Our client, domain .ME (they’re the folks who sell the unique URL ending dot.ME aka about.me or rooms.me), just came out with a survey drawing the correlation between professional success and having a strong brand presence online. This rang true for me because my own digital presence has helped me find multiple jobs, make a name for myself, and organize my online footprint into one convenient location.

Some highlights from domain .ME’s study:

• 50% of respondents use their site to grow their careers,
• 72% use their site as a hobby,
• and 70% believe that employers are reviewing their online brand before they are interviewed.

While I’d like to think it was my previous job experience, my schooling (go Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets!) or my inimitable charm that got me my position at Everywhere, Danica admitted that she stalked me on my site before extending the offer. Much like the respondents in the survey, I use my site (www.lina-skandalakis.com, as show above) both for my career growth AND as a place to talk about my hobbies - it’s a hub for all things ME! What I’ve heard from Danica and others is that my site gives a fuller picture of who I am both as a professional person and a personality. I put a lot of effort into building my site because I believe it’s vital to control your personal brand.

Another interesting statistic from the study:

• 73% of respondents think having a “personalized” domain name is important for one’s online brand.

I agree wholeheartedly, and this is coming from someone with a very unique name. Trust me, there aren’t ANY OTHER Lina Skandalakises out there (believe me, I’ve looked). While I have a .com, I bought it before I knew that .ME was an option. Friends who are thinking of starting a personal brand site often ask me for advice and I strongly recommend they consider a domain .ME URL. Why? It’s unique, eye catching and ME focused (perfect for a hobbies and career hub!). It’s even better if you can cleverly incorporate your brand into it (much like the folks at Despicable.Me did).

I got a job in part because I had a uniquely branded site. People I meet often check out my site, which shows so much more about me than my paper resume or even my LinkedIn profile. Having a personal site is attractive; in fact, the study shows that:

• 70% believe that having a website is important to attracting new opportunities.
• And even though they’re not necessarily using their site for their careers right now, 85% admitted that in the next 5 years a website will become more important to career success.

That is so true – we live in a Google-able world, and Google, along with your unique URL, can and should be the new word-of-mouth. So whether you’re hoping to attract new opportunities, land the next great job, or control your digital presence, the proof is there. Having a site is directly related to your professional success.

Disclaimer: Domain .ME is a client of the Everwhere Agency, but this blog posts reflects my own thoughts and opinions.