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If you want to be a freelance writer or any kind of creative professional in this day and age, you need a strong online presence. Having been through the challenges of breaking into this field, I can attest to the fact that your online presence is one of the most important factors in deciding how far you go. Potential clients seek for an easy method to judge your work, style, and professionalism while they are unaware of your reputation.
Building a credible online persona requires more than just creating a profile on a social media site, no matter how useful those sites are as a starting point. No matter how long you’ve been working as a freelance writer or how big your company is, building a strong online presence is crucial for attracting clients. Having a website that is exclusively dedicated to your portfolio is the most effective platform for exhibiting your work, even if this may seem like common sense. It serves as an online business card that is unique to you and your company, attracting potential clients and demonstrating your expertise.
What is a portfolio website?
You had to print out all of your work, staple or bind it together, and continue adding it to an ever-increasingly huge tome that you had to carry about with you to every interview before laptops became a common household item. The initial portfolio was presented here. In the case of those of us who measure our weight in gigabytes rather than kilograms, it was not only large and heavy, but it was also quite inconvenient.
Best Portfolio Websites for Writers Comparison Table
If you’re not ready to start writing yet, your online portfolio can be thought of as your digital business card. It shows off your skills and abilities. Making a portfolio website that is simple but effective and only about promoting your independent writing can do wonders for getting clients. This is your chance to show off your unique voice, style, and range of skills. Your portfolio is more than just a collection of work samples when you add a personal touch and a human tone to it.
| Feature | Clippings.me | Muck Rack | Medium | WordPress.com | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Personal clipping curation | Journalist portfolio & media relations | Blogging & publishing platform | General blogging & website creation | Website creation & online stores |
| Target Audience | Individuals & professionals | Journalists & public relations professionals | Writers, bloggers, & creatives | Bloggers, businesses, & individuals | Businesses & individuals |
| Free Plan | Yes | Yes (limited) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Paid Plans | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing | $3 – $10/month | Free – $99/month | Free – $59/month | Free – $49/month | $12 – $46/month |
| Content Ownership | User retains ownership | User retains ownership | User retains ownership | User retains ownership | User retains ownership |
| Monetization Options | None | Limited (through partnerships) | Yes (premium memberships, tipping) | Yes (ads, subscriptions, eCommerce) | Yes (subscriptions, eCommerce) |
| Customization | Limited | Moderate | High | High | High |
Best Portfolio Websites for Writers
It doesn’t have to be hard to make an online portfolio that meets these two simple requirements. There are many good tools out there to help you make a resume. For those of you who want free portfolio websites, we’ve got you covered too. Here are some portfolio websites that are easy to use when you’re looking for your next independent writing job.
Clippings.me
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Portfolio | Create and showcase your writing portfolio online |
| Customization | Customize your portfolio design and layout |
| Analytics | Track visitor statistics and engagement |
| Collaboration | Collaborate with editors and clients |
Clippings.me is the best place for you to play. This platform was made with journalists and writers in mind. It makes it easy to combine your published works from different online sources into a portfolio that looks good and is easy to navigate.
Whether you’re trying to get clients or impress possible employers, Clippings.me makes it easy to keep your online presence up to date, so your writing skills can shine. Clippings.me has both free and paid plans to meet the needs and budgets of all users. This makes sure that your unique voice reaches the right people.
The Good
- Easy portfolio creation
- Customizable design options
- Collaboration features
The Bad
- Limited features compared to some competitors
- Free version has limitations
Muck Rack
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Media Database | Access a comprehensive media database for journalists |
| Pitching | Pitch story ideas directly to journalists |
| Monitoring | Monitor media coverage and journalist activity |
| Analytics | Track the performance of your media interactions |
Muck Rack is the best place for professionals in PR and journalism to meet with each other. It’s a bridge between a database for journalists and a tool for keeping an eye on the media. It helps journalists find experts and sources for their stories and gives PR professionals the tools they need to improve their outreach efforts.
Muck Rack goes above and beyond by giving you a full database of journalists with contact information, specialties, and written work. It also has media tracking tools that let you keep an eye on where your brand or clients are mentioned on the internet. Muck Rack makes sure that your networking efforts are effective and have a big impact by offering free and paid plans with different features and levels of access.
