Seeking to create an internet portfolio web site in WordPress?
The freelance market has grown quickly. Resumes and LinkedIn profiles are vital, however to beat out the opposition, you’ll want a portfolio web site to showcase your finest work and land extra shoppers.
On this article, we are going to present you the way to simply create an internet portfolio web site in WordPress, step-by-step.
Why Do You Want an On-line Portfolio Web site?
Consider your on-line portfolio web site as your digital enterprise card.
Portfolios are belongings for everybody, together with freelancers, job seekers, and small companies.
When you might imagine a portfolio is just for artists or creatives, that’s merely not true. They work for any career, whether or not you’re a graphic designer, author, or developer.
It’s an opportunity to place your finest foot ahead in your business. In a nutshell, your web site portfolio lets you stand out from the group and construct belief. If you design an expert portfolio web site, you immediately acquire credibility and exhibit your expertise.
Plus, you possibly can optimize your web site for serps based mostly on particular key phrases in order that extra individuals can discover you.
Create an On-line Portfolio Web site in WordPress with SeedProd
You don’t must discover ways to code or write HTML to construct your portfolio web site. Merely comply with our step-by-step directions, and also you’ll have your web site up and working in minutes.
1. Select a WordPress Host
To begin with, you’ll want a website title and net host. The net host shops your web site recordsdata and is your web site’s residence on the web.
A very good net host must be scalable sufficient to deal with demanding websites, supply help in case something goes unsuitable, take net safety significantly, and have options to maintain you secure.
You also needs to be on the lookout for the quickest WordPress internet hosting suppliers, which helps to get your web site loading shortly.
Hostinger is the only option for small companies that need inexpensive, beginner-friendly internet hosting.
Thankfully, Hostinger has agreed to supply our readers a free area title and as much as 78% off on WordPress internet hosting. You will get began for simply $2.69 per thirty days.
To get arrange with Hostinger in a couple of minutes, merely click on this button:
In case you need assistance signing up for Hostinger, take a look at our put up on the way to get a free area title, the place you discover a step-by-step tutorial.
When you’ve registered and arrange your internet hosting plan, you possibly can simply go into your dashboard and choose the ‘Domains’ tab.
From there, you’ll must enter a brand new area title.
You’ll be prompted to create a brand new web site or migrate an present web site.
For the sake of this tutorial, you possibly can click on the ‘Skip, create an empty web site.’
Subsequent, click on on the ‘Choose’ button below ‘Declare a Free Area.’
You’ll be able to merely enter the area title that you just need to use in your portfolio web site.
In case you need assistance deciding on a website title, WPBeginner gives a free enterprise title generator that can assist you discover a firm title that’s simple to learn and promote on-line.
After all, in the event you’re creating a private portfolio, the best factor to do could be to make use of your first and final title as a website title. If it’s taken, you possibly can add your career alongside along with your first title.
For instance, if johndoe.com is taken, you may discover johndoephotography.com or janedoewriter.com.
Ideally, you need to stick with a .com area extension because it’s essentially the most recognizable and reliable for small companies.
2. Set up WordPress
Some of the frequent errors most novices make is selecting the unsuitable web site platform. Many freelancers or small enterprise homeowners gravitate in direction of Squarespace or Wix.
Whereas these are simple to make use of, they lack tons of performance, customization, and management.
Utilizing a content material administration system like WordPress provides you far more flexibility with hundreds of designs and addons in your portfolio web site. WordPress is free, open-source, and has hundreds of pre-built extensions and web site designs.
With the precise WordPress plugins and themes, you’ll additionally get the identical drag-and-drop builder that makes platforms like Squarespace or Wix really easy to make use of.
Whether or not you utilize Hostinger or one other WordPress internet hosting service like WPEngine or Bluehost, you possibly can comply with our information on the way to set up WordPress for detailed, step-by-step directions.
Subsequent, in your Hostinger dashboard, click on on the ‘Admin Panel’ button with the WordPress emblem to go to your WordPress web site’s dashboard.
You can even go to yoursite.com/wp-admin straight in your browser.
3. Select a Portfolio Theme
After getting your WordPress arrange, you’re able to customise your web site design by selecting a theme and creating new pages.
For this tutorial, we’ll be utilizing SeedProd to create a theme particularly for portfolio web sites.
