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Read: https://nexuses.in/6-ways-to-reduce-bounce-rate/
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As we work quite regularly with Pardot, we have decided to take it as an example for sharing some general misconceptions that lead to wrong expectations when companies choose a tool for automation. Generally, if a scaling plan is not considered, it would be extremely hard to generate benefits from any marketing tool. Unfortunately, you can’t upscale what doesn’t work. What are your thoughts?
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You’ve likely heard of Software as a Service, or SaaS.
A SaaS company sells software to a user as a subscription. Along with that subscription, the software company provides technical support, customer service, and upgrade options to maximize their customers’ ability to use their software.
HubSpot is an example of a SaaS company. We sell (darn good) marketing, sales, and service software so you can use them to grow your business. But there’s just one problem …
Over time, we’ve learned that things aren’t so linear and consumers rarely use just one software to satisfy all of their needs. Instead, they find a plugin here, some software there, and maybe even a widget until they have a smorgasbord of options that, together, create the perfect solution.
Consumer expectations have changed — they want instant feedback, immediate solutions, and access to everything they need to solve their problems.
From a business standpoint, it can be costly to add more tools to your existing software. An ever-increasing demand makes it hard to accommodate every customer need.

Additionally, most software companies have segregated systems themselves, pulling in data from the cloud and on-site systems to complete their own stack. Ascend2 found that 57% of marketers recognize integrating disparate technologies as the biggest barrier to success.
What happens when you have different systems operating on separate platforms that each play an integral role in your business? You become subject to data loss, disjointed information, and misalignment.
Between consumer expectations and internal systems, we need to find a way to create a more frictionless experience.
iPaaS is the solution.
iPaaS is a platform that connects otherwise disjointed systems to deliver a unified solution to customers. It acts as a conduit for communication between multiple systems, allowing for integration and data sharing. As we deepen our cloud dependency, iPaaS becomes integral to nearly every business model.
This guide will give you an overview of iPaaS, how it works, and its key benefits.

Most companies run on various systems, especially between their sales, marketing, and service departments. iPaaS improves communication between different silos by integrating software to better share data within the organization.
iPaaS also allows a company to expand its offering without the need to build out more services. Instead, it can integrate with another software that already provides that service and offer a unified, more robust solution to customers.
For example, say you sell a scheduling software that helps hairstylists book, manage, and send appointment reminders to their clients. After developing your product, you realize that stylists also want their clients to be able to leave reviews and make payments through your software.
To meet your customers’ needs, you could either build out and add these features to your product, or you could use iPaaS to connect your scheduling software to existing review and payment software. The latter approach allows you to save time and money while expanding your service offering and giving your clients what they want.
This is just one of many potential iPaaS use cases to serve both customers and internal teams.
How does iPaaS work?
A software company will rely on iPaaS to supply the infrastructure for creating connections and deploying software applications within the cloud.
The software company sets the parameters for the types of connections that are allowed on the platform. These parameters could be in the form of an application programming interface (API), prebuilt connectors, or some other rule.
Once these rules are in place, iPaaS creates a central ecosystem to view, manage, and modify all data, infrastructure, and operations. This, in turn, allows entities to easily modify their product, share information, and provide solutions to their market.

iPaaS-Related Terms to Know
How do you distinguish between all service-oriented architecture (SOA)? Let’s cover the common cloud-based service business models out there to help you get a better grasp on what makes iPaaS unique.
Platform
A platform is the centralized component of all connections. HubSpot’s VP of Platform Ecosystem Scott Brinker defines a platform as a “hub, with spokes connecting other products to its center. The hub binds those disparate products together and orchestrates them in a common mission.”
Integration Platform
An integration platform creates connections between different applications and systems. This type of platform creates an environment for engineers to build upon.
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
A PaaS is a platform where the provider houses all of the elements that users need to deploy a particular software. Those elements include the servers, network, memory, database, and operating system.
Software
Software is a program that performs a specific set of tasks for a user.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
SaaS is a system where a user is provided with software to use on-demand. All maintenance, hosting, and deployment of that software is the responsibility of the software provider.
Integration as a Service (IaaS)
IaaS is a cloud-based model that allows for data integration between systems and third-party vendors. IaaS keeps all connected parties from having to create complex interdependencies and minimizes delays in data sharing.
Electronic Service Bus (ESB)
Electronic Service Bus is not denoted “as a service,” but it could be considered a predecessor of iPaaS. An ESB is a middleware tool, which means that it works between applications the same way an iPaaS does. While iPaaS focuses on integration, an ESB has two functions: integrating and distributing data and messages.
Since ESBs were created before the cloud, they operate on-premises. They are still a reliable option for legacy systems.

