Hi all,

I'm glad I found this forum! I'm hoping this thread is in the right sub-forum, but please bear with me if it is not.

I own a fairly new web design business with about 7 current clients. On my profile page, I have a picture of each website's front page with a link to the site and a small description.

For the first time since I started the business, one of my clients decided to discontinue their website. As the designer of the site, should I still reference it in my portfolio to show it as one of my completed works, or would it be best to remove it completely (since referencing an inactive site might reflect poorly on the business)?

Thanks in advance!

There's no harm in keeping a screenshot or two of your work for reference, obvioulsy remove any links! Sites do come and go.

you may as well keep the pic as a future client may like the design

I'd go one step further...keep the pic, but link to a copy of the site that resides on your own server. There's nothing wrong iwth that, since it shows something that you did. Just have some indication of what you did and when you did it.

The one caveat I'd add to this approach is the "if you need to" caveat. If you're getting enough business from your portfolio without the old site (and it doesn't seem like you are), then don't bother to include it. Save it as kind of a last resort, if you will.

Yeah it's okay. You have it on file, so a screenshot would do.
You could also put a notice, site inactive .

Originally Posted by ADAM Web Design

link to a copy of the site that resides on your own server.

The only issue I can see with that is: if the site is no longer active and that former client is no longer paying me for my services, they will be getting free advertising of sorts.

Thanks all for the advice.

I think you should keep pictures and use it as template demo not like a finished project and may be replace the company brand and logo with "Your company" for example...

I do this with some of my portfolio works, there's no point not showing a good design. I find it works best to have a live working demo (even if it's just a full size jpg with background image) opposed to a thumbnail image - many of the details of great design are lost when scaling down a design image.