Take 10 Simple Steps to Enhance Your Online Portfolio

by Kelsey Arrington on Sep 02, 2022

Does your website reflect your personal brand? Does it include high-quality images of your best work? When was the last time you updated your online portfolio? Whether seeking the attention of employers, trying to attract clients, or simply showcasing your work; it’s important to have a web presence that reflects who you are as a creative professional. Are you looking for tips on how to show off your talent and personality in a successful online portfolio? If so, you’re in luck! In this post, we’ll review ten steps you can take to audit, adjust, and enhance your portfolio website. 

10 Tips to Keep Your Portfolio Fresh:

1. Find the right website publishing platform.
2. Curate your portfolio often.
3. Include descriptions, captions, and alt-image text.
4. Consider your target audience. 
5. Keep the design of web pages simple.
6. Link your social media and portfolio website.
7. Include ways to access your resume or CV.
8. Create an about me page. 
9. Highlight your accomplishments.
10. Include relevant contact information. 

Want more information on how to attract new clients, employers, or projects?

Keep reading! 

Find the right website publishing platform.

When it comes to your online portfolio, it’s imperative that you find a web publishing platform that is easy to use on the backend and easily accessible for your site visitors. Not sure where to start? Read our other article on how to build an online portfolio for suggestions. 

Curate your portfolio often.

Whether you are seeking new employment or want to attract new clients, your online portfolio site can help you create the career of your dreams! So, it’s important to keep it updated. Review your website bimonthly to ensure it is up to date with new images and projects. 

Include descriptions, captions, and alt-image text. 

In addition to making a site that is easy to navigate, it’s important to consider other aspects of accessibility. Does your current portfolio site include images with captions or project descriptions? Adding those details can add context to your work – which can be especially important for new site visitors who are stumbling upon your portfolio for the first time. 

Additionally, you may consider adding alt-image text as well. Doing so will make the images on your website more accessible to folks with varying levels of ability. 

Consider your target audience.

When you’re designing your website or curating your portfolio, it’s important to keep your potential clients or employers in mind. What types of projects do you want to attract? What type of clients would you like to work with? Think about who your potential customers are or the type of company you’d like to collaborate with, then use that information to curate a collection of your best work.

Keep the design of web pages simple.

When building an online portfolio to show off one’s professional experience(s), it’s important to keep it simple. While it may be tempting to demonstrate all of your creative skills on the site’s foundation, we advise against it. Instead, focus on creating a simple site that you can use to showcase your designs prominently and promote your personal brand. 

Link your social media and portfolio website. 

When setting out to create a seamless web presence, it’s imperative that you link all of your professional profiles. Do you have a LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter account? If so, add clickable social media icons on the contact page of your portfolio site! Likewise, it doesn’t hurt to include the link to your portfolio site in your social media bios. 

Include ways to access your resume or CV

In addition to showing off high-resolution images of your creative projects, your portfolio website is always a way to promote to your resume/CV to potential employers. Does your current website include a link to a downloadable pdf file of your resume? Do you have a separate page on your website dedicated to your CV? If your current set doesn’t include a way to access your resume or CV, consider updating it immediately. Creating a page to highlight your professional experience or including a link to your documents can do wonders for you in the long run – especially if you’re searching for employment. 

Create an about me page.

When potential clients or employers access your website, they’re likely looking for a few things in addition to your portfolio. They may want to know where you attended school, what city you work in or originate from, and other details that help shape your personality and personal brand. So, include an about me page on your website. On that page, write a short bio and include a portrait to help your audience get to know you better. 

Highlight your accomplishments. 

Find ways to stand out from the crowd. What makes you unique? What do you excel at? Do you invest time in learning more about your industry? In addition to including your resume/CV, consider making space on your website to highlight recent accomplishments and interests. This can be anything from grants or scholarships you’ve been awarded to competition placements, workplace acknowledges, or certificates of completion from design courses you’ve recently attended. 

Include relevant contact information.

While your creative projects should be front and center on your website, we can’t stress enough the importance of including contact information! Be sure to include your email address, in addition to social media handles. And, if you’re savvy enough to pull it off or can find a template, create a custom contact form for business inquiries.