iPaaS vs. PaaS
Although iPaaS and PaaS are only one letter apart, their functionalities are completely different.
A PaaS is basically a toolbox with generic features that developers can use to build their own applications.
PaaS supports different aspects of an application. Next to the development tools, PaaS vendors provide operating systems, business analytics, storage options, and data management solutions. With this last option, your developers might be able to build data integrations without too much hassle. Usually, companies working with this type of vendor are medium-sized enterprises.
Smaller businesses working with different applications will need an iPaaS at some point. The main reason is that those applications are not created by the same vendors. They are not connected natively, while the applications built on a PaaS usually live within the same environment.
Like PaaS, some iPaaS providers offer a very complete set of features. The difference is that those features are exclusively focused on integration.
Last but not least, to work with PaaS, you’ll need a team of developers. On the other hand, iPaaS tools are usually created so that anyone in any team can create an integration with no coding required.

iPaaS vs. ESB
ESB and iPaaS are bridges between two applications, but they offer completely different solutions. The first distinction is that an ESB works on-premises, while iPaaS are cloud-based solutions. That doesn’t mean that an ESB won’t be able to integrate with a cloud application, but it makes the connection less viable.
Scalability is also different for ESB and iPaaS. In a company using iPaaS, integrating new applications is easy. iPaaS usually allows you to create as many connections as you want between the hundreds of applications they support. However, in a company working with ESB, it can take months to implement a new app.
Another variable to consider is multitenancy. This concept refers to the possibility of having several users accessing the same software. iPaaS and other cloud-based software usually support multitenancy. On the other hand, considering that ESB requires a piece of hardware to operate, multitenancy is very hard to guarantee.

