Discover 7 ways you can improve your photography website (aka book more dreamy clients at prices that WOW you.)
1. Delete Broken Links
If you’re the type of creative who tweaks your website a lot, it’s possible that you’ve linked to pages (whether within your website or on other sites) that are no longer available. You can tell a link is broken when you click on it and an error message appears.
Not only is it a waste of time for your website viewer to click on a dead-end link, it’s also damaging for your search engine optimization (SEO).
Google boosts websites that offer relevant, helpful, well-organized information. The presence of broken links is a red flag to google that your content may be out-of-date. BUMMER!
If you have a blog on your site, this can be a good place to scan for links that might need to be updated.
Updated links ensure Google views your site as a relevant, credible source where viewers will have a seamless experience.
2. Add Your Location
Clarity is the name of the game when it comes to standing out online. There is simply too much clutter to add more confusion to the market. Make it super obvious where you are based and the areas you serve geographically. Google will thank you for this by promoting your website when someone types in your location. This is HUGE because using location is the most common way people search for service providers.
Think about it. If you were looking to get your nails done professionally, you’d likely go to google or IG and type in something like Phoenix nails, Austin nail salon, etc.
Your clients are doing the same thing when they search for a photographer. Let’s ensure you’re easy to find by making your location clear and prominent.
If you’re a traveling photographer, include your home base and express that you’re known for jet setting to new destinations for your clients.
3. Consolidate Your Portfolio
Don’t get so hung up on including everything, that your site feels more like a photo box exploded than a clear introduction to your business. We recommend consolidating your portfolio into no more than 3 galleries (for example: couples, weddings, & elopements). This allows your clients to easily view an organized sampling of your beautiful work without feeling overwhelmed by it.
4. Start Blogging
Great for SEO, building an emotional connection, and showing off more than the ultra-limiting 10 carousel images you get on IG.
Blogging is the best way to boost your Google search ranking. Blogging signals to google that you are adding fresh content to your website regularly to serve your audience. This makes it all the more likely that you will rank highly for various keywords, allowing your photography biz to be found on Google.
Blogging also allows you to show off some personality and add a more conversational element to your website. Add stories about the sessions and subjects you’ve photographed and share helpful tips and tricks for an audience who is preparing to get photographed by you.
5. Offer a Freebie to Grow Your Email List
If email marketing is your jam, adding a pop up or canvas to your site that promotes a free resource in exchange for your audience’s email address is a great way to scale.
To create a website pop-up, simply create the form inside of your email marketing platform customizing it to match your branding as closely as possible. Then use the embed code that is generated to copy and paste into the custom HTML section of your website. Luckily, you won’t need to code anything yourself,just a simple copy and paste will add the pop-up to your site.
6. Declutter Your Contact Page
Of course you want as many aligned inquiries to fill out your inquiry form as possible. In order to ensure people land on your contact page and submit a form, steamline the design to minimize distractions.
Our team recommends leaving it at a header, little intro paragraph with instructions, and a contact form. More than that and you run the risk of your audience getting distracted and never submitting their inquiry.
7. Add an FAQ Section
A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section serves sooo many more benefits than just fielding questions. It proves to your audience that you can anticipate their needs, cuts back on the amount of redundant conversations you need to have, and reinforces your brand voice and personality. Instead of giving straight forward answers, make them memorable by adding something extra.
For example, let’s take the common Q: “What should I wear to my session?”
Instead of answering in a dry, matter-of-fact way, you might opt to say “Whatever you want, boo! This shoot is for you, not to boost my Instagram cred. Whether you wanna sport a polka dot dress and clown shoes or a pearl necklace and a power suit, I just want you to be you. Still feeling indecisive? I gotcha covered with an outfit guide that has some guidelines and suggestions. But remember, the final choice is always yours.
By implementing any of these 7 tips you’ll improve both the functionality and memorability on your site so you can stand out as your client’s #1 choice. Pick and choose which to implement first or treat it as a checklist and add all 7 to optimize your site.
