On this age of on-line all the things, your net presence could make or break your freelance profession, particularly for those who’re simply beginning out as a contract author.
If potential shoppers don’t know you by popularity, they want a fast, simple strategy to suss out your work, your type and your stage of professionalism. Whereas social media accounts can do wonders (having just a few 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 for those who’re not fairly able to begin a weblog, a easy portfolio web site that promotes your freelance writing can do so much that can assist you land shoppers.
This Article Options 10 Portfolio Web sites to Contemplate
No matter which of those portfolio web sites you resolve to go together with, it is best to purpose for these two issues:
1.Straightforward-to-read clips: If somebody is seeking to rent you, their principal purpose in coming to your web site 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 acquired an excessive amount of happening. You’ve misplaced their consideration… and a possible shopper.
Straightforward-to-use Portfolio Web sites to Showcase Your Work
An internet portfolio that fulfills these two primary standards doesn’t need to be sophisticated to create. You’ve acquired numerous good portfolio design instruments that can assist you get there! And for those who’re on the lookout for free portfolio web sites, we’ve acquired you coated there too.
Whenever you’re able to land your subsequent freelance writing job, listed here are some easy-to-use portfolio web sites to select from.
1. Squarespace
Squarespace is an easy drag-and-drop web site builder that gives a stellar visible expertise. Whereas this isn’t a conventional portfolio web site (neither is it focused solely at writers), it’s a extremely good selection for those who incorporate design or graphics into your work.
Their templates give off a clear, minimalist and complex vibe. And their responsive design is rock strong—an vital issue when potential shoppers wish to view your writing on their telephones or tablets. Whereas there are various web site constructing instruments—like Wix and Weebly—Squarespace comes out forward for its smooth visible design.
Cool Function: Caught on a design subject whereas constructing your portfolio at 3 a.m.? Squarespace’s 24/7 shopper assist (by way of electronic mail or reside chat from Monday to Friday) is top-notch. With the ability to talk with an actual human being when you’ve got a query or subject could make freelance life that a lot simpler.
Free model: No however there’s a free trial
Improve choice: It prices $12 per thirty days for a private web site 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 per thirty days.
2. Clippings.me
Clippings.me was created explicitly for freelance journalists. It offers you a fast and straightforward strategy to showcase your favourite clips, and add simply sufficient element about your self to make you appear human. Like Journo Portfolio, you’ll be able to add hyperlinks, add PDFs or embed multimedia items, together with podcasts. And for those who get caught discovering the fitting phrases to promote your self or for those who want some design steering, take a look at their Writing Portfolio Information.
Clippings.me additionally affords an open journalism listing the place you’ll be able to browse journalists based mostly on beats or by nation to seek out potential interviewees for the tales you cowl You may (hopefully) use it to realize entry to extra potential shoppers.
Cool Function: Simplicity is the secret. have the naked minimal technical expertise however nonetheless need a refreshing structure to your on-line portfolio, this can be a nice alternative.
Free model: Sure! It’s free for the essential model, which permits as much as 10 articles.
Improve choice: The professional model prices $9.99 per thirty days, which incorporates limitless clippings, downloadable resume on profile, contact types, SEO (search engine optimization) and portfolio privateness, password-protected portfolio and options like Google Analytics integration so you’ll be able to measure views.
3. Muck Rack
Muck Rack is a media database that helps join journalists and PR professionals—and their platform offers writers a slick strategy to simply showcase their work.
It creates and maintains the portfolio for you by mechanically compiling articles, shops, and social media profiles, which is without doubt one of the best choices by way of each set-up and upkeep. You may customise your web page by including a bio, itemizing your beats and spotlighting your greatest items.
Muck Rack boasts it’s the best, most limitless strategy to construct your portfolio, develop your following and quantify your affect. One of the best half? It’s all free.
Cool Function: Do you ever surprise how massive your attain is? With Muck Rack’s Who Shared My Hyperlink instrument, you’ll be able to immediately see the full variety of social shares to your article and which different journalists shared your tales.
Free model: Sure! It’s free for all customers. Further options are unlocked for journalists Muck Rack verifies—take a look at the standards to turn into a verified journalist.
4. The Freelancer by Contently
The Freelancer by Contently is a portfolio web site particularly for freelance writers and journalists. Along with serving as your on-line portfolio, it might function a spot to seek out work and join straight with shoppers. Listed here are its prime three compelling options:
- It makes use of a easy and single-page portfolio interface the place you’ll be able to show a vast variety of initiatives or weblog posts
- Potential shoppers can filter initiatives based mostly on the shoppers you’ve labored with, subjects and expertise, that are nice for writers that work in a number of industries
- Freelancers with skilled expertise would possibly even be contacted for freelance alternatives with shoppers like Marriott, Microsoft and Walmart
Cool Function: Contently has a charges database so you’ll be able to see what different freelancers earn, and a contract charges calculator that can assist you decide the quantity it is best to cost for every shopper.
Free model: Sure! It’s free for writers. (Shoppers pay to faucet into that community.)
5. Journo Portfolio
On Journo Portfolio, you’ll be able to create a contemporary, no-fuss on-line portfolio. The dashboard is straightforward to make use of: customise your web site’s look with six distinct themes, and kind your clips into any variety of pages or content material blocks.
