Today Todd Watson, Co-Founder and CEO of Showit is on the show. Todd has been helping photographers create beautiful websites that book their ideal clients for 12 years and today, he’s here to share his thoughts on what’s working with photography websites, blogging, and marketing in the photography industry.
(Here are the highlights, but you can watch the full conversation below or listen to the episode on the Momentum podcast).
The Goal of Your Website Should be to Connect
When Todd started Showit, photography websites all had a very similar look and feel. Todd recognized that a website is essentially a storefront and it needs to attract “your people”. To do this, your website needs to be a reflection of your art and style and people need to feel connected to what they’re seeing. Todd says, “When it’s not a reflection of who you are and what you create, it’s difficult to connect deeply with a client coming to visit the site.”. If they don’t connect, they won’t take the next step, which is contacting you.
Add Video
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth a million. Having a video of you working and talking about what you do is an excellent way to connect with people. Seeing someone’s face and hearing their voice, builds trust. Video also allows you to show the experience of working with you and imagine you working at their event.
Having a video done professionally is worth the investment but it doesn’t have to start there. You can start simple. An iPhone video of you working, mixed with clips of client reviews and a voice over of you talking about what you do and why you love it can be very effective and is better than nothing.
If you want to see an example of an awesome website video, check out Brian Bossany’s website
Don’t Share All of Your Favorite Images on your Homepage
Your homepage is not the place to share all of your favorite images. Todd recommends whittling it down to your best 10-15 images. Pick the very image and make sure those images set the tone for who you are. Make your homepage a showcase of what you want to do, not what you can do. Your website has to make a great first impression. It’s ok to leave them wanting more! You share lots of images later.
To Blog or Not to Blog
There are a lot of successful photographers who have never written a blog post. It’s not required. However, your blog is a good place to elaborate and share more. Even two posts a month will put you far above everyone else.
Organic content that can be searched is ranked higher by Google. Google wants to see useful content. Blogging every single even is not as beneficial as providing content about a venue or florist. Blog posts around a theme, such as barn weddings or favorite floral arrangements, etc…are pretty easy to put together and great because they are often pinned and shared on Pinterest. Create content that people are looking for and that they will share. Posts like, “Best Weddings at VENUE” or “Favorite Wedding Venues in CITY” will give you a lot of bang for your effort.
For more great website tips from our friends at Showit, click HERE and get their free guide, “5 Keys to a Successful Photography Website“.
Links mentioned in the show
Showit – https://showit.co/
Brian Bossany: https://brianbossany.com/
5 Keys to a Successful Photography Website: https://showit.co/guide
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