So you want to become a web developer? You’re going to need a powerful online portfolio to help you stand out from the crowd. In this article, we’ll discuss tips for creating your own web developer portfolio.
What is a web developer portfolio?
A web developer portfolio is a website that showcases a developer’s past projects. The typical portfolio will contain:
- A gallery or list showcasing past projects
- A list or description of skills and services offered
- Any certifications, awards, testimonials, or recognition
In many cases, the website itself serves as a testament to a developer’s website design creativity and development skills. Web developer portfolios can be as varied as the web developers themselves.
Benefits of a web developer portfolio site
It’s one thing to type out a nice resume, but quite another thing to be able to point to a body of work that speaks for itself. Benefits of using a portfolio website include:
It looks professional
A well-designed portfolio website will make you look more professional and experienced. It shows you took the initiative to go beyond the resume and provide samples of your work, saving potential clients and employers time by giving them something substantial to factor into their hiring decisions.
It provides a platform
A portfolio website can help you create a platform for building your brand and showcasing your talents. You can link professional projects, your GitHub account, social media accounts, and other digital assets in one place.
It works as a presentation card for future clients
When talking to clients, having something online you can link to can demonstrate your proficiency in different areas of web development. A personal website gives you a convenient way to back up what you say with tangible, relevant work experience.
It reflects creativity
Like the oft-repeated advice, “Show, don’t tell,” a portfolio allows you to do just that. For creative and visual skills like web development, there is no better way to demonstrate talent than to simply show off what you can do. You may earn bonus points if your portfolio website includes interactive experiences, animations, and design techniques to serve as testaments to your web development prowess.
Questions to ask yourself before creating a web developer portfolio
Since a web design portfolio is critical to your success as a web developer, consider these questions when constructing your own.
Is the website easy to read and free of errors?
It’s okay to be creative, but make sure your color schemes, fonts, typography, and layout don’t distract from the messaging of your content. Check for typos too.
Is the website easy to navigate?
Your homepage is also an opportunity to demonstrate good user experience (UX) design. Make it easy to navigate the different parts of your portfolio. Use filtering if necessary to help clients find examples of specific types of web development projects.
Is the website fast?
As a web developer, it’s especially important that your website follows best practices and loads quickly. A sluggish website might make clients think twice before hiring you to do their websites.
Is the website consistent?
Clashing themes, branding, and projects might confuse would-be clients. A good rule of thumb is to understand your target audience and tailor your site to that audience.
Is the call to action working?
There’s probably nothing more embarrassing for a web developer than to have a dysfunctional call-to-action button. After all, if you can’t get it right on your own website how can a client trust you with this mission-critical front-end feature?
Bottom line
In this article, we covered tips for creating your own web developer portfolio website. Whether you prefer to keep it simple with a vCard theme or build your own web agency portfolio from scratch.