Professional Photography Websites | Rock Your Portfolio Website! Vital Website Design Tips For Professional Photographers
18
Apr
Professional Photography Websites | Showcasing an image based portfolio on a website can be a challenging task. It’s usually a lot different than the average business website. Different occupations have different demands, but a photography business website requires countless unique features you won’t find on any other website. With the average website, there is usually a consistent structure, which includes a header, sometimes a sidebar, a navigation menu, and usually a footer with additional information. However, when showcasing photography, there are no limits.
Professional Photography Websites | Website Design – www.medianovak.com
In the age of digital photography, almost anyone capable of pressing the shutter release is considered a photographer, so professional photographers have to work hard to define the vital difference between their work and the Joe next-door. One of the first things you have to do when launching a photography business is to set up a portfolio website that showcases your work and gives your potential clients the information they need to hire you. Google tells us that there are almost one million photography websites on the web right now. This is bad news for you. The great news is that the majority of these websites suck. We’ve found some of the best tips to help you get the best, most effective and appealing website you possibly can.
Consider Your Target Demographic | Professional Photography Websites
Your portfolio has to appeal to your target demographic and grab the attention of your ideal clients, whether it is a couple looking for a wedding shoot, or an agency looking for a commercial shoot. There is no way you’ll be able to fine tune your design in order to appeal to your visitors if you have no idea who those visitors are. If your portfolio gives off the wrong image, you won’t attract any of the clients you want.
Sketch Out A Layout | Professional Photography Websites
After defining your audience, you’ll get to the more creative part. Sketching out a layout before you even touch the mouse is a common practice among professional web designers, and it shouldn’t be any different for your portfolio. The layout is the first thing that pops into people’s minds when they think about a website, so don’t use generic, pre-designed templates. You are an artist, and what makes an memorable artistic statement is not a template that countless other photographers out there are using. This includes the colors, layout, navigation, icons, and typography used throughout your website. Make sure each of these elements appeal to your target audience.
Flash Is For Portraits, Not Websites | Professional Photography Websites
Never build a flash website for your photography business. Ever! If your images need flash animations to make them look good, maybe you should reconsider which images you choose to showcase on your website and find better examples of your work. For a search engine, a Flash website is just like a large blank page without any text at all. Text is king in the search engine optimization, and therefore this makes it much harder to rank high on search engines, which could negatively affect your business and your bottom line.
Make The Navigation Easy | Professional Photography Websites
When it comes to setting up a navigation bar for your website with links to the different pages, DO NOT GET CREATIVE! Complicated navigation layouts will only confuse your visitors and make them leave a page rather than trying to figure it out, so make the website dead simple to use. Simplifying navigation will let people focus on the photography without being distracted by trying to figure out how to use the website.
Narrow Down Your Choices of Images | Professional Photography Websites
Although you may have a large collection of images you wish to share in your portfolio, try to limit your selection to the stronger pieces. Too many images in your portfolio can affect loading times, and overwhelm the viewer with too many options. It can make your portfolio feel like it is dragging on and on, which is not the goal you’re trying to achieve here.
Professional Photography Websites | Website Design – www.medianovak.com
Include Contact Information | Professional Photography Websites
Regardless of how great your work is, if your potential client can’t get in touch with you, you’re not getting any work. Omitting or hiding ways for people to contact you is a grave mistake, one that you may not even know you’re making. Think it through: If someone stumbles upon your website and wants to talk with you, how would they do it? You must have a dedicated contact page with at least an e-mail address and a phone number but the more information the better. Also, consider setting up an e-mail contact form, as it can increase the number of potential clients contacting you.
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