Cheapest/Simplest way to create a professionally presentable portfolio website?

eedobaba7726

I have no web design experience, but I could probably make my way through learning a bit of Dreamweaver if I needed to. Still, at this point I'm just looking for a fast simple way to display my portfolio and projects. Nothing overly flashy or fancy.

Are blog websites (blogspot, ect) respectable enough to be options, or am I 100% expected to pay for a dedicated domain and hosting?

ZacD

I pay $10 a year for my domain and $20 a year for hosting. It doesn't have to be expensive to have your own site. I use http://holeinthewallhosting.com

Also all you really need to show is images, you don't really need to learn much html, look at http://www.adambromell.com/ and http://www.peperaart.com/

StephenVyas

Checkout http://www.Weebly.com, it's the fast simple way to do exactly that.
It's a drag and drop website creator, with templates & useful features such as Gallery/slideshows/etc
They're what i use.
You can also grab a domain name and assign it to your site... if the name weebly doesn't cut the mustard.

Eric Chadwick

This topic comes up often. Some more advice here
http://wiki.polycount.net/CategoryPortfolio#Methods

ysalex

My site is super simple, and was jus as easy to set up. It's built on indexhibit, which is 20$ I believe. It installs like software onto your website, and does all the code and image managing behind the scenes.

It allows you to use different templates (just click a button), and keeps track of your visitor statistics.

Good luck

Alberto Rdrgz

just make a carbomade one. the work is all that matters.

ZacD

Google analytics also keeps track of visitor statistics and is free.

ysalex

That's true ZacD, and actually google analytics does a better job of collecting useful data than indexhibit. I imagine though that some people really, really, really don't want to get into the coding of a site, and for them the indexhibit stats would be perfect.

____


I have also used Carbon Made and thought it was okay, as well as cargo collective which I liked. There really are a ton of options out there.

eedobaba7726

Alright, thanks for the tips everyone. I ended up messing with Weebly, as StephenVyas suggested, and it seems like a good dumbed down option for the web design inept like me, and for now I think I'm cool with just a subdomain.

Sean VanGorder

I've been recommending http://dunked.com/ to people lately.

jake_tent

Sean VanGorder wrote: »

I've been recommending dunked.com to people lately.

It's a good advice I think.

Pabs

+1 for weebly

BARDLER

StephenVyas wrote: »

Checkout http://www.Weebly.com, it's the fast simple way to do exactly that.
It's a drag and drop website creator, with templates & useful features such as Gallery/slideshows/etc
They're what i use.
You can also grab a domain name and assign it to your site... if the name weebly doesn't cut the mustard.

Yea I really like Weebly as well. It took me like an 8 hour day to make my portfolio in my sig. Its nothing spectacular, but I think it looks alright. Once I am done with school I will clean it up and make it nicer.

almighty_gir

ZacD wrote: »

Google analytics also keeps track of visitor statistics and is free.

speaking of this:

the average duration that visitors have remained on my portfolio, is 28 seconds.

i guess there really is an "impress within 30 seconds" rule!

ysalex

gir - this was my favorite google analytics statistic. When I got GA my average duration was 45 seconds. I think that because all your art is on one page, and you have fewer pieces than me (I need to pare mine back too) that people really are getting a decent impression of your skill in those 30 seconds.

After adding more pieces I jumped to 1:30. After adding a tutorial, it jumped to 2:20. It's a hard stat to make use of I suppose, but it doesn't necessarily seem like longer is better.

almighty_gir

well, it breaks it down as well. if you look at "Audience - Behaviour - Engagement" on the left hand side, it tells you how many people stayed for how long, if you hover over the bar for any number it gives you the percentage. so for example, ~80% of people were on my website for less than 10 seconds!

ysalex

Thanks, I had no idea. I use a phone app to track it but it doesn't offer stats like that. I'll have to delve into the actually Google Ana. site.

marks

My site is hosted on a friends webserver that he runs a HL2 level design site off of. Domain name costs like £10 every 2 years. Pretty cheap portfolio

almighty_gir

yeah i've been considering running a server machine from my house, i don't think it would cost all that much to be honest.