Looking for some high value website design project but do not have a portfolio? How that sounds? Horrible yah, and if I am not stretching the truth, it sound preposterous to the end. How are you supposed to convince the client that you are the most eligible candidate for the project? So, you need to have an online presence and above all portfolio that illustrates your skills and accentuates your prospect as a great website designer. But there are some small hiccups along the way. Unlike a client project, here you have no clear direction, like what elements you should be using and what should be discarded. So, tricky business as it is, we are going to share top 6 tips that may, I am not sure though, help you impress your visitors.
Give Introduction
You may be a great designer and I have full faith in your creative skills. Though everyone around are pretty much aware of your skills and know what you do and rest of the blah, blah, blah, your client may not be that much knowledgeable about the way of life. Sometimes, they may ask you who are you or what you do. Do not get infuriated. Rather make it a point that your portfolio has some space to make room to your About Me section. Try to add a picture of your. However, I am not asking you to fix an appointment with a pro photographer for that purpose. A simple real life image will do and add some simple information like what you do, what are your areas of strengths and if you have a penchant for twists, you can share your love for pet and your hatred for people who are bossing around. However, it might not a great idea depending on what you want.
Do not be shy to show your awards and other achievements here in this section. Rather than presenting information in a simple and dry format, you can make it look really interesting by adding some images and all that along with texts. This will definitely do the trick.
Show Sample
It is good that you have added a About Me section. Now, do not bore people to death with texts. Add some samples of your past works and do not heap this section with your childhood paintings, I mean ordinary works, not-so-impressive samples, below-the-average things etc. Sorry it may increase the length but this section is for the bests. Add those samples you are confident about and do not forget to sort them via category. It is not a great idea to create a visual gimmick by mixing up web design samples with SEO project samples. On a positive note, it will make it easier for clients to navigate through, depending on the quality of the best samples, of course.
Now, if you have worked for some leading companies in the past, do not shy to use Name Drop. But for God’s sake do not try to trick people by adding some fancy big names even you have not worked for. This will only buy infamy for you and nothing else.
Have A Nice Testimonial
A nice testimonial is the best armor you can have in your arsenal to kill your client, I mean convince your client. Since you have been in the profession of website design for quite some time, you might have earned some respect in fellow circle and if I am not guessing it entirely wrong, some people might have shown their love for your work and dedicate in LinkedIn as well. Often have you received heaping praise after praise for the good work you have done. Curation of such great mails can be featured nicely onto the testimonial section. To make it look realistic, you can add some feedback which is not that much positives. Nope, never try this. Adding negative feedbacks of client will cost your dearly. Better to stick to previous plan.
Options to Download CV
Your CV is the single most influential factor that you cannot miss out. Moreover, the hard fact is that there are some strange specifies stalking on earth who still prefer to see CV in hard copies or does not believe in browsing websites to check creativity of a designer. For them, you need to make a provision that they can download your CV in formats imaginable like PDF, Docx, Doc, HTML and you can full freedom to extend this list. However, you should not try to make it stuffed with all that you have put into your website. Make it short, concise and lightweight because your client may not have blazing fast Internet connection.
Blog
Blogging is the best way you can make people around you aware of your expertise. The best thing about blogging is that it keeps your website fresh and helps you create a good impression. Just make sure that you are not using default WordPress template. This will mar all your hopes of impressing your world-be clients. Give it your best shot, as blog is just an extension of your portfolio. Rather than posting some tasteless spinning articles, try to post something that bears signs of your greatness as a veteran designer. Tutorials, how to etc will do this. Make sure you are posting images whenever possible as it will help visitors follow the tips easily.
Use social networking websites
Sometimes, clients may not like your work or not interested in hiring you but they are not against following you in facebook or any other social networking sites. Now, if they change their mind later, they may get back to you via those social networking sites. SO, it makes sense to add links of your social networking profiles in your portfolio. Try to add Google +, Facebook, twitter etc in your portfolio.
Contact Info
It may sound tempting to play hide and seek with client by not providing contact info in your portfolio. But you have to accept that it is irksome to some extent and you may lose some potential client, which is definitely not something you wish in this tough time. Add a simple contact form and also your personal email id and phone no.
Tagline
Do you still think that your portfolio is missing out on something? Yes, it lacks a punching effect and how on earth you are supposed to add punch onto your portfolio if it does not have a punch line depicting your strongest point. However, you should not go overboard with the tagline. It should not be creative to the point of being vague. Make it short, snappy and, above anything else, interesting. Double sure that your tagline should summarize your designing skills.
Very useful to tips. with this any designer can get more work! thanks :)
I strongly suggest to avoid sharing your love for pets but stay on the point :) This is the information architecture we wanted on StyleJam portfolios too, nice post.