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How to make a successful wedding photography website

How to make a successful wedding photography website

If you are a wedding photographer, your most important tool – apart from your camera – is your website. This is where potential clients come to see your previous work, decide if you are right for them and check out your prices. The success of your business could depend on it.

We’ve written this guide to help you make sure your website stands out from the crowd and brings you more clients, more visibility, and more revenue!

Assess the competition 

Before you start anything, have a look at what others in your industry are doing. In fact, while you do your research, make a list of wedding photographers that you think are leading in the market. What are they doing well, and most importantly – what do you think they could improve on? If there is anything you think their website is missing, make sure to make a note of it so you include it in yours. 

Looking at the competition will help you read the market and identify any gaps that you could fill. Develop your niche – if everyone looks like they’re doing the same thing, highlight what you do differently, whether that’s elopements, large ceremonies or destination weddings. 

Build your brand

Once you’ve decided on your niche, then you can work on your branding. This includes your name, logo, colour palette and typography; if you develop them together then they will look more harmonious on the website. You don’t need to hire a graphic designer to make a logo either, as free online tools like Makr and Looka can help you make your own. 

To help you do this, write notes on the service you provide, your target audience and your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). This will help you direct your creativity and make sure that your website accurately reflects you and your brand. 

Showcase your talents

This is one of the most important parts of your website, if not the most important. The gallery of photos that you choose to showcase are going to be the deciding factor as to whether a potential client contacts you. Choose the pictures that best reflect your brand and your USP, making sure that they are both inclusive and diverse. 

Another consideration is the speed your photos load at – a slow-loading site is a sure-fire way to put visitors off, but you also want to avoid having low-quality pictures in your gallery. Make sure the web host you use is fast and efficient to be able to find a happy medium. 

Tell your story

As a photographer, you are the individual, the company and the brand. Clients are looking to work with someone that they would be happy to have at their wedding, so your story is a tool you can use to make you stand out against the competition. 

Be approachable, relatable and engaging, involving elements of your life that might make it more likely for you to forge a connection with your potential clients. At a loss? Ask your friends and family for qualities they think make you unique and incorporate this into your story. 

Gather testimonials

Another intrinsic part of your website that will help you get conversions are testimonials from previous clients. Although they are difficult to obtain when your business is young, they are essential to developing client trust. 

After each wedding, make sure you contact your clients and ask for a testimonial – if they liked your services then they will be happy to write a glowing review! This is the clients’ big day, and a stamp of approval from previous clients will show them that you won’t let them down. 

Create a clear website navigation

This might seem daunting, but you just need to look at your website as if you were a potential customer. The first page needs to show off your photography and your brand, and have the information most relevant for your client – what type of weddings do you specialise in and where are you based?

Other crucial elements to include are a clear navigation menu that in one click can lead them to your previous work, testimonials, pricing, and contact details.

Start a blog

Blogging is a powerful marketing tool for everyone trying to expand their business. By including keywords relevant to your business, Google will rank your website higher in its search engine, making it easier for people to find you. 

You can use the blog in various ways, either sharing client stories, posting industry-related news, or sharing top tips or guides for a seamless wedding experience. This will place you as a leader in your industry, and help potential clients relate to you as an individual.  Be prepared to update your blog regularly though, as this will help with Google rankings and make your website look relevant and up to date. 

Are you ready to make your own wedding photography website? At Go Sitebuilder you can build a website with minimum hassle. Our pre-designed sections help you drag and drop your logos and pictures where you want them, and there are image galleries ready to showcase your wedding photography! Try our 14-day free trial today and see just how amazing your website could look.

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What are some good online photo editing sites?

Close up, side angle view of a laptop on a desk displaying some photo editing software

If you’re looking to edit your photos, but you don’t want to waste precious hard drive space downloading software to do so, then try out these photo editors that you can run directly from your browser! They’re fast and convenient, and perfect if you’re editing images that you will use online – if you’re building a website for example, or posting to social media. However, bear in mind that if you’re printing images in high quality, you might be better off downloading image editor software.

