If you’re a freelance creative or someone who works in a creative field, an online portfolio is one of the best ways to showcase your work. Whether you’re a copywriter or a UX designer, newer to the creative scene or an old pro in your field, it’s important to communicate your strengths to potential clients and collaborators.
From artwork to articles and photography to video, there’s a wide variety of options to choose from to display your work. You can hire someone to create a branded website for you, or you can create one yourself using a variety of templates and AI tools. But which website is the best choice? And what should you pick to best display your chosen medium?
Let’s dive into why it’s important to create a portfolio, how to create a portfolio website, and what portfolio design best practices look like.
Why Create a Portfolio Website?
A portfolio acts as your online brand—a resume that’s more personalized and interactive than LinkedIn. If you’re regularly writing, creating, or designing, having a place to house your body of work is essential.
Providing an easy-to-navigate portfolio to clients or potential employers shows effort and work ethic at the front end of a job. You’re able to communicate creative flair while organizing your content in a single place. No employer wants to receive a handful of documents or graphics in their inbox. By providing a link to a curated platform, you demonstrate that you’re ready for any challenges they throw your way.
So now that you know the why, how do you create a portfolio website that helps you stand out from other creatives?
How to Create an Online Portfolio
Kinds of Portfolios
- Visual Portfolios: For photos, graphics, and videos, you’ll want to design your portfolio using some sort of gallery display. Choose images or videos that showcase your shooting style and editing abilities.
- Writing Portfolios: From articles to social media, link writing samples that demonstrate both your versatility as a writer and your niches of expertise.
- UX and Web Portfolios: Your personal portfolio website will be indicative of your style, strategy, and design abilities. Focus on including case studies among your recent work samples.
Which Portfolio Website Should You Use?
Before choosing a host for your website, decide which kind of portfolio you’re creating. Do you need a website that allows for video or photo galleries? Are you hoping to showcase your coding abilities throughout your website? Are you linking external articles or blog posts?
Most websites have templates for a variety of layouts. But double check that your chosen host site has the options you want before committing to a paid plan. Here are some of the top websites to create your portfolio with:
- Wix: Free and paid plans, customizable templates, built-in SEO and AI features, shop capabilities
- Squarespace: Paid plans, customizable templates, AI and shop features
- Canva: Free and paid plans, AI features, customizable templates
- WordPress: Free and paid plans, customizable coding, SEO features, customizable templates
- GoDaddy: Free and paid plans, customizable templates, shop capabilities
Most of these websites now include AI tools to help you write or design your content—and save time doing it! Depending on how much money you want to spend creating your portfolio, there are tiered paid and free plans. You’ll have more freedom to customize your website design with a paid plan, so consider investing a little extra to make your portfolio pop.
Buying a Domain Name
All website hosts provide free domain names—for example, your free URL could look something like “mywebsite.websitehost.com.” However, your portfolio will stand out if you buy a domain name. Some hosts even provide a free one with certain paid plans.
When choosing a domain name, simplicity is key. Your URL should contain your name or be the name of your business. For example, a URL like johnsmith.com is much easier to read than johnsmithwritingandgraphicdesign.com.
Shorter is always better. Your goal should be to make it easy for clients and potential employers to find you and remember your site. To own your domain, you usually pay a yearly fee. Most website hosts offer options to create a domain name during your build process, so you shouldn’t need to use more than one website to design your portfolio.
RELATED: How to Get Started on Your Career Development Plan
Portfolio Website Best Practices
Your portfolio website is where you market your best projects and tell your creative story. But how should you organize it, and what information do you include?
These are the non-negotiables for a portfolio website:
- Easy-to-read content
- 8-10 samples of work
- A brief introduction
- Your service offerings
- Contact form
Samples of Work
As the saying goes, less is more. No potential employer has time to comb through every creative project you’ve ever completed. Lead with 8-10 strong project examples that speak to the quality of your work. If your work is writing-based, include pictures or graphics to visually engage your audience.
Portfolios should include titles, partners and/or clients, and a brief synopsis for each highlighted project. It’s important to communicate your role in the project’s purpose and impact.
Branding Yourself
Your portfolio is your space to showcase your professional personality, so have fun introducing yourself to your clients. Use colors you love and any personal branding you might have. Professional photos of you go a long way—never underestimate the power of a smile or a power pose. You don’t have to write a long introduction about yourself. But consider what you want others to know about you when they look at your work.
- Are you a bold risk-taker or a calm strategist?
- Do you focus on candor and authenticity, or do you prefer pose and polish?
- Is your style simple and clean? Edgy? Colorful?
By asking yourself questions like these, you will narrow your focus and attract the right people to you and your brand.
Your Service Offerings
When writing about your services, speak to your differentiator as a creative and your expertise in your chosen niche—whether it’s wedding photography, personal branding, or social media copy. If you’re not sure where to start, lean into AI text generation tools and tweak your content from there.
Website Layout
Your entire portfolio can be a one-page continuous-scroll website. Or you can create multiple pages. Your actual work samples should exist on a single page, whether that’s your landing page or a specific portfolio page.
Don’t forget to add a contact form and links to relevant social media, from LinkedIn to your professional Instagram. Clients may find you organically through search, and they’ll need a way to get in touch and stay in touch with you.
READ NEXT: 15+ Creative Jobs You Should Know About
Get Started on Your Portfolio Today
As a creative professional, having a one-stop-shop for your work will complement your resume and LinkedIn and strengthen your marketability. Now that you know how to create a portfolio website, it’s time to start designing and positioning yourself as an expert in your field.
Looking for contract or full-time opportunities? Check out our Insight Global job board for potential opportunities to utilize your skillset and stand out among your fellow creatives.
by Emilie Skaug 
by Alexandra Woodford 
