So, You Want to Create a Portfolio WordPress Website?

Are you a beginner looking to showcase your work and promote your skills through a portfolio website? Say no more! WordPress is a platform that can provide versatility and convenience for building your very own portfolio website. However, the process can be challenging, so let us take you through step-by-step on how to create your very own portfolio WordPress website.

Step 1: Define Your Goals

Before you jump into designing and building your website, it’s important to first set clear goals. Ask yourself what kind of projects you want to showcase, who your target audience is, what objectives you have for your portfolio website, and what actions you want visitors to take when they land on your website. These questions can guide your design and development decisions during the process.

Step 2: Choose a WordPress Theme

Themes play a huge role in the look and functionality of your website, especially for a portfolio website. Choose a theme that reflects your style and purpose for creating the portfolio website. There are so many WordPress themes available, free and paid, but themes like Divi or Astra are specifically designed for portfolios and come with pre-built templates and customized features that cater to showcasing your work.

Step 3: Install Relevant Plugins

Plugins are a vital part of any WordPress website to add functionality to your website and customize your web presence. For a portfolio website, certain plugins will enable you to add galleries, sliders, and other features to your portfolio website. Plugins like Portfolio Gallery, Essential Grid or NextGen Gallery are some of the best portfolio plugins to consider for your portfolio website setup.

Step 4: Create a Menu

Creating a menu is key in helping visitors navigate your website. Using WordPress, go to Appearance > Menus and add pages, categories and custom links to create a menu to make it easy for visitors.

Step 5: Design Your Portfolio Pages

Designing your portfolio pages involves showcasing your work in the best possible way. Ensure to carefully choose the layout, select the best images, and write engaging descriptions to captivate your visitors about your work. Plugins such as Portfolio Gallery can be helpful in creating customizable and stunning page layouts.

Step 6: Add Social Media Buttons

Don’t forget to add social media buttons to your website to enable visitors to connect and follow you on various social media platforms. Plugins such as ShareThis or Sumo make it easy to add social media buttons to your website in just a few clicks.

Step 7: SEO Optimize Your Pages

SEO optimization is a vital part of website development as it assists with higher ranking in search results. Relevant keywords in page titles and descriptions, optimizing images with ALT tags, and creating unique meta descriptions are some key factors to consider. Plugins like Yoast can help optimize your website pages to rank higher in search rankings.

Step 8: Publish Your Website

Once you’ve completed all the designing and developmental work, it’s time to publish your website. Go to Settings > General, change the “Site Title” and “Tagline” to your website name and description, respectively, and set the visibility of your website to “Public”.

Step 9: Promote Your Website

Creating a website is only half the work. Promoting it is essential to reach your target audience. Share your website link on social media platforms, your email signature, and business cards to gain more traffic.

Conclusion

Creating a portfolio WordPress website is an effective way to showcase your work and promote your skills. Follow the steps carefully, from setting goals to promoting your website, and enjoy the beauty of your product.