Potential employer/clients: “What you’re saying sounds great, but do you have any work samples you could show us?”
You: **Panic sets in** (In Scooby Doo voice): “Ruh-roh…can I just send you some links and files?”
Potential employer/clients: **Confused**“Uh…sure?”
This is a common scenario with creative types and developers.
You’re focused on finding the work, doing the work, billing the work and so on. So, it doesn’t leave you much time to properly archive and show your work in one place—i.e.: a proper portfolio.
But what about my LinkedIn profile and sparkling resume?
Having a recently updated LinkedIn profile (and presence) is all well and good.
But—let’s say you’re someone that has work to show, like a photographer, illustrator, musician, web designer or copy writer. Potential clients and employers are only getting a small part of your story and capabilities from a LinkedIn profile or resume.
Which, of course, doesn’t do your creativity and vision the proper justice!
You also don’t want to get into the habit of having to print off paper copies of your work to show an employer.
What you need, then, is a dedicated, digital portfolio website that lives forever on the web, is interactive—and can be easily updated and shared as you create new work.
Why make a portfolio website? Four reasons why:
Reason 1: share your skills and experience.
First off: your portfolio website is like a catalogue of all your hard-earned skills and abilities! For example, if you’re a sound engineer or music producer, it’d be great to show off some of the ear-candy you’ve helped create!
Ditto if you’re a web developer; give clients proof that you’ve got an eye for UI and can build them something dazzling.
Reason 2: let your personality shine!
Yes, showcasing great work samples is important, but so is giving insight into your personality and creative process.
Your portfolio website can be a space where you give clients a sense of what inspires you and the passion you put into your work. Sometimes showing that you’re someone that’s fun and exciting to work with carries more weight than having all the design chops in the world.
Reason 3: it helps build your online presence—and credibility.
One of the first things a client will do is Google you. And if nothing comes up…then what?
Your portfolio website establishes your online presence and shows people that, yes, you are indeed a wedding photographer from Saskatoon, and you have, in fact, been paid to take photos at weddings!
In all seriousness —a good portfolio website can be huge for establishing customer trust and credibility. Let’s say someone is in the market for a wedding photographer; your website should make it easy for them to feel confident in hiring you—or, at the very least, contacting you for more info.
Reason 4: it’s a great tool for presentation and pitches.
Most of your potential clients and employers are visual creatures. If you’re presenting to them in person or online, your portfolio website allows you to walk people through all your best work rather than just describing it and handing them your resume.
Five real-life portfolio examples for inspiration
Andrewmcpherson.ca – Andrew is a Guelph, Ontario-based musician, producer and voice artist. His portfolio website takes you through his entire musical repertoire, lets you hear samples of his work and even book his services if you’re so inclined!
Susancam.ca – Cartoonist and illustrator Susan Camilleri-Konar’s site invites you to flip through her whimsical, sarcastic political cartoons, illustrations and more.
Cynthiaobrien.ca – Sculptor Cynthia O’Brien’s site showcases her latest works while taking you on a journey through her main sources of inspiration and provides some very cool insights into her creative process.
Shamit.ca – Photographer Shamit Tushakiran’s portfolio site cuts to the chase and showcases the breadth of his work right up front. It also gives you a clear flavour for what he does (and does well!): Intimate lifestyle and fly-on-the-wall documentary photos.
Spilledink.ca – Professional copywriter (and wordsmith-er) Nicole Laidler’s site showcases her versatility and strengths as a writer, serving up examples of website copy, blog posts, corporate brochures, news features and more.
Get started building your own portfolio website
The first step—before you gather all your fabulous work? That’s right—it’s to register your .CA domain. It could be something as simple as your own name or—say—the name of your studio. Type it into our search tool below, see if it’s available and then you will be off and running!
A .CA domain declares your business is proudly Canadian
Keep in mind: a .CA domain shows potential clients and customers that you’re proudly Canadian. Plus—.CA has far more domain name inventory than .com, so there’s a better chance you’ll be able to find the name you want. Learn more about the benefits of a .CA domain!
And if you’re looking for an added layer of professionalism, you can use your new .CA domain name to create a custom email address like [email protected], to use everywhere from resumes to business cards.
Need tips on getting your website built? Check out our in-depth guide that covers everything from picking a website building platform to fine-tuning your SEO.
Kira is the Content and Channel Marketing Lead at CIRA. She focuses on content, digital marketing and channel strategies to help Canadian business owners make the right domain choice for their business website so they can find success online.
