For any photographer, an attractive and an effective portfolio website is the most valuable asset. An online portfolio reveals the photographer’s priceless credentials to the entire world. The common mistakes that photographers make when creating their own portfolio are discussed below.
1. Splash page
Do you really need a whole page dedicated to your name or the word “Enter”? Visitors probably know your name if they’re visiting the home page, and you ought to have your name present somewhere on every other page in your photography portfolio. Don’t force them to find your frilly little entrance link on the splash page, just get straight to the point.
2. Information overload
Information overload is a big no-no. Online visitors do not want to read unnecessary information; it will either bore or confuse your site visitors. Cramming too much information will most likely clog content as well. When there’s too much information, prospective clients will most likely go somewhere else.
This is how your content page SHOULD look! – Spotlight Sexy – Website Created by MediaNovak
3. Standard photography portfolio template
This is a huge deal, and it’s something to think about if you have some spare time. For sites that use templates or standard designs, a little customization goes a long way. But, the cookie-cutter design can sometimes send the message that you’re not serious about your work. A bad design can kill your site’s chances of success faster than you might imagine.
Good design is about much more than colours, backgrounds, and your logo. These are all important, of course, but effective design takes into account page layout, font style and size, and overall site layout. Your visitors shouldn’t have to struggle to find what they’re looking for on the site, and good site design will ensure this is the case.
There are lots of website templates out there and you can start with a template as your foundation, but unless you want to look like everyone else, you really need to customize your photography website to reflect your business’ individual personality. If you don’t, it will be difficult for a potential client to tell if you’re a legitimate business or just someone’s hobby. And if you give off a I-don’t-want-to-invest-in-my-business vibe, prospective clients will feel that, and won’t be inspired to invest their own time or energy either.
4. Old, stale, boring content
You probably don’t like to watch re-runs on TV, so why do you think your website visitors would want to see the same content every time they visit your site? The answer is that they don’t, and a large number of website owners don’t pay enough attention to this. They allow their content to become old, stale, or boring, which is a great way to ensure your repeat visitors won’t keep coming back for very long.
So don’t be like the neighbour who still has his Christmas lights up in July. Update and change your content regularly so that it stays current, interesting, and keeps visitors coming back for more.
5. Huge blocks of text on your homepage
Most visitors don’t have the patience to read dense copy on the home page. Save that copy for the landing pages that deal with the specific needs your visitor has. Your job on your homepage is to funnel your visitors to the landing pages that will best serve their interests.
6. No Testimonials
By providing multiple, convincing testimonials, you go a long way towards gaining your visitors’ confidence. Put up testimonials that look bogus, though, and you go a long way towards damaging your credibility. We find that video testimonials are the most effective way to demonstrate customer/client satisfaction.
7. No Contact Information or Other Company Info
If you don’t want people to contact you, then don’t put your name or email on your photography portfolio. Contact forms are usually fine too, but some people prefer to send an email so they have some record of what they’re inquiring about. This is not a joke, I’ve actually seen portfolios that had no way to contact the photographer.
This is how your Contact section SHOULD look! – Infinite Images – Website Created by MediaNovak
8. Trying to target everyone
This goes back to knowing your target market; your website will be a mess if you try to accommodate every kind of visitor you might end up getting. It’s best to figure out your most frequent users and focus on creating the best possible experience for them. If you try to please the masses you’ll likely end up not pleasing anyone.
What do you think? What online portfolio mistakes really drive you crazy?
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