A digital portfolio is a resume, business card, and project presentation all rolled into one, which makes it an easy but effective way to broaden your reach, prove your prowess, and land more clients. In many industries, it’s becoming a must for any professional who takes their work seriously. You might get by with a good portfolio, but what you need to set you apart from the competition is a great portfolio.
Most people fall into the trap of following templates to the letter when making their portfolios, which leads to the thousands of portfolios online that seem to be exact replicas of one another. The format, the phrasing, and the presentation, all end up samey samey. This could be good news for you because it’s a great pointer to what not to do, but it still doesn’t clarify what to do instead.
That’s what this article will do: we’ll get into the framework of a great portfolio, plus what you need to create an excellent presentation and leave a lasting impression, all in a way that leaves room for your unique voice and personality to shine through.
What makes a good online portfolio?
Whether it’s for writing, make-up artistry, marketing, or web, product & graphic design, there are a few basic components that should be included in a portfolio. You’ll need a:
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Statement of originality: We recommend a short note or paragraph to confirm that the content of your portfolio is 100% your work. It’s a simple way to establish your credibility and assure the client that you’re trustworthy, especially in this era where there are dubious writers passing off AI-generated work as self-written. To protect your interests, you should also indicate any parts of the portfolio that should not be copied.
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Short bio: A short profile summary that highlights your years of experience, areas of specialty, and services rendered is another crucial addition that will help potential clients quickly determine whether you’re a suitable fit for their needs.
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Work samples: Showcase your best work, not all your work. You want to put your best foot forward and hold attention — displaying too many samples makes it harder for clients to look through, which means some of your work may never get seen.
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Contact details: Display your phone number and/or email address in a prominent area to make it easy for employers or clients to find you if they have further inquiries. You could even add links to social media profiles you’re active on — it’s a great way to humanize yourself and allow a glimpse into your life outside of work. If you have a significant following, that also adds social proof of recognition within and outside your field.
Going beyond the basics: What makes a great online portfolio?
If the goal is not merely to showcase your work but also to convert potential clients into paying customers, you’ll need to do more than the bare minimum. To boost your portfolio’s chances of conversion, you want to make sure your portfolio includes a few extras as well:
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Visual appeal: The appearance of your portfolio is just as important as its content. Make it easy to scan with bullet points and ample spacing; avoid clutter; choose harmonious colors (if you’re using several), and embrace negative space. If you’re not confident in your design skills, you could get a professional to create a portfolio for you, or customize a template on a website builder (we recommend some great ones in the section below).
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Call-to-action: One golden rule of online communication is clarity over subtlety, and this is where calls-to-action (CTAs) come in. Include a short, clear prompt to guide your visitors to the next step toward commitment, such as “Book a Call” or ‘Work With Me.”
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Lots of personality: In all your writing and presentation, avoid the robotic tone most people assume is appropriate in professional contexts. Who you are influences how you do what you do and you should lean into that as a selling point. Designer and author, Mitch Goldstein, said it well: “A good portfolio is not just a collection of things you made; it’s a collection of how you think.”
How to create an online portfolio
We’ve dwelt enough on what goes into an online portfolio, now let’s look at how to actually make one.
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Choose a platform. There’s a slew of options available to you when it comes to hosting your portfolio website. You could use a website builder to design a personal website from scratch — platforms like Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, and Weebly all provide beginner-friendly drag-and-drop tools, plus free templates you can use as a starting point and then customize to your preference. Or, create an account on portfolio platforms like Behance, Dribble, GitHub, or Contently, depending on which of them suits your needs and niche.
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Work in sections. To make your portfolio easy to navigate, dedicate a separate page to each major portion: About, Resume, Work Samples, and Contact. Use your landing page to showcase all the attention-grabbers and make a killer first impression. This includes any big names you’ve worked with and any prominent media features you may have had. Keep all this important info “above the fold” – which means the part of the first page that visitors can see without scrolling.
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Go niche. If you’re a multi-skilled professional, work on niching down your portfolio for each specialty. You can create different pages for each service if necessary, but make sure you’re not lumping multiple disciplines or niches under one umbrella.
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Pay attention to SEO: Your portfolio is as good as it is findable, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the way to increase your chances of showing up in search results. Some SEO best practices include using high-quality images and adding keywords throughout your page.
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Keep it updated. Make sure to leave out any outdated or pending projects, and constantly update your portfolio with recent work so you’re always putting your best foot forward.
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