Studies have found that it takes users less than two-tenths of a second to form a first impression when viewing your website. Make sure the website you’ve designed for your sports broadcasting career pursuits is making a positive impression on employers.
You don’t need to be a professional web designer to have an effective personal website. Use STAA’s tips to ensure you’re making the best possible first impression on potential sportscasting employers.
Be certain your website displays properly on mobile devices
Check your website using your smart phone (or a friend’s) to make sure that all of your demos play back properly and none of the text formatting looks funky.
Limit your website’s color palette to no more than four colors
A quick Google search for “color palette” will provide you with several free generators that will help you select colors that go well together. Our favorites are Coolors.co and Adobe Color CC.
Use uniform fonts for headlines and text
While there are many font choices available, stick to one or two across your website. Be certain you choose a font that is easy to read for your main text. Arial, Helvetica, and Georgia are all standard choices. Many build-your-own websites now incorporate Google Fonts.
Feature your name and title in the header
For example, “Jon Chelesnik, Sports Broadcaster.” Make it easy for potential employers to know they are reviewing your material
Include a graphic in your header
This could be a good spot to add a headshot, or a graphic version of your name and title.
Limit your site to four pages
Less is more.
Keep your home page simple
Don’t overwhelm your home page with large chunks of text, several images, or embedded demo samples. Again, less is more.
Don’t use an email form on your “Contact Me” page
Print your email address. An employer can’t add an email form to his contact list or Rolodex.
Limit the number of demo samples
Don’t go crazy on your demo samples simply because you can. Five different football play-by-play samples don’t make you sound five times better.
White space between paragraphs is your friend
White space breaks up the page and makes it easy for visitors to skim your content to find the info they need fast.
Don’t over format text
Use bold and italic text sparingly. Avoid underlining text for emphasis. Underlining on the Internet should only be used for links.