SeedProd is one of the best WordPress web page builder available on the market. It helps you to shortly and simply create any kind of web page with out writing a single line of code.
Whether or not you need to make a portfolio web site to land potential shoppers, begin a WordPress weblog, or an internet retailer, SeedProd is a one-stop resolution that offers you templates tailor-made to your wants.
You’ll need to set up and activate the SeedProd plugin. For extra assist, see our in-depth information on the way to set up a WordPress plugin.
Upon set up, you’ll be prompted to finish the setup wizard. You’ll be able to click on ‘Get Began’ and simply comply with alongside the step-by-step directions in order that SeedProd can configure the plugin to finest fit your wants.
If you’ve accomplished the setup wizard, head over to SeedProd ≫ Settings and enter your license key. You could find your license key below your accounts web page on the SeedProd web site.
After coming into the data, click on on the ‘Confirm Key’ button.
You’ll now have entry to all of SeedProd’s options.
4. Construct Your Portfolio Touchdown Web page
Subsequent, go to SeedProd ≫ Theme Builder.
From there, choose the orange button that claims ‘Theme Template Kits.’
You’ll land on a web page with a searchable library of WordPress themes to select from. Kind in ‘portfolio’ within the search bar and choose the theme template that most closely fits your web site thought.
Additionally, chances are you’ll need to search different key phrases in the event you’re in a selected area of interest. For instance, if you’re a realtor, you could find actual property WordPress themes on SeedProd.
We’ll be selecting the ‘Freelance Portfolio’ theme, however be happy to select any theme that matches your wants.
We’ll be making a one-page portfolio web site, the place your portfolio web page is on the Homepage of your web site. This allows you to have your portfolio web site up and working quick with out the trouble of designing a number of pages.
Within the WordPress dashboard, head over to Settings ≫ Studying. Subsequent to the Homepage, choose the ‘Portfolio’ dropdown to make your portfolio web page your Homepage.
Then head again to SeedProd ≫ Theme Builder, and also you’ll see a listing of all of the pages throughout the theme.
Scroll down and hover over the ‘Portfolio’ web page. Then click on on ‘Edit Design.’
5. Edit the Portfolio Web site
Now it’s time to edit the content material and make it your individual. You’ll be despatched to SeedProd’s visible, drag-and-drop web page builder. There are many Customary and Superior widgets to select from, similar to a headline, textual content, listing, header, featured picture, and so forth.
Merely drag the widget you need and transfer it to the precise location you need that component.
You can even customise the background to your liking by selecting a stable shade, gradient shade, or background picture.
Simply click on on the outer layer field, and below ‘Content material’ within the sidebar menu, you’ll see choices to customise your background.
In case you need assistance working with the SeedProd interface, you possibly can watch our SeedProd video tutorials.
When enhancing the contents of your principal portfolio web page, there are a number of key elements you need to embrace, similar to:
Robust Name to Motion (CTA): Portfolio websites ought to have a transparent name to motion to permit guests to rent or get in contact with you. The CTA button must be positioned each above the fold and on the backside of your web page.
Simply discover the ‘Button’ field within the left-hand menu and drag it to your web page on the precise.
When enhancing any component, it’s essential to click on on the precise component or space you need to customise.
Then, the choices for that block seem to the left. As you possibly can see under, the Content material tab helps you to edit the button textual content and hyperlink it to your contact web page and even to an embedded kind decrease on this similar web page.
The ‘Templates’ tab helps you to select the button type, and the Superior tab helps you to change the padding, fonts, and extra.
Companies you supply: Guests need to know what you supply to allow them to make sure you are able to do what they’re on the lookout for. As an example, as a WordPress developer, do you code customized plugins, supply web site customizations, or construct web sites from scratch?
To create a companies part, simply add a Column widget and insert an Icon Field for every service we provide.
Then, you possibly can customise the textual content and icons as wanted by clicking on the component and utilizing the sidebar.
About Me part: Potential clients and shoppers additionally need to know extra about your background and expertise. This can be a probability to construct a reference to individuals and showcase why you’re enthusiastic about what you do.
To create an About Me part, all it’s worthwhile to do is add the ‘Picture Field’ widget to the web page. Then, add a portrait photograph of your self and write an outline that tells individuals extra about you.
