As a photographer, your website is one of the most powerful tools in your business. It’s where potential clients form their first impressions of your brand. But what if your website is driving people away without you even realizing it? From outdated designs to unclear messaging, here are some common website mistakes photographers make and how you can fix them.
Outdated Design and Poor Mobile Experience
One of the most noticeable problems we see with photography websites is an outdated design. Clunky navigation, broken links, and unresponsive layouts can make your business seem unreliable. Did you know that 57% of users won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed website? If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you could be losing out on potential clients. Most web traffic (54%) comes from mobile phones, so ensuring your site looks great on every device is crucial.
Quick Fix: Check your website’s mobile responsiveness using tools like responsivetesttool.com or simply pull it up on your phone and see how it displays.
Slow Loading Speed
If your website takes longer than three seconds to load, you’re potentially losing 40% of your visitors. Slow speeds not only frustrate users but also affect your SEO ranking.
Quick Fix: Compress and resize your images, especially if you’re a photographer. Large, high-resolution images can slow down your site. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify areas for improvement.
Unclear Branding and Messaging
If your website doesn’t clearly communicate who you are and what makes you different, it could be costing you leads. Your homepage should instantly tell visitors what you do and why they should hire you. Remember, people spend an average of 5.59 seconds looking at your written content—so make it count.
Quick Fix: Review your homepage copy to ensure it’s concise and highlights your specialty right away. Avoid overwhelming visitors with too much text or irrelevant information.
Missing or Complicated Call-to-Actions (CTAs)
Is it easy for people to contact you on your site? If your contact form is too long or hard to find, potential clients may give up before they reach out. Seven out of ten small businesses don’t have a clear call-to-action (CTA), leading to lost leads.
Quick Fix: Simplify your contact form and place clear, fun CTAs throughout your website. Guide visitors toward the next step, whether it’s contacting you or checking out your portfolio.
Neglecting SEO
SEO isn’t just for bloggers—it’s critical for photographers, too. Properly optimizing your site can help attract more inquiries through organic search. A simple SEO mistake many photographers make is forgetting to add alt text to images, which helps search engines understand the content on your site.
Quick Fix: Add alt text to every image on your website, using descriptive but concise text that explains what’s in the image.
Conducting a Quick Website Audit
Not sure if your website has any of these issues? Here’s a simple website audit you can perform today:
- Does my website represent who I am as a photographer?
- Is my website mobile-friendly?
- Can visitors immediately tell what I do without scrolling?
- Can my pricing or contact info be easily found?
- Is my navigation simple and intuitive?
If you answered “no” to any of these questions, it might be time to make some changes. By making sure your website is up to date, mobile-responsive, and easy to navigate, you’ll not only improve user experience but also increase your chances of landing more high-value clients.
If you’re looking for more tips on elevating your photography website or need help with a full rebrand, check out The Rebrand Edit. You can also take our Photography Superpower Quiz to discover what sets your brand apart and how to showcase that on your site.
Check out these posts next:
- How to Stand Out as a Photographer: Tips for Building a Unique Visual Identity
- How Kendra Saw Her Organic Family Photographer Leads Increase After a Rebrand
KP’s design journey began in book publishing, but she fell in love with the truly limitless possibilities that web design presents. Since then, she’s been helping photographers and creatives become the no-brainer option for their dream clients before they even get on a call.
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10/09/24
Published On:
Krystianna Pietrzak
