How to Create an Online Portfolio Website in WordPress

Trying to create a web-based portfolio web site in WordPress?

The freelance market has grown quickly. Resumes and LinkedIn profiles are essential, 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 right way to simply create a web-based 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, writer, or developer.

It’s an opportunity to place your finest foot ahead in your trade. In a nutshell, your web site portfolio lets you stand out from the gang and construct belief. If you design knowledgeable portfolio web site, you immediately achieve credibility and showcase your expertise.

Plus, you’ll be able to optimize your web site for search engines like google and yahoo primarily based on particular key phrases in order that extra individuals can discover you.

How you can Create an On-line Portfolio Web site in WordPress with SeedProd

You don’t must learn to code or write HTML to construct your portfolio web site. Merely observe 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 dwelling on the web.

A superb net host needs to be scalable sufficient to deal with demanding websites, provide help in case something goes improper, take net safety significantly, and have options to maintain you secure.

You must also be in search of the fastest WordPress hosting providers, which helps to get your web site loading shortly.

Hostinger is your best option for small companies that need reasonably priced, beginner-friendly internet hosting.

Fortuitously, 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:

When you need assistance signing up for Hostinger, try our put up on how to get a free domain name, the place you discover a step-by-step tutorial.

When you’ve registered and arrange your internet hosting plan, you’ll be able to simply go into your dashboard and choose the ‘Domains’ tab.

From there, you’ll must enter a brand new domain name.

You’ll be prompted to create a brand new web site or migrate an current web site.

For the sake of this tutorial, you’ll be able to click on the ‘Skip, create an empty web site.’

Subsequent, click on on the ‘Choose’ button underneath ‘Declare a Free Area.’

You possibly can merely enter the area title that you just wish to use in your portfolio web site.

When you need assistance deciding on a website title, WPBeginner provides a free business name generator that will help you discover a firm title that’s straightforward to learn and promote on-line.

After all, should you’re creating a private portfolio, the simplest factor to do can be to make use of your first and final title as a website title. If it’s taken, you’ll be able to add your career alongside together with your first title.

For instance, if johndoe.com is taken, you would possibly discover johndoephotography.com or janedoewriter.com.

Ideally, you must follow a .com domain extension because it’s essentially the most recognizable and reliable for small companies.

2. Set up WordPress

One of the vital widespread errors most freshmen make is selecting the improper web site platform. Many freelancers or small enterprise homeowners gravitate in the direction of Squarespace or Wix.

Whereas these are straightforward to make use of, they lack tons of performance, customization, and management.

Utilizing a content material administration system like WordPress offers 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 suitable 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’ll be able to observe our guide on how to install 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.

It’s also possible to go to yoursite.com/wp-admin straight in your browser.

3. Select a Portfolio Theme

After you have 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 the perfect 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 wish to make a portfolio web site to land potential shoppers, start a WordPress blog, or an online store, SeedProd is a one-stop resolution that offers you templates tailor-made to your wants.

You’ll wish to set up and activate the SeedProd plugin. For extra assist, see our in-depth information on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon set up, you’ll be prompted to finish the setup wizard. You possibly can click on ‘Get Began’ and simply observe 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 will discover your license key underneath your accounts page on the SeedProd website.

After coming into the knowledge, 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. Sort in ‘portfolio’ within the search bar and choose the theme template that most closely fits your web site concept.

Additionally, it’s possible you’ll wish to search different key phrases should you’re in a selected area of interest. For instance, in case you are a realtor, you’ll find real estate 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, comparable to a headline, textual content, record, header, featured picture, and so forth.

Merely drag the widget you need and transfer it to the precise location you need that ingredient.

It’s also possible to customise the background to your liking by selecting a strong coloration, gradient coloration, or background picture.

Simply click on on the outer layer field, and underneath ‘Content material’ within the sidebar menu, you’ll see choices to customise your background.

When you need assistance working with the SeedProd interface, you’ll be able to watch our SeedProd video tutorials.

When modifying the contents of your important portfolio web page, there are a number of key parts you wish to embrace, comparable 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 needs to 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 suitable.

When modifying any ingredient, you could click on on the precise ingredient or space you wish to customise.

Then, the choices for that block seem to the left. As you’ll be able to see beneath, the Content material tab helps you to edit the button textual content and hyperlink it to your contact page and even to an embedded form 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.

Providers you provide: Guests wish to know what you provide to allow them to make certain you are able to do what they’re in search of. As an example, as a WordPress developer, do you code customized plugins, provide 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’ll be able to customise the textual content and icons as wanted by clicking on the ingredient and utilizing the sidebar.

About Me part: Potential clients and shoppers additionally wish to know extra about your background and expertise. It is a likelihood to construct a reference to individuals and showcase why you’re keen about what you do.

To create an About Me part, all you must do is add the ‘Picture Field’ widget to the web page. Then, add a portrait picture 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 may use your custom logo right here as a substitute.

Testimonials: Offering testimonials from earlier shoppers helps to construct belief, particularly should you’ve labored with respected manufacturers. Seeing that different persons are happy together with your work offers others the arrogance you could additionally do an awesome job.

Merely add the Testimonials widget to your web page. Then, you’ll be able to 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 individual’s title.

6. Add a Gallery to Showcase Examples of your Work

Making a portfolio web site offers you an opportunity to showcase all the superior work you’ve carried out. When potential shoppers see what you are able to do, they’ll belief that you just’re the suitable individual for the job.

To do this, we’ll be utilizing Envira Gallery, which is the best WordPress gallery plugin. Whereas you need to use the ‘Superior Gallery’ widget on SeedProd, Envira Gallery offers you extra performance.

For instance, it comes with Lightbox photographs, that means when somebody clicks on a photograph, it mechanically shows the complete dimensions with no need to crop or resize them. You possibly can even add slideshows and set up your galleries into albums to raised categorize your work.

First, set up and activate the Envira Gallery plugin. You possibly can observe our information on how to install 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 Recordsdata from Your Pc’ so as to add photographs of your portfolio initiatives.

When you’ve uploaded the portfolio objects, scroll down and choose the ‘Config’ tab.

Right here, you’ll be able to change the variety of gallery columns you wish to show. Setting it to ‘Automated’ will set the variety of photographs to mechanically 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 dimensions that finest showcases your portfolio objects.

It’s also possible to modify 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 modify the Picture Dimension to ‘Authentic 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 are able to 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.

It will present you what the whole web page seems like.

Right here, you must have the ability to see that your Envira Gallery is embedded in your portfolio web site.

With the lightbox function from Envira Gallery, you’ll be able to 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’ll be able to simply drop an electronic mail in there, however contact kinds allow them to ship you a message straight with out opening up their electronic mail app.

One of the simplest ways to create a easy {and professional} contact kind is with WPForms.

WPForms is the best WordPress form builder that allows you to create on-line contact kinds.

To learn to create a easy contact kind in your web site in order that potential shoppers can contact you, simply observe our step-by-step tutorial on how to create a contact form 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. Below ‘Choose a Kind,’ select the one you’ve created.

8. Make It Dwell

If the whole lot seems good, you’re able to launch your web site.

All it’s a must to do is click on the arrow underneath the inexperienced ‘Save’ button on the highest proper nook. Then click on ‘Publish.’

Go forward and examine the stay web site.

Every part ought to seem, together with the portfolio gallery, buttons, and phone kind.

After you have a professional-looking portfolio web site made, you’re prepared to start out sending extra site visitors to your web site or nurture prospects.

We hope this text helped you learn to create a web-based portfolio web site in WordPress. We additionally suggest that you just try our put up on how to start a WordPress blog or our information on how to create an email newsletter.

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