Developers have one of the most high-paying jobs in the tech industry. To land a job as a developer, creating an eye-catching portfolio is important to give potential employers a better understanding of your skills.

This article covers the main components of creating a web developer portfolio and shares some examples to help generate ideas for your own portfolio website.

1. Have a Clear Plan

The first step is to get a big picture of the site design and structure. Starting with a blank canvas can be challenging, so find inspiration from existing web developer portfolios. GitHub and Awwwards are great resources for exploring web development portfolio ideas.

To filter the portfolio sites, understand your skills and uniqueness, and check the portfolios of people in your desired position or company. For example, focus on reviewing portfolios of front-end or software developers if you want to specialize in these fields.

2. Purchase a Website Hosting Plan and Domain Name

GitHub, Adobe Portfolio, and Behance are some great platforms to host a web developer portfolio, but consider running a self-hosted portfolio site instead. This option offers more control and lets you modify the site however you like.

To create a self-hosted website, purchase a hosting package and domain name. A small online portfolio can use a shared hosting service starting from $1.99/month.

Many web hosts also provide a free domain name in their hosting plans. Aside from .com, we recommend web developers get a .dev or .tech top-level domain to help potential employers quickly identify what the site is about.

3. Mind the Website's UI and UX

The user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) are essential aspects of any website. The former refers to the site's design and layout, while the latter ensures the website is easy to use and navigate.

Some UI/UX best practices for portfolio design are:

• Keep the design simple and consistent.
• Strategically use color and texture.
• Build hierarchy with typography.
• Make the design usable, accessible, and responsive.

A good tip is integrating personal branding in the web design portfolio to present your unique style and capture hiring managers' attention. Bruno Simon's portfolio is an excellent example. It has an interactive 3D home page with a car as the navigation cursor. A more approachable alternative would be to use a slider plugin with neat animation effects.

4. Present Your Best Web Development Projects and Relevant Skills

The Projects section is the most critical part of the online portfolio as it demonstrates your tech skills as a developer. Present four to six of your best projects to show potential employers a solid range of work.

For those with limited work to showcase, consider displaying school and personal projects or even beta versions of websites or web applications you've created.

Include short descriptions and visuals alongside the portfolio examples to give visitors insight into your thought process. Lauren Waller's portfolio is a great reference for this. The designer shares her role, responsibilities, and workflow on each project page.

The next step is to make an About page by adding essential information like education, work history, skills, and certifications. Then, add your soft skills and programming languages, like Python and JavaScript.

If you're ever unsure, check the requirements on relevant job openings to know what skills are in-demand and match them with your competencies.

5. Add Contact Information

Include details like an email and phone number so potential clients can easily get in touch with you. Alternatively, use a contact form or online appointment scheduling tool to encourage communication without revealing your private contact information.

Many web developers also publish posts related to their work on social media platforms. If you do that, add your social media links to help potential clients reach out via their preferred social channels.

6. Drive Traffic to Your Portfolio Website with Blog Posts

This step is optional, but sharing knowledge on a personal website can help attract traffic and position you as an expert in the field.

Gift Gwuenu is one of the notable portfolio websites that implement this practice. She writes blog posts on web development, from beginner developer tips to her favorite web development tools.

Conclusion

A web developer portfolio is an excellent place to show your skills, past work, and creativity to clients and employers. To create a good portfolio website, developers must clearly identify their goals and review existing portfolio sites to gain inspiration.

Then, purchase a hosting plan and domain and start designing the site with UI/UX in mind. The next step is to include your projects, skills, and contact information. Also, consider blogging on the website to increase traffic and gain exposure.

We hope this post helps you land a gig as a web developer. Good luck!