How to Build a Powerful Web Design Portfolio — Squarespace Circle (2024)

A lot goes into a great site, from a smart SEO strategy to quality content. Visual impact is often what gets clients and designers excited. When you build a portfolio website, you entice potential clients with gripping visual examples of what you can do. Your portfolio showcases what sets you apart in a competitive market, and it can be one of the best ways to market your skills to potential clients.

Portfolios don’t just get you new clients, they get you the right new clients. When someone hires you based on work you’ve already done, chances are they want and expect something similar. When you and your client are a good fit, your professional relationship is off to a strong start the moment it begins.

The primary purpose of a portfolio is to secure new prospects, so your portfolio should showcase your all-time hits. Select the projects you’re most proud of. Like a concert musician, it's crucial to “play to the crowd” by striking a balance between your standout projects and your most marketable ones. Demonstrate your versatility across design styles and industries, particularly if you're still discovering your niche. Finally, consider the types of clients you want to attract, then share projects that align with their needs and tastes.

While range is important, the portfolio should feel cohesive. Luckily, that isn’t a contradiction. There are a few techniques you can employ to present a coherent narrative. Project descriptions are a great opportunity for storytelling and for emphasizing connections between various projects. When you articulate your decision making, you highlight your skill as a strategic designer who delivers value, rather than one who merely creates appealing visuals.

A dedicated portfolio site signals that you’re serious about your career. However, portfolio sites aren’t just for the seasoned professional. They’re a great way for new designers to showcase their potential. If you don’t have dozens of projects to pick from, describing a few projects in depth is a great way to add substance. If you’re just starting out, you might have to create some demo projects from scratch. This is a great way to hone your skills and get to know a platform while simultaneously proving that you have what it takes to build a great site. Consider taking on a set of beginner-friendly projects to build your skills, and create useful and beautiful sites in the process.

There’s no way around it: websites are highly visual. All the professional standards you set for yourself when building client sites apply to your own portfolio. That means using high-quality images and multimedia elements for maximum impact. It also means using consistent design elements for a cohesive presentation. Because you’re usually showcasing content from multiple projects, this is a great opportunity to flex your design muscles. Think about design elements that can help create a sense of order and consistency where it doesn’t occur naturally.

Most clients are not trained designers. They can grasp your mastery of aesthetics but might need a bit of help with some of the nuanced details. When you provide insight into your design thinking and process, you open a door to all the subtleties that leap out to other designers but aren’t immediately obvious to everyone else. This offers a prime opportunity to show you know the difference between something that looks professionally designed and something that actually is. It’s also a great opportunity to educate clients about the deeper forms of value that you provide.

In addition to project descriptions, consider using case studies to delve into the challenges you’ve faced, and the solutions you found. Before-and-after snapshots can also showcase your transformative hand. This tried-and-true technique prompts potential clients to imagine what you might be able to do with their website. Once site visitors imagine themselves as your clients, conversions are near at hand.

Every service and product sells better with social proof, and design services are no exception. Clients often devote considerable time, attention, and money to the design of their website, so it’s critical they feel you’re trustworthy and reliable. Your portfolio shows the finished products that you’ve handed over to clients, but it doesn’t show all the other aspects that come along with working with a designer. Potential clients will want to know if you’re responsive, timely, easy to work with, and professional. Simple testimonials are a great way to highlight this kind of positive feedback.

A couple of testimonials go a long way, and soliciting them should not be a source of stress. Many clients are happy to share their experiences, particularly if you make it clear all you need is a sentence or two. Don’t be shy to ask for testimonials after you’ve done high-quality work. Often, the act of writing a testimonial can cement the positive experience in the client’s mind, making them more likely to use and recommend your services in the future.

As you build your portfolio site, optimize it for user experience just as you would a client site. Given the design focus of a portfolio, you can take a playful and experimental approach. However, that approach should never come at the expense of the site’s usability. Navigation should be intuitive, and you should make sure you hit all the bases like mobile responsiveness and accessibility.

Designers and other creatives are often happy to market on behalf of other businesses but bashful about doing it for themselves. No client project is complete without an SEO strategy, and your portfolio site isn’t either. Integrate all the standard SEO best practices to enhance discoverability.

