Photography is and will always be an art form that people are willing to pay for. Some photographers have such a knack for timing and capturing breathtaking photos of people, places, and objects. We want to ensure that these people get the credit, exposure, and yes even the money they deserve to have!
If you’re a photographer, you need a website in this day and age—there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Here is what your website will need, why it needs it, and how we at V3 Media can help you get the photographer website your brand deserves!
Let’s talk about that brand first…
So, who are you as a photographer? How long have you been in the field? Do you own a studio, or are you a freelancer? How far are you willing to travel to get to a photo session? What kind of people have you met, and where? Where are you based, and where are you willing to take photos?
Answering all of these questions and more are key to understanding who you are to complete strangers and would-be clients. Your about page (which, yes, you absolutely must have) should cover this information as well as present your unique story about the how and why you decided to pursue photography for a living. A photo of yourself (either taken by you or another professional—because headshots may not really be your specialty) will also help solidify your online presence.
Functional Galleries
Every photographer has a niche or a speciality they really excel in, whether it’s food photography for Instagram (yes, it can and always has been an art form…back then we had oil paintings), landscape photos of worldly places we’ve never seen, journalistic photography of people and cultures, or event photography for concerts, family reunions, weddings, and on and on. You are going to want to be able to photograph all kinds of different niches so that you can expose your talents as a photographer; that’s what all of the professionals do.
If any one of these forms of photography stand out the most on your website and photo collection, use that to your advantage in the galleries you feature on your website. Make it a point to get permission from clients first if they want their photos presented online publicly (you can point that out in your contract, or get one written up for you to present to each client). In addition to being beautiful, browsing the galleries should be a breeze to do online. To ensure functionality, be sure to choose a website design that is up to date with modern standards as opposed to relying on older software and cheap hosting.
Contact Information
There’s no way your website will be discovered if there’s no way to reach you online and offline. Distribute your contact information wherever you know your customers will be looking for help. Name, phone number, e-mail address, and physical address should all be available, even if the client isn’t ready to get their photos yet.
Be sure to include this contact information on social media as well, where some photographers receive as many clients there as they would their website—this is an ideal means of receiving new referrals and leads from past happy clients. We’ll get more into this below, but for now, the next thing your website needs in order to sell photos is:
Helpful Content
We mean having a blog, frequently asked questions, pricing of your services, customer reviews of your photography sessions, and a newsletter. A blog can demonstrate to your clients that you have knowledge about the art behind taking amazing photos, and you can even share stories of your clients and how their sessions turned out. A blog is also a great opportunity to show photos you may not have revealed before online, further cementing the fact that you’re worth hiring.
Everyone needs to know how much a photographer’s services will cost, and a lot of questions get asked such as “How do I dress for the session?” Not only are these worth addressing in your rates and FAQ pages, but also you can expand on the subjects in your blog to really emphasize your unique take on how you take photographs for others.
Of course, the reviews are to convince people that your services are well worth the time it will take to meet you and hire you to record their event in images that they can reflect on once the moments have passed. You can share these on your website and social media, or even re-use them in a newsletter.
Speaking of which, a newsletter is also your best bet at receiving and retaining new and loyal clients. Use it to promote discounts and packages your studio or freelance business has to offer, share your blog posts, and share stories you’ve been eager to tell. Make sure sign-up is easy and not demanding from your customers; a first and last name and an e-mail address with a message option will all suffice. Always ask permission to add these e-mails to the list before you send newsletters out (doing the opposite is like sending out junk mail—no one will bother to read if they didn’t sign up for it themselves).
Basically, the more helpful content you have including these sections, the more likely you will be able to not only earn new clients, but also retain your most loyal ones. These are the people who will refer you to new people and experiences in your journey as a photographer.
Social Media
Your website will be the main channel for your content. That being said, when it comes to attracting new referrals and clients, it should not be your only one. Social media is thriving with photographs and people are more than happy to peruse them daily.
Stand out from the crowd by posting often and encouraging your best clients to follow you and share what you have to offer to their friends and families. Social media is, after all, social, meaning real people online might be looking for exactly what you have to offer. To stand out from the crowd, you have to have all of the aforementioned points for both your business’s website andyour photography business.
How Can We Help You?
If you are hesitant to hire us to build your photography business website…don’t be. We’ve been building websites and helping business owners out with them since the 90s, and we’ve helped all sorts of businesses from musicians to restaurants to financial firms. A professional, functional, and beautiful website that showcases your best work is the best way to tell the world that you have something incredible to offer, something that people are more than willing to pay for. Get out there and show us what you’ve got!
So, are you ready to show the world your photographic repertoire? Give us a call at V3 Media. Let’s figure out how best we can get you clients that will call upon you time and again for photographing their biggest milestones and moments in their lives!