7 Steps to Making a Great First Impression
October 16th, 2014
Whether it’s on your website or in a directory listing, sharing information online about your photography business is crucial when it comes to putting your best foot forward. Follow the tips below to make sure you’re wowing your prospective clients and making a great first impression.
1. Showcase Multiple Shoots
Prospective clients won’t get to see your range of skills if they’re only looking at pictures of the same subject against the same background with the same lighting. A wide range of variety lets a client know that their photo shoot isn’t going to be an exact replica of someone else’s and will assure them that the results of their shoot will be unique, personalized, and special. Sharing shots from multiple jobs also conveys that you’ve had more than one client. Show off your experience!
2. Limit Your Genres
You might be adept at shooting in seven different categories, but someone looking through seven vastly different portfolios might get overwhelmed. If you specialize in boudoir sessions and high school senior portraits, it might get confusing looking at all of those images together. You can also consider separating each genre out into separate sections or pages so that clients can choose to only look at the ones they’re most interested in.
3. Don’t Skimp on Styles
If you shoot in photojournalistic, black and white, with natural light, and more, clients benefit from seeing examples of every style. For those who aren’t aware of the differences, doing this can actually help them realize their preferences when it comes to style, and better communicate that when it’s time for a consultation.
4. Highlight Your Contact Info
If someone is ready to call you and set up an appointment, they don’t want to spend more than a few minutes looking for that phone number so make sure your contact information is easy to locate.
5. Bios Should Be Short and Sweet
Your bio section is a great place to show a bit of personality, but clients are going to get a better feel for who you are as an individual when they’re ready to meet you. By limiting your text, you’re also making sure that your work stays front and center.
6. No Distracting Watermarks
Some photographers are adamant about including watermarks on their photos. If you’re one of them, just make sure the watermark is used in a way that doesn’t prevent people from actually seeing the work you put in to creating that image.
7. Include Some, But Not All, Pricing
Starting prices can be helpful, especially to give people an idea of whether you realistically fall within their price range, but you might also be able to do custom packages that can only be priced after you better understand a specific client’s needs.
That first impression could make or break your next client’s decision to contact you and, ultimately, book you as their photographer. So invest some time into making sure all of your online marketing channels are in tip top shape. To boost your online presence, create a profile on Photographer Central – a directory specifically built to showcase photography businesses of every genre – and apply all of these tips to create the ultimate listing.
(Photo credits: Laura Tillinghast Photography, Leon Brauer Photography, Brian Bussiere Photography, Brandon Vaccaro Studio)
