Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly essential to create an online portfolio if you want to impress any kind of employer. An online portfolio gives people a chance to let people into their lives through the perspective of a looking glass. When you make a regular portfolio, the intentions might be the same. Still, unless you create an online portfolio, you cannot give people that kind of accessibility to your talents and achievements.
It is not even challenging to find a portfolio maker to create an online portfolio. Everything having to do with whatever you have to do to make a portfolio has been simplified with the help of advanced software. That is why you need not worry about how to make an online portfolio because that should not be a problem.
All you need to realize is that the trend of having an online portfolio has gained a lot of traction in the past few years due to its diverse nature. And that is why regardless of whether you are a business or an individual entrepreneur, you should create an online portfolio for your benefit. However, before we talk more about how significant of a task it is to create an online portfolio, you need to know what an online portfolio is.
Continue reading further to find out!
Image taken from Strikingly user’s website
What is an Online Portfolio?
In the simplest terms, an online portfolio is the digitized version of a regular portfolio. However, when you make a portfolio online, you do so intending to add many elements to it that you cannot add to a traditional portfolio. These elements may include any type of media, links to other sites to provide proof of your listed achievements, and much more. If you already know how to make a portfolio, then learning how to create an online portfolio will not be any difficult feat for you to accomplish.
When you create an online portfolio, you do so to enhance the looks of all the achievements you already have. You do so to provide a more precise depiction of the hard work to reach the stage where you are today. It is a collection of web pages on the internet signifying your talents and highlighting where your talents, coupled with your ambitions, have gotten you so far in life.
Image taken from Strikingly user’s website
An online portfolio can shape any kind of website of your choice. You can create an online portfolio in the form of a blog, a video channel, or just a regular website. However, there are some elements you need to add when you make a portfolio online for it to be effective. Keep reading below to find out!
7 Tips on How to Create a Portfolio Online That is Effective
Below, you may find listed and explained 7 tips to ensure that when you create an online portfolio it fulfills its purpose by being practical.
1. Quality Over Quantity
This is the most essential tip we can give you when making an online portfolio. People often get caught up with the option of having practically unlimited web pages and space to add their content on and forget to make it look presentable. Your online portfolio can consist of just one simple web page, but if you design it well enough, it will land you the jobs and opportunities you wish for. When you create an online portfolio remember to use the available features to your benefit and not just for using them.
Image taken from Strikingly user’s website
2. Have Easy Maintenance
Other than ensuring quality over quantity, you also need to ensure that your web design is such that it can be easily updated and maintained. One of the best perks of having an online portfolio is that you can easily add any new accomplishments or details. Do not take that perk away by creating an unnecessarily complicated website.
3. SEO-Friendly
If you want your website to appear as one of the top results in people’s Google search results, search engine optimization is essential. This is also the way to go to increase traffic to your portfolio. And what is the point for you to create an online portfolio if you do nothing to drive traffic towards it, right? How will your talents shine and be discovered otherwise?
4. The Concept of Descending Order
Just like any resume, CV, or portfolio, your online portfolio needs to display your best feats at the very top in a very prominent position. You need to ensure that anyone who visits your website, even for a few seconds, does get to see your most heavy accomplishments. You need to create an online portfolio in descending order of importance concerning your achievements.
5. High-Quality Media
Make sure to not ruin the entire presentation of your online portfolio by using the wrong kind of media. The media you display on your website needs to be of top quality. It cannot be blurred or irrelevant in any sense.
Image taken from Strikingly user’s website
6. Mobile-Friendly
What good is any website nowadays if it cannot be accessed in all its glory from a mobile phone? Your online portfolio cannot be compelling enough unless it is mobile-friendly and can provide people with the same features to view from their phones as from their laptops. Hence, you need to create an online portfolio that is responsive.
7. Be Authentic
Last, you must be authentic in whatever you place on your online portfolio. Pretentiousness shines through, and it is not a good look for anyone. Be yourself and watch that work wonders for you.
How to Create an Online Portfolio on Strikingly
Strikingly is a website building platform that allows users to create a fully professional for their business all by themselves. Its editor is code-free, so you do not have to write any code to build or design your web pages. It offers a drag and drop interface, and most of the tools required to create a basic website are available in its free version. As long you have a basic understanding of using the internet, you can learn how to make a website on your own using Strikingly.
Many Strikingly users have used the platform to successfully create an online portfolio to present to their prospects. They are effectively running their sites with the help of the technical support we provide 24/7 through the live chat feature on our landing page.
If you are looking for the quickest and cheapest method to create an online portfolio, you can also hop on to our landing page and sign up to get started.
Image taken from Strikingly user’s website.
The process of creating an online portfolio on Strikingly is super simple. All you have to do is follow the simple steps below:
- Make a free account on Strikingly or log in from your already existing account. You will not be required to enter your payment or credit card details to register.
- Select a template and customize it according to your tastes. We offer a variety of responsive website templates that you’ll be using as your readymade web designs. This means youy save the cost of hiring a professional web designer and save a lot of time figuring out what kind of design to make. Our templates are customizable to a certain extent, which means, for instance, if the color scheme does not match perfectly with your visual branding elements, you can modify it.
- Add an ‘About Us’ page. This is important because this serves as your introduction to prospective clients or employers. Make it precise, concise, but at the same time, catchy.
- Insert navigation tools and media. This would include any call to action buttons you want to add to link the different sections or web pages with each other and any images or pictures that will make your website look more attractive.
- Insert the main content of your portfolio. This is the most critical step to create an online portfolio. You need to use the ‘Gallery’ or ‘Big Media’ feature of Strikingly. On the left panel, find the green button ‘Add New Section’ and then select ‘Gallery’ and ‘Big Media’. These sections allow you to add images, videos, and links to showcase your past or sample work.
- Create a ‘Contact Us’ page. You can either state your contact details on this page or section or add a contact form.
- Make space for testimonials from past clients. Customer testimonials can go a long way in increasing the credibility of your personal brand. When your prospects read these, they will see you as an authentic, professional, and experienced service provider, significantly increasing your chances of making more sales.
That’s all! Once you are done with these steps, you can simply hit the ‘Publish’ button to make your online portfolio go live. You can then start sharing the website URL as part of your proposal with potential clients or employers.
