On this age of on-line all the things, your net presence could make or break your freelance profession, particularly in case you’re simply beginning out as a contract author.
If potential shoppers don’t know you by status, they want a fast, simple method to suss out your work, your type and your level of professionalism. Whereas social media accounts can do wonders (having a couple of thousand followers by no means harm a freelancer’s credibility), you’ll want greater than that as your on-line calling card.
That’s the place your on-line portfolio comes into play. Even in case you’re not fairly able to begin a weblog, a easy portfolio website that promotes your freelance writing can do so much that will help you land shoppers.
This Article Options 10 Portfolio Web sites to Take into account
No matter which of those portfolio web sites you resolve to go together with, it’s best to intention for these two issues:
1.Easy-to-read clips: If somebody is seeking to rent you, their predominant aim in coming to your website is to learn your work and see in the event that they prefer it. Make it easy for them!
2. Uncluttered design: If a potential shopper can’t discover what they want in lower than 10 seconds, you’ve received an excessive amount of happening. You’ve misplaced their consideration… and a possible shopper.
Easy-to-use Portfolio Web sites to Showcase Your Work
A web-based portfolio that fulfills these two primary standards doesn’t must be difficult to create. You’ve received a number of good portfolio design instruments that will help you get there! And in case you’re searching for free portfolio web sites, we’ve received you lined there too.
While you’re able to land your subsequent freelance writing job, listed below are some easy-to-use portfolio web sites to select from.
1. Squarespace
Squarespace is a simple drag-and-drop website builder that provides a stellar visible expertise. Whereas this isn’t a conventional portfolio website (neither is it focused solely at writers), it’s a extremely sensible choice in case you incorporate design or graphics into your work.
Their templates give off a clear, minimalist and complex vibe. And their responsive design is rock stable—an essential issue when potential shoppers wish to view your writing on their telephones or tablets. Whereas there are various website constructing instruments—like Wix and Weebly—Squarespace comes out forward for its smooth visible design.
Cool Characteristic: Caught on a design problem whereas constructing your portfolio at 3 a.m.? Squarespace’s 24/7 shopper assist (by way of e-mail or dwell chat from Monday to Friday) is top-notch. With the ability to talk with an actual human being when you’ve gotten a query or problem could make freelance life that a lot simpler.
Free model: No however there’s a free trial
Improve possibility: It prices $12 monthly for a private website with a free customized area. For enterprise and commerce variations, which embody search engine optimization options, superior analytics, fully-integrated e-commerce and limitless storage, it prices $18 to $40 monthly.
2. Clippings.me
Clippings.me was created explicitly for freelance journalists. It provides you a fast and straightforward method to exhibit your favourite clips, and add simply sufficient element about your self to make you appear human. Like Journo Portfolio, you possibly can add hyperlinks, add PDFs or embed multimedia items, together with podcasts. And in case you get caught discovering the appropriate phrases to sell your self or in case you want some design steerage, try their Writing Portfolio Information.
Clippings.me additionally presents an open journalism listing the place you possibly can browse journalists primarily based on beats or by nation to search out potential interviewees for the tales you cowl You would (hopefully) use it to achieve entry to extra potential shoppers.
Cool Characteristic: Simplicity is the secret. have the naked minimal technical abilities however nonetheless need a refreshing structure on your on-line portfolio, this can be a nice alternative.
Free model: Sure! It’s free for the fundamental model, which permits as much as 10 articles.
Improve possibility: The professional model prices $9.99 monthly, which incorporates limitless clippings, downloadable resume on profile, contact varieties, SEO (search engine optimization) and portfolio privateness, password-protected portfolio and options like Google Analytics integration so you possibly can measure views.
3. Muck Rack
Muck Rack is a media database that helps join journalists and PR professionals—and their platform provides writers a slick method to simply showcase their work.
It creates and maintains the portfolio for you by mechanically compiling articles, retailers, and social media profiles, which is without doubt one of the best choices by way of each set-up and upkeep. You possibly can customise your web page by including a bio, itemizing your beats and spotlighting your finest items.
