You are a brilliant illustrator. Your friends think so. Your professors think so. That cute boy who never had the courage to ask you out but managed to sign up for all the same classes you did in art college thinks so. So why are you not making obscene amounts of money? No matter how amazing an illustrator you are, without the right portfolio you’ll never enjoy the success you deserve.  Here are five tips to help you design a winning web portfolio.

1.  Target Your Audience

Throwing up a gallery of every piece you’ve ever done is certainly one way to approach building a personal website.  But it’s not going to help you win gigs.  When designing your portfolio site, step inside the mind of the client.

People looking to pay for illustration are looking to solve problems.  What types of solutions do you offer?  Why are you the best person for the job?  Your portfolio, your work, must answer these questions.

2.  To Flash or Not To Flash

Unless you’re trying to get a gig as an interface designer, don’t waste time designing fancy buttons or animations for your web portfolio.  If you must use Flash, use something that loads quickly and is easy to use.  Don’t confuse your potential clients with clever interface items that distract them from your work.  Your work must speak louder than the interface.

3.  One Page Portfolio

The most elegant solution might be a one page portfolio.  Have your name and content information at the top and your best illustrations below all in one page.  Don’t make your potential client hunt for your work clicking through fancy buttons.  Throw it all up there at once.

4.  Best of the Best

Keep your portfolio updated with your ten best current illustrations.  Clients aren’t interested in hiring the you of two years ago.  They’re interested in hiring the you of right now.  What does the you of now have to offer?  Show them what you are capable of now.

5.  To Blog or Not To Blog

Many Web 2.0 gurus will tell you that a blog is an essential tool to building businesses online.  But is this necessarily an effective tool for illustrators?

For some, it may be.  A blog can help potential clients read about your process and gain insight into how you might deal with them.  A blog can also help you establish expertise in your particular field.

However, a blog can also damage your brand.  If you stray and post articles not related to your work, you may loose clients.  Writing about politics and religion is fine for a personal blog, but for a work blog those two subjects can loose you gigs in an instant.  Complaining about past clients is also a sure fire way to scare away future ones.

If you do decide to blog, be mindful of the content you post.  Always keep the client in mind.  Would a potential client like to read a case study of my latest gig?  Would a potential client like to hear my thoughts on a new version of Photoshop?  Would a potential client care about the sleeping habits of my cat?  Keep your blog professional.