Follow these simple steps and create a stunning online portfolio that will help you stand out from the crowd.
Wix is one of the highest-ranking website builders, and thanks to its simple drag and drop interface it makes a great choice for any newbie looking to create a professional website for their business.
When it comes to creatives such as graphic design experts, photographers and content writers, a huge number of them will be present on freelancing platforms such as Fiverr and Upwork, or showcase their work on portfolio platforms like Dribbble and Behance.
However, if you want to really impress potential customers, nothing can beat a professionally designed portfolio website, where you can showcase your best work (and of course add any relevant information such as contact, social media, or a short biography).
Well, the good news is that Wix has got everything you need to create a truly stunning web page, in just a few simple steps. You can follow this link and quickly search through many great portfolio templates that you can edit. But of course, if you want to put just a little more time and effort into web design, you can also create something custom using Wix website builder.
Here’s how!
Create an account and choose your website type
First head over to wix.com. You can create a Wix account by using your email or simply log in with your Facebook or Google+ credentials.
Once you’re on the homepage tap the button “Create New Site”. From there you’ll be taken to the next page which allows you to choose what type of site you want. There are several options to choose from, such as business, music, fitness website, or online store (to learn more about ecommerce on this website builder, check out our article on Wix Payments).
Since we want to create an online portfolio, I chose the “Portfolio & CV” option.
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Step 2: Choose how you want to create your website
Remember when we said Wix is super easy to use? Well, a huge part of it is that even if you don’t know the first thing about website design, you can allow the website builder to create a stunning site for you, with the Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) option.
The other option is to customize one of Wix’s many website templates using Wix editor and create something more custom and unique.
However, in the interest of showing you just how quick and easy creating a Wix portfolio really is, I chose the first option.
Step 3: Answer the set questions about your website
First, I was asked to choose what type of website more specifically I’m looking to create, and my choice was photography portfolio. I was then offered some additional features I might want to include on my website, such as a blog, live chat, contact form, forum, or integrated Instagram feed.
Note that this part is skippable, and you can always return to it later.
The next step was to choose your business name. I used my own name for this purpose.
The next feature is super useful, in case you’ve already got a website on another platform, like WordPress, Weebly, or even a landing page builder such as Squarespace. Wix allows you to import your images and text from a different website and even Google (e.g. Google My Business images).
In the final step you can review or edit your information (e.g. use a different email address than the one you use for your Facebook account which you may have used to sign up for Wix). And of course, you can add your business logo! Don’t forget that Wix also has a powerful logo maker that you can use.
Step 4: Choose the design elements of your website
And now for the fun part! You’ll get the option of several website themes to pick from (don’t forget that you can change them later). The theme of the website includes design features like a color palette and typography.
Next, you’re given the option to choose your homepage template. You can learn more about creating a powerful landing page with Wix here.
All the design elements are customizable, but it’s incredibly useful to be able to see everything put together like this. It’s also good to help you think about what kind of a first impression you want to make. For example, from the three options I was offered, the first one had a more crisp, professional look; the second was a good choice to boost personal branding; while the third had a more casual and artistic look.
Step 5: Adding pages to your website
Next, you’ll be able to add any other pages you may want to have on your portfolio website. I added a selected project page, an about me page, a blog and a contact page (this is a great way to get leads in case you want to do some email marketing). Of course, if you just want a simple portfolio site, a one-page website is also an option. Once you’re happy with your selection tap “Edit Site”.
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Step 6: Edit your portfolio page
Next, you’ll be taken to the website dashboard, where you can edit each individual element on your portfolio website. You can add new for different project pages, or additional sections for existing pages.
For example, I changed the background on my page to an image and then added a parallax scrolling effect, which gives the website a more modern and dynamic look. A good web design tip to remember, and a big web design trend right now is to leave ample white space. Even with project pages, try to avoid clutter, and allow people the space to take in everything slowly.
And if you really want to minimize the hassle you can even use the “Optimize Design” button found in the header, and Wix will suggest layout templates that perfectly fit your content.
Use the “Preview” button to see what your Wix website will look like when published.
Of course, there are extensive options to edit your gallery, in the Wix Pro Gallery menu which you can open by clicking on the gallery page. You can easily change the design to be a slideshow or different types of grids. You can how the images will be displayed once clicked on: in expanded mode (lightboxes), fullscreen, or if they will open a link - this is useful if you want to set up an online store, so the link will redirect them to the ecommerce section where they can purchase your work.
Step 7: Choose a domain name
You might already know that different Wix pricing plans offer you the possibility to create your own domain (without wixsite) at the end. This is not possible with the free plan.
Now if you’re a graphic designer or photographer who is just starting out, you could do without a custom domain name. After all, chances are people won’t immediately land on your design portfolio page after searching you on Google, and you’ll use the website to showcase your work in an eye-catching way to potential clients and employers.
But once you start building your online presence and invest some time into an SEO and marketing strategy and get more site visitors, then you should probably consider upgrading your Wix plan to be able to create a custom domain that looks more professional.
