I used to be a freelancer and one thing I learned was that presentation is fundamental when it comes to your own portfolio website. Your portfolio website can make or break a sale and it can potentially be the most valuable tool for a business. A good portfolio website can help you generate leads and drive sales. Getting sales is hard so knowing what makes a good portfolio website is important.

1. A good logo and tagline

One of the first images that your potential client will see is the logo. Having a creative logo at the top left of your website will immediately tell the website visitor who you are. It is highly recommended that you link your website to the logo. One of my favorite logos is on EdDidIt.com.

Almost every good freelance portfolio website has a good tagline. The portfolio website tagline should be short and summarize exactly what you do. If I come to your website, I don’t want to leave because I can’t figure out what it is that you have to offer. Perhaps your website should say something along the lines of “I’m a web designer” or “I develop mobile applications.” A good example is Jeff Sarmiento’s website that says “Hi, I’m Jeff Sarmiento, a web designer from Toronto, Canada and I enjoy making smokin’ websites.”

2. A clear message with selling points.

Every portfolio website should be clear and concise. When a visitor comes to your website, they will judge you based on first impression. If there is too much written and a lot of clutter, odds are that the website visitor will leave right away. Many customers will not know what services are being offered to them unless the homepage contains information about what you do.

Your portfolio website is intended to show off your best work and to attract clients. If your website does not effectively communicate what services you are good at, then the potential client will unlikely contact you for potential work.

Alessandro Cavallo has a great example of a clear message on his portfolio website.  Notice how he immediately announces that he does web and graphic design.  He also says that he has 12 years of experience underneath his built.

Jamie Gregory also does a great job of explaining what it is that he does.  He says that he is a freelance graphic designer and immediately greets his visitors with a Hello.  This did a great job of capturing my attention and immediately tells me that I should contact Jamie for graphic and web design, but not for help with designing a high-end PHP and MySQL website.

3. A portfolio with high-quality images.

Given that your website is intended to be a portfolio website, you will really need to showcase your work. All potential clients want to see your previous work so that they can determine whether they are getting their money’s worth when hiring you.

If your services includes graphic design and website design, then it only makes sense for your portfolio to contain high-quality images. If the website or graphics you have designed is still live on the Internet, then make sure to link screenshots to the demo. Each screenshot should have a short description including the skills that you used to complete these projects.

Sometimes it is good to add testimonials from clients with each screenshot too. The testimonial should include how the client had a positive experience throughout the process. Below is an example from Deluge Studios:

4. Personality and creativity.

When potential clients come to your website, you have to make sure that your personality is properly expressed.  If you have a bland website that looks like it was downloaded from a template, then you should not expect your clients to spend a lot when working with you.  However if your website presents your portfolio, testimonials, services, and what you can offer in an artistic and creative way, then you will find some success.

However the creativity and personality expressed in your website should not interfere with the flow and functionality of the website.  Dawghouse Design Studio does a great job of doing that:

5. Featured work.

A portfolio website needs examples of past work.  If you do not have examples of past work, then the potential client would just assume that you are desperate for business.  If one of your clients is a Fortune 500 company or a top brand company, make sure to highlight that.  The presentation of your portfolio can make or break a sale.

Tony Geer does a great job presenting his work on his portfolio website:

6. List all of the services offered.

I highly recommend listing the services that you offer in a bullet point form. If you do website design, SEO, blog design, logo design, etc., make sure to list everything. Luke Larsen does a great job doing this in his About Me page:

The Things We Make put their services in a bullet point form on the homepage, which makes it easier for clients to find out what type of help they can get:

7. Have a killer About Me page.

The About Me page allows you to share your background and where you come from. It also gives you a chance to highlight how long you have been a designer or developer. The more details you give about yourself, the more trust you can build with clients.

Show a good picture of yourself so that they can determine if they would be comfortable with you. I would avoid using a picture where you are not smiling. If you have any awards, make sure to highlight them as well.  Kyle Haskins has a good About Me page.  He has background information and a good profile photo.

8. Provide contact information on every page.

One of the most important aspects of a portfolio website is the contact information. Having the contact information on every page of your portfolio website makes it more likely for a potential client to contact you. Sometimes it is good to have a form or it may be better to list your direct contact information. Some people believe that if they have a direct line to you, then they will not be treated just like “any other client.”

When requesting information from clients make sure to ask their name, company, email address, telephone number, and website URL. Also make sure to ask for specific details.  What I like about Atto Partners is that they have a form and a direct line to them:

9. Run a blog that highlights your expertise and utilize social networking websites.

Having a blog and social media profiles for your portfolio website is essential for promoting what you are capable of.  For example, many photographers set up Facebook and Twitter profiles to promote their most recent photos.  They add a link to their blog and a photo album of their recent work to Facebook and Twitter.  If you are a freelance videographer, then it is good to post video samples on your website, blog, and social media profiles.

Videography film company Coastline Studios has a blog with sample videos and updates about their company.  They have also set up Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Vimeo profile pages.  Below is a screenshot of their blog and their Facebook page.

10. Set up a call to action.

Your portfolio website needs to have a call to action.  It can either say “Request a quote,” “hire me,” etc.  This prompts clients to take a chance and find out if you could do business together.  Mohammed Alaa, an Egyptian web designer, has a website with links that allows you to e-mail him, Skype him, and call him through his website.  Providing multiple options for people to contact you will encourage them to take an action after seeing your website.