As a webmaster with over 15 years of experience building websites, I‘ve seen firsthand how an online portfolio site can take your freelance business or creative career to the next level.
Let me walk you through exactly how to create a professional portfolio website in WordPress, step-by-step.
Just having a great resume or LinkedIn profile isn‘t enough these days. To impress potential clients and stand out from the competition, you need your own portfolio website.
Here are some stats that highlight the growing need for creative professionals to have an online portfolio:
- The freelance economy has grown by 35% since 2020, with over 59 million Americans now freelancing (source: MBO Partners)
- 73% of hiring managers say an online portfolio gave them a more positive impression of a candidate (source: Adobe)
- Web traffic to Behance portfolios increased by 50% in 2022 as companies looked to hire creative talent (source: Behance)
It‘s clear that in today‘s digital world, your portfolio site is one of the best ways to showcase your work and skills whether you‘re a designer, developer, photographer, or artist.
Let me show you how to make an awesome portfolio site in WordPress.
The first thing you need to do is purchase a domain name and sign up for web hosting.
Your domain name is the address that people will type in to access your portfolio online, for example, www.yourname.com.
I recommend choosing a .com domain if available since it‘s the most recognizable and professional option for creatives. Make sure to use your own name or brand if this will be your personal portfolio.
Once you‘ve picked out a domain, you need hosting which gives your site space to store all its data and files. Two great options to get started are:
Bluehost – One of the most popular hosting providers for beginners. Plans start at just $2.95/month and they make the WordPress installation process very easy.
SiteGround – Quick and reliable hosting optimized specifically for WordPress sites. Pricing starts at $6.99/month.
Sign up for either Bluehost or SiteGround to register your domain and setup hosting. This provides the foundation for building your portfolio website.
With your hosting account created, it‘s time to install WordPress so you can start designing your portfolio.
Log into your hosting account and look for a "WordPress Installation" button or tool. Click on it, enter your domain name, and WordPress will automatically be installed.
Next, you need to pick a theme. Themes control the overall look, layout, and design of your WordPress site. For portfolios, you‘ll want a theme with portfolio templates and project post types built-in.
I recommend these three excellent free portfolio themes to get started:
- Astra – A super fast, lightweight theme with beautiful portfolio designs.
- GeneratePress – A speed-optimized theme great for portfolios and creative sites.
- OceanWP – A popular free theme with many portfolio-specific options.
Install your chosen theme from within your WordPress dashboard. Go to Appearance > Themes > Add New, search for the theme, and install.
Now it‘s time to build your home page, the main showcase of your best projects.
Start by creating a new page within WordPress and title it something like "Portfolio". Under the page title, set the page template to a portfolio-specific layout that came with your theme.
You‘ll see the page editor update to show portfolio widgets for adding projects. Arrange these elements like the filters, headings, buttons, and main projects grid.
Most themes include demo or sample projects to make the design process easier. Once you finish structuring your homepage, click Publish.
After publishing your portfolio page, it‘s time to swap in your actual projects.
Go to Portfolio or Projects in your WordPress dashboard. These are custom post types for your portfolio items.
Click Add New and create your first portfolio project. Give it an eye-catching title, fill in the project content or description, and upload any related images or videos.
Publish your portfolio items and they‘ll automatically appear in your homepage grid. Keep adding projects to showcase the range and quality of your work.
One important step is optimizing your portfolio project descriptions for search engines like Google. This helps surface your site for relevant searches.
For each project, include important keywords a client might use to find you, like your specialty (e.g. logo design, abstract paintings) and location.
Make sure to mention specific skills, techniques, or software used so your portfolio content directly matches up with search terms.
This allows you to rank in Google for searches related to your exact expertise, helping you be easily discovered online.
In addition to your portfolio, you should create two essential pages:
About – This gives visitors a chance to learn more about your background and experience. Add a headshot, brief bio, skills overview, and any facts you want to highlight.
Contact – This page lets visitors get in touch by including a contact form. Install a form plugin like WPForms or Contact Form 7 and embed the form on your contact page.
Having separate About and Contact pages makes your portfolio feel more complete and professional. Don‘t forget to link to them in your main site navigation.
Congratulations, your portfolio website is now ready to go live! Here are some tips to get the word out and grow your site:
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Share your portfolio URL across your social media profiles like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
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Email your portfolio link to previous clients and your professional network as you launch your site.
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Include your portfolio site in your email signatures and resumes when applying for projects.
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Network with local creative groups and businesses who may have client referrals for you.
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Ask satisfied clients to provide testimonials you can add to your portfolio site to build credibility.
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Stay active by sharing new work on social media and updating your site as your portfolio grows.
Having your own portfolio website is a great first step, but consistently promoting and networking will take your online presence to the next level!
I hope this guide gave you a complete overview of how to make an impressive portfolio site in WordPress. Let me know if you have any other questions!
