I recently had the opportunity to review a small company that is producing online "bios," and I was struck by the similarities of their description of their offerings to ours. You know what they say about imitation. :-) What does concern me is that an uneducated consumer, who is shopping for a web portfolio and personal branding service, may choose one without asking some necessary questions first. Here are some things to keep in mind when shopping for a web portfolio service focused on personal branding. Credentials and ExpertiseDoes the company have a team composed of experienced individuals skilled in personal branding, design, writing, and Web technologies? Web TechnologiesAudio, video, Flash, blogs, podcasts, screencasts, etc. Any service worth its salt should offer these and more. Do they have the ability to create PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint downloads? Are the PDFs optimized for search engine indexing? Ask to see examples of sites using each of the technologies you are considering. Understanding of Web Usability RulesThe field of Web usability is vast, but I'll mention a few important items to keep in mind when evaluating potential Web portfolio companies. Mystery navigation, the kind of navigation that is hidden until you roll your mouse over an object on the screen, is not user friendly. Moving navigation, where the navigation bar goes from a vertical to a horizontal position from page to page, is not user friendly. ALT tags, which show textual information about an image when the mouse hovers over, are friendly and should be used. Gratuitous use of Flash that serves only as eye-candy may seem 'hip' but what purpose does it serve? Visitors do not want to wade through a screen of Flash animation of your company logo every time they visit your site (assuming they even return). Do you want visitors having to frantically scramble to turn OFF the music that starts playing when your portfolio home page loads? As I stated in my previous Podcast, audio that automatically launches from your home page will repulse just about any prospective employer viewing your portfolio and any service that suggests adding this to your site clearly has no clue about job-search etiquette. Appropriate Use of TechnologyRemember, technology for technology's sake is pointless. When it comes to video, no one wants to watch a talking head welcoming you to their site and/or tell you why they are so wonderful. If you are a marketing expert, show that interview you did for CNN. Leader in finance? Show your MSNBC interview. But it doesn't have to be some highfalutin, big- name TV network. If you claim to be a community activist, show yourself speaking at a local event. If you presented a paper at a conference, show a clip of your presentation or get permission to use the clip of you speaking at the town/city meeting from your local Community Service channel. Details. Details.When push comes to shove, it's the little things that make a good Web portfolio service. Ask the service if they offer FTP access should you be inclined to make changes to the site yourself. Does the contact form they include on your site write to a database so you have a record of all potential leads? Do they even offer a contact form? Can they provide SEO services to better position you in search engines? (If they guarantee the #1 listing in search engines, turn and run away quickly.) I caution you to ask a lot of questions about the career marketing professionals with whom you are considering working, and remember that if you are going to have an amatueruish web portfolio, it's really better to have none at all.