One other useful function is the vary of the way you’ll be able to share supplies: hyperlink on to clips (simply kind within the URL and Journo Portfolio will seize the title, publication, date, and content material), or add virtually any form of multimedia, together with PDFs, movies and pictures.
Cool Function: That can assist you maintain monitor of your metrics, Journo Portfolio’s built-in analytics present you what number of guests your web site 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 non-public Google Analytics account so you’ll be able to entry all of the uncooked knowledge out there.
Free model: Sure! It’s free for a reputation.journoportfolio.com URL, and you’ll host as much as 10 articles.
Improve choice: For the professional model, pay $5 to $10 per thirty days. 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 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 out there as a completely 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 commonplace WordPress themes aren’t all excellent for portfolio work, however search Google for “WordPress portfolio themes” and also you’ll have all the things you can ask for—WordPress even affords this devoted portfolio splash web page! It is a nice platform for individuals who need numerous choices and complete artistic management (and who don’t thoughts fussing round with just a little CSS).
Cool Function: Since WordPress is so adaptable, it may be a very good place to begin for those who suppose it’s your decision one thing past a portfolio web site someplace down the road. That means, while you notice that you simply wish to be each a contract author and photographer, you’re not caught on a platform the place you’ll be able to’t showcase your different expertise.
Free model: Sure! For a primary weblog.
Improve choice: For extra management over how the location appears to be like and features, some freelancers select to improve to the $8-per-month premium choice. That offers you entry to advertising and marketing and monetization instruments, limitless premium themes and superior web site 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 greatest work with a phenomenal web site
- To present writers a helpful instrument that they’ll use to market their careers
Whether or not you’re an aspiring freelance author or a printed writer, Author’s Residence understands {that a} effectively designed web site highlights your professionalism and makes it simple for editors to see your work. Deliver your individual area or use one in all theirs, get artistic with their number of templates and use their “brain-dead easy system” to have your web site up and working in half-hour.
Cool Function: No HTML expertise? No biggie! Whenever you create a portfolio with Author’s Residence, they care for the design so you’ll be able to stick with your experience—writing. Right here, you’d construct your web site with plain textual content utilizing their easy types. And for those who do wish to get fancy, customization is an choice, too.
Free model: Sure! All accounts include a 30-day free trial.
Improve choice: After the trial, proceed managing your web site for $8.99 per thirty days (or £5.49) on this simple platform that permits you to add a vast variety of writing samples and offers immediate and private buyer assist.
8. Writerfolio
The writing business is extremely aggressive—make your writing stand out with an interesting {and professional} Writerfolio portfolio to go away an amazing first impression with shoppers and editors. That’s certain to land you your subsequent writing job!
On this platform that additionally requires no laptop expertise, you’ll be able to construct a portfolio with limitless writing samples with attachment uploads, a wide range of themes to select from, a straightforward fill-in-the-blanks portfolio setup and extra.
Cool Function: They’ve a 100% satisfaction assure—for those who’re not 100% joyful, they’ll refund you with no questions requested.
Free model: No, however you’ll be able to check out a free demo with out night signing up!
Improve choice: Memberships value $4 per thirty days and include a whole on-line writing portfolio at yourname.writerfolio.com (however you need to use yourname.com, for those who already personal it).
9. Format
Any form of artist can discover a residence right here, from photographers and designers to writers and illustrators. Format offers a formidable collection of curated themes to suit your distinctive model, giving you a stunning digital canvas to point out off your greatest work.
Your portfolio with Format might be mechanically optimized for cellular—so shoppers can view your work from any machine—and you’ll take pleasure in limitless bandwidth and weblog posts, copyright safety for any picture you add, plus social media integration. Format may even provide you with a free area identify for a yr!
Want some design inspo? Try these author portfolios utilizing Format’s themes.
Cool Function: For when it’s essential to make a change on-the-fly, Format’s iOS apps make it simple so that you can showcase your portfolio, handle your menu objects and create and write weblog posts wherever you go.
Free model: No, however you’ll be able to attempt it free for 2 weeks to see if it’s a match!
Improve choice: With the Professional, Professional Plus and Limitless plans, creatives can tailor their web site with dozens of themes, customized code enhancing, 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’ll personalize your start line layouts particularly to your occupation
- Carbonmade is mechanically responsive and optimized for all gadgets so your web site at all times appears to be like nice
- You may hyperlink your individual area or select from those included in all plans: identify.carbonmade.com, identify.portfolio.web site or identify.gfx.work choices
- Audio and PDF add assist
Cool Function: As a substitute of sticking to a sure theme or structure, Carbonmade permits you to use dozens of versatile structure blocks to design your web site—simply drag and drop to create your dream portfolio. No limitations right here.
Free model: No, however take a look at the free trial!
Improve choice: Month-to-month membership prices vary from $8 to $18. For the price of two espresso cups per thirty days, writers usually benefit from the $8 plan for entry to eight initiatives and limitless pictures and movies.
Examples of on-line portfolio web sites
Now that you simply’ve acquired numerous portfolio web sites to select from, wish to see a few of them in motion?
We’ve compiled an inventory of on-line writing portfolios to encourage you. Right here’s the place to take a look at some on-line portfolio examples.
The unique model of this story was written by Annie Rose Favreau. We up to date the put up so it’s extra helpful for our readers.