Standing out with your portfolio page

Every page of your showcase website must demonstrate your expertise and, above all, make potential clients want to come knocking on your door. And if, like doubting Thomas, they only believe in what they can see, it is in your interest to provide them with proof of your know-how. Your site's "References" page will be of great help for this purpose.

For whom and why?

Dear creatives, the "Portfolio" page — also called "References" or "Work" — must under no circumstances be optional on your website. On the contrary, for professions revolving around graphic production, design, audiovisual work, or architecture (to name but a few), this type of page can be more than worthwhile.

Just as when job-hunting, think of this page as the portfolio you would present to recruiters. Here, the recruiters are the visitors you are trying to convert into clients. As in a portfolio, include the work you are most proud of, the projects that feel most accomplished. The more this work reflects your personality, your methods, and the breadth of your skills, the more you will be able to win people over.

It is therefore time to provide proof of your expertise on this page, to back up the message conveyed throughout the rest of your site.

What content, and how?

There is no point in displaying all of your work — this approach could well prove counterproductive, as it carries several risks:

• overloading your page in a way that puts visitors off going further or that muddies your messages
• the risk that some visitors will only notice the projects that are not your best work in your own eyes

Only include finished projects with which you are completely satisfied. You would not hang an aesthetically mediocre painting on your living-room wall, would you? Think of this page in the same way and display only your "masterpieces". Choose high-quality photos or screenshots that load quickly. Do not hesitate to present your work in context using mockups and, where websites are concerned, perhaps even videos.

Still in the spirit of showing only your best, you do not have to reveal everything about a project — especially if the methods used are similar across several of them. Varying the examples helps to demonstrate the breadth of your skills and avoids repetition.

Things to keep in mind

• The step-by-step example
  To reassure a potential client about the way you work, it can be valuable to show the different stages of a project's realisation. Presenting the various steps of your thinking process, your trials, and your revisions gives them an idea of how their project will evolve through to completion.
• SEO
  To ensure your portfolio appears in your clients' searches, do not forget to add your keywords within the "Portfolio" page and to name your content correctly (file name + alt text).
• Latest projects
  This page should evolve over time — do not forget to add your most recent work. On one hand, it shows that you are up to date and still active; on the other, it demonstrates that you follow the latest trends.

In summary

The "Portfolio" page of your site is the ideal place to stand out and prove your expertise, thereby triggering new enquiries. Do not hesitate to select the most relevant items from your work and present them in the best possible layout. Mockups remain one of the most effective methods — as long as your page does not become overloaded.