Benefits of iPaaS
The rise of SaaS over the past two decades created a gap in the ecosystem that needed to be filled. That gap — the need for more integrated systems — has only become more apparent. iPaaS arose out of a need for an organized solution for deploying quick and seamless cloud-based solutions.
You can think about the benefits of iPaaS as two-fold: benefits to the company that employs iPaaS (internal) and benefits to the customers of the company that employs iPaas (external).
External Benefits
Software companies that employ iPaaS technology as part of their offering to consumers reap benefits from increased customer satisfaction. Consumers benefit from iPaaS in a number of ways.
A Single Solution
Instead of piecing together separate software to solve their needs, consumers can use a platform that connects to all of their software in one convenient cloud-based location, thereby eliminating the need to source and deploy their technology in different environments.
Organized Data
Consumers can access all of their data in one place and set rules for how that data is organized and accessed. So, while they’re working with different systems, all of those systems will render data in an easy-to-interpret manner. All of this makes data analysis, interpretation, and application easier and more accurate.
Improved Communication
One platform means a single source of truth. Data is being shared within the same ecosystem so no important information is lost and everyone has the same access, which leaves less room for misinterpretation.
Better Workflow
Less time switching between tools means more time for work and a central place where all of that work is done. A platform creates a more efficient environment for team dynamics and workflows.
Internal Benefits
Consumers aren’t the only ones who need integrated solutions. Companies also use disparate tools to run their businesses — think email providers, marketing software, document sharing, the list goes on. iPaaS brings these tools together to increase internal efficiency and improve workflows.
Here are some of the internal benefits of iPaaS.
Eliminate Silos
Third-party integrations can be created and deployed in various environments. This might not be an issue when there are only a few connections, however, as a company develops its offerings to become a more robust entity, integrations can become scattered, creating a mess where information is hidden from view or difficult to access and preventing a business from realizing critical insights.
Real-Time Processing
iPaaS allows for real-time data sharing and processing thereby eliminating delays in access and providing a quick and accessible solution.
Increased Efficiency
iPaaS mitigates confusion, data loss, and inconsistencies by creating a centralized system for the management of all parties involved.
Centralized Management
iPaaS creates a single, virtual view for managing all connections across the platform. Instead of having one individual or team manage different integrations, all of them can be accessed from a single console.
Multitenancy
Typically, each tenant that calls upon software requires its own instance. Similar to how every person on a call needs their own phone connection, an instance is created each time someone accesses the software. iPaaS allows for shared instances among tenants, eliminating overload, reducing costs, and increasing the speed of use.
Improved Security and Compliance
Security threats are inevitable in any environment, especially the cloud. iPaaS solutions offer fraud detection and intruder alerts. But the real benefit is that a centralized platform makes it easier to see where these threats are and respond adequately. In addition, a platform makes regulation compliance simple by implementing changes in a single environment.
Gartner iPaaS Magic Quadrant
Being that iPaaS is a newer technology, we look to objective opinions to check the validity, safety, and potential longevity of iPaaS vendors. Gartner iPaaS Magic Quadrant is that resource.
Gartner is an IT consulting firm and trusted resource for objective, qualitative industry research. According to Gartner, “Magic Quadrants offer visual snapshots, in-depth analyses and actionable advice that provide insight into a market’s direction, maturity, and participants.”
The Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Integration as a Service looks at several iPaaS vendors in the space and details the strengths and cautions of each provider. It compares vendors like Boomi, Jitterbit, MuleSoft, Oracle, and SAP among several others to provide an objective view on the iPaaS environment and to give readers perspective on which solution would best fit their needs.

iPaaS Integration: Best Practices
iPaaS is an outstanding solution to integrate your business’s technology ecosystem and to enhance its data flow. In order to get the most out of it, make sure to follow these best practices:
Have a data integration plan before implementing an iPaaS solution.
It’s crucial to decide on a sound data integration plan before you begin syncing your data between multiple apps. For your plan to be successful, you need to:

Define the goals you want to achieve with data integration. For example, you may want to integrate internal business data to have a holistic view of your business and build better analytics reports. Or you might want to integrate customer data from different applications to have a 360-degree view of your customers.

Decide what kind of data you want to integrate. Once your data integration goals are set, you will have a much clearer idea of what kind of data you need to integrate. iPaaS platforms set algorithms to sync the same type of ‘object’ between apps. These objects can be names, emails, deals details, service tickets, etc. However, not every iPaaS can integrate all the objects of your apps. Determining which kind of data you need to integrate is key to decide which iPaaS to use.

Find out where this data lives. In which applications are you storing this information? These are the tools you’ll want to integrate with iPaaS. For example, if you want to sync customer data, find out which applications are collecting it across your business.

Figure out how the data should flow. Decide how the data needs to flow between your tools. You might need one-way, trigger-action data pushes, or you might need a real-time, two-way synchronization.

Choose the right iPaaS solution for your business.
Different iPaaS tools suit different purposes. There are iPaaS tools that work perfectly to automate workflows between several tools, such as Zapier.

Once you’ve honed in on your integration needs, you’ll be in a better position to decide which iPaaS tool will work for you. Take time to research your options thoroughly and determine which tool is the best option to help you achieve your data integration goals. We’ve included a list of top iPaaS vendors to help you get started with your search.
Set up your iPaaS tool properly.
iPaaS solutions hold a multitude of possibilities. Most of them will allow you to get really specific in your integration. Features such as rules and field mappings enable you to decide which groups of data to share between applications (in case you don’t want to share your entire database). You can also pair different kinds of information between your tools.
For example, you can add a “New Customer” label to certain contacts in your CRM to identify your newest customers. You can then sync this label into your email marketing tool and automatically enroll these new customers in an onboarding email sequence that sends them all necessary resources, useful links, and who to contact within your organization if they have any questions or issues.
Manage your data.
While iPaaS will do a lot of the work for you when it comes to data management, it’s still important to manually check in on your databases every so often.
This includes making sure your data is rid of duplicates, cleaning up invalid contact details, keeping your data fresh and deleting outdated information, and implementing consistent, company-wide procedures for data entry and management.
In addition, remember to check your syncs to make sure they are running smoothly and your data is flowing as it should.