Fotor

Fotor is a simple and fast photo editor that will help your photos stand out from the crowd. It has a huge variety of filters that you can choose that can help fix standard image issues – like low light or overexposure – without having to get into the complex world of saturation, hue and contrast. It also has a “batch” tool, meaning you can apply the same filter or edits to a group of photos – perfect if you want to cover up a recurring issue across multiple images.

One of the negatives of Fotor is that it doesn’t have the tools to work on specific areas that need retouching, which lets it down a little. 

Canva

A basic photo editor, Canva is both streamlined and fast, and has a super-simple editing interface. If you’re brand-new to editing photos and are looking for pre-loaded filters and templates, then this is for you! You can also adjust brightness and colour, and it includes tools to crop, resize, flip and rotate your image. 

Canva also includes backgrounds and other graphics to inspire you, giving you the tools to create original graphics for your company. The free version includes 1GB of free cloud storage, but if you run out of space you can upgrade to the paid option. 

Pixlr X

If you’re looking for a little more than just adding filters and playing with brightness, Pixlr X is one of the more advanced online photo editors you can find. You can combine multiple images, sharpen and blur images, but unlike most online photo editors, Pixlr X also supports layers, giving you a lot of freedom to play around with different edits before choosing the best one.

It runs on HTML 5 rather than Flash, meaning it will be compatible with any modern browser, and has a sleek interface that is slightly more complex than Canva and Fotor, but reflects its capacity for more advanced tasks.

If you’re building a website, you need to make sure your images impress – low-quality graphics are a sure-fire way to put visitors off! Try out Go Sitebuilder’s 14-day free trial to take advantage of our simple interface that helps you create a beautiful website with just a few clicks – there is even an image editor within the builder!

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How to edit the images you use for your website

Caucasian male with a long beard is sat at a desk in front of a laptop editing photos with camera equipment surrounding the laptop

The visual aspect of website design can attract or turn away visitors, therefore when creating your website it is important to choose images that create an impact and relate to your brand.  Rather than just focusing on the content of the images, however, it’s vital to make sure that you take into account other aspects, such as file type and quality to really highlight your website and make it stand out from your competitors. Here are some considerations we think are really important to take into account to make your website leave a lasting impression.

Think about the quality of your images 

The quality of your images can significantly impact the way customers view your website and your brand. High-quality images imply a professional service and instil more trust in your brand for customers than images of low quality. The best ways to achieve high-quality images is either by taking them yourself (see our article on How to Take Great Product Photos) or by using stock images to ensure the quality is high. 

Know the type of file you need to use

When adding images to your website it is important to know the type of file you need to use, generally, this is a choice between a PNG file and a JPG/JPEG file. A PNG file is a larger file, which creates higher quality images than a JPG but can slow your site speed down if used for every image. A JPG file, however, is used more frequently as the file size is smaller; the only compromise is that its image quality is slightly lessened. 

Think about composition  

A good website will have images which engage the visitor and mean something to the brand or subject matter. Therefore the composition (how the image is ‘staged’ and shown to the viewer) should be taken into account when selecting your final images. A simple crop can change the focus of an image and make it more relevant when building your website. The built-in image editor on Go Sitebuilder is a perfect addition when cropping your images as you can visualise how small changes can impact how the image is shown on your website.

Aspects such as colours, filters and stickers

Depending on your brand image, aspects such as colours, filters and stickers can portray the personality of your brand. For example, a travel website may benefit from brightly coloured images to show locations in the best light, whereas a beauty website may have more use for filters.

If you are looking to build a website for your company, then look no further than Go Sitebuilder! Our simple design means you can have a professional-looking website up and running in minutes, and we even have an image editor incorporated in our software. Try our 14-day free trial today!

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The best tools or websites to create images with text

A male photographer wearing a loose, casual white shirt is stood at a desktop computer editing images whilst a photoshoot is going on in the background

Often an image can portray everything you want to show for your brand, a concise way to represent an idea or a product. With high levels of competition for views on your website it is important to have features that stand out and may be different from other brands similar to yours. 

The technique of combining your images with text can create impactful designs which pull visitors into your website or catch their eye on Instagram. According to GraphicMama, bolod typography and text masking are going to be some of the hottest graphic design trends of 2020. In this article, we will show you the best tools to use when adding text to your images.

