Having a portfolio on your website is a great way to demonstrate your work, knowledge, and skills while also catching the eye of potential clients.

However, not every single project you do deserves a spot in your portfolio. Why is that?

Because your portfolio is one of the main tools you can use to attract more of the type of work you want to do. Showing projects that are appealing to ideal clients will help attract more projects you’re excited to work on.

However, this all depends on where you’re at in business.

If you are under a year in business…then put in as much work as. you can in your portfolio. Your goal right now is probably to get more clients and more income in the door so you can start to build a sustainable business. So even if you aren’t working on DREAM projects right now, it’s good to show that you’re doing work and landing clients in your field. Then, In your free time, I’d recommend creating your dream project for your dream customer so you can include that type of work in your portfolio to attract that type of client.

If you are 2+ years in business...and are looking to attract more aligned clients, then I recommend putting projects in your portfolio that will attract those dream clients. That’s likely not every project you’ve ever done, but the type of work you want to do more of.

What if I don’t have projects that align with my ideal clients?

If you don’t have work examples that align with the type of projects you want to attract, schedule time to create some demo projects or concept projects that show off the type of skills and work you want to do more of in the future.

You don’t have to wait for that dream project to arrive to put it in your portfolio, you can get started on it now!

Final Thoughts

Keeping your portfolio up to date is an important way you can market your skills and services. When was the last time you updated your portfolio?