These days, just about every print, web, or multimedia designer you encounter can rattle off a domain name for you. Visit the site, and you’ll probably find dozens of work samples, a resume in PDF format, contact info, etc. You know the drill.

Most designers create these portfolios because they hope to engage clients. But how do clients find these sites? Networking and search engines work, but for many job seekers, there’s a better way to attract the attention of potential clients: portfolio services.

Creative Hotlist and Portfolios.com are the most popular portfolio services, but others can be found via designers’ guilds and specialty websites.

Portfolio services serve two main purposes: they play host to your portfolio images and personal information and allow potential clients to search for and contact designers.

In general, clients prefer to use these services than wade through dozens of independent sites. There are no lengthy Flash intros to sit through, no strange navigation schemes to learn, and no kooky domain names to remember. Plus, clients can search for and sort designers by area of expertise, years of experience, location, software knowledge, etc. It’s just far easier than trying to find a designer with a Google search.

At Creative Hotlist, I can find a mid- to senior-level designer with experience in advertising, fashion, marketing, and print with just a few clicks.

On a portfolio site, every user is forced to use the standard format. It’s a drawback for designers, but it’s also why clients find these sites beneficial. Regardless, you can use this to your advantage when setting up shop on one of these sites. Select pieces that stand out, especially in the template, and put your best work up front. I know that sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how many designers choose to display gray pieces in the gray Creative Hotlist template.

Space is limited and you have only a few seconds to make an impression, so choose your pieces wisely and write clearly. The work you display should be easy to understan, and descriptions should be concise. Your personal information should also be easy to read and comprehend. Make things easy for the client, and odds are you’ll achieve good results.

All this may have you wonderfing about the competition. It’s stiff, for quality sites host thousands of portfolios. However, if you choose a site with good client search features and a large user base, both you and your competitors will likely find many more clients than you would have via your personal sites.

Portfolios.com showcases thousands of artists and designers, but individuals are easy to find.

Speaking of your personal site, there’s no need to let it go just because you’re using a portfolio service. In fact, most services let you place your personal URL in your profile. Interested clients can follow the link to learn more about you and see more work.

Everything sounds good so far, right? There must be a catch. Well, there is, and it’s going to cost you. Though some services offer free hosting, most require a fee. This is to be expected, and it’s part of the price you pay to find clients and do business. That said, do some searching. Make sure the money you spend is a worthwhile investment. Services can cost anywhere from a few dollars a month to more than $50 a month, and that doesn’t include all the money you already spend on your personal site.

Think about how many clients you would like to reach on a regular basis, and compare your work and experience to that of the designers currently hosted. If you’re targeting a large audience and your work stands out, you’ve got a pretty shot, so the service is probably a good investment.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 19th, 2007 at 2:22 pm and is filed under Marketing, RESOURCES. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.