How to Create a Knockout Online Portfolio

If you want to show off your work, an online portfolio is the way to go. This works well especially for anyone who is self-employed or freelances. In my case, my portfolio includes clips of various writings to show clients what I can do for them. A landscaper may show pictures of finished landscaping or hardscaping projects. A designer may include links to his or her websites. Regardless of your industry, here are some tips to create a winning portfolio that gets noticed--and gets you the job!

Things You'll Need

• Computer

Instructions

1. 

   Use a custom domain. While many job sites offer you the chance to upload your work to highlight, it's more professional to invest a few bucks a year in your own domain and hosting program. If your business already has a website, just add a page off of that. Definitely use your own site. And remember that you don't have to build an entire site around the portfolio--some sites are just a portfolio and it still works.

2. 

   Remember function. A user's experience is vital for them to see your professionalism and contact you. Make sure to watch fonts and font sizes. It's easy to disregard the family or size of a font in Photoshop, only to find later that people can't view or read it on the Web, so make sure to give it a look and make sure all is consistent. Make your navigation consistent too. This means it should be in the same location on every page.

3. 

   Keep it simple. A huge principle of Web writing is to make things short and easy to read. That goes the same for your portfolio. Break up different types of clips or examples of your work. If you're describing them, keep the content short and to the point. There's no need to include every clip, but do include the best ones!

4. Proofread. No matter what you spotlight, give it a professional edge by making sure it's free of spelling errors. Let a friend or colleague read it. Put the site live for a while so friends can offer criticism before you launch and promote it. You can have stellar work, but a spelling error can really botch up everything!

Tips & Warnings

• If you're looking for a fancy design, work with a designer. Your work may be great, but no one will want to see it if the design isn't decent or if the links don't work properly.

• Make sure you can feature a clip in the event that your work is governed by contracts. Some clients don't want their name or their work credited to you.