The web design industry has become very competitive over the past few years, with hundreds of talented individuals out there fighting for customers. Therefore, to succeed in this industry, you need to find a way of standing out from the rest. One of the best ways of distinguishing yourself is by creating a portfolio of your best works. People will judge your ability as a web designer based on the projects you have displayed.
Here are some tips for building a portfolio which people will love:
1. Make the portfolio original and distinctive
There are thousands of other designers out there who are competing with you for the same clients. It is therefore very vital to ensure that your portfolio is as original and unique as possible. Avoid using freely available themes which have been downloaded hundreds of times by other people. Such themes will only produce generic sites which will end up jeopardizing your reputation. However, make sure your portfolio stands out not only in originality, but also in terms of quality. It would not make any sense to have a unique site which has been designed in a very unprofessional way.
2. Go beyond a website
Your website is one of the best places for showing off your portfolio. However, you should not just limit yourself to that. There are many potential customers who visit online galleries when looking for designers. Some of the most popular galleries which allow designers to display their creations include Site Inspire, Best Web Gallery, Smashing Magazine, Make Better Websites, Awwwards, The FWA, HTML Inspirational, Admire The Web, Unmatched Style and StyleBoost. Being featured on such galleries will significantly enhance your online visibility. You could also consider having your portfolio on different social media networks.
3. Use testimonials
For many potential customers, seeing samples of your work is not enough. They would want to know who you have designed websites for previously. This is why testimonials are a very critical element of any portfolio. A recommendation from a previous client can be very effective in winning the trust of prospective customers.
4. Don’t use technical jargon
Not everyone who looks at your portfolio has a technical background. Using terms such as jQuery, CSS and JavaScript will only confuse some people or put them off. Therefore, it would be advisable to use language which people with little or no web design knowledge can understand. If you have to use technical terms, make sure you explain them for the readers.
5. Be honest
In an attempt to impress their visitors, some people decide to exaggerate their expertise in web design. Others even go to the extent of building portfolios using sites created by other designers. Though this might attract many potential clients, it could prove to be disastrous in the end. Many designers find themselves unable to deliver on what they have promised, thus ruining their reputation and wasting their resources. The best policy therefore would be to be candid about the services you can offer. You can upgrade your portfolio with time as you increase your skills in web design.
6. Provide contact details
Make sure your portfolio is accompanied with a simple and functional contact form. It does not make any sense to have a great portfolio if people cannot reach you. Besides the contact form, it is also advisable to provide links to your social media profiles. Some prospects would prefer to interact with you on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ rather than send you an email.
Charles Mburugu is a professional blogger who likes sharing tips for internet marketers and bloggers. Currently, he is writing for websitetemplates.org.

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Sudipto
April 27, 2014 at 7:46 am
Hey Charles,
Nice post and Thanks for sharing these tips with us. Design really plays an important role in web and it should be simple so that anyone can easily roam in our blog. Providing contact detail is very important. these tip really gonna help many newbies.
Sudeep
June 9, 2014 at 7:48 am
Nice post Charles, well we can add another option like the responsive view for the portfolio website designs so it can be easy for the viewers to experience it.
Rose Bell
April 22, 2016 at 6:58 am
Hello there, this article was so great. Appreciated.