iPaaS Vendors
iPaaS is a great solution to improve connection to and communication between all data and applications within your company. We’ve compiled this list of iPaaS vendors to help narrow your search for the perfect iPaaS partner. For more recommendations, see our full list of iPaas vendors.
Workato
Workato enables all your teams to create and easily maintain integrations between the different systems that power your business. This iPaaS solution comes equipped with 150,000+ “recipes” — or automated workflows that connect apps and complete tasks based on a combination of apps, triggers, and actions — so it’s easy to hit the ground running with out-of-the-box integrations.
Dell Boomi
Dell Boomi offers a complete iPaaS solution with application and data integration, workflow automation, application deployment, API design, and B2B management all within a single master hub.
Informatica
Informatica boasts customer loyalty and top-ranked iPaaS provider as their main advantages over other solutions. With a nod from Gartner and over seven thousand customers worldwide, the iPaaS vendor holds a top spot in the industry.
Celigo
Celigo offers an iPaaS solution that can handle everything from simple FTP integrations to complex integration needs. In addition, Celigo’s application marketplace features vetted apps that solve for a multitude of business needs.
Jitterbit
Jitterbit understands the stress of building APIs between on-premise and cloud-based systems. The company has done well to empathize with businesses that lack the resources to build these integrations on their own and offers quick integrations with their platform as a result.
Blendr.io
Blendr.io offers a low-code visual builder to create complex enterprise-grade or standardized self-service integrations. In addition, Blendr.io provides a set of features to embed integrations into the UI of other SaaS platforms.
Mulesoft
Mulesoft offers cloud integration through its product called “CloudHub.” This solution offers multitenancy for integrations and API. The solution allows for deployment in eight different regions around the world, a number of workers, and out-of-the-box cloud security, and compliance. It also offers insights based on various metrics.
Zapier
Zapier is a well-known solution for connecting apps, automating workflows, and sharing data between otherwise disjointed systems.
iPaaS providers don’t stop there. You can view and compare dozens of vendors through a bit of research. Otherwise, Gartner has already done the work for you.
Get Integrated
As we continue to move towards cloud-based options, iPaaS becomes the most viable solution to eliminate the friction associated with disparate systems, and for connecting all applications and data between your organization and third parties. A single source that connects all of the systems we use to grow our businesses is an important step toward growing better. When we’re connected and in-sync, we can go further together.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in July 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

It’s never too late to step up your blogging game. Blog posts help bring more traffic to your website and generate new leads. They also help you establish authority within your industry. This explains why 86% of content marketers use blogs as part of their strategy. Whether you’re just getting started with blogging or are…
The post Your Step-By-Step Guide For Writing A Blog Post appeared first on Benchmark Email.

Facebook Groups are nothing new to the marketing world, but they present a variety of interesting business opportunities.
They’re an excellent place for two-way communication between businesses and customers. And if a Group is public, it’s a great place for prospects to learn about your brand, products, mission, and current customers as well.

Ultimately, Facebook Groups give businesses the chance to engage with their audience in a more meaningful and authentic way than they ever could using their Page.