In case you are making a portfolio for a enterprise or model, you could possibly use your customized emblem right here as a substitute.
Testimonials: Offering testimonials from earlier shoppers helps to construct belief, particularly in the event you’ve labored with respected manufacturers. Seeing that different individuals are glad along with your work provides others the boldness you could additionally do an excellent job.
Merely add the Testimonials widget to your web page. Then, you possibly can add a photograph of the shopper and edit their title and testimonial. If you wish to add extra evaluations, click on on the ‘Duplicate’ icon subsequent to the particular person’s title.
6. Add a Gallery to Showcase Examples of your Work
Making a portfolio web site provides you an opportunity to showcase all the superior work you’ve performed. When potential shoppers see what you are able to do, they’ll belief that you just’re the precise particular person for the job.
To do this, we’ll be utilizing Envira Gallery, which is one of the best WordPress gallery plugin. Whereas you should utilize the ‘Superior Gallery’ widget on SeedProd, Envira Gallery provides you extra performance.
For instance, it comes with Lightbox photographs, that means when somebody clicks on a photograph, it routinely shows the complete dimensions without having to crop or resize them. You’ll be able to even add slideshows and arrange your galleries into albums to higher categorize your work.
First, set up and activate the Envira Gallery plugin. You’ll be able to comply with our information on the way to set up a WordPress plugin for detailed directions.
Head over to Envira Gallery ≫ Add New within the WordPress dashboard. Then, title your gallery within the title bar. From there, click on ‘Search Information from Your Laptop’ so as to add photographs of your portfolio tasks.
When you’ve uploaded the portfolio objects, scroll down and choose the ‘Config’ tab.
Right here, you possibly can change the variety of gallery columns you need to show. Setting it to ‘Automated’ will set the variety of photographs to routinely fill every row.
If you wish to change the picture sizes, scroll down within the ‘Config’ tab and discover the Picture Dimension possibility.
Choose the scale that finest showcases your portfolio objects.
You can even alter the Lightbox picture measurement in order that it shows the unique measurement picture when somebody clicks on the image.
Go to the ‘Lightbox’ tab and alter the Picture Dimension to ‘Unique Picture.’
Scroll as much as the highest of the web page and hit ‘Publish.’ Beneath the publish button, you’ll see a shortcode.
Copy the shortcode in order that we will add the gallery to our WordPress portfolio web page.
Return to your portfolio web page in SeedProd. Drag and drop the Shortcode block anyplace you’d like on the web page.
Then, merely paste the shortcode into the ‘Shortcode’ field within the sidebar menu.
If you wish to preview the shortcode, click on on the ‘Preview’ button on the highest proper nook of the web page.
This may present you what your complete web page appears to be like like.
Right here, you need to be capable of see that your Envira Gallery is embedded in your portfolio web site.
With the lightbox function from Envira Gallery, you possibly can click on on every merchandise to see the complete picture.
7. Add a Contact Kind
Now that you just’ve reeled in your potential shoppers, it’s time to get them to contact you. Positive, you possibly can simply drop an e mail in there, however contact kinds allow them to ship you a message straight with out opening up their e mail app.
One of the best ways to create a easy {and professional} contact kind is with WPForms.
WPForms is one of the best WordPress kind builder that permits you to create on-line contact kinds.
To discover ways to create a easy contact kind in your web site in order that potential shoppers can contact you, simply comply with our step-by-step tutorial on the way to create a contact kind in WordPress.
When you’ve accomplished your kind, return to your portfolio web page. You should utilize the ‘Contact Kind’ widget so as to add a kind from WPForms. Beneath ‘Choose a Kind,’ select the one you’ve created.
8. Make It Dwell
If all the things appears to be like good, you’re able to launch your web site.
All it’s a must to do is click on the arrow below the inexperienced ‘Save’ button on the highest proper nook. Then click on ‘Publish.’
Go forward and verify the dwell web site.
Every part ought to seem, together with the portfolio gallery, buttons, and make contact with kind.
After getting a professional-looking portfolio web site made, you’re prepared to start out sending extra visitors to your web site or nurture prospects.
We hope this text helped you discover ways to create an internet portfolio web site in WordPress. We additionally suggest that you just take a look at our put up on the way to begin a WordPress weblog or our information on the way to create an e mail e-newsletter.
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