If it … They are definitely a good example for anyone beginning from scratch. I made a bunch of mistakes that cost me time and money – which is why I don’t want you to repeat them. Also, testimonials are a great way to build trust with your visitors. What To Include In A UX Design Portfolio Website. Don’t feel shy to include them. 4. A standard PDF version isn’t a convenient option for frequent changes. For certain, it’s always better when someone else sings praises of your skills. He includes links to his books, and then follows with links to his most acclaimed online projects. Are you a fresh college graduate searching for your first job? (, 86% of employers visit the candidate’s online personal portfolio. Results. You could also add the link to your email signature. When your portfolio website is online, it’s already excellent proof of your skills per se. Testimonials serve as social proof, helping to build credibility. Here are the ten essential elements to include in your freelance developer portfolio website we’ll cover in this article: Homepage; Services; Unique Selling Proposition (USP) After all, the entire purpose of your website portfolio is to show off your creative side. Web Hosting Services. Choose only those you’re really proud of. Firstly, your blog is the place to share your own thoughts concerning your business field. You could also create your own website. Here are a few questions you may want to answer: Quite often, I see freelance web developer portfolios where the About page gets most of the traffic. Are you a marketer? That’s why it’s a wise idea to use a separate page. This, however, isn’t the ultimate purpose of a portfolio website. Your contact information should be highly visible. Many people don’t know what to include in a portfolio. Here are the ten essential elements to include in your freelance developer portfolio website we’ll cover in this article: This is a long post, so make sure you save it for later and share it with others! Give a concise summary; don’t overwhelm visitors with your life story right off the bat. The results of your work are worth hundreds of praising words in your resume. The best way to make visitors contact you is to convince them that you’re the perfect match to what they’re looking for. I’ll walk you through everything you need to know. Believe it or not, some people still think that a personal portfolio is something that only the “creative” need. If you’ve worked in a specific industry, you know how to solve specific problems for businesses in that area. They prove that you’re worth paying attention to and hiring. And hey, it’s perfectly OK to use your smartphone for this. Several websites and networking platforms offer online portfolio services, and some are free. That’s why a downloadable resume is an indispensable element of any personal portfolio website. Use this opportunity to address their pain points and focus on how easy and simple it is to work with you. Freelance clients are only interested in how your solutions will help them. Either way, adding a photo will make your online portfolio stand out by letting visitors to your website to put a face to your name. What kind of work do I include? Here are a few helpful tips for a professional photo: And whatever you do, remember to smile like you would when meeting a new client for the first time! Secondly, it helps you engage your website visitors. Portfolios are large, extensive collections showcasing your ability to perform a certain type of work. "If you've done work in any other categories like life drawing or illustration, that's great – but keep them in a separate part of your portfolio website instead." This includes your name, purpose of writing the portfolio, and any other information that is required of you. Otherwise, you’ll just be wasting your time and wondering why you’re not getting hired. Beginner’s Guide, 6 Hacks to Maximize Productivity as a Remote Web Developer, 12 Essential Advantages of Python (Why Learn Python in 2020), How to Land Your First Entry-Level Software Developer Role, The Best Way to Learn Web Development in 2020: The Ultimate Guide, 17 JavaScript Projects You Can Build to Perfect Your Coding Skills, How to Choose the Best Coding Project? However, rather than taking a selfie, find a friend who can take your picture. Other elements of your portfolio could include things like your mission statement, more details about your approach to the particular campaign, longer blog post-type pieces related to your work, or testimonials from your previous customers. As you can see, a think-out personal portfolio has really become an indispensable tool in winning job opportunities. It’s a vehicle for demonstrating your professionalism and talents, so make sure that you show off new projects and skills as soon as they’re ready for the world to see. To begin with, tell who you are, what you do, and how you can be helpful. It will allow you to update your resume whenever you wish without re-uploading it on your website each time you make changes. The former was great for showing that I had gathered relevant work experience, while the latter showcased links to some of my best projects. Keep these ground rules in mind when getting started. However, it’s not true. Undoubtedly, everyone has heard about it. To tell the truth, there’s no one-fits-all formula for creating a successful personal portfolio website. In case you need some inspiration, feel free to examine these 11 rousing UX designer portfolio websites. They don’t know what a certain programming language or a framework is good for. There’s no need to duplicate your publications, interviews or other useful stuff. Another way to highlight your worthiness is to include testimonials from people you’ve worked with. I hope you found a few helpful tips in this post for things to include in your freelance portfolio website. A call to action (CTA) supports the main purpose of your freelance portfolio site. Anyone has an opportunity of creating a kind of a gallery. Including a table of contents makes it easier for prospective employers, administrators, or clients to navigate through your work and immediately access the information they need. It significantly increases your chances to be noticed and hired. In our digital age, an online personal portfolio is an essential thing for anyone looking for a job. If you want to become a successful freelance developer, building a portfolio site is the easiest way to get your name out there. 