When you work in the creative industry, you’re in for a world of competition. It becomes incredibly vital to showcase your work effectively and have a steady inflow of opportunities. Much like online dating, your “profile” can only hold a potential client’s attention for so long before they decide to swipe - if they want to give you a chance or not. Besides, you are not the only one who does what you do. A portfolio website can help you communicate what is unique that you can offer and help you stand out among the rest.
If you’re still unsure, we’ve provided you the best reasons why you should create your personal portfolio website now.
What Is a Portfolio Website?
A portfolio website is basically a one-stop-shop of yourself. It is a website that provides information about you and your professional background. The best portfolio websites contain a collection of the user’s past works, client testimonies, and even contact information on how to start transacting with them. If you seek to level up your self-marketing strategies, designing a portfolio website is a stepping zone for you.
Why Make a Portfolio Website?
Digital technology has brought a major impact on how people do their responsibilities—specifically in the business world. For the past years, companies have been using the best portfolio websites to find the best candidate. They go through various portfolio websites and examine if a candidate is deserving to join them. This is one main reason why designing a portfolio website is needed for you. As an individual who strives to have a stable career, designing a portfolio website is one holy grail.
When you make a portfolio website, you are building yourself a strong online presence. Having a solid online presence is important if you want to land a job. Especially nowadays where almost everything is done online, backing up yourself with the right weapon is a must. Once you’ve presented them all your past works through a portfolio website, capturing their hearts will easier for you, and in no time, you will be able to have that career you’ve been dreaming of.
Image taken from Elly Amelia
What Should a Portfolio Website Have?
A well-designed portfolio website is key to grabbing the attention of potential clients. It serves as a weapon that helps you tell website visitors what you can do. Some portfolio website owners even decide to use inspiring landing page designs to accomplish this but to go further into starter specifics, you’ll need a few things to start:
1. A Short Professional Description
Any portfolio website is meant to have a description of you, the owner. These may come in a few short paragraphs or a short and sweet introduction, depending on where you’d like to add this information. Longer introductions can be used in dedicated “About Me” pages while the (written) elevator pitch version could be one of the first things they see on your homepage. Regardless, better to prepare something you can work and adapt to communicate what exactly hiring managers should expect from your portfolio website.
2. Your Contact Details
The best portfolio websites are always one-contacts away. This one goes without saying but worth repeating - your professional contact details should include your phone number and email, with your social media channels as an optional but highly recommended addition. Make it easier for your audience to contact you so you are easy to hire. You can even incorporate a digital calling card style presentation of your details as you need in the website.
3. Collections of Your Work
Whatever projects you choose to display on your portfolio website must have a purpose, otherwise, it’s a waste of space and additional noise. The usual recommendation is to include your most recent and/or best work - both paid and personal, but remember to add variety. Do you do mostly branding work, or do you have other more fun projects on the side? Is yours a less traditional form of artistry like makeup or industrial design? Communicate your versatility through the variety of work that you showcase.
4. Feedbacks and Testimonials
No matter the industry, it’s always great to collect positive feedback and testimonials from previous clients. Designing a portfolio website requires you to think of a way on how to capture the trust of your audience. Having a feedback and testimonials section on your portfolio website can help you with that. These help further your credibility as a reliable worker and a nice thing to keep for inspiration - especially when burnout hits.
5. Awards and Certifications
These are important in any portfolio website, especially if you’re just starting out and you’ve gone through some training to learn the work you want to do. Other than an excellent way to track your progress, having these for reference is a more professional recommendation on your credibility and ability to work.
6. An Outline Of How You Intend To Organize These Assets
In a typical resume or traditional portfolio, you probably have some idea on how best to layout all the information you’ve gathered that you’d like to digitize. This would be incredibly helpful to make a portfolio website, to have an idea of how these can translate into a space of your own creation and organization and can show off some of your organizational skills.
Image taken from Drawing On Experience
Key Ideas to Create the Best Portfolio Websites
If you’ve already got all these, or may even already have a website portfolio of your own, you can go through the following pointers as a guide in achieving the best portfolio website.
• User-Friendly
This is probably one of the most important aspects of a website portfolio. Remember to make your portfolio easy for anyone of all ages to use. This means designing with smart navigation in mind while using colors that don’t clash or appear off-putting on a bright screen. Advanced user-friendly practices even allow for certain websites to adjust or even accommodate by default those who are color-blind or otherwise disabled.
• Mobile-Friendly
Knowing that screens can come in all shapes and sizes, it’s imperative to use website builders that can help you create your portfolio website that can adapt in real-time. Most people are busy and often multitask by reviewing action items on their phone and if that includes glancing at your profile, then your portfolio website shouldn’t be static and stick to original photo sizes rather than adapt to a smaller screen. You need to be seen in order for you to be noticed. For you to do that, ensure that it will be easy for your website page to switch between phones, tablets, computers, or even televisions.
