Portfolio websites showcase your best work and increase your potential to land your dream job. When done right, they have the ability to capture a potential employer’s attention and convince them that you’re the perfect person for the job they require. Here are a few tips on how to build an effective portfolio site.
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1. Your portfolio website should be about what you do best
Did you know that you only have 15 seconds to make an impression and catch a potential employer’s attention? Nobody has the time to read through every single thing on your portfolio site so you might as well make sure that whatever they see on there brings out the best of what you can do for your visitor. With that said, it only makes sense to highlight your best work on your site.
Get inspiration from portfolio website examples on the web. An online portfolio builder is also a good place to start planning your site’s design.
2. Personal portfolio websites should be easy to navigate
The best way to start setting up your portfolio site is through a portfolio website builder. These platforms handle the technical heavy-lifting by providing you with a functional template on which you can build your content. Strikingly, for instance, features an expansive collection of sleek and professional website templates suited for creating engaging webpages. The best part is that you can create a free portfolio website on this platform.
Content-wise, you want to make sure that your visitors can easily get the information they need from your site. You want them to be able to contact you so make sure you leave your information on the page or even a button link that enables them to reach out to you directly.
3. Keep creating content
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Keep your portfolio website updated by creating fresh content regularly. Google loves anything that’s new and relevant so make sure you have that to deliver so your site gets a good ranking on relevant searches. Consider free online portfolio websites like living documents - you build on them regularly to update your visitors on your most recent work. It wouldn’t look good on your personal portfolio if you have not done anything really good since you completed that great work of art three years ago. Employers will wonder what you have done with your time since then.
The best website builder for portfolio pages should be able to provide you with a convenient way to edit your content. Make sure that the site’s interface is user friendly and intuitive enough so you don’t get stuck trying to figure out how things work each time you put up a write-up on your most recent work.
4. Showcase your previous clients and get reviews
Good client reviews reflect reliability and quality of work. Portfolio sites should contain a section on previous clients you have worked with - even better if you have worked with an established brand. Your potential employers do not know you well enough and a good way to prove you’re worthy of their business is through positive reviews from your previous clients.
5. Be yourself
Finally, we cannot stress this enough - your portfolio website should be about you. Be yourself. You won’t get anywhere copying off from other portfolio sites but you can definitely go through them for inspiration. Try to make your site unique by including your own personal story in it. Consider your online portfolio as a representation of your brand on the internet. Make sure that it reflects the kind of person that you are - professional, reliable and creative. Being unique is the best and sometimes the only way to stand out.
