First impressions matter when it comes to portfolio website success. Your site should have the ability to sell your talent effectively in the first few seconds of a user’s stay on your page. Online portfolios, after all, are representative of an artist and his brand, and they have to be designed to engage and pique a potential client’s interest to be effective. Having said that, if you’re building your own website, choosing the right portfolio website templates is important.
Fortunately, it doesn’t take much to get a website up and running nowadays. Free website templates are available for creatives who are just starting out and are looking to leverage on the power of the web to help them elevate their brand.
Essential design elements for portfolio websites
An online portfolio has distinct design and navigation requirements that sets it apart from other types of websites. For starters, because of the needs of its target audience, its challenge is to create a good first impression and pitch a service directly through the website. Online portfolio websites are online resumes for creatives and they are also considered a reflection of talent. Think of your portfolio as another one of your creative projects. It has to look good to prove to clients that you do great work.
The right choice of free portfolio website templates gives you the freedom to build your portfolio on solid ground. These templates feature numerous options for you to present your best work effectively. For instance, the ability to add multiple galleries on your Strikingly website allow you to group your work into different categories depending on audience segments. The intuitive website editor and significant flexibility in customization gives you tons of chances to build a standout website. Support for high quality images, videos and graphics without sacrificing loading speeds create a positive user experience for potential clients browsing through your site. These are some of the many considerations that you should think about when designing and choosing portfolio and photography website templates.
Presentation and User Experience Matter
Presentation is everything when it comes to portfolio websites. Rather than randomly selecting and uploading your work, consider taking the time to set up a photoshoot to highlight your projects. Engaging visuals that bring your work to life and show clients the extent of your talent should comprise a major portion of your website content. Take care not to cram all your projects into your portfolio. Pick out the best ones so you can discuss them more thoroughly and provide as much relevant detail as you can. At the end of the day, it’s not the quantity of projects that you have completed in the past that will wow your potential clients. It’s the quality of your work that will push your brand.
While it’s okay to push the boundaries of creative design when it comes to setting up your online portfolio, it’s also important to prioritize user experience. For instance, the use of free responsive website templates ensures that your site will look and perform consistently across different devices and screen sizes. An adaptive website is necessary in this era where people are using their mobile devices to browse the internet.
Best Website Templates for Online Portfolio
Over the years, Strikingly has empowered thousands of creatives, startups, small businesses, and professionals through modern website templates and an intuitive website builder that provides significant room for designing unique online spaces. Here are some of the best portfolio websites created on Strikingly to give you design inspiration.
