How to create a professional web portfolio

If you are dedicated to the world of web design and development there are few things more important when it comes to getting clients than having a good portfolio.

Surely if you pass by the window of a pastry shop it catches your attention more when you see some good freshly made cakes. Well, you can apply this to any type of business. Whether it’s a sports store, an IT store, even a pharmacy.

Being able to show your work is essential for potential clients to see your skills and have the necessary confidence that you can help them with their project.

The example with a pastry shop is simple, but how do you work on a portfolio when your business is to help other companies go digital?

In this article we are going to talk about how you should create your web portfolio and what you should include to get more clients.

What is a portfolio?

Originally we could define the portfolio as a kind of folder or a place where the set of works carried out by a professional throughout his career is gathered.

Nowadays and for professions like ours, the portfolio is digital and is usually viewed in web format. Especially if it’s what you sell to your customers. Although it’s not the only way.

Thanks to a web portfolio, our clients can see the work we do any day and at any time and thus know what they can expect from us.

The importance of the portfolio for web designers and developers

Here, that ”at the blacksmith’s house wooden knife” that is usually said is not worth it.

The first reason why you should have a website with your portfolio is because you are offering to do the same for other professionals. So you must lead by example.

A portfolio will allow you to show the projects you have worked on and how you did it. To expose your skills with more than just words.

In addition, it can help you establish a unique brand with which you can identify and differentiate yourself from the competition thanks to your own style.

I know a web designer with such a beautiful personal website that anyone who comes in to see it is already convinced to work with her.

The goal of the portfolio is to attract potential clients and get them to hire you. That’s why we’re going to see how to design a portfolio to help you achieve this.

How to make a web design portfolio?

As we have said before, the portfolio is going to be your main cover letter for future clients. So you need to take great care of its content.

No matter how good your work is, if your cover letter, that is, your portfolio is not good, it is likely that you will not get the expected result.

When creating such a portfolio you can opt for a folder in the cloud, a YouTube channel, an infographic…

Create the type of portfolio that best fits with your objectives and the one that allows you to show your work better (for different niches of clients you may need one or the other).

In this article we are going to focus on creating a web portfolio.

What to include in your web portfolio?

The work of each professional is different and personal, so this work may condition what you are going to include in the portfolio.

However, there are things that you cannot forget and that are important to build confidence, demonstrate skills, etc…

Write a little about yourself

First things first, tell your client about yourself. We like to do business with people more than with companies. So make them know you.

Don’t elaborate too much either. It is important to be concise and direct here, so you should offer as much information in as few lines as possible. This way you make sure that they actually read it (at least a few).

This is a good start to look like a real professional, so take care of every detail, write carefully and try to impress the client by telling him something that makes you special.

And, above all, start telling him why you are the right person for his project and why you would like to help him.

Show your success stories

It may seem obvious, but try to show your best work. Throughout your career creating websites, there is sure to be some work that you are more proud of than another. This is the time to show it off.

If you’ve been lucky enough to work for someone famous or for a well-known company or if a page you created is trending on the internet, you can’t miss that project.

Sometimes we sin of wanting to show everything we do but the saying already says it; “the good, if brief, twice good”.

With a few quality projects the client will already be able to get an idea of what you can do. If he needs more or a specific one, you can show it to him later in a meeting or by email.

Describes the project process

It may seem that it is enough to put a few photos of what you have done, but many clients will like it if you tell them how you have done it.

Yes, they probably don’t understand much, but it will demonstrate professionalism and generate trust if you are able to tell them your work method and how doing X action allowed the business to get Y return.

That’s why I would recommend you to have an individual page for each project within your web portfolio. The best thing is that you create a template and always use the same content format.

On that page you can count:

• The phases of the project and how was the work in each one.
• Photo gallery of the project where you can see, for example, the different pages you designed for your client’s website.
• Obtained and measurable results. Although it is not always easy to get them, they are a plus to generate confidence.

