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What tools do you recommend to build a portfolio site? Extra info inside-

I've been using wordpress to host my own site for a couple of years now, but going back to edit some of the pieces on there recently I was frustrated with how complex it can be if you don't know what you're doing.

I love that with Wordpress you can really get into the nitty gritty and make your website your own, but since my site is a fairly basic portfolio site at the end of the day, I would probably benefit from streamlining and using a more user friendly service? I used to use squarespace, and have tried cargo collective, but these were years ago, so any advice on great sites to set up a portfolio would be great!!

my site is www.andycarterillustration.com for reference

Thanks,
Andy Carter
Andy Carter
Illustrator

Replies7

  • Keva Epale
    Keva Epale
    Branding & storytelling strategist

    Hi Andy, you have great work and an eye for storytelling. I agree with @Daniel Lingham in using your website to receive traffic from Instagram. Nevertheless, you do have great projects and a few ads on the homepage and ''about page'' would show more of how you work perhaps.

    As for no-code tools, I would advise Webflow (you can go far with custom work), Readymag is also a powerful tool.

    I sense you may want a website that shows the growth of your illustration work, is it true? Your work is high quality your website may want to highlight that as well, not too much but what matches your creative voice now.

    If you need extra help, feel free to DM me.

  • Daniel Hawley-Lingham
    Daniel Hawley-Lingham
    Director of Six Minutes Past Nine and CEO of AA2A
    Hi Andy - I am a web designer developer specialising in WordPress so possibly shouldn't be saying this.

    Do you really need a website?
    if yes, does it need to be a portfolio site or could it be something a little more interesting or even something really basic?
    Do you get any work directly from your website or could it be that your instagram gets more traction?

    I prefer the way your instagram looks and works. You get better enagagement. It's more dynamic etc etc. Why not consider that as your main focal point and use your website a single (possibly latest image) touchpoint and redirect people to your Insta? That would be much greater visual impact from your website and much better engagement through your social media while lightening the workload and frustration of a web site that may not even garner much traffic.

    Happy to chat to you if you need help. No cost, no pressure.
  • Simeon Goa
    Simeon Goa
    Strategic Design & Consultant | Design for Recognition
    Squarespace is likely the most user friendly, and 7.1 is even more so. Might be worth checking it out again. Just checking out your site again. The animation does contribute to some lag. From the perspective of an art director, someone who needs to see your work fast and log it for later, I would make any animations samples in your portfolio, rather than an intro, that way they can see you can do it, but it won't become a barrier to seeing it if there happens to be any lag on their end.

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