Your website is a conversation
If you feel stumped about how to properly design a website, you’re not alone. I often see photographers use a generic template and simply fill in the blanks. While these templates are pretty darn good and you can have a site in minutes, it’s you who has to make sure that elements of your branding, positioning and communication are all there too. And if they aren’t, you need to spend some time and customize. But how do you know what’s missing and how to approach it?
Think of your website as an avatar, a virtual you. Indeed this is what it is. In absence of actually meeting you, this is the digital representation of you and your business.
In real life, when you go to a gathering, what do you typically do if someone approaches you and introduces themselves? Naturally you’ll introduce yourself back, and tell someone a little bit about yourself, right? So, what would that look like digitally?
Many website landing pages contain 2 standards - an image (or slideshow of images) and a navigation menu. That’s kind of the equivalent of staring at someone blankly when they tell you their name - just a framework, a body standing in front of them.
Me: “Hi, I’m Lucy! What do you do for a living?”
You: Silence.
Not much of an intro right? That person will back away slowly…. How about:
Me: “Hi, I’m Lucy! What do you do for a living?”
You: “Hi, I’m so-and-so, and I’m a wedding photographer.”
Ah, now we’re getting somewhere.
Me: “Oh, that’s super-cool! What kind of weddings do you do? Do you travel the world?”
You: “Why, yes, I’m a destination photographer, and I specialize in adventure weddings.”
Me: “Wow! My friend is getting married soon, and she’s a total climbing nut. I’ll tell her to get in touch!”
This is the conversation to be had on your landing page. Don’t do the equivalent of the stand and stare. Tell people who you are, what your super-powers are, who you serve. It’s engaging, it’s informative. It’s a proper introduction. By doing this simple step, congrats, you’ve created a positioning statement or value proposition, and that my friends, is called marketing. All by emulating what you’d do when introducing yourself at a party.
Marketing isn’t hard, but it does take some knowledge and effort. Sometimes all you need is for someone to point it out in an easy way. Now that I’ve mentioned this, doesn’t it sound totally normal? Go and look at your landing page right now. Do you introduce yourself, or do you have a generic template staring at people, waiting for them to do something? Take the lead, say hi, say what you do, tell them where to go next in your site. It will be nice to meet you!
Do you have a good grip on your website? Does it appeal to client you want to work with? Pick up a copy of this handy website guide, with tips on how to optimize your site design your site to attract ideal clients.