Avoid
Portfolio Pitfalls - Creating a Successful Online Portfolio
Your
portfolio is your most important tool for acquiring clients. And since more and
more people (including referrals) go online to find a designer, your web
portfolio plays a vital role.
A successful
online portfolio conveys your design strengths, range of talent and level of
professionalism. After viewing it, prospective clients should understand who
you are professionally, and what you can accomplish. And they should be
motivated to contact you for more information or a consultation.
Your online
portfolio speaks volumes to potential clients, but does it make the best
impression? We've seen common mistakes design professionals make when they bring
their portfolios to the web. Here are the major pitfalls- and how you can avoid
them.
1. Difficult
navigation
Rule #1: Make your
portfolio easy to find. In evaluating one site, it took three clicks before we
could see a single project photo. The unintended message: people will
doubt your firm's ability to address their basic needs. Once visitors are in
your portfolio, make it easy to go from one project to the next. Keep your
buttons in one place: don't move them around depending on the size of your photos.
2.
Missing or poor descriptions
When you show your
portfolio to a prospective client do you sit in silence as they flip through
it? Of course not! You describe, you explain, you (dare I say) sell. Label each
project with the client name, project location, and a brief description of the
design challenge and your solution. Rather than isolating them on a separate
page, include client testimonials and awards into your portfolio for more
impact.
3.
Poor photo quality
Blurry, pixilated,
or just plain dark, we've been surprised that many designers fail to insist
that their images are properly prepared for the web. In my opinion,
professional photographers are expensive, and worth every penny. Get good
photos, and make sure they look great on your site.
4.
Obscure thumbnails
Thumbnail images
can help visitors decide what they'd like to see, or they can confuse and
disorient them. Thumbnails should be big enough to comprehend BEFORE clicking.
On one site we've seen thumbnails 36 pixels square (about 1/3 of an inch), and
grayed-out. One photo looks like a man's necktie. The next is almost entirely
blue sky. It isn't a guessing game.
5.
Just too much
If you've been in
business for a while you have no shortage of projects. DON'T SHOW THEM ALL! Be
conscious of your visitors' time and be selective- show your best and most
current work. The goal is to get them to contact you. Then you can
provide additional information.
6.
Difficult to update
In order to keep
your portfolio up-to-date you should consider a web content manager. This tool
allows you to upload new publications, images and text using simple web-based
forms. You need to keep your site current!
A professional
online portfolio is essential if you want to make the best first impression and
generating client inquiries.
By Barry
Harrison, Managing Partner, Resolve Digital
http://www.resolvedigital.com
Image by Marad777
Sure creating a successful online portfolio will increase your sales and impression about your projects.
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