The Good
- Extensive media database
- Direct pitching to journalists
- Robust monitoring and analytics
The Bad
- Pricing may be high for individual users
- Learning curve for new users
Medium
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Publishing | Publish articles and stories online |
| Network | Connect with other writers and readers |
| Partner Program | Earn money through the Medium Partner Program |
| Curation | Curated content recommendations based on interests |
Medium is a free space for all kinds of online writing. It appeals to both long-form and short-form content creators with its clean, simple style and easy-to-use interface. Medium is more than just a platform; it’s also a community with a built-in following and a way to make money through its Partner Program.
But it’s important to keep in mind that Medium is great for sharing personal thoughts and experiences, but it might not be the best place to show off professional work or find new clients.
The Good
- Easy publishing platform
- Built-in audience and networking
- Potential for earnings through Partner Program
The Bad
- Limited customization options
- Revenue sharing model may not suit all writers
WordPress.com
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Website Builder | Create websites and blogs with ease |
| Hosting | Hosting services for your WordPress site |
| Themes | Choose from a variety of themes for customization |
| Plugins | Access to a wide range of plugins for added functionality |
WordPress.com is a hosted blogging site based on the popular WordPress software. It’s perfect for people who want to make their online presence more flexible. It’s a great choice for making a business website or portfolio because it’s easy to use and has a lot of customization options.
But compared to specific portfolio platforms, WordPress.com may require a little more technical know-how to set up and customise your online home. Remember that free plans have their limits, especially when it comes to branding and ads.
The Good
- Versatile website builder
- Extensive theme and plugin options
- Reliable hosting services
The Bad
- Learning curve for beginners
- Some plugins and features may require additional payment
Squarespace
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Website Builder | Create professional websites with ease |
| Templates | Choose from stylish templates for your site |
| E-commerce | Built-in e-commerce functionality |
| Analytics | Track website performance and visitor behavior |
Squarespace is a virtual art studio that lets you make beautiful, professional websites with a variety of themes and tools. It does a great job of giving your work a beautiful background, but it might not be as good for writers as sites like Clippings.me.
Squarespace also has both free and paid plans. The paid plan gives users access to a lot of extra features and customization choices that let them make their online presence more unique.
The Good
- User-friendly website builder
- Sleek and modern templates
- Integrated e-commerce features
The Bad
- Limited customization compared to WordPress
- Pricing can be higher for some plans
Choosing the Best Portfolio Website for Your Writing Career
To choose the best writing portfolio website, consider the following elements to exhibit your work and help you reach your goals:
- Customisation Options: Find portfolio websites that let you customise your writing style and brand. For a professional, coherent look, choose a platform that lets you customise design, layout, colours, fonts, and branding.
- Ease of Use: Choose a portfolio website builder that’s simple even for non-coders. Drag-and-drop editors, pre-designed themes, and easy-to-use interfaces let you create and maintain your portfolio rapidly.
- Review the portfolio website platform’s content management features. Choose a platform that makes categorizing writing samples, articles, blog entries, and other content easy. To help people find your work, look for built-in blogging, content tagging, and search.
- Integration with Writing Platforms: If you publish on Medium, WordPress, or LinkedIn, choose a portfolio website platform that integrates. Integration syncs or imports writing examples, saving you time updating your portfolio manually.
- SEO Features: Your portfolio website needs SEO to rank well in search engine results and get organic visitors. To optimise your portfolio for search engines, choose a platform with customizable meta tags, SEO-friendly URLs, XML sitemaps, and schema markup.
- Responsive Design: Make sure the portfolio website platform offers responsive design templates that work on computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Reaching more people and ensuring a consistent user experience across devices requires a mobile-friendly design.
- Analytics: Portfolio website solutions should offer analytics on visitor behavior, interaction, and traffic sources. Tracking page views, time on page, bounce rate, and conversion rate with analytics tools helps you understand how visitors engage with your portfolio and make data-driven performance decisions.
- Choose a portfolio website platform that lets you utilise a custom domain name like yourname.com instead of a subdomain or branded domain. Custom domain names give your portfolio credibility and make your website easier to find and remember.
Questions and Answers
We have determined that Wix is the greatest portfolio website builder overall, and it is also the ideal option for you to consider if you require a portfolio when applying for jobs. It offers more than 800 templates that have been professionally developed and cover a variety of industries, providing you with an excellent foundation upon which to build your portfolio.
In most cases, a portfolio will consist of a section titled “about me,” examples of your previous work, and contact information for potential clients. One of the most effective ways to attract clients who are interested in your work is to exhibit it in the appropriate manner for a writing portfolio.