Sep 8, 2020
Getting started with building a website can feel totally overwhelming. Choosing fonts, picking out colors, The way the design looks is super important, but the content it contains is where the magic happens. Whether you are hiring a designer or doing it yourself, there are things you need to think through before you even begin. Today we are chatting all about the 5 things you need to have on your photography website. These could be individual pages or different sections of a one-page website. No matter the formatting you go with, your photography website needs to contain these 5 things in order to book clients.
About me page
The about me page on a website is often overlooked. It feels a little weird to write, almost like your bragging about yourself, your business should be all about your clients right, I mean it’s their story you are sharing in photos. What does your story have to do with it? In my opinion, your clients need to get to know you. They have to trust you. No matter what you are being hired to photograph for them, it has some significance to them. They are letting you into a part of their lives that is so important that they want to capture the moment forever, so they can share with friends and family, and maybe even generations to come. That’s why your about me page on your website needs to be real. It needs to say something other than the fact that you love coffee, and you love photography. You’re about me page is your chance to show your heart, explain who you are and what the journey has looked like to get the point you are at now.
Share the Face Behind the camera.
Your about me page needs to have at least one photo of you on it. Your clients want to see the face behind the camera. So book a headshot session for yourself or bust out the handy tripod and camera remote! If you haven’t updated your about me page in a while, it’s a good idea to look at it and see what you can add. So what do you actually need to have on your about me page besides a photo of you?
Your about me page should introduce you to potential clients, let know who you are, where you are located, what you do, and why you do it. You would be amazed at how many websites I have visited and couldn’t find where the photographer was located. So make sure you let them know where you are located or what areas you serve.
Your about me page is a place you can share a story with your reader that has both struggles and success. I mean, we are all humans here, right! You also want to tell clients what’s in it for them. Explain clearly how working with you can help them achieve their desired goal. And finally, every about me page needs a CTA or Call to Action. Your call to action is like an invitation for readers to dive deeper with you. It could be as simple as Click here to book your session, check out some of my latest work, or sign up for my email newsletter. You don’t want your readers to get to the end of a page and wonder what or where to go next.
Portfolio
When you buy some home decor online, you want to look at the product photos first. Make sure it fits your style and will look good in your home, right! Well, the thing with portraits you can’t show them what they are actually buying yet since you haven’t photographed them yet. That’s why having your portfolio on your website is an absolute must. Your portfolio shares your vision, the way you see the world. It showcases your unique talents; in a way, words never could.
When it comes to selecting images for your portfolio, remember quality over quantity. You don’t need to show clients every single photo from every single session. You don’t even need to show every session. The key with your portfolio is to show what you want to shoot more of. And don’t show what you don’t want to shoot. When you go to my site, you will see it’s all about weddings. I show engagement sessions and weddings, and that’s it. Does that mean I never photograph families or seniors? No, I will photograph a handful of those sessions a year, but that’s not what I want to spend my time photographing, so I don’t showcase those images. Remember, your portfolio will attract and repel people, so make sure you choose images that attract the type of clients and sessions you want to shoot.
If you don’t have images for the kind of sessions you want to be shooting, it might be time to plan a styled shoot or a portfolio building photoshoot. Check back to episode 29, where we did a deep dive into everything that goes into planning, creating, and executing a styled shoot!
Pricing
Now onto pricing, the big one! Pricing can be something we want to tiptoe around. Many creatives are afraid to ask for the sale, but this is a business, and businesses need to make money to survive, so we have to start asking for the sale! There are two different ways to go about sharing your pricing on your website. You can share what your prices are for your sessions or packages right away, or you can give potential clients a range and have them contact you for complete pricing. So why would you choose one over the other? It comes down to personal preference right now I have a range on my site. I say most clients invest xx amount of dollars. I use the word invest on purpose. For me, and my ideal clients, photography is an investment. I am on the higher side of photographers in the area. I know I’m outside of some people’s price range, and that’s okay. When clients reach out to me, I sent them my digital lookbook. This is like a digital magazine that dives a little more into what working with me looks like. It includes full pricing information on packages as well as add ons.
The other option is just simply to share on your website what your prices are. Make sure there is a button or a contact form right there, so clients know how to book you if you are within their budget and are ready to book you!
Reviews
On to reviews. Reviews are super important. They show social proof. So what is social proof? Have you ever gotten crazy excited about nabbing tickets for you and a friend to a sold-out concert that everyone has been talking about for weeks? Or how about the time you were able to get reservations for that new up and coming restaurant in town? You had a blast at the concert, and the food was great, but you also enjoyed the experience; it made you feel closer and more connected to your loved ones. You shared something together besides if everyone else was lining up down the street for it up was bound to be good! This is precisely what marketing experts believe that social proof achieves
WHAT IS SOCIAL PROOF
It’s proof from other humans that you will enjoy or benefit from a service or experience—basically, its a fancy pants way of saying that we like things that people who we like, like. As humans, we are psychologically engineered to want to fit in. We want to be part of something bigger, part of a community, and that means doing what the community is doing. Like eating at new and up and coming restaurants, or going to sold-out concerts, or getting there photos taking by you!
The more people like your ideal client like your business and rave about you, the easier it will be to attract more of the same type of people; it gives you the snowball effect. By using reviews as social proof, you can position your business as the new up and coming, sold out, so amazing thing that your ideal client just has to have. It shows that real people, just like them, have worked with you are thrilled with the way their session turned out.
Most people are more than happy to give you a great review, but they just don’t think to do it. This means you need to ask for it. Make it part of your workflow. You could have an email scheduled to go out ten days after your final gallery is shared with the client. Include a link to a questionnaire that prompts them on how they felt about their session. What their favorite part was, or who they are sharing their images with.
Another idea is to send a handwritten card thanking them for working with you and asking if they could take a moment to leave a review on your Facebook page. I used this tactic for years, and it worked like a charm!
Call to Action or Contact page.
Now that you have showcased your work introduced yourself to your clients, and hooked them with some social proof, its time to get them on your calendar. You need to have a very clear Call to Action. It could be a contact form that says book now. You could choose to have a page that says check availability with a contact form. You could have a link to your Honeybook calendar where they can choose one of your session dates right away. How ever you choose to do it, it needs to be extremely clear where and what is needed next to get them officially booked. If you don’t have any sessions available, have them sign up for the waitlist.
Conclusion
There you have it the 5 things you absolutely need on your photography website to start booking clients. Your website is your spot on the web. It’s where you get to completely control your clients’ experience—no competing with tit tock videos or trying to beat an algorithm. Your website is where you let clients in, showcase your work, and turn them into paid clients.
Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode of The Wise Photographer Podcast. If you are not already, I would love it if you can click the subscribe button, so you never miss an episode! It makes a huge difference in our ranking and helps other people just like you find the show! That's it for today. I’ll see ya in the next episode!