The Most User-Friendly: Canva

Canva is a website and an app that allows users to use their own images (as well as canva’s own images) and layer text on top of those images. There is a wide variety of fonts, styles and layouts, allowing a full scope image types. The basic version of Canva is also free, allowing you to try out your design talents before paying. 

The Widest Range of Features: Adobe Photoshop

One of the biggest names in the photo editing business, Photoshop can do it all – at a price. If your website is focused heavily on image quality or maybe you run a photography business and you are familiar with the software this may be for you. With a range of features, including layering text over images, Photoshop is a great tool. However, for most websites, it may be an unnecessary cost considering the other options available. 

For the Aspiring Influencers: BeFunky

BeFunky is an online photo editing tool that allows you to add text to images, and now has a super simple text and image masking tool. This is where you don’t choose a font for your colour; instead, you choose an image. One of 2020’s new graphic design crazes, this technique adds texture to your designs, is perfect for social media campaigns and ensures that you are bang on-trend.

If you are looking to build a website for your company, then look no further than Go Sitebuilder. Our simple design means you can have a professional-looking website up and running in minutes, and we even have an image editor incorporated in our easy to use platform. Try our 14-day free trial today!

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Do I need to know Photoshop to build a website?

Female's hands resting on the edge of a desk editing images for her Go Sitebuilder website. A coffee is also on the desk

You’re probably aware that Adobe Photoshop is commonly used to touch up pictures of celebs in magazines or selfies for social media. However, Photoshop isn’t just a tool for vanity, it can also play a role in building your website’s design. Photoshop is a graphics editor, and it can also be used to optimise images and construct page layouts.

However, Adobe Photoshop is both an expensive tool and a daunting prospect if you’re new to editing images. Best of all – you don’t need it! A successful website can be created without Photoshop. Read on to discover how!

Photoshop is used for complex website developing tasks

Photoshop is used by web developers for a variety of reasons. They can use it to create a mock-up of a web design so that they can send PDFs to their clients for approval, or to integrate different ideas into one design. You can create a beautiful website design in Photoshop, but it is complicated, time-consuming and difficult to export if you’re inexperienced. 

Even now, Photoshop for professional web development is falling by the wayside as modern website design and creation is written directly in code. 

There are easier ways to edit your images

Photoshop is mainly used to edit photos, and it’s no secret that good images are paramount when they are to be used on your website. If you’re worried about your pictures not standing out, worry not – nowadays, there are much easier ways to edit your photos; countless apps offer similar services to Photoshop.

Online photo editors such as Fotor and Canva are a great alternative to Photoshop, and you can also download free image editing software to be able to edit offline. Another huge plus is that they are completely free, whereas Photoshop comes with a fairly steep price tag. 

There are website builders that already have the answers

If you want to build a website but don’t think you’ve got the technical know-how – we’ve got you covered! Go Sitebuilder has ready to go, customisable websites at your fingertips. Don’t let a lack of Photoshop or coding knowledge put you off building an online business – Go Sitebuilder also has an image editor to help you build the best website. Our 14-day free trial gives you all the freedom needed to create the perfect online business.

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What is the best free photo editing software?

What is the best free photo editing software?

Got an image that would be perfect for your site if only it wasn’t just a little too dark? Or are you looking to grayscale an image to have as a classy background? Either way, you’re going to need a photo editor, but if you don’t want to pay the monthly fee for Adobe Photoshop, then we’ve compiled a list of some of the best free editing software you can use to make your website look amazing. 

GIMP

The GNU Image Manipulation Programme (GIMP) is one of the best free photo editors you can find. It’s full of a multitude of tools that you’d find in paid alternatives like Adobe Photoshop, but without needing to spend a penny!

A benefit of GIMP over other photo editors is that it allows you to create layers of edits, and has a smart selection tool if there are specific areas you think need enhancing. It is open-source software, which means there is a large community of users and developers who are constantly creating new features for you to use, but it does involve quite a steep learning curve if you’re completely new to editing images.

InPixio Free

If you’re looking for a quick and simple way to edit your images, then InPixio is the software you’re looking for! It boasts hundreds of one-click filters that you can use to instantly make your image stand out from the crowd. 

It also has automatic online sharing capabilities, which means you can send images to clients or customers with one click, rather than exporting the file first. It also supports all image formats, so from .png to .jpeg, you’re ready to edit!

