What to put on your portfolio website
A portfolio has one job: help the right person decide to contact you. Everything on it should help with that, and anything that doesn't can go.
Updated , about 7 minutes to read
The short answer
Your name and what you do, a photo, a few pieces of your best work with a line on each, proof that others trust you (reviews, numbers, qualifications), and one obvious way to get in touch. Leave out long life stories, every project you've ever done and skill bars with percentages.
The parts every portfolio needs
- What you do, in one line, at the very top. A visitor should know within three seconds whether they're in the right place.
- A real photo. People hire people. A friendly photo does more than a clever logo.
- Your best work, not all of it. Three to six pieces is plenty for most people. Put the strongest one first.
- A sentence of context per piece. What was the problem, what did you do, what changed. "Redesigned the menu; online orders went up 30%" is worth more than ten screenshots.
- Proof. Reviews from clients, the brands you've worked with, your qualifications, years of experience. Pick whichever is strongest for your work.
- One clear way to contact you, repeated at the end. In India, a WhatsApp button usually gets more replies than an email address.
What you can leave out
- Skill bars ("Photoshop 85%"). Nobody knows what 85% means. List the tools instead, or better, show work made with them.
- Your whole career story. A few lines about you is enough. Save the rest for the interview.
- Old work you're not proud of. It's tempting to show quantity. Don't.
- A contact form nobody checks. If you're not going to reply within a day or two, give your WhatsApp instead.
How it changes by profession
The checklist above is the same for everyone. The emphasis isn't.
- Doctors and clinics: timings, address with a map, the doctors' qualifications, the treatments you offer and how to book. Patients care most about "are they open, where are they, can I book". See what patients look for on a clinic website.
- Photographers: the photos, big. Group them by type of shoot so a couple looking for a wedding photographer doesn't scroll through product shots. Packages and prices help people decide faster.
- Designers and developers: fewer projects, more depth. One project explained well, with the problem and the result, beats a grid of twelve thumbnails.
- Teachers and tutors: qualifications, subjects and classes, a few words from parents or students, and fees if you're comfortable sharing them.
- Sales and service roles: numbers. Targets hit, customers served, years in the job. Reviews from managers count.
- Students: projects from college, internships, certificates and a CV to download. See a first portfolio for students.
A test before you share it
Open it on your phone, give it to someone who doesn't know your work, and count to five. Then ask them what you do and how they'd contact you. If either answer is a guess, the top of your page needs work, not the rest of it.