicated to pushing forward gender equality in Mexico. Because Aleyda’s work deals with large social issues and complex global crises, it can be difficult to grasp and jump into right away. To make it engaging to non-researchers, Aleyda uses her artistic abilities to create unique videos for the projects she features on her website.
The dedicated page for Aleyda’s Dismantle Extractivism Network is a perfect example of her design strategy. She uses a visual intended to help the viewer understand her work on different levels. The warping image, though not fully clear, appears to be of a tree or other common symbol of nature. By having the image become distorted, Aleyda aims to create visions of extractivism in the viewer’s mind. Using this video, Aleyda creatively conveys the impact of the organization’s work by visualizing it in an emotionally resonant way. Aleyda uses the project page itself to explain the organization’s goals and research in more detail.
For her academic research project “Narratives of the desert,” Aleyda features a video of a cactus set against a bright blue desert sky. The cactus moves in and out of focus, almost as if it were a desert mirage. With this imagery, Aleyda gives the viewer the feeling that they are in the desert themselves. The video is strange yet inviting at the same time, enticing her visitors to click and read more about the project. The goal of the project is to highlight biocultural diversity, so it’s fitting Aleyda chose an image of a cactus that takes on many forms across the desert.
Aleyda has made some videos on her site interactive by allowing her website visitors to move their mouse over an image for an effect. One example of this is Aleyda’s page for her global program teaching inclusion, called the Peace Machines Workshop Series. She made an interactive video showing a fractal design of students from the workshop completing their projects. The design catches viewers’ eyes and also evokes a feeling that students are working to heal the fractures. To create more connection to the page, Aleyda made the image so that scrolling a mouse over it shifts the fractals’ movement toward the mouse. This is a great way to keep her website visitors engaged and even to entice them to click on the image to learn more about the program.
Aleyda uses a similar interactive video as the visual for her data exploration project “You Are The Dream Of Poles Awoken.” At first look, the video shows a tall, majestic mountain that is slightly obscured by horizontal lines. The lines cut through the mountain and make the image of the mountain move slowly up and down, towards its poles. Scrolling your mouse over the video lets you push the lines toward the top or the bottom of the image. This is a clever way Aleyda draws attention to poles on opposite sides of the image. It also sets up the project itself, which focuses on one pole in a small, snowy village in Norway and another pole in the Atacama Desert.
Making your website’s visuals engaging and interactive helps bring your work and your website to life. If a single picture is worth a thousand words, then Aleyda has made her site an example of how to speak millions of words and evoke emotion without using much text at all. Her website’s visuals inspire visitors to interact with them, and helps improve the likelihood they will click and read more about her work. If your visitors can feel they are a part of what you do, there is a better chance they will take it in and remember it. Follow Aleyda’s lead and try exploring videos and visuals to showcase projects on your website. Get more from Aleyda herself by signing up for her newsletter, following her on Instagram, or jumping into her portfolio on AleydaRocha.xyz.
