113. How to get started on Creating an Effective Photography Website

[00:00:00] It. Some of my most popular episodes have been about websites and I thought it was about time to make another one. And in case you don't know what you're listening to, this is episode 113 of sustainable photography. I'm Ingvild Kolnes and I love websites. My website has been my number one way of getting clients for as long as I've been in business. This I think. [00:00:26] And since I started education, I have looked at so many photographers websites and in all honesty, hardly any of them are that good. I mean, it's great if they give you bookings and inquiries and all that, but imagine how much more they could give you if they were actually set up to work that way. [00:00:55] So in my opinion, most photographers are missing out. And also since I started my mentoring program, I've realized that most photographers don't love web design so much. And since I'm quite good at it, it's a service that I've started adding on. Since I started adding on website design, I feel actually a little bit more uncomfortable talking about websites and doing website reviews, which is something that I've done a lot. And one of my favorite things, because I don't want someone to think that, oh, she's just saying this or doing this to sell website design, which I'm not. I'm doing it because I think it's really important. And if you know how to design your website in a great way where it actually is set up to give you more bookings, and at the same time it's also helping you to be visible on Google, then great, do that. [00:01:55] But again, in my experience, that's quite rare. [00:02:01] So this episode is going to be about how you can get started with creating a website. [00:02:09] And that's whether you want to make your own website or you want someone to help you out, or if you want to remake the one you've already got, you want to start by preparing for that and to get things in order. [00:02:22] Ideally, before you do this, you know yourself and your client well, because if not, it's just a matter of time before you have to do it over again. [00:02:33] You also know what you want to do and who you want to work with. [00:02:37] When you know your client well, you know what they care about, you know what words they use. [00:02:44] If you don't know, you're likely going to end up using generic language and say the same kind of stuff that everyone else says. I know this because I've seen it so many times. [00:02:56] A big part of knowing your clients is to know what they would search for it's most likely location specific, which means that you want to be specific too. You want to mention where you're located, where you do your work, and if you are the kind of photographer that's available in any location, that's actually the thing that's going to work against you, because no one's going to search for a wedding photographer at any place. [00:03:27] People search for specific places. So you should determine where you want to be. And then after a while you can add on more places and more places and you can be sought after, maybe in different kinds of ways, but for when it comes to your website, you want to mention a specific place. And I know that you want to jump right in now and decide how your website should look. Actually, you're probably looking for templates already, trying to decide which one to choose. [00:04:02] I recommend that you write your copy, your text first without worrying about the design or the photos. Photographers want their photos to speak for them and they generally don't put enough emphasis on what they write on their website, which in my opinion is a big mistake. Maybe it's because the websites that we most often see, they're either local photographers to us who probably know just as little about effective website design as you do, or they're famous photographers who probably have stunning sites, but they don't really need to have that much focus on getting booked, or even SEO, because they'll get booked on their name alone. [00:04:49] So figure out what to say and how to say it. [00:04:54] Then you want to look for the photos that you want to use on your site. [00:04:58] I would actually start with about 20 and see how far that gets you. And just use your favorites, the ones that really represent what you want to keep doing. You don't need photos from everything you've ever done, you just need a few. [00:05:13] You also want to collect testimonials, links or badges from places you've been published. And if you don't have a clear branding profile, now is the time to get it. And I recommend working with a pro. Doing this stuff yourself is really hard. So you want to work with someone who knows what they're doing and they can see your brand from the outside. [00:05:39] You want to know how it feels like to work with you, what colors to use, what fonts. It matters so much more than you think. And if you are looking for a branding specialist, I recommend my friend Danielle Garber so much. She works with me on my website designs and she just can read you like no one else. So go check her out. You can also listen to the episodes with her episode number four and number 100. [00:06:13] The next thing that you want to think about is the user experience. That's something that often is overlooked. We make the site first and end up with a lot of pages and it ends up being cluttered and confusing. So when you're working on your website, make it easy to use. If anything can be clarified or simplified, do it. Add buttons and links and tell your website visitors what you want them to do next. Don't make them guess or randomly click around to find their way. Make it easy so you can sit down and use pen and paper and try to map out the website journey that you want your visitor to take. [00:06:54] There are good website platforms and then there are not so good website platforms. Some might be easy to set up, but they'll never become visible on Google. Some might look great on desktop, but it's really impossible to make the mobile version okay. You want to have a fast website that works great on mobile, that you can customize how and when you want to. [00:07:18] For me, WordPress is the only solution because it's possible to customize in so many different ways and there are a lot of different builders. So no matter what your preference is, you'll be sure to find one that works for you. [00:07:34] It's also a site that you'll own yourself as opposed to, for example, wix, where you don't even own your own domain. And if you transfer to a different host, it's going to take about a week, which really sucks when you've finally got that website up and it's visible. [00:07:53] After doing all this, it's finally time to start thinking about how you want your site to look. So you can check out other sites for inspiration. But try to find out what it is you love about a particular site and why. [00:08:08] Because you don't want to copy someone else, you want your site to be yours. [00:08:14] Just remember, your website can do so much more than just be a portfolio site. It can serve as a place that give you inquiries if you set it up in the right way, and if you focus on making it SEO friendly and you search terms in the right way, it can also help you to get found. Your website can really be an all in one marketing tool. [00:08:36] If you want help with your website, send me a DM on Instagram and let's talk. You'll find me Ingvild Kolnes ing Vildklnes and I hope to hear from you there. And either way, we'll talk next week. [00:08:52] You just listened to an episode of Sustainable Photography. Please share this episode with a photographer you care about.