Muck Rack boasts it’s the simplest, most limitless method to construct your portfolio, develop your following and quantify your affect. One of the best half? It’s all free.
Cool Characteristic: Do you ever marvel how massive your attain is? With Muck Rack’s Who Shared My Hyperlink device, you possibly can immediately see the full variety of social shares on your article and which different journalists shared your tales.
Free model: Sure! It’s free for all customers. Extra options are unlocked for journalists Muck Rack verifies—try the standards to turn out to be a verified journalist.
4. The Freelancer by Contently
The Freelancer by Contently is a portfolio website particularly for freelance writers and journalists. Along with serving as your on-line portfolio, it may well function a spot to search out work and join instantly with shoppers. Listed below are its prime three compelling options:
- It makes use of a easy and single-page portfolio interface the place you possibly can show an infinite variety of initiatives or weblog posts
- Potential shoppers can filter initiatives primarily based on the shoppers you’ve labored with, subjects and abilities, that are nice for writers that work in a number of industries
- Freelancers with skilled expertise may even be contacted for freelance alternatives with shoppers like Marriott, Microsoft and Walmart
Cool Characteristic: Contently has a charges database so you possibly can see what different freelancers earn, and a contract charges calculator that will help you decide the quantity it’s best to cost for every shopper.
Free model: Sure! It’s free for writers. (Purchasers pay to faucet into that community.)
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5. Journo Portfolio
On Journo Portfolio, you possibly can create a contemporary, no-fuss on-line portfolio. The dashboard is straightforward to make use of: customise your website’s look with six distinct themes, and kind your clips into any variety of pages or content material blocks.
One other helpful function is the vary of the way you possibly can share supplies: hyperlink on to clips (simply sort within the URL and Journo Portfolio will seize the title, publication, date, and content material), or add nearly any type of multimedia, together with PDFs, movies and pictures.
Cool Characteristic: That can assist you hold observe of your metrics, Journo Portfolio’s built-in analytics present you what number of guests your website has had, how lengthy they spent on the location and the place they got here from. Wanna go the additional mile? combine your dashboard together with your personal Google Analytics account so you possibly can entry all of the uncooked information accessible.
Free model: Sure! It’s free for a reputation.journoportfolio.com URL, and you’ll host as much as 10 articles.
Improve possibility: For the professional model, pay $5 to $10 monthly. That features limitless pages, article back-ups, and the power to make use of your individual area, like www.yourname.com.
6. WordPress.com
WordPress is the grandfather of content material administration platforms. Whereas not particularly geared in the direction of on-line portfolios, the enjoyment of WordPress is that you are able to do just about something you need with it. It’s accessible as a very free, no-frills weblog; a paid model with extra bells and whistles; or the “install-it-yourself-and-do-whatever-the-hell-you-like setup.”
Your normal WordPress themes aren’t all best for portfolio work, however search Google for “WordPress portfolio themes” and also you’ll have all the things you can ask for—WordPress even presents this devoted portfolio splash web page! It is a nice platform for individuals who need a number of choices and complete inventive management (and who don’t thoughts fussing round with slightly CSS).
Cool Characteristic: Since WordPress is so adaptable, it may be a great place to begin in case you assume it’s your decision one thing past a portfolio website someplace down the road. That method, while you understand that you just wish to be each a contract author and photographer, you’re not caught on a platform the place you possibly can’t exhibit your different abilities.
Free model: Sure! For a primary weblog.
Improve possibility: For extra management over how the location seems to be and capabilities, some freelancers select to improve to the $8-per-month premium possibility. That offers you entry to advertising and monetization instruments, limitless premium themes and superior website design customization.