Here are eigth Facebook Groups that are crushing it to help inspire your future Facebook marketing strategy.
The purpose of this list is to provide you with the business and marketing inspiration you need to create, maintain, and manage a Group that your prospects and customers love.
1.HubSpot Academy Content Marketing Pros

Members: 27.1K

HubSpot Academy’s Content Marketing Pros Group is a private group — meaning, members need to request to be a part of it. Once in the group, members can share ideas about content challenges and projects they’re working on as well as how they’re using or plan to use HubSpot in order to help them with those challenges and/or projects.
Members can share details about courses they’ve taken and how they’ve applied the lessons learned to their content marketing roles. They can also list ideas for courses they would like to see HubSpot Academy produce in the future.
The way that this Group is set up encourages a sense of community among customers and users as well as offers a space for them to provide actionable feedback and insights about the Group and/or product in discussion.
2. Instant Pot

Members: 3M

This popular electric cooker brand uses its Group to create a space where the international community of Instant Pot users can ask questions, post unique recipes, and share the joy of cooking with their products.
They also offer limited trouble-shooting in the case that any customers experience any issues or have product-specific questions. They rarely ever promote their products within the Group, outside of the occasional giveaway where members can enter to win prizes to use with their Instant Pot.
3. Women of Impact by National Geographic

Members: 71.8K

When it comes to the art of inspiring and being a voice for change, there are very few who do it quite as well as National Geographic. This group, Women of Impact, focuses on “celebrating world-shaping powerhouses” and encourages anyone who’s passionate about women breaking barriers in their fields to join.
The publication uses Facebook Groups to connect with their audience members in a way that aligns with issues and initiatives that they, and those audience members, care deeply about.
4. Elementor

Members: 115K

Elementor, a WordPress page builder plugin, has a private Facebook Group that, on average, sees over 4,400 posts every month. The Group exists to serve as a place where Elementor users can help each other learn how to use the page builder and answer any questions or resolve any challenges they may be experiencing.
The group is managed by volunteers which just highlights the fact that Elementor isn’t using the community for promotional reasons but rather as a place where community members can communicate, collaborate, and encourage each other, as well as self educate.‏‏‎ ‎
5. Official Peloton Member Page

Members:430.2K

The Official Peloton Member Page is a private Group where customers and users can come together to discuss Peloton products including Bike, Tread, and Digital. It also serves a hub where those customers and users can learn about Peloton’s latest announcements, feature roll outs, and product updates.
And when it comes to exercise, this type of network or group provides value to its members as they’re able to share exercise plans, techniques, schedules, and training methods with one another.
6. MobileMonkey

Members:44.0K

MobileMonkey’s Group is product-specific and provides an environment where members can ask questions and share knowledge about MobileMonkey’s Instagram and Facebook Messenger, SMS & Chatbot Marketing products.
In this group, social media marketers, inbound marketers, PPC marketers, advertisers, entrepreneurs, and more can turn to each other and the resources available in the Group to determine the best ways to use and resolve challenges around MobileMonkey’s main products (including multi-channel chat marketing for Messenger, native web chat, Facebook ad platform, and SMS marketing).
7. Canva Design Circle

Members: 145.1K

Canva Design Circle is where members can learn how to take advantage of the product and its many features and functions through their Design School. Within the Group, Canva users are notified of the most recent product updates and tips and can discuss any topic related to design.
Canva encourages new members of the Group to introduce themselves upon entry. This fosters a sense of community, trust, and belonging the moment one enters. That warm welcome leads to more introductions among other members in the Group and conversations about design work, projects, jobs, challenges, etc.
8. Tasty

Members: 89.8K

Tasty Facebook Group Members share recipes, ideas for substitutes, and cooking tips. The group drives engagement by encouraging members to share their recipes in order to stand a chance of having that recipe featured on their website. They also run polls related to cooking and baking based on trends, season, holidays, and more.
By creating these competitions, incentives, and group activities, the company drives engagement on the page — they encourage members to interact and connect with one another which fosters a sense of community and camaraderie among Tasty fans.
Get the Facebook Group Inspiration You Need
A Facebook Group can be a powerful way to create a community around your brand and product or service. It’s where your prospects and customers can come to connect with one another and your business — this community, support, access to self-education, and brand awareness is an effective way to foster loyalty and delightful customer experiences that keep people coming back.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in March 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Whether you’re a UX designer, freelance writer, or photographer, an impressive online portfolio is critical for impressing potential clients, and landing future jobs.
But crafting a good digital portfolio can feel like a daunting task, especially when you aren’t even sure which website you should use to create one. Here, we’ve created a list of the nine best portfolio websites for designers, freelancers, and photographers, to ensure you’re able to showcase your best work in any industry.