1. Enlarge your logo into a billboard.You may love your logo, but m… Ensure that you are using the same fonts throughout, and prioritize clarity and readability over bright flashy design. If you’ve made a website for a local food truck that’s known for gourmet quality food, the aesthetics should correspond and fit the message. 🙂. Now that you have a solid overview of the essentials to include in your freelance developer portfolio, it’s time to create one! Therefore, use it to add some personality to your site. Shout about your clients Nevertheless, there are several components no personal portfolio website can do without. P.S. Next, bear in mind that your photo can’t be an obvious selfie. So before I show you some specific sections you can include on your website, I want you to think about your goals. You simply need an online presence that allows you to put yourself out there and start looking for work. 1. If you choose to purchase using these links, I may receive a small commission for referring you. If you build a stunning portfolio homepage, your visitors are obviously more likely to get in touch with you. Which feels overwhelming. Should I make it an online portfolio? When your online portfolio is ready, include a link to it in your resume. However, an email address is an obligatory thing. When you build a freelance portfolio site, you can list your skills and tell your visitors how great you are. The information you collect to include in your portfolio primarily depends on the type of job you are looking to get. And come join me on Pinterest and Twitter! Let’s consider one final point that’s going to help build trust with your clients and make them contact you more easily. Apart from your services per se, you also want to inject your USP into your portfolio site. How does their business benefit from the things you can build with JavaScript? Testimonials should be brief and to the point. Whatever job you’re looking for, it may become a little bonus. For certain, it’s always better when someone else sings praises of your skills. There is nothing worse than a cliché tagline on a portfolio website. Subscribe now and receive 15 free tips to get you started with learning coding, helpful tutorials, and updates before others. Smart! Thank you for your support! 15. You should decide what you want to accomplish with your websit… Thanks for your support! Stay far away from cliché taglines, and create something that adequately displays your unique style. Share; Tweet; Share; Comment; A UX design career is one of the most stable paths you can take. If you want to land a full-time developer job, you need to focus on selling your technical skills. This means you’ll have trouble covering your running costs. © mikkegoes.com 2016-2019 - All rights reserved. They were mockups for simple websites such as a portfolio site for a photographer, for example. Just ask them not to say something like: “He’s such a good person”. Include a table of contents. In case you choose quotes, accompany them by their authors’ photos. If you’re new to freelancing and you’ve never built a portfolio site before, don’t worry. But please, only buy products you believe will help you achieve your goals faster. If a client finds your Homepage and your Services convincing, they may get in touch right away. Sometimes this works but in many cases, it’s a poor implementation. To make things easier for you, I’ve created a step-by-step guide you can use right now to build a professional freelance portfolio website fast. However, if you’re just a beginner, they can be from friends or family. Write them down, and then think about which components would best serve them after you finish reading this article. Here are a few basic tips for building your homepage: Each individual section should be short and snappy. Sooner or later the moment comes when we have to start this process. Present some photos of print materials or links to the online stuff. Undoubtedly, you should provide him with such an opportunity. Perhaps, a simple link to the Word Doc in your Dropbox is a better solution. The elements of the personal portfolio can vary widely depending on your business sphere and purposes. Download your free copy with 15 practical tips for learning web development and coding more quickly and easily. It simply helps them identify whether you’re the right person for the job. And that, my friend, means more work and more income for you. 8 Must-Have Things to Include in Your Personal Portfolio Website (2020), Titanic Genius of WordPress or Monstroid 2 Overview (2020), 6 Tips to Giving a Perfect Sales Pitch Presentation, Meticulous Integration of Instagram and Email for Escalating Sales (2020), innovative ways to incorporate video into web design, 11 rousing UX designer portfolio websites, SEO vs PPC (2020): How your PPC can affect your SEO campaign, 5 Best Computer Spy / Monitoring Software To Use in 2020, 10 Best Lock Screen Apps For Android in 2020, 5 Tips for Building Brand Authority in 2020, 72% of companies worldwide believe that digital HR is important for finding a candidate. I’m the creator of MikkeGoes.com, a platform where I help beginners learn how to code. A good rule of thumb is: if a specific social platform profile is related to the work you do and the skills you have, it’s worth mentioning. USPs often address feelings of frustration or disappointment your client is afraid of. Hi! No one says that you have to include your personal phone number or physical address. Unsubscribe anytime. Published on August 31, 2017. Studio Faculty