Now that you’ve created the bulk of your portfolio, you can take things even further by adding one (or more) of these extras. Think of your online portfolio as an ice cream sundae with your images and templates as the ice cream. Your about and contact page are hot fudge (or caramel if you prefer it). Everything else is a bonus topping. You can go crazy and add whipped cream, sprinkles, and a cherry!
Get social.
Under the “Social” tab of the Design tab, you’ll see the option to add up to five icons linking visitors to your social media accounts. If you have a professional (not personal) Facebook page for your creative business, or if you post work on Instagram or share updates on Twitter, linking to your social media is a great way to grow your professional brand online. It lets visitors get to know you better and see more frequent updates on what you’re currently doing.
It’s important not to add any accounts that you wouldn’t readily share with clients. If your Instagram is more focused on your personal life and you don’t share your creative work there, it’s better to leave it out. You may also want to consider creating separate Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram accounts for your creative work. Adding a link to your LinkedIn account can be helpful if you want to be able to network with others in your industry.
Get noticed.
SEO — search engine optimization — doesn’t need to be complicated. Help new clients find your online portfolio with simple tools that guide you through SEO every step of the way. You can edit and preview what people will see when they Google your site and make your portfolio as visible as possible. Select the “Settings” tab from your dashboard to edit your site’s overall SEO or select “Settings” from any page to edit that specific page’s SEO content.
You can also let people know exactly where to find you offline with a custom map. Share locations for your studio, a gallery show, upcoming events, restaurants, or any other place you can think of! Simply create a custom page, add a section, and customize your map with up to five locations and personalized labels.
Get sales.
Doing what you love is great, but getting paid to do what you love is even better. Your online store is included in every Format plan, and you keep 100% of your revenue. Think outside the box of just selling physical inventory—you can sell all kinds of products, prints, packages, Lightroom presets, and digital products as well as schedule client bookings or workshops. Setting up your store is as simple as turning it on and adding an item.
Creating your online portfolio is easy—especially with a website builder like Format. Now that you know exactly how to create one, what are you waiting for?