200–300 visitors/month. Almost zero conversions. High bounce rate.
That was my old portfolio, and those numbers forced me to rebuild everything.
My previous site (
vishalmishra.vercel.app) was built to impress designers. Heavy animations, modern aesthetic, a very "creative agency" feel. The problem? My actual clients are small businesses, startups, and offline businesses, and they don't browse portfolios the way designers do.
They want answers fast:
— What does this person do?
— Have they done work like mine?
— How do I get in touch?
My old site made them work for it. Most left before finding out.
So I fixed it.
The new portfolio (
mishravishal.in) is a single-page experience - About, Projects, Services, Sequence, FAQ, and Contact are all visible without clicking away. And instead of just an email link buried at the bottom, visitors can now:
— Fill a quick "Start a Project" form
— Message me directly on WhatsApp
— Or just send an email, whatever feels easiest
The goal: give a first-time visitor enough context to decide before they bounce.
Is this the right call? I genuinely don't know yet; maybe the bold, animated portfolio was the better brand statement. That's a real question I'm sitting with.
If you've worked with a similar audience or gone through a portfolio redesign, I'd really value your perspective. What would you have done differently?