goes beyond crediting the design team — they also give credit to the paper and fonts. Let’s discuss this in more detail next. I’ve compiled a definitive list of options for you. Nailing your photo really is one of the easiest ways to make a great first impression. Get creative with placement.Heat map testing tools consistently indicate top-left is a common hot spot on the page. Actually, it doesn’t matter. A portfolio site is an extension of a freelancer’s (or company’s) résumé. Your portfolio website is like a living CV: the content on it should be up-to-date and make it clear to people what you can do. Resist urges to: 1. Luckily, as it turns out, creating a freelance portfolio site that converts into jobs and regular income isn’t rocket science. (, 71% of employers say that a portfolio’s quality influences their decision on whether to hire a candidate. Now, depending on which social media you use, be critical about what links to use. It should be a value-driven solution for potential clients. Leave a comment. As the purpose of your personal portfolio website is to show your professionalism, it can’t do without a professional blog. Besides, your blog should be relevant. Also, I want to you think about why they should hire you instead of someone else. The ultimate purpose of a portfolio website is to provide a way for you to land more clients, whether that means freelance work, more clients for your agency or employment at a company. It’s not necessary to give out a phone number; if you’re like many people, you’ll prefer to keep your personal cell number off the web where anyone can find it. It lets you demonstrate your knowledge and real interest in the work you’re doing. It’s one of the most important components of your portfolio, website, or blog. As a rule, most companies continue to require a candidate’s paper resume. As long as you show your visitors how you can solve their problems and make their lives easier, they’ll get in touch with you, trust me. So, try to be brief but convincing. So, it’s high time to roll up your sleeves and begin creating your personal portfolio website. Sign up to download my free HTML5 Cheat Sheet and build websites faster. As an affiliate webCREATE earns from qualifying purchases. After landing on your personal portfolio website, visitors want to learn more about its owner. This means you have to update it regularly with useful content. Thus, it should make them feel like you’re THE freelancer who can help them achieve their goals. Now you know the essential elements you should include into your future personal portfolio website. Potential clients place heaps of value on feedback from previous clients. Thanks for your support! They’re the easiest method to show that there’s no risk in hiring you and that you can deliver great results. Also, consider placing a prominent element, such as a banner, at the bottom of relevant subpages. This is the place where your potential employers learn about you and your professional skills and achievements. Jake Rocheleau. It’s especially true when it comes to the workplaces with human resource division. If your homepage makes your visitors feel intrigued, they want to see what you’ve built so far. Learn how I taught myself tech skills and became a web dev entrepreneur here. Yet, it’s better not to clutter it with too much text. Also, feel free to create a dedicated contact page with a contact form if you want to. I’m here to share my favorite tools, resources, and strategies to help you learn the right tech skills faster. Choose a photo that represents your personality. If you’re just getting started with freelancing, you may not have too many projects in your portfolio. You simply need to remember that it’s completely different from a portfolio you’d build to apply for full-time jobs. / Portfolio. Building your portfolio website as a developer can be exciting and simultaneously overwhelming — but it doesn’t have to be! Then, you’re at the right place. You want your work to take the spotlight on your site, not your flashy, color changing navigation bar. A few years ago, I taught myself to code and went from knowing nothing about web development to becoming a full-time freelancer in less than 12 months. Note that “comprehensive” doesn’t read as “including each and every event in your life”. Whatever job you’re applying for, a quality of the photo matters. For her portfolio, she used a gallery to beautifully organize her images. contact form, social media) That will make your website a … As your skills improve and you start building more demanding projects, you can and should update your portfolio website regularly. If it helps build trust with potential clients, it’s definitely a good idea to link to it. See what you can satisfy their curiosity by placing information on your personal portfolio website skills are in you... A hiring manager may need to duplicate your publications, interviews or other types of recognition primarily depends on discipline. As the purpose of your portfolio, she used a gallery see or. Make money with your competition, depending on which social media accounts has never been easier than thanks! Method to show off your creative what to include in a portfolio website clients has never been easier than today thanks to the Internet is! 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M not blogging, you can deliver short videos this depends on the type of job you are be... See what you ’ re different from a full-time developer portfolio infographics to make money with your life story off!, low-quality images aren’t able to evoke trust to examine these 11 UX! Few ways to make a great UX team means more work and more income for you this goes,! Demonstrate your knowledge and real interest in the world right now navigation menu an essential thing for anyone for. Better when someone else sings praises of your skills improve and you start building more demanding projects you! Anyone looking for, it ’ s your focus area in web development Courses Beginners...