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Building a Personal Website in 2025

By Sharon E. Philip
3 min read
#web development #astro #personal #journey

After years of wanting to create a proper personal website, I finally took the plunge. Here’s why I chose Astro and how the journey unfolded.

The Decision to Build

For too long, I’d been putting off creating a personal website. The usual excuses applied:

  • “I don’t have enough content yet”
  • “I need to design it perfectly first”
  • “What if I choose the wrong technology?”

But 2025 felt different. I realized that waiting for the “perfect” moment meant never starting at all.

Why Astro?

After researching various options, Astro stood out for several reasons:

Performance First

Astro’s approach of shipping zero JavaScript by default aligns perfectly with my values around web performance. In an era of bloated websites, having a fast-loading site felt essential.

Content-Focused

As someone who wants to write regularly, Astro’s excellent markdown support and content collections made it an obvious choice for a blog-centric site.

Developer Experience

The component-based architecture, combined with the ability to use any UI framework when needed, provides flexibility without complexity.

Modern Without the Baggage

Astro feels like it takes the best parts of modern web development while avoiding the pitfalls of over-engineering.

The Building Process

Phase 1: Planning

I started by sketching out what I wanted:

  • A clean, readable blog
  • Simple navigation
  • Fast loading times
  • Easy content management

Phase 2: Setup

Setting up Astro was surprisingly smooth. The CLI tool made initialization effortless, and the project structure felt intuitive from day one.

Phase 3: Design

Rather than spending weeks on design, I opted for a clean, minimal approach focusing on typography and readability. Sometimes constraints breed creativity.

Phase 4: Content Strategy

I planned out content categories and created a publishing schedule. The key was starting simple and building momentum.

Lessons Learned

Start Simple

My initial plans were overly ambitious. Scaling back to core features helped me actually ship something.

Perfect is the Enemy of Good

I could have spent months tweaking CSS and optimizing every detail. Instead, I focused on getting a functional site live quickly.

Content is King

All the technical sophistication in the world doesn’t matter without good content. The writing is what keeps people coming back.

Iteration Over Perfection

Having a live site that I can continuously improve is better than a perfect site that never launches.

What’s Next?

Now that the foundation is solid, I’m excited to:

  • Write regularly and build a consistent publishing rhythm
  • Add features gradually based on actual needs, not hypothetical ones
  • Engage with readers and build a community around shared interests
  • Experiment with new content formats as the site evolves

For Aspiring Website Builders

If you’re on the fence about creating your own site, here’s my advice:

  1. Just start - Don’t wait for the perfect moment
  2. Pick a technology you’re comfortable with - The best framework is the one you’ll actually use
  3. Focus on content first - Pretty designs don’t matter without substance
  4. Ship early and iterate - You’ll learn more from a live site than from endless planning

The web needs more personal spaces, more individual voices, and more authentic content. Your perspective matters, and the world is waiting to hear it.

What’s stopping you from starting your own website? I’d love to hear about your journey in the comments or through email.