Does having a website portfolio to showcase an applicant's credentials, creativity, and skills really matter to employers?

I am building a website portfolio to showcase my Flutter skills and web design skills in a portfolio format. Unfortunately, this is taking up a lot of my time, and I am currently refactoring the codebase because I identified some issues regarding clean code.

My initial plan was to practice my programming skills while applying for job opportunities. I know that continuous practice is essential to mastering coding techniques. However, do employers really take the time to evaluate a portfolio website and consider it a plus if they are impressed? Or are they more concerned with specific coding skills, such as looking directly at a GitHub repository?