6 Best Portfolio Hosting Platforms

From professional social networks to specialized website builders, these five platforms will get your work seen the way you want it to be

Every visual creative wants to be seen. A wonderful creation isn’t going to change the world nor pay the rent if it doesn’t get in front of the right people. Knowing where to share your work online to make sure you’re turning the right heads can be instrumental in getting paid.

With so many places to choose from, it can be hard to know where to begin, and different sites can work better for different people and different professions. While Instagram and LinkedIn might seem the best places to catch people's eye and find clients, they're not always the best sites for the job.

One of the biggest problems, acccording to Laura Varsky, illustrator and designer who teaches the Domestika course Professional Illustration: Turn Your Passion into a Career is that, "They don't last. If you put all your energy into making a good profile for a particular social network, you can end up investing all that energy in something that has a short life."

Here is a list of our five favorite platforms for online portfolios, including professional networking platforms and specialized website hosting and design services, so you can get the best return on your investment and see long lasting success.

Domestika

Domestika started off as a forum for creatives and, while it has grown considerably since its humble beginnings, it remains, at its core, a space where creatives connect.

Those who teach Domestika's courses are also members of the same community as the users. This leads to open discussions between experts and beginners just as the forum did before the courses began. Get feedback on what you make on your course, seek advice from the teacher, or chat to fellow course mates to see how they are getting on.

Large companies, individual clients, and fellow professionals–from illustration to embroidery, design to digital marketing–use our pages to find colleagues and collaborators on our job listing section, and inspiration from courses and creators alike. As well as the work you have done, they can see the courses you have subscribed to as an indicator of your interests, your passions, and your skillset. Through this, you can enter into conversations that could lead to your next pay-check.

Carbonmade

Carbonmade is a website hosting service, especially for visual creatives. The best thing about it: there is no limit to the quality of the images and videos you can upload. Their in-built video service also means an even more seamless experience for anyone who visits your page.

This integrated simplicity extends to the design method: drag, drop, and order your design blocks to create the layout that best suits your needs.

Jimdo

Jimdo charge no transaction fees for any products sold using a website designed on its platform. The service also offers a free professional logo design feature if you don't have one yet. Automatic SEO and design templates geared towards specific industries makes this website builder a great option for business-minded illustrators who are starting out and seeking sales fast.

Coroflot

The Coroflot community is far more business-minded than your average creative social network. It is aimed at connecting creative professionals with hiring companies. There’s a catch though: it’s exclusive. Part of their success lies in the fact that members’ work must be up to a certain level.

To become a member, you must submit an application that meets their requirements. They provide a set of guidelines on their site to help applicants in their bid to join the prestigious network.

Ionos

Ionos might offer the most complete package of the platforms shared in this post. The company don't offer any free packages but a free trial period of 30 days can give you a taste of what they do, they also regularly share new deals on their page.

What really makes them stand out is that many packages include a personal consultant who can guide you through it all. The variety of deals mean that you can fine tune the product you want and pay exactly what it requires, often for less money than you might expect.

Adobe Portfolio

Yet another application in the Adobe Suite, Portfolio isn’t free, but, as a visual creative, you probably have a Creative Cloud account.

They have plenty of adjustable themes and templates: you can integrate your Behance account, use and add Adobe Fonts, and import photos straight from Lightroom. The Adobe empire synchronization strikes again.

Once you’ve designed your site, you give it your own domain name too.

If you liked this tutorial, you can learn more about how to present yourself and your work as a creative on Professional Illustration: Turn Your Passion into a Career from designer and illustrator Laura Varsky.

You may also like:

- General Principles for a Good Illustration Portfolio
- Freelance Tutorial: Tips to Sell Your Work
- 7 Dos and Don'ts for High Impact Presentations