From Portfolio to Proof: How I Built a Client-Ready Web Presence Without Overthinking It

Not gonna lie, I used to overthink the whole “online presence” thing.

Should I go with a headless CMS?
Build a custom blog from scratch?
Spend weeks tweaking animations and transitions?

Spoiler: I did none of that.

I just needed something out there — a site, a blog, and a way to prove I can ship.

Done > Perfect

I built johncodes.xyz because I was tired of saying “I’m a dev” with nothing to show.

It’s not the flashiest site ever, but it’s:

• Clean

• Responsive

• Focused on exactly what a client wants to see

No distractions. Just:

• What I do

• Projects I’ve built

• How to reach me

• Now, a blog to show I actually think about this stuff

No fancy loading states. No “coming soon” messages. Just proof of work.

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Blogging (Without Stress)

Let’s be honest — I’m not blogging out of passion.

I’m blogging to look presentable to clients and build some long-term credibility.

Hashnode made sense:

• I don’t need to maintain it

• It’s easy to write and publish

• I can link it to my /blog route and redirect traffic

That was enough.
Now I just write like I’m talking to the person who might hire me.

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Clients Don’t Care About Fancy

This was a big mindset shift.

Clients don’t care how clever your code is: they care about:

• Can you deliver what they need?

• Do you look like someone who’s done it before?

• Is your site giving “serious” or “student project”?

So I stopped obsessing over frameworks and animations and focused on:

• Clarity

• Clean design

• Copy that speaks to the people I want to work with

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If You’re Overthinking Your Web Presence…

Here’s what helped me:

• Ship something simple first

• Treat your site like a handshake, not a masterpiece

• Write blog posts that talk to clients, not just other devs

Most developers don’t even have a proper site.
So if yours is live and clear, you’re already ahead.

That’s it from my end.
Now I’m back to shipping and blogging, one non-overthought step at a time.

Got thoughts or feedback? Hit me up at johncodes.xyz — or just connect with me on LinkedIn