A portfolio website is a curated, online space that showcases your best work. It’s one of the most practical and memorable ways to share your work with press, potential collaborators or employers.

Much like your PDF portfolio, a portfolio website can be used when applying for jobs or internships. The idea is that in just one, centralised space, you can quickly communicate who you are, what you do and how people can contact you.

Portfolio websites come in all shapes and sizes, and can vary depending on your discipline. Ultimately, whether you’re a designer, photographer, writer or digital artist, the best portfolio websites are a true reflection of your projects, passions and personality.

Today, there are loads of ways to showcase your work online, be it through an Instagram account, Tumblr page or Behance profile. And depending on your discipline or practice, showcasing your work on a particular platform (or combination of platforms) might make the most sense for you.

There are a few reasons, however, why it’s worth having a website, too:

Having a portfolio website gives you the opportunity to control and curate the way you want to be seen online, in one dedicated space.

Whereas other online platforms might limit you to certain dimensions or formats, having your own online space gives you the flexibility and freedom to choose everything from the layout and the size of images to the typefaces you use.

Without one, clear destination for your work, potential employers might have to click around on various platforms. Your portfolio website, however, can help people find you faster online by including the right search terms and tags (more on that later).

This way, your website will usually be the first thing to appear in search results when people look you up. Plus, this can minimises confusion if, for example, you have a common name.

Social media platforms offer an easy and accessible way to showcase your work, but not without certain risks. A portfolio site can serve as an effective backup for any work you share on social media, in the event that your account gets banned or suspended for any reason – even hacked. It happens more commonly than you think, and often when you least expect it.

You also won’t have to worry about the risk of platforms updating overnight and having to navigate through new interfaces!