In a creative industry, how do you show off your skills? Whereas a PA or accountant may send a CV detailing their previous roles, you must demonstrate both your previous jobs and your skills to your potential client. This is where a portfolio website comes in handy. Today, we’ll discuss what a portfolio website is, why you might need one, and the first steps you can take to get one.

What exactly is a portfolio website?

While the term “portfolio” was once reserved for artists, it now refers to anybody of creative work you use to show potential clients what you can do. A portfolio may be used by a graphic designer, photographer, or artist, but it is also used by writers and other content creators, web developers, app developers, and even piercers and tattoo artists. It is frequently used in place of a traditional CV, but it can also be used to supplement one.

A portfolio website is what happens when you take that body of work online. Instead of creating a a’standard’ website, most of which are single-page scrollers, think about how you can best showcase your work through a digital medium.

Considerations to Make Before Creating a Portfolio Website

Portfolio websites, like portfolios themselves, should demonstrate your creative spirit. Remember that, while it is simply a vehicle for displaying your work to a potential client, it is also part of the package. While it’s a good idea to create a streamlined, easy-to-use online portfolio that doesn’t distract from your actual work, if the ‘packaging’ is ugly, the client’s reaction to your work will suffer as well. As a result, it is worthwhile to devote some time to designing a high-quality portfolio website.

This implies that you must strike a certain balance. Your portfolio website design must be functional. It ought to:

Be straightforward to use.
Have quick load times
Do not allow yourself to be distracted from your actual work.
Be user-friendly, but also invest some time in creating an appealing layout with personality. Consider it like looking for the perfect frame for a piece of art.

Next, think about the materials you’ll be using as a portfolio. Here are some excellent suggestions for what should be included in a portfolio. Spend some time writing a compelling statement and history to accompany your portfolio items, or hire someone to do it for you.

This is simple if you work in an industry where you can use photography or digital art to showcase your skills, such as a painter, tattoo artist, sculpture, crafter, graphic designer, or photographer. Spend time gathering high-quality, high-resolution, attractively staged images of your work. To prevent art theft, artists may want to use a subtle watermark.

It can be more difficult to decide how to ‘package’ your work enticingly in industries such as writing, content creation, software development, or web design. You’ll most likely be linking to a.pdf or website, but simply slapping a hyperlink on the page is tedious and unappealing. Determine whether you want to use thematic art, pixel segments, or another method to create an appealing showcase for your work.

A quick and rough tutorial for creating a portfolio website.

With the work done on these key elements, putting together a compelling portfolio website shouldn’t be difficult. We’ve compiled a list of stunning portfolio websites to serve as inspiration for you as well. Make sure your prepared text and portfolio samples are ready to go. A basic understanding of HTML will be beneficial, but you may require the assistance of a professional.

1. Purchase a domain name: There are tips and tricks for selecting a good domain name. Buy it once you’ve decided on it. Typically, you do this through your website host. Renewal fees for domain names are typically charged on an annual basis.
2. Select a host: You now have a domain, but you also require hosting. This is billed on a monthly basis by your chosen hosting service. We recommend purchasing a domain name and hosting rather than using free hosting, as this does not create the professional appearance you seek. For more advanced users, you could consider a dedicated server, hosting on something like GitHub, and so on, but that’s pretty advanced.
3. Create your website: A web developer should probably start from scratch when creating their portfolio, as it is an excellent way to showcase their abilities. Most of the rest of us will use a service like Wix, so unless you’re an expert in HTML, CSS, and PHP, look for an appealing template that suits your business and includes space for a portfolio. These are usually image galleries, scrolling carousels, or other features that allow you to display a large number of items in a single centralized location. Don’t forget to look at the examples we provided!
4. Upload to your host: After you’ve customized your chosen layout and added links to your portfolio, you can upload the CSS and HTML, as well as images and other items, to your host’s backend. They can most likely advise you on this step.
5. Make sure your site is live: Before you distribute links to your portfolio website, make sure it looks good on a PC and on mobile devices.

That’s all there is to it! A good portfolio website is an excellent way to show potential clients your work, and every creative should have one.