Before you share your portfolio website: what clients notice first

A portfolio site has a simpler job than most websites: show someone what you can do and make it easy to hire you. There's no pricing table to get wrong or checkout to break. That simplicity is exactly why small problems stand out.

A potential client usually arrives from a link someone sent them, a profile, or a search. They're comparing you with others. Here's what they're looking for, in roughly the order they look.

1. What you do, and for whom

“Designer & creative thinker” doesn't help a client decide. “Brand identity for food and drink startups” does. Your headline should say the kind of work you do and, ideally, who you do it for. Being specific doesn't stop other clients contacting you; it gives the right ones a reason to.

2. Work that matches what they need

• Lead with your best and most relevant pieces, not everything you've made.
• For each project, say what the problem was, what you did, and what changed. A sentence or two each.
• Only show client work you have permission to show, and say if a project was a concept rather than paid work.

3. Proof you're real and reliable

Your name, where you're based, and a photo help. So do named testimonials from past clients, with their permission. Avoid invented ones; clients compare notes more than you'd think.

4. A clear way to get in touch

• One obvious contact button on every page, not hidden in the footer.
• Say what happens next: “I reply within two working days.”
• Test your contact form from a phone. Make sure the message actually arrives.
• If you have a typical project range or starting price, consider saying so. It saves both sides time.

5. The details that show care

For anyone who sells design or development, the site itself is a sample of your work. Clients notice:

• Pages that don't fit a phone screen
• Broken links to old projects or dead social profiles
• Images that load slowly or not at all
• Placeholder text left in a template
• A missing favicon or the same page title on every page
• A “not secure” warning because HTTPS isn't set up

Our scan checks the technical items in that list automatically, and its review won't mark a portfolio down for having no pricing page or checkout: it only judges what a portfolio needs. The free scan takes a few minutes.

6. Ask someone outside your field

Send your site to a friend who isn't a designer or developer and ask: “What do I do, and how would you hire me?” If they hesitate on either answer, that's the first thing to fix.