1. Home / Welcome

Your home page is the first thing a client will see which means it should absolutely be the strongest piece of your site. Clients hire you for your photography style, therefore a home page should showcase some of your best work whether it's one large photo, a gallery or a slideshow. It should also provide a short "about me" portion and a headshot with an invitation/link to view your "about" page.

2. About Me

An "about me" page is crucial. Your photography brand mainly consists of two components: your photos and you as a person. Clients want to know they're hiring someone who will make their photoshoot experience a blast even it they've never been in front of the lens. Take this opportunity to market yourself and stand out to a client. Ensure them that you'll make them feel comfortable and the shoot will be relaxed and fun!

Your about me page should include the following:

• Your first and last name
• Location
• The type of photography you specialize in
• A little bit about your photography journey

Another important thing about your photography page is making it about your client. Instead of saying "I love capturing people's stories," say, "I am passionate about capturing your story." You are offering a service and your top priority should be the happiness of your clients. Let them know that you're putting them first and you value the chance to be a part of capturing their special moments!

3. Portfolio

Your portfolio is a collection of photos that exhibit your best work. You should not include more than one photo per session, and a good rule of thumb is to keep your portfolio collectively between 10-15 photos.

Your portfolio page should be cohesive. It should reflect a consistent style throughout your work. This doesn't mean you have to throw the same preset on every photo, or include all headshots with the same poses. Simply focus on your portfolio being both well rounded and staying consistent in both the quality and style of your work.

The hardest part about the portfolio page is actually building a portfolio. As a beginner the best thing you can do is offer free shoots to friends, family or people who are interested in modeling. Be sure to specify that you are doing portfolio building shoots for a limited time so that when you have a solid portfolio and have built your skills, you can begin charging.

*You also have the option to display full photo galleries of sessions instead of showing a select 10-15 photos. I chose to do both on my website so clients can view a collection of my best work or browse my session galleries.

4. Contact

The contact page of your website is a direct line of communication between you and your clients. This page should include your first and last name, even if it's the name of your business. It may seem like a small detail and it's often overlooked but it is essential. Your contact page should be easy to find and navigate. It should include a contact form that is linked directly to your business email to make inquiries easy for prospective clients. Be sure to test this feature out to make sure you're receiving every message! I also like to include my social media links and email address.

5. Pricing

The necessity of a pricing page has been debated among photographers but I choose to include it. To me, a pricing page is a must have. Pricing pages don't have to state your exact prices, in fact it may be better if they didn't. Instead you have the option to list your starting rates for services.

Example: "Portrait Sessions | Starting at $100"

(A $100 portrait session may be your mini session and the rates increase from there.)

I find that having a pricing page helps weed out the clients who will try to talk you down on pricing. It helps to ensure that the people who are hiring you are prepared to pay for your work at the price you've set because they value it.

6. Social Links

In the footer of my website page (similar to the header but it's the bottom portion that appears on every page) I include the following links to my social sites: Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and LinkedIn. This makes it easy for clients to connect with you and can increase your social media presence.