A well-composed portfolio displays your brand, previous works, and personal flair. It’s the perfect way to generate credibility and build a reputation. For clients, consumers, and other businesses, a portfolio helps them visualize what it is like working with you. Putting together a full display of your work doesn’t have to be confusing. We’ve compiled a list of things to consider when collecting your greatest works and creating your portfolio.
Website Portfolio
Your website shows your work, tells your story, and displays to clients what to expect when working with you. The best way to create a portfolio is to dedicate a section of your business website to showcasing your work, whether this is a gallery, a works page, or a titled portfolio. Portfolio is an extension of your repertoire, product list, and resume all in one, showing examples of what you’ve created. You want to show a large range of content to give a good impression of your work. Updating your portfolio regularly sends the message that you are on top of things, prioritize your content, and are intentional about your services. You could have a personal website dedicated solely as a portfolio, rather than a source of e-commerce, hiring services, or selling products.
Showcase images of your floral arrangements, installations, and special events in your portfolio. By including well-composed photos of your work, you’re able to show personal style and the range of events you’ve been involved in. It is so important to photograph the arrangements, bouquets, and special pieces you create to have a record of what you created in case it is a model you want to sell in the future.
Similarly, a consistent social media presence assists in displaying up-to-date information, shares recent content, and keeps you in front of your clients. It also gives you a space to post more content that perhaps you don’t want to include in your portfolio.
Include Testimonials
Consider adding a section on your portfolio website that displays customer testimonials. This shows that you value the opinions of those you’ve worked with and put trust in your services enough to display their honest takes on your business. While it is not necessary to dedicate an area on your website, you could create a dedicated post on your social media platforms to recent reviews or shining customer testimonials. Read our blog, “Turning Satisfied Customers into Ambassadors,” to see the effect positive word of mouth can have.
Focus on Visual Content
By creating a portfolio that spans months to years, you show the consistent growth of your capabilities over time. It builds trust with potential customers when you can show your reliability. Take high-quality photos of your work to include in your portfolio. Collect any necessary rights that you may have to inquire if you utilize someone else’s photos at any point. Businesses that want to partner with you would like to see the quality of your work. Similarly, customers enjoy getting to know the product, your expertise, and what to expect for themselves.
Updating Your Work Regularly
Regularly updating your portfolio with recent work shows that you are still in business, continually raising the standard of your work, and further builds reliability and trust. It’s good to get in the habit of checking all the content on your website often. By only showing work from years and years ago, prospective customers will question whether your business is still operating. Using multiple photos of the same event or product is good, but routinely showing new content and creative displays of your work is even better.
In Conclusion
You want to give off an excellent first impression, and the best way to do so is by clearly displaying your best work. Cohesively compiling old and new content will elevate your brand image. Consider your client’s point of view when building your portfolio; think, “what would I want to see.” Share the work you’re proud of and build a portfolio!