Adobe Photoshop Express

You’ll have noticed from the name – this is Adobe Photoshop, but pared down to make it available without having to pay a monthly subscription. Designed for easy and fast editing, the software has a one-click auto-fix option, as well as filters, creative borders, and automatic red-eye removal. 

If you want more of a hands-on approach though, there are more intricate tools that can help you edit your image precisely how you want it. 

If you’re planning to build a website and you want it to look as impressive as possible, then why not check out our 14-day free trial? Our own photo editor is easy-to-use with stylish filters, options for stickers, text overlay and much, much more!

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How to overcome common obstacles to selling online

A caucasian female potter leaning over a workbench adding finishing touches to a piece of pottery. She is wearing a white strap top with a black apron on top

Being able to satisfy your retail therapy needs from the comfort of your own home is one of the joys of the modern age. This is why having an online business is now of high importance: selling online reaches customers worldwide and thus your potential target market is endless. If you’re nervous about selling online then read on – we’ve shown you how to overcome some of the barriers to starting an ecommerce business.

You have visitors to your site but they’re not buying!

A problem with selling online is that you are setting an expectation for your product. This means customers cannot tell the quality or fit of your product until they have purchased it. If what you’re selling is highly-priced, then some may be worried about handing over their money to your business. 

However, offering free delivery to new customers or free returns is a great way to soothe these fears. According to research by Barclaycard, 47% of shoppers said they wouldn’t order an item if they had to pay for the return and 30% admitted to deliberately overbuying products, knowing they would return the unwanted items. Not only does this stress the importance of having a free returns scheme, but it also means you’re able to send out more products. Even if items are returned, your visibility is improved.

Similar products to yours are already sold online 

This one is a toughie, as whilst it shows your product is in high demand, it also means that there are a lot of other business competitors out there. However, don’t let this sway you away from online selling: offering discounts is a great way to draw in users to your site, as the consumer will often look for the most cost-effective item. 

Putting a time limit on your discount is also an effective solution, as it pushes the customer into making a decision about whether they want to try your product. If you make these discounts seasonal then it is likely that you will create returning customers, who can then improve your online visibility by leaving good customer reviews. 

Setting up an ecommerce site is too tricky

Whilst the internet may seem like a daunting prospect, it is important to remember that setting up an ecommerce website is not as difficult as it used to be. Nowadays, website builders like ours can do all the hard stuff for you, making that transition into selling online all the more smoother. Our free 14-day trial allows you to create a website in minutes, and even have extra ecommerce features if you do decide to take the leap. Give it a go today!

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How to start selling things online

Male dressed in blue fixing a bicycle in a bicycle shop

Have you been thinking of setting up an online shop but not sure where to start? We’re here to help, with a handy guide on what you need to think about before you take the plunge into e-commerce.

Decide on your niche 

This is the first hurdle – what are you going to sell, and who are you going to sell it to? It’s a good idea to start with your niche, or the area that you are interested in. Think of this as an area rather than a product; ‘gardening’ rather than ‘trowels,’ and be strategic in your choice. 

The best niches are ones that sell expensive products (£80-100 per product), that occupy a sector that is steadily growing in popularity and hasn’t already developed a lot of brand loyalty. Do your market research to get information on your competitors and understand how the industry functions. Most importantly, don’t go into a niche that you know nothing about!

Choose a business model

This depends on whether you are selling items that you have created yourself, or if you are going to use a supplier. If you are using a supplier, you can choose between dropshipping – where the supplier holds the stock – or holding your own products, where you have to pay for warehouse costs and packaging. 

Holding your own products that you’ve shipped in or selling your own unique handmade items gives you an advantage when you’re looking to create and grow a brand. You are in full control of the customer experience, so you can design your own packaging, send it yourself and handle returns and customer enquiries personally.

If you are a small, local business that is just starting to sell your own products, capitalise on your ability to make each item personal. Include hand-written notes thanking them for their purchase and asking them to follow you on social media, and make sure your customer service is both personable and competent. Creating a great customer experience makes it more likely for them to recommend your service to others.