• Appropriate Accompanying Images
For designers, their art is their lifeblood, and this needs to look its best before going out into display; but these can include a variety of photos in different settings according to the story you want to tell and where you’re telling it. So it’s incredibly important for your portfolio website to include a flattering photo of yourself on your About Page but use a more subdued, tone-setting photo to your page explaining your mission. Have a gallery for a specific collection or timeline, or even just have a video of your most recent engagement linked to your press releases related to this particular event.
• Great Copy And Descriptors
If a picture can speak a thousand words, what would be the best way to say it in two sentences? If you’ve got your About Me set, you’ll still need the occasional explainer for collections of your work. Here’s a guide to writing good website copy. Share your process: how you think, how you work, what inspires you? And place these in the appropriate sections of your portfolio website.
• Reflects Your Personality With Your Best Foot Forward
Make this space your own by putting your own spin on making your website portfolio. Communicate your collaborations, the things you’re excited about, and spruce up your work so people can get excited at the idea of working with you. Give credit as well to any shared or collaborative work you’ve done to establish yourself as a team player with integrity - both admirable and desirable traits.
• Engages Your Audience
If you want to share what is new with the business that adds value and gives you credibility, considers creating an opt-in newsletter that promises tailored advice and insight into your processes that can inspire your audience. Sharing values that are in line with your mission and vision will add to your integrity and make you a reliable resource for budding individuals in the same field as you, and communicate your willingness to collaborate with potential clients. Learn more about creating your first newsletter here.
Image taken from Anne Sigismund
Create a Portfolio Website with Us!
Website builders play an essential role in creating a portfolio website. It will be the one responsible for making sure that your portfolio website performs well. We in Strikingly helps our users start creating their own portfolio website even without having the fundamental experience in website building. We are equipped with all the necessary tools you will be needing in starting your own portfolio website. In just a few steps, you can have a portfolio website that surely rocks.
Now that you’ve learned the basics of building a portfolio website, why not start creating one with us?
Here are the simple steps we’ve made to help you get started.
Step 1: Register an Account
To start creating your portfolio website with us, you can simply register for a free account. Simply add an email and a password, and you’re good to go. You can even use your Facebook account in signing up!
Image taken from Strikingly
Step 2: Choose Your Template
After you’ve registered for a free account, select the “Create New Site” button on your Strikingly dashboard. This is now the time to choose your desired website template. We offer a collection of free website templates which are all proven amazing by our users. You even can select which design you like depending on what type of portfolio website you are trying to make.
Image taken from Strikingly
Step 3: Set Up Your Portfolio Website
Once you’ve selected your desired portfolio website template, start setting it up. With us, you can set up your portfolio website by just manipulating your website editor. On the Settings menu, you can start managing your portfolio website by getting a website domain, adding basic information about your portfolio website, setting up a live chat, and even creating additional pages!
Image taken from Strikingly
Step 4: Customize It
What’s the best thing about making your portfolio website with us? Customizing it! With us, you can select themes, color schemes, add photo backgrounds, and even post videos on your portfolio website! You can even edit the fonts, add your own texts, and also include a logo you’ve made. Just one amazing way to design your own space.
Image taken from Strikingly
Step 5: Share Your World!
A fully designed and customized portfolio website would not make any sense if it’s kept from the audience’s eyes. Let the world see your works by sharing your newly created portfolio website, and in no time, achieving your career goals will never be impossible.
Image taken from Strikingly
Keep in mind that these are not required rules followed by all the portfolio websites creator in the world. But, these ideas are a great reference to see what you can do to build your portfolio website space according to the kind of work you do. Industrial designers may need a different approach and create an industrial design portfolio website to showcase their multidimensional skills. Actors may need a dedicated website to house all their video reels and references. Graphic designers may not have much use for a long-form blog unlike leaders, writers, and other personalities who use a blog as their primary income-generator after monetizing their website. Likewise, these people probably can’t communicate their public speaking or writing skills through a comprehensive gallery - to each their own.
Creating your own portfolio website takes a lot of time and effort if you do not know where to begin. But, as soon as you know who to entrust yourself to, the gains of this investment will definitely be worth all the heavy-duty decision-making. It’s also not up to you to call yourself the perfect candidate, rather you are not “the best” but simply have your own way and style. Besides, we are all unique in creating what we do. Displaying your own style and work on a portfolio is merely a testament of your experience and skill level. You’ll either make a fine first impression or an outstanding enough one that’ll get you your desired clientele. While in the now, take the time to collect and showcase your assets, own your domain, and build your website portfolio now!
Wanting more about how to start portfolio websites? Chat with us, and let’s start building yours together.