What is an online portfolio?
An online portfolio is a collection of your work that showcases your skills and abilities. A portfolio should include your past work experiences, qualifications and skills, degrees or certifications you’ve completed, any awards or accolades you’ve earned, as well as some examples of your work. Examples of your work might be photographs, writing samples, case studies, spreadsheets, or lesson plans, depending on your field.
Best Free Portfolio Websites for Freelance Writers
1. Journo Portfolio

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On Journo Portfolio you can create a sleek, modern digital portfolio easily. The site offers nine distinct themes, and adding an article is as easy as pasting a URL and clicking add — the site takes care of incorporating the title, publication, date, content, and image. Features include the ability to integrate with Google Analytics or use Journo’s built-in analytics tools to measure visitors. Additionally, your site is automatically mobile-ready.
You can also blog straight from the platform, which could be useful if you want to showcase freelance work and your current blog in one place. Journo lets you create multiple pages, so you can have a Contact Me or About Me page, as well as your freelance portfolio.
Pros

Live preview editor
Built-in analytics plus Google Analytics integration
Pre-built themes
Subscribe and contact forms
Mobile-friendly

Cons

Free plan limits you to 10 articles max
For unlimited articles, you’ll need to pay $5-$10 per month

2. Muck Rack

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Muck Rack is a free media database that helps connect journalists with PR professionals, so if you use the site, you’ll have good opportunities to network and receive PR pitches. You can even include specific topics you don’t want to cover, which will filter out unfit pitches.
Additionally, for true ease-of-use, Muck Rack creates and maintains your portfolio for you by automatically compiling articles and social media profiles. Once it’s finished, you have the option to customize your bio, or choose to spotlight certain pieces.
Muck Rack also offers a news alerts system, which enables you to track stories or tweets about a company, brand, or specific story angle. With their news alerts system, you can see when other journalists share information or publish stories related to your work, which will help you stay on-top of trends.
Pros

Ideal for journalists
Auto-updates profile
News alerts system for tracking stories and trends
Allows you to easily build media lists

Cons

Some formatting issues when uploading content from Excel
Does not integrate with other reporting and monitoring tools

3. WordPress.com

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WordPress, a major content management platform, lets you create a blog with a separate portfolio page for free. While not specifically geared towards freelance writers, WordPress offers over 100 free themes to craft a unique blog and showcase your work. If you want complete creative control over your portfolio, this is a good option for you.
Additionally, you might choose to use WordPress if you want to showcase your writing along with other skills — if you want a page for writing and a page for your photography, for instance, WordPress offers a variety of themes and is flexible enough to enable you to demonstrate various pieces of creative work.
Pros

Ideal for bloggers
Can create portfolio page separate from blog
100+ free themes available
Comes with SSL certificate and JetPack features for improving website performance

Cons

Free plan shows ads
Limited storage at 3 GB

Best Free Portfolio Websites for Designers
4. Behance

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With millions of UX/UI designers, artists, and photographers on the site, Behance is one of the most widely-used online portfolio websites. It’s also extremely simple and easy to use — you can organize your work based on project, list projects under construction, and ask followers for feedback. Additionally, the site allows you to link your portfolio to your social media accounts.
Behance’s massive digital community makes it a good option to get your name out there, particularly since recruiters and interviewers peruse the site to find talent, as well. However, Behance displays the number of people who have viewed your work and liked it, which can be more advantageous — but riskier — than a more straightforward website portfolio.
Pros

Ideal for creatives who don’t have time to create their own standalone portfolio site
Can get feedback from followers
Includes social proof in terms of views and likes on portfolio site

Cons

Limited design and feature options on free plan
The display of views and likes can be risky if not enough people see or appreciate a project 

