A beginner's guide for how to build a website or portfolio for your creative business or project.

2. Overview
1. How
to
look
legit
2.
How
to
make
a
sweet
site
(without
technical
wizardry)

3. Consider your audience
Who
might
be
looking
at
your
site?
What
might
they
want
to
know
about
what
you
can
do?

4. Content Essentials
Contact
details
Just
what
you're
comfortable
with.
This
could
be
email,
or
a
contact
form
with
your
details
hidden.
About
Me
page
Consider
from
the
perspecEve
of
what
a
business
might
need.
Add
years
experience,
experEse
or
courses,
awards,
skills
or
soIware.
Think
of
it
as
a
1
paragraph
resume.
List
if
you
are
a
freelancer
and
available
for
work.

5. Content Essentials
Have
a
consistent
message
Keep
your
skills
to
1
–
3
key
skills
and
show
how
you
specialise
in
that
area.
Don’t
be
a
“jack
of
all
trades,
master
of
none”.
Show
your
stuff
Showcase
a
variety
of
things
you
can
do
–
eg.
Variety
of
mediums.
Consider
what
services
businesses
might
be
looking
for
eg.
CreaEng
logos
more
oIen
than
straight
up
illustraEon.
NEED
INSPIRATION?
If
you
don’t
know
what
businesses
might
want
from
you,
google
other
companies
in
your
industry.
See
what
kinds
of
content
their
por<olios
show
off
and
consider
if
you
should
show
off
similar
types
of
work.
DON’T

6. More Content To Consider
Keep
it
fresh
If
you’re
blogging
or
keeping
a
porVolio,
keep
it
regularly
updated.
Aim
to
refresh
your
site
three
Emes
a
year
at
a
minimum.
If
you
have
lots
of
images,
“save
for
web”
or
reduce
the
image
size
to
they
load
faster
on
your
site.
You
don’t
want
people
to
leave
before
they’ve
seen
your
stuff!
Professional
Picture
Include
a
picture
of
you
looking
professional
for
your
industry.
Might
be
in
front
of
a
bookcase,
in
front
of
drawing
equipment,
or
in
a
suit.
Own
it.

7. FREE:
Lots
of
free,
nicely
designed
sites
where
you
just
put
your
content
into.
LimitaEons:
can’t
choose
own
URL,
limited
customisaEon,
may
have
ads.
Examples:
Tumblr.com,
Wordpress.com.
Free.
DROP
AND
DRAG:
You
can
buy
a
professionally
designed
site
and
webspace
combined.
Just
put
your
content
into
with
no
ads.
May
have
limited
customisaEon.
Some
include
URL.
Examples:
Squarespace,
Wix,
Weebly.
HosEng
-­‐
around
$4
-­‐
$10
month.
DESIGN
IT
YOURSELF:
You
can
buy
web
space
and
install
your
own
website.
Requires
a
liele
more
technical
knowledge,
more
customisable,
ad
free.
Examples:
Wordpress.org
or
build
on
your
computer
using
HTML.
HosEng
-­‐
around
$4
-­‐
$10
month.
Website Options

8. Domain Names
Don’t
want
to
use
Johnsdrawings.tumblr.com
But
JohnJonesGraphicDesign.com?
A
custom
domain
name
will
look
more
professional
–
but
needs
to
be
paid
for.
These
are
oIen
bought
separately
from
a
domain
registrar
and
could
cost
around
$8
a
year.

9. More tips
Many
websites
today
have
most
of
their
traffic
come
from
mobiles.
Most
sites
will
have
a
separate
design
for
mobile
–
ensure
yours
works
on
a
mobile
device.
SEO
“Search
Engine
OpOmisaOon”
–
submit
your
website
to
be
indexed
by
Google.
Also,
when
you
create
content,
make
sure
you
include
the
words
people
will
google
when
searching
for
your
industry
eg.
‘graphic
design’.
Make
sure
your
posts,
pages,
images
and
tags
use
these
keywords.

10. The Checklist
q About
You
page
as
a
mini
resume.
Why
should
someone
hire
you?
Are
you
free
for
work?
q Add
Contact
details
q Show
a
variety
of
your
work
-­‐
especially
things
a
business
might
be
interested
in.
q Have
a
consistent
message
to
show
your
key
skills
q Add
a
professional
pic
q Website
opEons:
Free
(tumblr),
paid
drop
and
drag
(Squarespace),
DIY
(Wordpress.org)
q Domain
names
aka
URLs:
separate
purchase

11. Exercise
Our
boss
has
given
us
$150
to
get
a
graphic
designer
to
make
a
new
logo
for
our
business.
A
friend
has
recommended
we
hire
his
friend
WolIron
the
wolf.
Based
on
WolIron’s
site,
do
you
think
he
can
do
the
job?
Check
out
his
site
here:
hep://awesome-­‐wolIron.tumblr.com/
What
could
he
do
to
make
his
get
more
business?
Come
up
with
5
things
he
could
do
to
make
his
site
beeer:
1. _______________________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________________
4. _______________________________________________________
5. _______________________________________________________