You might think that creating an effective and unique photography website is difficult when there is so much competition. But if you find a simple website builder with ready-made professional templates, you will only need a short time to showcase your business and work in the best light. There are some key elements that you should consider including into your website to make sure it stands out, and we’ve outlined some of them here.
Key Information
Having up-to-date information regarding your business is key in gaining new customers and expanding your business. Without core information visitors to your website will find getting to know your brand and services difficult and may decide to go elsewhere. There are a few pieces of information you should include, and when building your website, make sure that they are easy to find!
Type of Photography: visitors to your website may be looking for a specific type of photography, for example, wedding photography. By advertising what kind of photographic services you can provide potential customers can instantly see whether your business would be right for them. When providing this information ensure to include photographs of your work. If you’re not sure which is right for you, have a look at this list of professional photography genres to give you some inspiration.
About You: in a customer facing job such as photography new customers will often want to know about you and your experience in the field. This should not be a long essay about your life. Keep this section short and informative, if you are comfortable maybe add a photograph of you working.
Contact Details: in order to turn visitors into customers having contact details is incredibly important; according to Ko Marketing, 44% of visitors will leave your site if there are no contact details. These should be displayed clearly on your website and you must ensure you check the email you provide regularly for potential clients. Generally you should include an email address, phone number and work address (if applicable).
Range of Services: providing information on the range of services you offer allows visitors to your website to discover more about your business without having to call. This may be more applicable to photographers who offer many different kinds of photography. If this is the case arranging your website by type of photography can be effective. For example, one section on wedding photography, one on commercial, one for industrial etc.
If you specialise in one type of photography you may have a narrower range of services. Therefore, the way you present your services will affect your business. You may choose to arrange service by time, for example a day session or half day. Alternatively, you may arrange by the number of prints ordered, for example offering a photoshoot for an hour with 30 prints included. These types of offers can help bring more customers to your business.
A Page Showing Your Portfolio
A photography website without a gallery or portfolio will not gain any new customers. Without a portfolio visitors to your website cannot see the best aspects of your work. A portfolio page should be organised by category if your work spans multiple photographic disciplines. Images in your portfolio must be high quality and edited professionally. Consider including captions to your photographs, describing the scene or the service that links to the image. Some photography websites also watermark their photographs so that they cannot be stolen and used by other people.
Reviews and Testimonials
Another key aspect you may consider for your photography website are reviews and testimonials. These can help legitimise your work and show visitors the standard that you are working at. Be sure to include reviews that mention a range of skills such as:
- Your attitude on the job
- The satisfaction of the customer
- Communication
- Quality of photographs
- Quality of prints/photo books you produce
These kinds of reviews will show you in a highly positive light and allow you to showcase your skills to new visitors. Reviews and testimonials can also show the variety of events you have worked at or the different types of jobs you undertake.
Simple Design and Layout
A major pitfall of many websites is overcomplicating the design, which leads to a messy crowded website. Good website design should be aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate. Ensure your photographs are well spaced in the website and text is clear and concise. Often a neutral colour scheme or accents of colour are the best way to create a photography website as they do not distract from the images.
If you are looking for a good website builder 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. With built-in features such as image galleries, a professional photography website is quick and easy to design. Try our 14-day free trial today.