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Get Noticed and Win Business with These 13 Expert Tips for Your Photography or Video Portfolio Website
Get Noticed and Win Business with These 13 Expert Tips for Your Photography or Video Portfolio Website
by The Luupe
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Here at The Luupe, we’ve reviewed thousands of portfolio websites and we’ve seen it all – the good, the not-so-good, and the downright frustrating to navigate.
We get it – you didn’t pick this career to be a web designer/marketing genius extraordinaire. So we’ve compiled some easy-to-apply website best practices from the experts.
Here are 13 quick tips (in no particular order) that you can use today to ensure your website stands out, is easy to navigate, and wins business!
#1: Make it easy for me to view your images/videos if I'm in a hurry.
Humans are so used to scrolling now, I'd rather scroll through a gallery than have to click or thumb through a slide show one asset at a time. This will make me frustrated and leave your site. (in another person’s words: “Clicking through image by image is a killer. Please do not make me do it.”)
#2: Separate your work by brand AND include it in your genre categories (e.g. lifestyle, portrait, interiors, etc.).
Don't make your audience go searching through all your "commissions" or specific brand projects to figure out what you can do.
#3: Consider how your images relate to one another.
You are telling a story to the viewer, you want us to keep scrolling to the next and by connecting the images (either by subject, color, or another interest) you will keep our attention longer.
#4: Have an “About” or “Info” section on your site.
Buyers want to know a little about who they are hiring. Talent gets you noticed, but personality and relationships get you in the door.
#5: Remember to check what your site looks like on mobile.
A lot of people view from their phones — according to a 2021 report by Statista, mobile devices accounted for 54.8% of website traffic worldwide! Plus, search engines like Google now prioritize mobile-friendly websites in their search results, so having a mobile-optimized site can also improve your visibility and online presence.
#6: If you have social video (reels, etc.) share them on your website and Instagram!
Professional creatives don’t often showcase this kind of work on their sites and it's so huge right now – give yourself a leg up!
#7: Be careful about sharing too many images from the same shoot or project.
It can make it look like you don't have enough work to fill out your website or even overwhelm the viewer with too much to look at.
#8: That said, it's hard to figure out an artist's style if they only have a few examples of work on their site.
If you don’t have enough actual commercial work to share, categorize your personal work into style categories to show what you can do.
#9: Use your name on your site.
You may lose people if they can’t remember what your business/website title is.
#10: Update your website with a favicon.
It looks more professional and it also makes your site stand out if I have a bunch of different photographer sites open in different tabs. (For favicon newbies, a favicon is a small 16×16 pixel icon that serves as branding for your website. Its main purpose is to help visitors locate your page easier when they have multiple tabs open.)
#11: Use a consistent page treatment/layout throughout your site.
If you go from your lifestyle section to your portrait section, the layout should be consistent between each genre.
#12: List your email address on your site and make it easy to find.
Do NOT just use a form. A form makes me feel like I've sent my request into a void, particularly if I need to contact you for an urgent or time-sensitive job!
#13: Make sure the website looks up to date!
It's a turn off when the website looks old and outdated, even if the content is fresh and looks good.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The Luupe
The Luupe is a one-stop production company that is raising the bar for professional brand imagery on a global scale. With a highly curated and diverse network of professional women and non-binary photo and video creators across 80+ countries around the world, we are reinventing how brands produce original, local, and authentic visual stories that connect with a global audience. Our mission is to champion and amplify diverse perspectives from around the world — in front of and behind the lens.
