Steven Bowen
A portfolio at a glance describes the overall status of the company being represented. It reveals the past successful projects done and hence reflects the experience level as well as clarity of the work. The clients can be aware of the services offered by the company just by visiting portfolio page of any website. Thus it is quite important that a portfolio of any company must be convincing. Designers should have that much of knowledge level so that they may create a killer portfolio of any website. We are presenting some of the tips which when taken in consideration may let you to create a killer portfolio for your website.
As we see, with the advent of internet everything in this internet era has been changed, whether we talk of communication or self presentation. Nowadays Internet has become too much popular as a means of communication. It has shrinked the size of the world as people sitting anywhere can communicate other people anywhere in the world. As it is becoming a standard means of communication, most portfolios are also now sent through email. Besides that, many designers and webmasters are also presenting their portfolio work on their laptops, iPads as well as projectors. Now, self representation through the paper portfolio has become outdated. A persuading portfolio works as a ladder waking on which you may reach to the top and attain your goal. In this post we are providing some of the valuable tips for creating amazing portfolio which the designers can find quite useful for them. Go through these tips and implement it in your project to view the result.
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A portfolio is a story about you
One should remember the fact that a portfolio is a story about him, so it must be effective making the visitors feel that their search has been now finished. The client visiting the portfolio page might come to feel that the thing which he is looking for has now been found. Indirectly you can say that portfolio is the selling tool through which you can draw the attention of the clients towards your project. It should reveal execution skills or how many pieces of software you can use; not only that it should present your past projects done successfully; it presents all your passions, your goals, and your strengths. It is advisable provide a short summary explaining about whom and what you are.
Have an intro page
An intro page sets the tonality of your portfolio presentation; it reveals all the things which your site contains. Hence your portfolio must have an impressive and well designed intro page. You need to keep intro page light presenting a brief of your background summarizing your design career or service you offer.
Avoid keeping bulk of projects in your portfolio
With the passes of time, your successfully completed project list becomes long and long. It is suggestible for you that you should pick out 8 to 10 of your very best projects and put it in your portfolio. If you will put more projects or bulk of projects, the people visiting your portfolio will get confused which one they have seen and which one not. So include few projects in your portfolio but they must have high weightage.
Provide a clear means of contact
There should be no hesitation to put contact information at the bottom of the “Intro” or “About us” page. If a client visiting the portfolio page is impressed of your work done, or the way you complete the project, he might wishes to make contact with you. So it is advisable to add a contact page in your portfolio mentioning your contact details.
Show off only the skill you’re selling
Most of the people showcase a wide range of great work in their portfolio page which is regarded as the bad practice. It is advisable that the portfolio page contain only those skills which you possess and only those services which you are offering. The items included in your portfolio should always demonstrate only those skills you’d like to be hired in or desirous to take contract.
Tell stories of your success to your clients
Potential clients who are going to allot you project are more interested to know the story of your success rather than the work itself. So, don’t forget to mention you success story of your past project in your portfolio page. You should note that your success story is one of the major factors behind your victory, behind your success resulting from more traffic, more profits, and more sales.
Build traffic to turn visitors into clients
Although a lot of effort is needed to build a popular website having huge visitor traffic; but if you will put little of your efforts in creating impressive portfolio, you can get a huge visitors traffic. Your portfolio page can work as an automatic work generator and hence revenue generator for you. Having a striking portfolio with a list of potential clients, you may draw attention of large number of visitors; you can make a good impression by means of your portfolio and can finally turn out visitors into your clients.
Add a little dose of SEO
Search Engine optimization is another important factor which plays major role in rising up visitor’s traffic. So, it is advisable to optimize your sites with excellent SEO techniques; put a little dose of SEO in your portfolio page. It will help you in placing your site higher in the search results for certain keywords.
Ensure that projects in your portfolio are no older than 3 years
It should be taken in consideration that one should not include project older than 3 years in the portfolio page. The quality of latest project done by you which when added in your portfolio will draw attention of your clients and tempt them to take the service offered by you.
Know the purpose of each project in your portfolio
Every project has a purpose why to be kept in portfolio, why it should exist in portfolio. The main concern is to highlight your work strengths; it should make sure to the clients that you can deliver them quality projects. The projects kept in the portfolio are the reflection of your quality work as well as your capability to do work. It is advisable to avoid presenting your same skills repeatedly and try to present something new and innovative skills through your project.
Who did what?
It is general fact that a project is a team work which is completed with the help of a team. So, always try to present clearly while mentioning project in your portfolio that who did what, or who has played the responsibility of what role; especially focusing on your role because your role will tempt the clients to allot you project.
Create customized portfolios
It is advisable to create a fully customized portfolio mentioning your all details, in sophisticated manner and elegant style, because having a variety of projects and presentation styles can help you making your portfolio more relevant to your clients.
Make crystal clear what you can do as a designer
If you are designer and desirous to get innovative designing projects from your clients, then make crystal clear about your skills to clients. Make your clients clear about what you can do as a designer. Assure your clients that if they will allot you project, you will deliver them quality results. Also mention in your portfolio that what kind of project you are looking for?
Always remember that your portfolio is a living document
It is regarded as the best practice to update the portfolio time to time so that it seems as live every time. Always attempt to update your portfolio at least after every 6 months. Always remember the fact that your portfolio is a living document and hence must be updated time to time. For this, a best practice is that create a pop up which will remind you to update your portfolio after a certain time period.
Make certain that your portfolio is well designed
It is quite logical that if you are presentencing yourself as a designer, your portfolio must be well designed not only with the use of bunch of images but with excellent texture, elegant look, consistent layout etc. A poorly designed portfolio leaves negative impact on your visitors. Thus it is advised that your portfolio must be nicely designed with a graceful look which must tempt the visitors to become your clients.