That the client can know how you have worked will allow him to assess your work in a better way. And it will also give him an idea of what it would be like to work with you.

Customer testimonials

One of the most interesting things you can add to your portfolio are testimonials from your customers.

Nowadays we all look at the valuations before buying something. Whether it’s to go to a restaurant, a gym or to buy a book.

That’s why showing the opinions about you is perfect so that potential clients can get an idea of the experience that other people have had working with you.

Training certificates

If you have training certificates, the portfolio is perfect for you to show them to your clients. Of course, it is not something required in our sector and is that many professionals are self-taught.

However, if you have them, they can be a good way to show that you are really prepared to carry out the work. Especially for more traditional customers.

Contact details

It may seem obvious, but it is as obvious as it is necessary.

Imagine, for whatever reason, that your portfolio has reached an unknown person through one of your clients. She has loved it, she has a project that you could fit for but she can’t find how to contact you. Let time pass, he ends up forgetting and in the end you have lost a client.

It may be enough for you to enter an email address where they can contact you to ask for more information. Although it doesn’t hurt to have a contact phone number to be able to have a closer deal.

If you accompany it with a call to action (CTA) of course invite the user to contact you much better.

Tips for an innovative and eye-catching web portfolio

One of the keys to success in any sector, especially in ours, is originality and innovation. You can choose to do the same as the others but being a web professional being able to offer your touch of distinction is essential.

Take your time and don’t be in a hurry to create the portfolio, this is a perfect opportunity to show your most creative and innovative side.

Focus on what really makes you different from others, that aspect that would cause them to hire you instead of another professional.

Defining your target audience will also help you when it comes to targeting your portfolio. It is not the same to make a portfolio for a large company than to make it oriented to small businesses that are starting.

Each of them may have different aspirations and understand a different “language”. While a large company may look for originality and functionality, the small professional who is starting out will look for something simpler.

One of the most important things to have an innovative portfolio is that it is always updated. If you have been working as a web designer for many years, you have surely seen how design trends have changed.

You should never leave your portfolio outdated, so from time to time think about giving it a refresher.

And, of course, keep adding new works and take the opportunity to show the new techniques or strategies with which you work.

On the other hand, remember that a picture is worth a thousand words. The best way to create an eye-catching portfolio for clients is to make a dynamic and visual portfolio. Spend time to have some good photos and even to make mockups.

Think that it is possible that whoever is going to take a look at your portfolio probably does not have all the time you want in order to value your content. With a few images you will be able to see the work much better and, in addition, it will serve as an example of what you can offer.

If you put some video explaining the success story it would already be brutal.

Finally, the advice we have given you from the beginning, do not reload the portfolio.

You must remember that quality is better than quantity. Choose the projects that convey greater professionalism and, of course, those that you think are your best works.

WordPress templates to make an online portfolio

Finally, let’s go over some WordPress themes with specific templates to create an online portfolio in case you don’t have much time but want to get a professional finish.

Yes, in Modular is that we are very WordPress and we can not miss its mention.

Astra: One of the most well-known template themes. It is really versatile and has a lot of options. This allows you to build your own portfolio thanks to all the tools it has so that you don’t have to adapt to a specific model and thus give free rein to your creativity.

Pinbin: One of the best portfolio templates you can find. It is inspired by Pinterest and, in the same way as the application itself, you will be able to show your portfolio as if they were notes fixed inside the same board in a simple and simple way.

Fortun: A set of WordPress portfolio templates that has 18 different options. You can create the portfolio you want even if you have no experience, because with all the possibilities it has you will have no problems creating a quality portfolio.

Conclusion

Having a digital portfolio if you are dedicated to creating websites for others as a designer or developer is something fundamental when convincing your clients that you are the best option for their project.

For this reason you should take great care of what you show in it. Only your best work, remember. And in what way you show them. Try to be original and clear by explaining what you have done and also how you have done it.

We hope that with these tips it will be easier for you to create or tweak your web portfolio to help you get new clients.