5. Adobe Portfolio

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If you already have a Creative Cloud membership, then Adobe Portfolio is an excellent option to create a single-page website, or a full gallery of your work. With Adobe Portfolio you’re able to set up a sleek and customized portfolio in minutes, and each of the platform’s themes are automatically optimized for any device.
Additionally, Adobe Portfolio offers the ability to integrate with Behance and Adobe Lightroom to import your projects for greater visibility. 
Pros

Option to create multi- or single-page website
Offers 18 responsive themes
Integrations with Behance and Adobe Lightroom

Cons

Only free if have Creative Cloud membership

6. Crevado

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One of the easiest free portfolio websites, Crevado lets you use a simple drag-and-drop tool to upload your projects and rearrange on the screen for true ease-of-use. The site is also automatically optimized for any device, so your portfolio can be viewed on a smartphone or tablet as well as a desktop.
Crevado also comes with secure hosting and SSL certification so your portfolio site remains secure. You can customize your design to suit your preferences without writing any code. Best of all, you can sell your work online thanks to the platform’s integrations with PayPal and Fotomoto.  
The only downside is that free users can’t remove the link to Crevado in their website footer. You’ll have to upgrade to a pro account to do so.
Pros

Drag-and-drop interface 
Responsive designs
Secure hosting and SSL certification
PayPal and Fotomoto integrations allow you to sell work

Cons

Free plan shows Crevado link in website footer 

Best Free Portfolio Websites for Photographers
7. Flickr

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Undoubtedly one of the most well-known portfolio sites with billions of photos and millions of members, Flickr is a good site to share your own work, connect with other photographers, and find inspiration for future projects.
However, Flickr’s community-oriented platform can make it difficult to showcase your best work and appear professional — particularly since the site is typically used to share images with friends and family. For this reason, many designers also suggest creating a more polished portfolio website, and then linking to that website from Flickr. 
Pros

Ideal for photographers just starting out
Great to connect with others and find inspiration

Cons

Limited to GIF, PNG, and JPEG photo formats 

Limited to 1,000 photos on free plan
Will likely outgrow the site as you advance

8. Portfoliobox

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Portfoliobox is a website builder specifically designed for photographers, and it’s a good option for crafting a professional-looking responsive gallery of your best work. Additionally, Portfoliobox offers an ecommerce link that allows you to sell your prints or other artwork directly from the site (without paying any commission). With the free plan, you can create a blog to further attract visitors and potential customers to your site.
Best of all, Portfoliobox doesn’t make you use a standard theme — instead, you can integrate any style for any page to cultivate a unique, one-of-a-kind website. With more than one million users, it’s a good option for both professional and novice photographers.
Pros

Ideal for photographers at any skill level
Can sell prints on this site commission-free
Can use different style for every page

Cons

No drag-and-drop functionality
Limited customization options for ecommerce

9. YouPic

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YouPic’s users include famous photographers like Joel Meyerowitz and Julia Fullerton-Batten. Another site specifically designed for photographers, YouPic enables you to craft a free stunning portfolio to showcase your work. It also allows you to buy prints from other photographers or sell your own to make some additional income.
Additionally, the site offers interactive courses to improve your photography skills, as well as a Pinterest-style “Explore” page that lets you check out popular photographs, new artwork, and stories to inspire your own gallery. And, most interesting to note, YouPic allows users the opportunity to copyright their photos on the blockchain, and is the first decentralized photography platform. That means YouPic is one of the few platforms that won’t take any rights or ownership of your work. 
Pros

Can sell prints on this site commission-free
Can copyright photos on blockchain
Doesn’t take any rights or ownership of your work

Cons

Have to upgrade to premium membership for YouPic to promote your work

For further inspiration, check out 21 Memorable Photography Portfolio Websites to Inspire You or The 12 Best Graphic Design Portfolios We’ve Ever Seen, & How to Start Your Own.
Creating Your Online Portfolio
An online portfolio provides evidence of your work and skills, which can set you apart from other candidates or professionals in your field. Using any of the tools above, you can create a free portfolio in no time. What are you waiting for?
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in April 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.