Choose a supplier

You’ve got your niche, and a good idea of what you want to sell; but if you’re ordering in your products or materials, how do you choose what products to stock? Search the best-sellers in your niche on Amazon and Ebay to compare prices, and look to AliExpress and AliBaba for good supplier sites. If you don’t want to start shipping in products internationally and you don’t need a huge supply, do some research in your area to see if you can create any deals with local suppliers instead.

Create a website

Now you’ve got the foundations laid, it’s time to craft a beautiful website! Choose a domain name that aligns with your brand, upload your products and start advertising your site. Go Sitebuilder is one of the best ecommerce website builders, and offers a 14-day free trial where you can make an easy-to-use and professional website, even if you have no experience in web design!

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How do I create a photo gallery for my website

Female photographer sat at a desk with a laptop and image prints and a camera

Why do I need a photo gallery?

Having a photo gallery is an important visual stimulator when viewing a website. It adds colour and vibrancy to a website, meaning viewers are more likely to explore different sections of your site. In addition to this, a photo gallery adds a personal touch to your website: your online business becomes less robotic and more relatable. This is vital if you want to build a relationship between your site and the customer. The beauty of a photo gallery is that it is completely personal and customisable, enabling you to build your website in your own image. 

What tools can I use to create a photo gallery?

It is super simple to build a photo gallery. Juicebox is a great place to start for beginners: no coding skills are required and its simplicity means you can create HTML5 image galleries with ease. It is adaptable, as it can be accessed either on your computer or via mobile. Another huge plus with Juicebox is that it is free! 

Gallery Studio 1.1 is an alternative free option: its software leaves no watermarks on your images, ensuring your gallery remains personal to you.

Photo Gallery Builder 1.4 is another helpful tool if you want to create a photo gallery for your website. It requires no prior knowledge of Adobe Flash and its modern interface will leave your gallery looking professional and sophisticated. 

What next?

As you’re probably now aware, having a photo gallery for your website is of high importance. Condensing all your images into one folder means viewers of your site can access your pictures with ease. 

However, if you’re still unsure about how to create a photo gallery for your website then Go Sitebuilder is a fantastic solution. Our website builder is easy to use, and has ready to go tools within our editor to help you create the perfect photo gallery for your website – no need to use external software!

Alternatively, if you already have a collection of photos but don’t know what to do with it, then Go Sitebuilder is one of the best online site builders. Its simplicity ensures you can upload your images hassle-free and our free 14 day trial period gives you all the freedom to build your online business today!

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Where can I find stickers to put on photos

A group of three young entrepreneurs at a desk looking at a tablet device the male is standing and looking over the shoulders of the two females sat down

Adding stickers to your photos can be a fun and quirky way to liven up your image. Whether you’re starting up a blog or building your own online business, stickers add a contemporary and relatable edge to any image, making it individual to you. And the best thing about customising your photos with stickers is that it is completely free and super easy to do!

For social media fans

The easiest way to add stickers onto your image is via social media apps such as Facebook Messenger or Snapchat. Snapchat stickers are our personal favourite as they let you create add your own bitmoji stickers (a cartoon avatar of yourself which you can create via Bitmoji). This helps viewers identify you as the content creator and makes your online presence slightly more human. 

For iOS and Android users

Downloading an app is a really convenient way to put stickers onto photos. Pics Art Photo Editor provides you with a step-by-step guide to follow. It gives you complete flexibility to personalise your own images by syncing photos from your camera roll to the app. What’s more, it has a huge range of stickers to choose from, although don’t let its sheer variety deter you: its search bar lets you find the perfect sticker quickly and effortlessly. Another app you can download is FotoRus. Their addition of Emoticon stickers means your images can become expressive and fun to view. 

A web-based alternative

If you prefer to edit your computers on your laptop, Fotor is a tool you can use to add stickers to your photo via the computer. It adds a professional look to your image by creating a theme specific to the sticker you select. It also provides you with the opportunity to create collages for your images, giving you full reign to be as creative as you want when customising your picture. 

By putting stickers onto your images, your online business becomes more identifiable – the first step in creating an online brand! This is of particular importance when building your own online website. Go Sitebuilder makes this all the easier, with ready to go websites for you to use to boost your online presence. Try our free 14-day trial to start building your online business today!