Squarespace portfolio website examples to inspire you
If you’re a writer, journalist or photographer, having a portfolio website can be a great way to display your clips and provide a way for editors to get in touch with you.
Squarespace is an easy way to create a customised portfolio website, without needing to know how to code.
I used Squarespace as a platform for my portfolio website for years before eventually turning my domain into a travel blog.
The sleek designs of Squarespace make it perfect for portfolios, whether you’re a freelance writer, photographer, or UX designer.
Examples of writer portfolio websites on Squarespace
There are many wonderful examples out there — these are a few of my favourites, from writers I admire.
Michaela Trimble
Michaela’s writer portfolio is a strong reflection of her personal brand, which is feminine, stylish, and independent.
I love the elegance of her Squarespace portfolio site.
Stacey Leasca
I love the clean, simple look of Stacey’s writer portfolio.
As soon as you land on her homepage you’re introduced to Stacey and what she does.
This is a great example of a website that is kept to the minimum for strong effect.
Sarah J C Gillespie
Sarah’s portfolio site is bold and colourful. She introduces herself right off the bat, before going into publications she has worked for and examples of her work.
I love her use of the divider option between sections in Squarespace.
Imogen Lepere
Imogen’s portfolio website makes such beautiful use of colour.
Her homepage is a great example of showcasing exactly what she does, leading into past examples of her work, then social proof from testimonies and awards.
Examples of photographer portfolio websites on Squarespace
Bri Woolnough
Bri Woolnough is one of my favourite New Zealand photographers, and she makes great use of Squarespace for her portfolio website.
Her homepage is nice and dynamic, thanks to video, and a gallery block showcases her spectacular work.
A few key things to consider when building a portfolio site
Make sure you think about the user journey — when someone first lands on your site, can they see straight away who you are and what you do? With a short scroll, can they see what you offer and why they should trust you?
If you choose to create a portfolio website on Squarespace, you will be paying hosting fees annually for as long as you want the site to exist. If you’re like me, then that is probably for… ever. The good news is you can write this off as a business expense.
For writers, free options for portfolio websites include Contently, Authory, and even Muck Rack. You could even turn your Instagram page into a portfolio. The downside with these platforms is that you have much less control over how they are displayed, and getting them seen in search.
A portfolio site can help you get found in search (for example, if someone is searching for ‘freelance writer in Texas’) but this takes a little more effort and SEO savvy.
And a few tips for building a writer portfolio site
Your portfolio website can be a very simple design — it can be as few as three key pages, portfolio, about, and contact.
Adding clips can be as simple as having a list of hyperlinks.
If you offer services, you can also add a service page, for example copywriting or content writing (which offer a different skillset)
Adding a blog section to your website can help you with visibility in search, if this is how you want to attract leads. It can also serve as a creative outlet for any stories that you can’t land in publications.
If you’re just starting out as a writer, a blog in itself can help you build up a portfolio to share.
How to get started
I recommend Squarespace as a platform for your portfolio, because it’s relatively easy to set up (you don’t need to know how to code) and the design and SEO features are quality.
One great thing about Squarespace is that you can start to play around with a website template for free. Give it a go and see how it feels — you don’t have to commit until 14 days.
If this was helpful, you might want to read more of my tips on building on Squarespace:
