img src='http://rss.buysellads.com/img.php?z=1259904k=f7b7931ec28da9e4ff2580bfd4eddb18a=33080c=1879570192' border='0' alt='' //a/pbr /pimg src="http://freelanceswitch.s3.amazonaws.com/previewimages/2012/How-To-Customize-WordPress-Theme-For-Your-Freelance-Portfolio.png" width="200" height="200" alt="AltTextHere" class="imageborder alignright"/p
pIt#8217;s a a critical component to a successful freelance career to have a website to detail your services and showcase your portfolio./p
pWith the wide variety of high quality WordPress themes available there is no reason why you can#8217;t have an excellent portfolio for your work #8211; even if you haven#8217;t had prior web development experience. Yes, you can do this yourself./p
pIn this tutorial, we#8217;re going to take a premium WordPress theme and work through each step in the customization process to develop a website for your freelance portfolio.span id="more-33080"/span/p
h4Before You Begin/h4
pHere are two considerations to keep in mind before you tackle this tutorial:/p
ul
listrongInstall WordPress/strong #8211; Make sure that you have WordPress up and running before you tackle this tutorial. While a new installation is preferred, this tutorial can also be followed with an existing installation./li
listrongBeginner Focus /strong- I wrote this tutorial with beginners in mind. If you#8217;ve had little to no experience with WordPress before, take comfort, I#8217;ve got you covered. If you have a lot of experience, this tutorial will serve as more of a guideline./li
/ul
h4Choosing A Theme/h4
pPicking the right WordPress theme for your portfolio can be difficult. I recommend that you start by browsing the list of a href="http://themeforest.net/category/wordpress/creative/portfolio"portfolio themes on Themeforest/a. For this tutorial, I#8217;ll be using�a href="http://themeforest.net/item/scope-agency-business-wordpress-theme/952938/"Scope/a, designed by Orman Clark (a recent a href="http://notes.envato.com/general/happy-orman-clark-day/"#8220;Power Elite#8221; author/a on Themeforest). While the examples will be specific to Scope, the general principles apply to whichever theme you choose./p
pPurchase and download the theme of your choice and unzip the theme package./p
h31. Read The Documentation/h3
pDon#8217;t skip this step. Even after completing�emhundreds /emof theme installations I�emstill /emread the documentation first. While not all documentation is created equal, in more cases than not the theme developer goes to great lengths to make customizing the theme as painless as possible./p
pimg class="size-full wp-image-33081 aligncenter imageborder" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/freelance-portfolio-0.png" alt="" width="550" height="182" //p
h32. Install The Theme/h3
pLog in to your WordPress Admin and go to�strongAppearance gt; Themes/strong. Click #8220;Install Themes#8221; near the top right of the interface./p
pimg class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-33082 imageborder" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/freelance-portfolio-1.png" alt="" width="550" height="219" //p
pNext, click the strongUpload/strong link and then strongChoose File/strong. Browse to the location of your recently downloaded theme and select the theme zip file./p
pimg class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-33083 imageborder" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/freelance-portfolio-2.png" alt="" width="550" height="220" //p
pemstrongNote:/strong Make sure the zip file you upload contains only the actual theme. Most premium themes come packaged as a zip file with the theme itself zipped up inside the initial package. After you decompress the file you initially downloaded, look for the zip file with the name of the theme./em/p
pNow, click�strongActivate/strong./p
h33. Review Theme Options/h3
pWith the theme activated, it#8217;s time to review theme options. While some theme authors organize theme options in a different location, inem /emmost cases you can access the options by going to�strongAppearance�gt; Theme Options/strong./p
pimg class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-33084 imageborder" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/freelance-portfolio-3.png" alt="" width="550" height="368" //p
pExplore the options and familiarize yourself with the customizations the theme offers./p
h34. Start Customizing/h3
pWith the Scope theme, our range of customizations are relatively limited #8211; which is just fine! It#8217;s a great theme out-of-the-box. Our goal is to implement a few style updates and make the theme our own. From�strongTheme Options /stronggo to�strongStyling Options./strong/p
pimg class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-33085 imageborder" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/freelance-portfolio-4.png" alt="" width="550" height="249" //p
pFor this tutorial, we#8217;re going to tackle three different customizations:/p
ol
liChange the highlight color/li
liAdd a tiling background image/li
liChange the background color of the footer/li
/ol
h4Change The Highlight Color/h4
pThe Scope theme comes with a hot shade of yellow for a highlight color, which shows up in the header behind the caption, as the background color for the icons throughout the site, and on links when you hover over them. Within�strongStyling Options /strongadd a color via the�strongHighlight and Link Color /strongoption./p
pimg class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-33086 imageborder" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/freelance-portfolio-5.png" alt="" width="550" height="267" //p
pYou can use the�strongColor Picker/strong or enter in a color code manually. I used a href="http://kuler.adobe.com/"Kuler.com/a to find a shade of green I liked. Two other great resources for choosing colors are a href="http://colorschemedesigner.com"ColorSchemeDesigner.com/a and a href="http://www.colourlovers.com/browse"ColourLovers.com/a./p
h4Add A Tiling Background Image/h4
pNext up, we#8217;ll replace the default background color with a background image of our choice. Scope offers several options for working with background images. For this tutorial, we#8217;re going to add a repeating pattern that fills the background. First, choose a background image and click strongUpload Image/strong, then, under strongDefault Background Repeat/strong, choose�strongRepeat/strong./p
pimg class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-33087 imageborder" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/freelance-portfolio-6.png" alt="" width="550" height="636" //p
pBackground patterns are a great way to go. I found this pattern on�a href="http://subtlepatterns.com/"SubtlePatterns.com/a, which is an emexcellent /emplace to find patterns that are free to use. Another good resource is�a href="http://www.dinpattern.com"DinPattern.com/a./p
pemstrongNote:/strong If you#8217;re interested in using full background images, check out�a href="http://photodune.net/"PhotoDune.net/a #8211; you can get a great, royalty free background image for $3 or $4, depending on which size you choose. Once you#8217;ve chosen an image, set the strongDefault Background Position/strongstrong /strongto�strongFull Screen/strong/em./p
h4Change The Background Color Of The Footer/h4
pThe Scope theme offers the ability to add our own�strongCustom CSS/strong. As a last touch, we#8217;re going to change the background color on the footer. The hex value is set to�strong#222 /strongby default. Let#8217;s change that to a slightly lighter value of�strong#333/strong./p
pimg class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3308 imageborder 8" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/freelance-portfolio-7.png" alt="" width="550" height="194" //p
pNow, if you#8217;re new to CSS, that may look like Greek to you. Have no fear! You can skip the custom CSS altogether, or, if you#8217;re feeling more adventurous, take a look at this screencast I put together on a href="https://sabramedia.viewscreencasts.com/fcec2b070cb043c7952bf27e7f48e2b9"how to experiment with styles in Safari, Chrome, and Firefox/a./p
h4Additional Customizations/h4
pBeyond what we#8217;ve covered here you#8217;ll also want to upload a logo or use the plain text logo option that the Scope theme offers. Scope also offers the ability to set a #8220;Header Caption#8221; which appears above your navigation menu. This can be a great place to include a phone number or a short message. This is also a good time to drop in any analytics tracking code you have./p
h4Advanced Customizations/h4
pIf you#8217;d like to go even further with customizations to the theme, you#8217;ll need to move beyond theme options. First, if you don#8217;t plan to upgrade the theme, you can edit the theme files directly and make changes in the code. If you#8217;d like the ability to upgrade in the future, setup a a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/Child_Themes"child theme/a and make your changes there (recommended)./p
pHere are some changes you might want to make:/p
ul
listrongCustomize Footer Text /strong- You can remove the credit link or leave it there as a thanks (and include your affiliate link!)./li
listrongReplace Login Logo /strong- The Scope theme includes a nice custom login logo. To replace it with your own, edit (or replace) the file strongcustom-login-logo.png/strong located in your theme images folder./li
listrongDisable Comments /strong- If you want to disable comments on pages you can use the WordPress interface or simply open up strongpage.php /strongand comment out or remove the strongcomments_template/strong function (currently line 29)./li
/ul
h35. Create A Homepage/h3
pThe Scope theme, along with most other premium themes, provides a custom homepage template and options for managing what content appears on the homepage. First, we need to create a new page. Go to strongPages gt; Add New. /strongGive the page a name (I just called it #8220;Homepage#8221;) then, in the strongPage Attributes/strong menu, select the strongTemplate /strongdrop-down menu and choose the strongHome Page/strong template./p
pimg class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-33096 imageborder" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/freelance-portfolio-81.png" alt="" width="550" height="319" //p
pNext, strongPublish /strongyour page. Now, go to strongSettings gt; Reading/strong. At the top, you#8217;ll see strongFront page displays/strong. Switch the toggle from #8220;Your latest posts#8221; to #8220;A static page#8221;, then for #8220;Front page#8221; choose your recently created homepage from the drop-down list and strongSave Changes/strong./p
pimg class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-33098 imageborder" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/freelance-portfolio-9.png" alt="" width="550" height="208" //p
h4General Recommendations/h4
pCreating a good homepage is hard work. First impressions matter #8211; a lot. When you#8217;re just getting started, you won#8217;t have much to work with. If you#8217;ve already had a lot of work experience, though, a homepage is a great place to highlight some of that experience while drawing visitors (and potential clients) further into your site./p
pA good homepage should have the following:/p
ul
listrongContext/strong #8211; When a visitor first lands on your site, assure them that they are in the right place. If you are a web developer, it should be obvious by the words and graphics you#8217;ve chosen. If you specialize in print work, make it obvious. If you#8217;re a writer, spell it out. You only have a few seconds to make a positive impression./li
listrongCredibility /strong- After establishing context, give people a reason to care. Why should they work with you? The best way to establish credibility is to let others do it for you. Highlight third-party endorsements or showcase your best clients and the results you helped them achieve./li
listrongCall To Action /strong- Once you#8217;ve established context and credibility, offer a clear next step. This is where many sites fail. Direct potential clients to learn more about your service or go straight to checking your current availability. Make sure that the next step is obvious./li
/ul
h4Theme Specific Recommendations/h4
pThe Scope theme (and most #8220;Portfolio#8221; style premium themes) has a very visual focus for the homepage template. For those of you with a visually oriented portfolio, I recommend that you follow the theme recommendations and make use of the sliders and other homepage options that the theme offers./p
h36. Create An About Page/h3
pAn #8220;About#8221; page is very important. When a potential client considers you for a project they want to learn what they can about you. An #8220;About#8221; page gives you an opportunity to tell your story and establish a personal connection./p
pFrom strongPages gt; Add New/strong, create a page called #8220;About#8221; (or perhaps #8220;About Me#8221; or #8220;About [Your Name]#8220;) and get to work on the content./p
pHere are some guidelines to keep in mind:/p
ul
listrongMake It Real/strong #8211; Write as if you were talking to the individual in person. You#8217;re an interesting individual. Don#8217;t hide behind awkward sentences and a third-person voice./li
listrongPrioritize /strong- Your visitors are there to learn about you, but before you go into your life-story, keep their priorities in mind. This is a website for your freelance portfolio and, as such, introduce yourself briefly then focus on what you can do for them. After that, you can share your life story./li
listrongKeep It Current /strong- Be sure to revisit your #8220;About#8221; page on a regular basis to make sure that the information is up-to-date and accurate./li
/ul
pAnd here are some ideas to consider:/p
ul
listrongUse Your Medium/strong #8211; Bring your area of expertise into your #8220;About#8221; page. If you do videography work, create a video on your page (a great idea, even if you don#8217;t do video work). If you#8217;re an illustrator, create some illustrations for your #8220;About#8221; page that reflect your style and your favorite type of work. Take your area of expertise and look for opportunities to weave it in./li
listrongCall To Action /strong- Take opportunities throughout the page to invite people to go deeper into your site. If your site includes a blog, include a list of your favorite posts. If you#8217;ve been published elsewhere, reference the publications. As you describe the work that you do, invite people to learn more about your services or view your portfolio./li
/ul
h37. Create a Services Page/h3
pA #8220;Services#8221; page lets potential clients know what you offer and can help them decide whether or not you are a match for their needs./p
pFor this tutorial, we#8217;re going to focus on creating a #8220;Services#8221; page with the following attributes:/p
ul
liA #8220;Full Width#8221; template (no sidebar)/li
liA three-column layout for three different services/li
liA custom background image/li
/ul
pFrom strongPages gt; Add New/strong, create a page and give it an appropriate title. From strongPage Attributes/strong choose strongFull Width /strongfrom the�strongTemplate /strongdrop-down./p
h4Working With Shortcodes/h4
pThe folks at WordPress.com describe a shortcode as #8220;a WordPress-specific code that lets you do nifty things with very little effort.#8221; The majority of premium theme developers provide theme-specific shortcodes that you can use within the theme. To create our three-column layout we#8217;re going to make use of shortcodes./p
pYou can write the shortcodes directly into the Visual Editor or, from the editor menu, click the shortcode icon (its availability and appearance may vary from theme to theme) to use the theme#8217;s built-in shortcode interface./p
pimg class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-33100 imageborder" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/freelance-portfolio-10.png" alt="" width="550" height="115" //p
pYou can grab the code for an example a href="https://gist.github.com/3517622"three column shortcode here/a./p
h4Adding A Custom Background/h4
pThe Scope theme, and portfolio themes like it, offer the ability to set a custom background image on a per-page basis. To make use of this, scroll down below the main editor and look for the strongPage Settings /strongpanel. If it#8217;s not visible, go to strongScreen Options /strong(top right corner) and be sure that the #8220;Page Settings#8221; option is checked./p
pWithin strongPage Settings/strong click the #8220;Browse#8221; button to upload an image and then click #8220;Insert to Post#8221; (within the image managing dialog) to add the image URL to the field. In my case, since I#8217;ve chosen another pattern image, I#8217;ll also set #8220;Custom Background Repeat#8221; to #8220;Repeat#8221;. If you use a full-size image, you would set #8220;Custom Background Position#8221; to either #8220;Full �Screen#8221; or #8220;Centered#8221;, depending on the size of the image./p
pimg class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-33106 imageborder" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/freelance-portfolio-11.png" alt="" width="550" height="346" //p
h4General Recommendations/h4
ul
listrongKeep It Simple /strong- You may be able to offer 20 different services and that doesn#8217;t mean you should. I recommend that you work a balance between listing the services that are the most profitable for you and the ones you enjoy the most (hopefully they#8217;re the same!). In my experience, 3-5 services are the ideal./li
listrongInclude Your Prices /strong- Listing prices up-front helps you qualify potential clients and saves your time (and theirs) by offering a clear sense of what to expect before any initial contact is made./li
listrongLead To More Detail /strong- As time allows, take each of your services and expand them into more detail on an additional page, referencing each new page from the main services page. Perhaps you can include an overview of the process for a particular service. You might also include references to examples in your portfolio or third-party endorsements for that particular service./li
listrongOffer Availability /strong- Let folks know if you#8217;re currently available to take on new projects. If you#8217;re booked up for the next month, say so! This helps to set a realistic expectation for the potential clients who do get in contact with you and serves as an aspect of social proof (think about the food service industry #8211; who wants to eat at an empty�restaurant?)./li
/ul
h38. Create a Contact Page/h3
pA #8220;Contact#8221; page offers potential clients options for contacting you./p
pFor this tutorial, we#8217;re going to focus on creating a #8220;Contact#8221; page using the�#8221;Contact#8221; template, provided by the Scope theme./p
pFrom�strongPages gt; Add New/strong, create a page and give it an appropriate title (perhaps, #8220;Contact Me!#8221;). From�strongPage Attributes/strong choose�strongContact /strongfrom the�strongTemplate /strongdrop-down./p
pimg class="aligncenter imageborder size-full wp-image-33338" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/freelance-portfolio-12.png" alt="" width="550" height="300" //p
h4General Recommendations/h4
ul
listrongWrite An Intro /strong- Don#8217;t just stick a form on an empty page #8211; include a short introduction that addresses the reader, reflects your personality, and encourages them to contact you./li
listrongSet An Expectation /strong- Let folks know when they can expect to hear back from you./li
listrongGrow To A Form Plugin /strong- In the beginning, using the theme#8217;s built in contact form template is just fine. When you want to do more, though, I recommend you move to a forms plugin. a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/contact-form-7/"Contact Form 7/a is a solid free plugin. On the premium side a href="http://www.gravityforms.com/"Gravity Forms/a is a great option, as is a href="http://codecanyon.net/item/quform-wordpress-form-builder/706149"Quform/a on Code Canyon./li
/ul
h39. Create a Portfolio/h3
pNext up is the heart of this tutorial, creating a portfolio index and adding entries to our portfolio./p
pFor this tutorial, we#8217;re going to focus on accomplishing the following:/p
ul
liCreate a portfolio index using the theme#8217;s #8220;Portfolio#8221; template/li
liDefine a list of portfolio types/li
liAdd individual entries to the portfolio/li
/ul
pFrom�strongPages gt; Add New/strong, create a page and give it an appropriate title. From�strongPage Attributes/strong choose�strongPortfolio /strongfrom the�strongTemplate /strongdrop-down. The portfolio page will now automatically display your entries as you publish them./p
h4Defining Portfolio Types/h4
pThe Scope theme makes use of custom taxonomies in WordPress to let you organize portfolio entries by type. Most Portfolio themes offer similar functionality./p
pFrom the strongPortfolios /strongmenu choose strongPortfolio Types/strong./p
pimg class="aligncenter imageborder size-full wp-image-33341" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/freelance-portfolio-13.png" alt="" width="550" height="312" //p
pNow, you can predefine the types of portfolio entries that you#8217;re expecting to publish./p
pHere are a few suggestions to keep in mind:/p
ul
listrongDon#8217;t Get Stuck /strong- If you can figure out your #8220;types#8221; right away, great. If not, don#8217;t sweat it. Do your best and revisit later. Effective organization requires continual improvement, especially as new entries are added or older entries removed./li
listrongDon#8217;t Go Crazy /strong- A list of 3-5 portfolio types is the ideal, with some exceptions depending on your particular type of work./li
/ul
h4Adding Portfolio Entries/h4
pFrom strongPortfolios gt; Add New /strong to create your first portfolio entry. Give it an appropriate title and a description. Then from the strongPortfolio Type /stronginterface, choose the appropriate type(s), keeping in mind that an entry may easily belong to more than one type./p
pimg class="aligncenter imageborder size-full wp-image-33343" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/freelance-portfolio-14.png" alt="" width="550" height="338" //p
pNext, set the visual options for the entry and upload your images or, depending on the #8220;Portfolio Type#8221;, you can embed an audio or video file instead. In the Scope theme, the settings are organized under the strongPortfolio Detail Settings /strongjust below the main editor window./p
pimg class="aligncenter imageborder size-full wp-image-33344" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/freelance-portfolio-15.png" alt="" width="550" height="589" //p
pLast, set astrong Featured Image/strong for your entry, which will be used to represent the entry in the portfolio index./p
h4Theme-Specific Recommendations/h4
ul
listrongLayout Updates/strong #8211; For visually focused portfolios, the default theme layout works great. If your portfolio is less visual in nature, the wide format layout with a large image can prove a bit difficult to manage. If you#8217;re feeling adventurous, tackle the changes yourself via the strongsingle-portfolio.php /strongtemplate and strongCustom CSS/strong (or direct edits to strongstyle.css/strong). If you need support, visit the theme#8217;s Support Forums, being sure to first check and see if someone else has already had the same request answered./li
listrongPortfolio Details/strong #8211; You may want to list more details than the #8220;Date, #8220;Client#8221;, and #8220;Portfolio URL#8221;. In the Scope theme, edit�strongtheme-portfoliometa.php /strongto add additional custom fields, using the current fields as a guideline. Next, edit�strongsingle-portfolio.php /strongand follow the examples of the three default fields./li
listrongPortfolio Sorting /strong- The Scope theme offers the ability to sort and prioritize entries in your portfolio. From the strongPortfolios /strongmenu choose strongSort Portfolios/strong and follow the instructions./li
/ul
h4General Recommendations/h4
ul
listrongInclude a Call To Action /strong- Along with each portfolio entry include a clear call to action, inviting potential clients to learn more about your services and contact you to find out how you can help them./li
listrongChoose Work Carefully /strong- Be selective in choosing which projects and types of work you put into your portfolio. Keep in mind that you tend to attract the type of work that you#8217;ve already done (it#8217;s a paradox when you#8217;re first starting out, I know). Highlight the types of work in your portfolio that you want more of, not just a grand list of all the work you#8217;ve done./li
listrongFocus On Results /strong- As you write the descriptions for your portfolio and choose the accompanying visuals, focus on highlighting the emresults /emof your work more than the work itself. Clients hire you for results, not just to pay for work to be done. Bring attention to what your client accomplished as a result of working with you and note, wherever possible, the impact that it had on their business or organization./li
/ul
h310. Add a Blog/h3
pThe Scope theme, along with most portfolio themes, is built to work with a blog. Adding a blog is a relatively major decision and for simplicity sake, we#8217;re going to assume that you#8217;ve given it careful thought and decided it was a match./p
pFrom strongPages gt; Add New /strongcreate a new page for your blog. Give it a title and leave the content empty. This page will become the index for your blog posts. Next, go to strongSettings gt; Reading /strongand choose the page you created (mine was titled #8220;Blog#8221;) from the #8220;Posts page#8221; drop-down. Save your changes./p
pimg class="aligncenter imageborder size-full wp-image-33347" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/freelance-portfolio-16.png" alt="" width="550" height="310" //p
h311. Add A Menu/h3
pNow that we have some pages to work with it#8217;s time to add a menu. From strongAppearance gt; Menus /strongcreate a new menu (I#8217;m calling mine #8220;Navigation#8221;)./p
pimg class="aligncenter imageborder size-full wp-image-33351" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/freelance-portfolio-18.png" alt="" width="550" height="286" //p
pNext, assign the menu to the theme header using the strongPrimary Menu /strongdrop-down./p
pimg class="aligncenter imageborder size-full wp-image-33352" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/freelance-portfolio-19.png" alt="" width="550" height="367" //p
pNow, use the strongPages/strong widget, right below strongTheme Locations /strongand strongCustom Links /strongto assign the recent pages you#8217;ve created. In our case that includes #8220;Blog#8221;, #8220;Portfolio#8221;, #8220;Contact#8221;, #8220;Services#8221;, and #8220;About#8221;. Next, drag and drop each menu item to order them accordingly. Save when you#8217;re done./p
pimg class="aligncenter imageborder size-full wp-image-33353" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/freelance-portfolio-20.png" alt="" width="550" height="334" //p
h312. Working With Widgets/h3
pBy default, the Scope theme will use a set of four basic widgets on your blog posts and pages sidebar. While you may want to leave them as is, odds are you#8217;re going to want to customize them./p
pThe Scope theme, and many like it, offer multiple sets of widget locations. For Scope, those locations are:/p
ul
listrongSidebar /strong- The Scope theme offers a single sidebar location, allowing you to set widgets that appear on all the sidebars, whether on posts or pages./li
listrongFooter /strong- The Scope theme includes three footer locations, allowing you to set a widget on the left, center, and right side of the theme footer./li
/ul
pTo customize the widgets, go to strongAppearance /strongthen strongWidgets/strong./p
pimg class="aligncenter imageborder size-full wp-image-33349" src="http://freelanceswitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/freelance-portfolio-17.png" alt="" width="550" height="366" //p
pWorking with widgets is outside the scope of this tutorial, but here are some recommendations to keep in mind:/p
ul
listrongKeep It Simple /strong- Widgets are great. Don#8217;t overdo it, though. 3-5 widgets is probably the most you want to put on a general, site-wide sidebar. If you want to have more widgets on, say, your blog post pages, consider customizing the theme to include a separate widget location./li
listrongYou Can Expand /strong- The WordPress plugin repository offers additional widgets. You can browse the a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/tags/widget"general widget tag/a (which includes a mix of plugins that include their own widgets along with stand-alone widgets) or you can browse the a href="http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/tags/widget-only"widget only tag/a which offers just stand-alone widgets. Code Canyon also offers a growing list of a href="http://codecanyon.net/category/wordpress/widgets"premium WordPress widgets/a./li
/ul
h313. Wrapping Up/h3
pWhew! We#8217;re almost there! Now it#8217;s time to take a step back and do a review./p
h4Personal Review/h4
pGo through each page and portfolio entry with an editor mentality, looking for content that needs updating and fine-tuning. Look at each page as a potential client would see it, challenging yourself to make sure that your work and service offerings are presented well along with a clear call to action./p
pAs you review, take note of ideas for future updates and further improvements. Note, perhaps, what you like most about the current theme and what you#8217;d like to see improved in a future version (be sure to let the author know) or perhaps even in a new theme entirely down the road./p
h4Peer Review/h4
pOnce you#8217;ve completed a personal review, send your website out to a few trusted friends and family and ask for feedback. Don#8217;t focus on feedback on the aesthetics but rather on the content and organization. Ask them if what you do and what you#8217;re offering is clearly conveyed. Ask for any suggestions to improve the message conveyed./p
pA peer review is important and has the benefit of offering a third-party perspective on your work and, if you#8217;re just starting out, the first list of people that you ask to review your site may even become your first clients./p
h3Conclusion/h3
pWe#8217;ve covered a lot of ground. You#8217;ve gone from a brand new theme to a customized portfolio for your freelance business. Well done!/p
pHave questions? Ask them in the comments below. If they#8217;re emtechnical /emquestions you are welcome to ask, though for expedience sake, please direct any theme specific questions to the theme authors themselves./p
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