Why You Need A Website For Your Photography Business
December 9th, 2020
Many photographers may be asking themselves “Do I really need a photography website in 2021? I mean, I can get plenty of exposure and followers via my Instagram and Facebook accounts. I just don’t understand why I need to make the monetary expense and invest the time needed to create a website for my photography business.”
Now listen up, ye of little faith, I’ve got something to tell you – having a website isn’t optional. Ask any photographer with a legitimate photography business and they will surely tell you that having a portfolio website is a necessity. Point is, if you plan to grow in the photography industry and are looking to market your work while being taken seriously, it’s time to take the plunge.
Not only will you have a place to display your images, but everything about your website can be customized to follow and build your brand. Another win is that having a photography website introduces your work, services, promotions, and more importantly, you to a larger audience.
Here’s a little something for your back pocket – when a client hires you, they’re hiring you for far more than just your photos, they’re hiring you for your unique style, personality, and what you have to offer. If your message is clear and you’ve aced your branding efforts, people will know what to expect from the experience with you and the end product. And that, friends, is called building trust and confidence. Brand yourself correctly and your message will be heard loud and clear.
11 Reasons why you need a photography website…now!
- Build credibility and show your professionalism.
- Separate your brand and photographic work from your personal social media profiles.
- Take control of your brand and establish your brand identity.
- Be searchable by Google.
- Increase visibility and connect with new clients.
- Promote your services and products, and better yet…sell them via your website.
- Present your work and yourself to people by framing your business narrative.
- Have an online booking calendar.
- Create a haven for your marketing strategies.
- Streamline client communications.
- Best of all, it’s simple and inexpensive!
Anyway you slice it, a photography website makes you and your work look more legitimate and credible than simply relying on your social media presence. Sure, people can find you on social media, but having a website and being searchable will help more potential clients find you. Simply put, having a website builds trust and opens your reach. Having your own home online, in addition to having a social media presence, gives you a larger platform to let people know more about your work, why you do it and who you are.
If you’re still unsure, here are a few ways in which not having a website can affect your photography business for the worst. You’ve been warned!
- Not appearing in search engines or on the internet can be one of the easiest and fastest ways to lose potential clients and their confidence in your professionalism.
- It can make you appear untrustworthy or not credible to someone that ultimately wants to pay you for your services and/or products.
- You’ll miss out on increased visibility and drive far less viewers to discover your awesome work.
- You’ll waste precious time dealing with people that don’t have a solid understanding of the services and products you offer.
- You’ll waste even more time with people who don’t have the proper budget or have different expectations.
- Potentially confuse future clients by not having all of your business information in one place.
You might be avoiding creating your website because you think it’s complicated, expensive, or unnecessary. But building and maintaining a website can be easy as pie even if you’re not tech-savvy. No excuses…it’s time to get moving and make your own home on the web. If you’ve been on the fence, now’s a good time to start plotting out your website. One of the greatest advantages of having a website is that you are in the driver’s seat when it comes to your branding, site design, word usage, and creating an engaging experience for your site’s visitors by sharing your work and communicating your message/story.
Remember, you can always start with a simple website because you’ll continue to build and improve it as your photography empire grows. After all, it’s okay to start small, but you’ve gotta remember to always think big!
