If you have entered your professional life or are looking for an online job, you must have a quality portfolio website at your disposal. You cannot be going into your first job interview with nothing in your hands and have the feeling that you are going to get selected. Representation is very much important in your professional life and this is what the web design portfolio provides. When we talk about representation, we don’t just talk about the quality of clothes that you wear, we also talk about how you represent your academic career.
If you want to maintain stability within your professional career, you must know how to create portfolio sites from square one. If you are a beginner, it is likely that you will have thousands of questions going through your mind related to how you can make your portfolio look professional, the elements that should be displayed, creating portfolios without having experience, etc. If you cannot answer these questions, you have come to the right place. You can also go through many other Strikingly blogs to learn more about portfolios in professional life.
Tips to Create a Quality Website Portfolio
1. Website Builder
There are many notable website builders around the world that provide quality features and functionalities in web design portfolios. However, if there is a website builder that provides quality features with little investment, Strikingly is a free website builder that fits the bill. When we talk about creating a design portfolio website, you shouldn’t rely on any other website builder than Strikingly. Once you complete the registration on our platform, you will fall under our free plan, which will allow you to create a basic portfolio site at no cost.
Image taken from Strikingly
When you create a portfolio site in Strikingly, make sure that you have an appropriate name for your website. In these cases, it is likely that the website owner goes with his own website. There are many portfolio sites in which the website owner has practically used his own name. However, you can also change it with your family name. You can get a domain worth 24.95 USD when you go with any of our yearly paid plans.
2. About Section
In a professional portfolio site, the “about us” section has the utmost priority. You can find some of the best web design portfolios on Strikingly and you will identify one common denominator i.e. the importance of the “about us” section. Even though this section is only about your professional career, many clients find it interesting to go through the highs and lows. Personality has a lot of influence in hiring in a professional company.
The about us section should always be the starting point of a portfolio site. It must include a brief introduction to your profession and your brand. It should be one of the first things that the visitor identifies when landing on your website. When we talk about building a portfolio site from square one, it must include the about section that informs the clients about your brand. It integrates a human factor behind your professional work.
3. Gallery
Website images are the bread and butter of your stunning web design portfolios. The gallery section on a portfolio site has a similar importance to what the greatest hits mean to a musician. We recommend you should only add the best editions of your work. It is unnecessary for you to add all of your tasks because some of them may not look attractive in the eyes of your visitors. Therefore, you must conduct an analysis (of let’s say 20 best artworks) and upload them on your website.
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website
When you create a portfolio site on Strikingly, make sure that you include a gallery section as one of your navigation elements. If your portfolio site is solely based on photographs, you can even include your artwork as part of your homepage. However, it is important that you include quality photographs in the gallery section. Make sure that your photographs aren’t blurred and their background isn’t dark. As the portfolio sites are usually single-page websites, make sure that you only add the best editions of your work in the gallery section. Otherwise, it will hamper your loading speed.
4. Testimonials
The best web design portfolios always establish an esteemed reputation. Once you understand how to create a portfolio site from scratch, you will start adding more testimonials from your previous clients. If you have a good relationship with your previous clients or left their jobs on good terms, it will be very easy for you to request testimonials from them.
If there is one thing that will influence your website development process of a portfolio site, it will be social proof. The positive feedback will help in the building of your credibility and will increase the chances of you getting hired. Regardless of whether you are a beginner or an experienced professional, your credibility and reputation is the most important thing. If you begin your career with a poor reputation, you will be in the declining phase for the rest of your life.
5. Contact Page
As a business owner, you would always want to make sure that you respond to the queries instantly. There is a reason the most stunning web design portfolios on Strikingly have a contact page as the last section. When the customers want to collaborate with you, they shouldn’t be guessing the ways of approaching you. Instead, make life easy for them by adding a contact page at the end of your website.
Strikingly also encourages the use of social media to build collaboration with clients. You can integrate your social media accounts as social media icons in the last section of your website, which will land your customers directly onto your respective social media account. Therefore, we can say that the social media platforms will also be part of the contact page. If deemed necessary, you can also include the location of your working station or office.
Strikingly Portfolio Examples
1. Ashmith
When you are thinking about creating a design portfolio website, sometimes it is better to prefer simplicity and being straight to the point. Regardless of whether it is your web design portfolio or your website content, the website owner should make it easy for the customers or visitors to understand what is displayed on their computer screen. If the readability status isn’t good, it doesn’t matter how many testimonials or the amount of content you upload, it won’t be worth it.
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website
Ashmith on Strikingly is one brilliant example of a simple design. This website encourages simplicity through minimalism. When you land on this website, the website owner will tell you exactly about his current status, and what the customers should expect from him. The navigation bar makes it easy to access the entire website comprehensively. The call to action (CTA) button encourages the visitors to get in touch with the website.
2. HVN Design
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website
HVN Design on Strikingly represents one of the most stunning web design portfolios you will ever find on the Internet. They belong to an interior design firm that offers multiple design services for both residential and commercial clients. It features a compilation of images of different spaces related to them. It attracts the clients to a virtual tour via quality photographs of spaces from many angles.
3. Anne Sigismund
Image taken from Strikingly User’s Website
Of all the web design portfolio examples that we have discussed, Anne Sigismund is arguably the most unique one. She is a game and a background artist who divided her portfolio into sections or categories according to the type of work or field. The presence of the floating header makes it easy for the incoming clients or customers to browse the respective galleries.
Conclusion
In today’s day and age, you must have a quality web design portfolio no matter if you have a professional life or a creative life. When you go for your first job, it is pretty common that the individuals come just with their resume and nothing else. It is negligence from their end because many companies ask for portfolios alongside their resumes. As the world is evolving with the new technological evolution, everything is now connected with the digital world and a website portfolio has also become a necessity. It is just a poor excuse that you weren’t prepared when people ask you to submit your portfolio alongside your resume.
Strikingly enables you to create your portfolios now. Spending no penny and with just a couple of clicks, your desired online portfolio will be in front of your computer screen. Once you customize one of our given mobile-friendly website templates, you can start adding all the relevant content related to yourself and your brand. If you are having trouble developing your portfolio site, you can discuss your problems with our Happiness Officers. They are available 24/7 to listen to your queries quickly and resolve them. So, create a quality portfolio site and build your credibility instantly.
