Why you should have a professional academic website

Exposure. The name of the game is exposure, and if it’s not, it can genuinely benefit a young scientist. Like in many industries, academic science being no exception, gaining exposure and being known amongst your peers brings some advantages. For example, an increase in exposure often makes it more likely that you will be invited to give a talk about your research, which is an integral part of our development as scientists. No one can argue that being anonymous will do the same, so gaining exposure helps. Therefore, having a website where people can get to know you a little more, one that acts as a depository for all things you, will work in your favor.

Do people even go to your academic website? For a website that doesn’t do that much, my website brought in 1.5k visitors last year. This year, it is on track to hit over 2k visitors. I don’t know if this is “a lot,” nor do I know how it compares to other personal websites hosted by other scientists. But honestly, I don’t care. What matters is that this is a lot for me. This exposure has led to fruitful exchanges of experimental protocols, the sharing of grant and fellowship applications, and invitations to give lectures and outreach talks. I could not ask for more.

Convenience, for me. Because my website is a complete record of my academic endeavors, it is always available for me when I need it unexpectedly. You never know when someone will ask you for your CV, and you’re going to want to get it to them fast. You could be talking to some wealthy donor and vibing after an elevator pitch when suddenly, he wants your resume pronto. I don’t know if these things happen, but I have always benefited from having all my stuff on hand. When people ask me for grant applications and the like, it is easier for me to send them a link to my website, where I host all my applications, then to dig through my files.

Convenience, for others. At some point, people will need information about your academic endeavors. They can email you about it, and you can go back-n-forth with them, or, you can have a nice professional website, that along with providing exposure, conveniently hosts all the information a letter of recommendation writer might need. If people know you have an academic website, and they need to write, for example, an introduction for the talk you’re giving at their seminar, you’ll likely get to skip the email asking for a “fun fact” because they will go to your website. Additionally, it is a great plug to share when applying for awards and fellowships because it gives the award committee an opportunity to learn more about you.

If you can think of more reasons why it’s beneficial to have your own academic website, feel free to share in the comments section below!

Cheers