Pro tip: It can be helpful to imagine that you’re your own client, and then take your own advice about the marketing and SEO opportunities in front of you.

Building a portfolio site is a great opportunity to reflect on what makes you, you. A professional bio can showcase your expertise, experience, and passions. Personal details like interests and hobbies can build rapport, not just with prospective clients, but with current ones. When you provide the details that welcome potential clients to connect on a personal level, you inevitably build trust in the process.

Get clear about how you differ from other designers. Think about what parts of the design process you really love, and where your strengths are. Ensure this comes across in your bio, as well as in the sample work you include.

Even if it doesn’t immediately feel like it, you’ve cultivated a signature style, along with unique elements that make up your brand. A portfolio site is an occasion to reflect on the distinctive style you’ve organically cultivated over your career. If you take a moment to reflect on what makes your designs special, you can communicate it with authenticity. Your site will have a personality that reflects you. When you put your personality on the page, you already have a head start with your client relationships. They know who you are and pick you for that reason.

Experienced designers often acquire a set of specialized technical skills. To a potential client, seeing that you have experience with a relevant design tool, technology, or platform can be advantageous. Explicitly listing your technical and specialized skills builds credibility and shows that you’re right for particular projects. Highlight any certifications or additional qualifications you have.

Technical skills and certifications are not the only type of expertise worth sharing. If you have experience within a particular niche or industry, say so. Mastery of design styles and features is another kind of expertise. If you’ve developed skill in a certain style, position yourself as the expert you are.

Designers evolve with every project they take on. That’s why it’s vital to regularly refresh your site with your new projects. Not only will this showcase your growth and evolution as a designer, but it will also make certain that the projects you feature look fresh and up-to-date—a must in such a dynamic industry.

You’ll also want to update client testimonials and case studies. While you don’t need testimonials from every client to build trust, an imbalance of old reviews can raise suspicions. When you have up-to-date testimonials, you demonstrate that you’re currently doing your best work. Case studies are another opportunity to highlight current success stories and your ability to tackle challenges that are current in the design world.

Also, pay attention to site metrics to see how your site is performing. Monitoring and refining your site in response to these metrics can improve its performance, and it can also give you a new perspective when working on client sites.

Once you’ve built a portfolio site, it’s time to share it. Design work, with its compelling visuals, is made for social media, so leverage those platforms by integrating social icons and including links to your site in your bio. Seek out audiences that will have an interest in your work. This includes potential clients, as well as those in the design community. Not only are designers inherently interested in design, but they’re great for exchanging ideas, developing your skills, and enriching your creativity. Designers also have another valuable resource: client leads. If other designers are familiar with your excellent work, you just might get referrals. Freelance job platforms are another avenue for additional exposure, client leads, and professional relationships.

Pro tip: Circle members can share their portfolios and connect with other web professionals in the members-only forum. Not yet a member? Join Circle for free.

Your portfolio website can be a backbone for your efforts to market your design services, but don’t neglect old fashioned word of mouth. According to Squarespace Circle: State of the Web Design Industry 2024, nearly 80% of Circle members rely on word-of-mouth referrals.

When a client refers you to another business, that’s a huge vote of confidence. If they’re happy with your work, let them know that a referral is a great way to show their thanks.

If the point of a portfolio is to generate more business, it’s vital for leads to be able to contact you.

Add a contact page or include contact information in the site footer so visitors can connect. You can also include a link to your Acuity Scheduling page to automate the process of booking consultations.

A portfolio site shows you’re serious about your career designing websites. As a professional, it’s an opportunity to highlight your greatest projects, as well as an occasion to flex your design skills. A well-crafted web design portfolio is much more than a catalog of completed projects; it's a way to communicate your unique style, skills, and ability to add value. It’s the ideal vehicle to showcase your technical and aesthetic expertise as well as your understanding of current market trends. As you continue to evolve and grow in your career, your portfolio will too.

Check out Squarespace Circle, Squarespace’s program for professional designers. Along with exclusive content, discounts, and other perks, Circle brings professionals together from all across the globe to exchange advice while connecting with new clients and collaborators.