7. Author’s Residence
Run by Monica Shaw and Tim Harding, a author and programmer duo within the UK, Author’s Residence portfolios have two easy targets:
- To make it hassle-free for writers to showcase their finest work with a fantastic website
- To offer writers a beneficial device that they’ll use to market their careers
Whether or not you’re an aspiring freelance author or a broadcast creator, Author’s Residence understands {that a} effectively designed website highlights your professionalism and makes it simple for editors to see your work. Deliver your individual area or use certainly one of theirs, get inventive with their number of templates and use their “brain-dead easy system” to have your website up and working in half-hour.
Cool Characteristic: No HTML expertise? No biggie! While you create a portfolio with Author’s Residence, they deal with the design so you possibly can stick with your experience—writing. Right here, you’d construct your website with plain textual content utilizing their easy varieties. And in case you do wish to get fancy, customization is an possibility, too.
Free model: Sure! All accounts include a 30-day free trial.
Improve possibility: After the trial, proceed managing your website for $8.99 monthly (or £5.49) on this simple platform that permits you to add an infinite variety of writing samples and supplies immediate and private buyer assist.
8. Writerfolio
The writing trade is extremely aggressive—make your writing stand out with an interesting {and professional} Writerfolio portfolio to depart a fantastic first impression with shoppers and editors. That’s positive to land you your subsequent writing job!
On this platform that additionally requires no pc abilities, you possibly can construct a portfolio with limitless writing samples with attachment uploads, quite a lot of themes to select from, a simple fill-in-the-blanks portfolio setup and extra.
Cool Characteristic: They’ve a 100% satisfaction assure—in case you’re not 100% completely happy, they’ll refund you with no questions requested.
Free model: No, however you possibly can check out a free demo with out night signing up!
Improve possibility: Memberships price $4 monthly and include an entire on-line writing portfolio at yourname.writerfolio.com (however you need to use yourname.com, in case you already personal it).
9. Format
Any type of artist can discover a dwelling right here, from photographers and designers to writers and illustrators. Format supplies a powerful collection of curated themes to suit your distinctive model, giving you a stunning digital canvas to indicate off your finest work.
Your portfolio with Format might be mechanically optimized for cellular—so shoppers can view your work from any gadget—and you’ll take pleasure in limitless bandwidth and weblog posts, copyright safety for any picture you add, plus social media integration. Format will even offer you a free area identify for a yr!
Want some design inspo? Take a look at these author portfolios utilizing Format’s themes.
Cool Characteristic: For when you might want to make a change on-the-fly, Format’s iOS apps make it simple so that you can exhibit your portfolio, handle your menu gadgets and create and write weblog posts anyplace you go.
Free model: No, however you possibly can attempt it free for 2 weeks to see if it’s a match!
Improve possibility: With the Professional, Professional Plus and Limitless plans, creatives can tailor their website with dozens of themes, customized code modifying, 24/7 assist and search engine optimization instruments. A bit on the dear facet, month-to-month membership prices vary from $12 to $25
10. Carbonmade
Carbonmade has been constructing portfolio instruments for creatives since 2005. Fifteen years later, they provide tons of of options particularly constructed for creatives:
- They will personalize your place to begin layouts particularly on your occupation
- Carbonmade is mechanically responsive and optimized for all units so your website at all times seems to be nice
- You possibly can hyperlink your individual area or select from those included in all plans: identify.carbonmade.com, identify.portfolio.website or identify.gfx.work choices
- Audio and PDF add assist
Cool Characteristic: As a substitute of sticking to a sure theme or structure, Carbonmade helps you to use dozens of versatile structure blocks to design your website—simply drag and drop to create your dream portfolio. No limitations right here.
Free model: No, however try the free trial!
Improve possibility: Month-to-month membership prices vary from $8 to $18. For the price of two espresso cups monthly, writers usually benefit from the $8 plan for entry to eight initiatives and limitless photographs and movies.
Examples of on-line portfolio web sites
Now that you just’ve received a number of portfolio web sites to select from, wish to see a few of them in motion?
We’ve compiled a listing of on-line writing portfolios to encourage you. Right here’s the place to take a look at some on-line portfolio examples.
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The unique model of this story was written by Annie Rose Favreau. We up to date the submit so it’s extra helpful for our readers.