Project By: Kalaniofborg

Building a personal portfolio website is one of the most valuable steps for anyone learning web development or cybersecurity. It allows you to showcase your skills and projects in a professional way, helping potential employers or collaborators see what you can do.

The best part? It’s super affordable!! You only really need to pay for a custom domain (I used GoDaddy), while tools like GitHub Pages let you host your site for free. Beyond the cost, creating your own website is a hands-on learning experience, teaching you coding, responsive design, version control, and deployment == all skills that will serve you in real-world development and cybersecurity projects!

Your portfolio becomes more than a website; it’s a living demonstration of your growth, creativity, and technical abilities!

>> Starting your website build (Development)

1. Install tools:

• Install VS Code (download and install)
• Create a GitHub account
• Install Git on your machine + configure your name/email:

git --version git config --global [user.name](<http://user.name/>) "Your Name" git config --global user.email "[youremail@example.com](<mailto:youremail@example.com>)"

Read: Creating a GitHub Pages Site

1. Create your project folder
   • In VS Code: File → Open Folder > create/open my-website.
2. Create basic files
   • index.html, styles.css, script.js
   • Example: VsCode Files
3. Add Bootstrap for easy layout
   • Use the Bootstrap CDN in your index.html head for fast setup:
4. Use VS Code extensions that help!
   • HTML/CSS/JS support (built in),
   • Live Server (for live website preview as you build)
   • GitHub Copilot (to connect your files to GitHub)
5. Preview locally
   • Install and run Live Server or open index.html in your browser.

>> Create a GitHub repository (from GitHub website)

1. On GitHub, click New repository > name it (e.g., my-website) > Create repository.
   • Don’t add README/License (optional) if you plan to push an existing local repo.