Why does your portfolio matter for landing new jobs?
Portfolios matter because they serve as a way to introduce potential clients to your work, almost like a resume/CV. You need to determine how to build a freelance portfolio–it pays in the long run. Portfolios allow you to highlight your works and talents, attracting potential clients to your business.
With that out of the way, it’s time to introduce you to 7 digital platforms to use when building your portfolio. We will introduce the platform and cover some of its strengths and weaknesses, and pricing options. We’ll also give a special mention of free portfolio platforms or platforms that offer unpaid options. So, let’s dive in with what makes a portfolio making platform shine in the first place.
What makes a portfolio site the best?
There are several different online portfolio platform features that we can highlight, but the most important features to pay attention to are:
- Design features that allow you to execute your vision and highlight aspects of your work that you want clients to focus on
- Accessibility which makes it easy for you to use and easy for potential clients to explore your work
- Suitable pricing options for what you want to accomplish with your portfolio in accordance with your budget
Best 7 portfolio platforms solo talents can use
Portfoliobox
Portfoliobox is a platform that does well to position itself as a freelance graphic design portfolio platform. It offers excellent templates and design tools that help you illustrate your creative skills. It also has an extensive and easy-to-use dashboard that lets you create your portfolio right away. For those looking to highlight visual arts like painting, makeup, architecture, and other forms of design, this platform is for you.
The drawbacks of Portfoliobox have to do with its focus on visual media. Anyone looking to highlight talents dealing with lengthy texts should probably consider another option. Its customization tools are geared more towards visual media, and therefore, can be limiting for users outside this niche.
Portfoliobox offers a free product with some limited functionality. For example, to be able to change domain names or have access to more storage, you will have to purchase a paid option.
There are 4 subscription options:
- Free
- Light for $2.90 per month
- Pro for $7.90 per month
- Pro Plus for $10.90 per month
Krop
Krop is among the best portfolio platforms for designers. Like Portfoliobox, Krop specializes in highlighting the talents of those involved in visual arts and design. It has great templates that make it easy to find a balance between creativity and professionalism. It’s also simple and easy to use, making it seamless to get started. It also features a job alert feature that tells you when new job opportunities related to your field are available.
The drawbacks of Krop come down to 2 limitations:
- Specific niche: It limits itself only to creative visual arts and design.
- Package coverage: While it offers a free trial period, the features are very restricted compared to the paid version.
Krop offers a free trial for 14 days with limited functionality and a paid product. The paid version of the platform provides a more fantastic array of tools for $8.25 a month.
Cargo
Cargo is a great portfolio platform for those looking for something simple and intuitive. It’s a good candidate for a web developer freelance portfolio. It has a very intuitive design and interface that makes it easy to get started. It’s also very customizable, meaning you can fine-tune things to look exactly the way you’d like them. Cargo also offers e-store functionalities, giving you the opportunity to sell your products/service on the platform.
Cargo has a few shortcomings. One of the common complaints is that it only supports specific browsers like Google Chrome, so if you’re aFirefox user, you’re out of luck. Also, in terms of pricing options, some competitors might offer more solutions that may interest you.
Cargo offers a free product and a paid product.
There are 2 pricing options:
- $99 annually
- $13 monthly
Adobe Portfolio
Adobe Portfolio delivers its best to answer how to build a portfolio as a freelancer, making the process as simple as can be. Adobe offers a streamlined way to create and upload your portfolio. It also provides unlimited storage and a secure site for you to upload anything you want, and have your uploaded work well-protected.
Adobe has a few problems with its customization options. It sacrifices template options and customization for the sake of a simpler, easier process. Another issue that customers frequently complain about is dealing with outstanding bills when ending the service.
Adobe offers a free one-month trial and several paid options:
- Free trial (one month and limited functions)
- Individual use for $9.99 per month
- Business package for $33.99 per month (includes more Adobe products)
- Student/Teachers package for $19.99 per month (same offer as Business)
You’ll also have to pay 50% of the remaining balance for any months that you haven’t paid when you choose to opt out.
Weebly
Weebly is the perfect platform for someone looking to start and develop a small business. It offers services like SEO optimization and even an e-commerce extension, allowing you to grow your business. It can also be used as a blog, making it useful for an excellent freelance writer portfolio. It’s easy to use and offers design templates that let you get straight to curating your portfolio.
Weebly’s biggest flaw is that it lacks some customization options. The same can be said about the templates: while there are some options to choose from, there isn’t a large variety of them.
Weebly offers several options, including a free service. They are as following:
- Free
- Personal use for $9.00 per month
- Professional use for $16.00 per month
- Performance use for $29.00 per month
Weebly also offers an annual cost for each of these services that knock down some of the monthly charges in return for a lump-sum payment.
Pros
Cons
Great for small businesses with functions like e-commerce
Lacks some customization tools
Easy to use
A bit sluggish in keeping up with current trends
SEO optimization
Wix
Wix is one of the leading website/portfolio platforms because of its intuitive design and expansive list of options. It can be used as a freelance web designer portfolio, for e-commerce, as a blog, and so much more. Wix offers so many customizable options and templates among which you will definitely find something you like. Wix also provides a great app market that lets you fine-tune your portfolio to suit your needs.
Wix’s customization options do have some drawbacks, however. One frequent complaint is that once you publish a site, you will have to start from scratch if you want to change templates. Also, all these options can be a bit overwhelming at first, so be sure you’re ready for this. Wix can be a bit pricey, so there might be a less expensive option if you don’t need all these tools.
Wix offers several products and plans designed to fit what you need:
- A limited free product
- Combo for $14.00 per month
- Unlimited for $18.00 per month
- Pro for $23.00 per month
- VIP for $39.00 per month
Wix also offers additional features and plans for an extra cost such as the e-commerce function that was mentioned earlier.
IM Creator
IM Creator is the perfect platform to use if you’re someone who is just starting to create/build your own portfolio and website. It features stylish designs and simple tools that make it easy to use and understand, even for beginners. It offers excellent value for the money.
The biggest complaint you may have about IM Creator is that it sacrifices customization options for simplicity. While it may be perfect for someone just starting, it might feel limiting for someone looking for something more robust. It also has limited extra options like e-commerce tools.
IM Creator has 3 pricing options:
- Free alternative with some limited functions available for artists, students, and nonprofit organizations
- Premium option with different payment plans according to the number of years you wish to purchase (i.e., 1 year is $7.95 per month while 2 years is $6.95 per month)
- Pro and Whitelabel packages for $350 a year
Portfolios are the windows to a freelancer’s talents and services. To land the right projects and gigs, you need to display your very best in a clear, well-organized manner. We have presented you some of the best online portfolio platforms with their strengths and weaknesses. Ultimately, the right fit depends on the types of work and the goals you have in mind. Hopefully this article gave you some ideas, good luck on your solo journey!
