Here's something I see constantly from developers trying to break into freelance or land their first clients:
Their portfolio is full of projects that impress developers and mean nothing to a small business owner.
A clone of a popular app. A to-do list in a new framework. A weather app with a clean UI. All fine as learning exercises. All completely useless as sales tools.
The problem
Your potential client is a 45-year-old business owner who needs a website. They don't know what React is. They don't care about your commit history.
When they look at your work, they're asking one question: "Has this person done something like what I need?"
A Twitter clone does not answer that question.
What actually works
Build things that look like real client work:
- A restaurant website with a menu, booking section, and Google Maps embed
- A local tradesperson site with a services page, reviews section, and contact form
- An e-commerce store for a fictional (or real) local shop
- A landing page for a real local event or community group
These take the same amount of effort to build. They're just framed around a real use case rather than a technical exercise.
Bonus: actually approach the restaurant / tradesperson / event organiser and offer to do it for free or cheap. Now it's a real project with a real client. That's a portfolio entry that sells.
One more thing
The way you present the work matters as much as the work itself. Don't just drop a GitHub link. Show:
- What the client needed
- What you built
- What changed as a result (traffic, enquiries, conversions)
Outcomes beat aesthetics every time with non-technical clients.
This is how I built Tizzle's early portfolio — real work, real clients, real results.
If you need someone who thinks this way to build or improve your web presence → xandertaylor.org
Tizzle is a solo web development agency based in Manchester. We build websites and digital infrastructure for small businesses.
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