The 30-Second Rule - Grab Attention With Your Photo Website

What am I talking about? A common, unwritten rule for website design and writing states that you have 30 seconds to grab the attention of visitors to your site. If you are unable to grab their attention and don't give them what they're looking for within this timeframe, you risk losing potential customers to another site (i.e., your competition).
 
In order to keep pace with your competition, it is increasingly important to have an online presence and develop an Internet marketing strategy. These two actions are no longer optional, no longer the way of the future. The future is now. No Internet presence=very little chance for business survival. As a professional photographer with a limited budget, you need to reach out and draw in while getting the biggest bang for your buck. Embracing the Internet and engaging in an online campaign is the way to go, but you have to "give it a go" the right way. So what are going to do today to kickstart your studio's online presence?
 
First, buy and register a domain for as little as $10 and consider consulting with a marketing/SEO firm about how to better optimize your site and rank better for organic searches. For example, outside firms can help assist with issues such as writing your site with proper meta data - H1 and H2 tags, meta descriptions, page titles, etc. - and optimal keyword density. Organic results may be more time consuming than pay-per-click campaigns, but they're more affordable for studios with limited budgets and are more constructive for the sustainability of your website. If you can't afford to outsource this work, spend some time researching the wealth of information on the Internet or in basic how-to books regarding what you can do to improve your site's basic structure. You'll be amazed at how simple, little changes can give your site a major boost.
 
Now assuming your site is optimized and you want to engage potential customers, what is the first thing they see when they stumble upon your homepage? Your information should be easily accessible and organized in a way that facilitates user friendliness. Include a direct call to action and spotlight any specials or offers on the homepage to capture interest in what you're selling. And these should be written in a consistent style of grammar and usage written for consumers, not fellow photographers with professional jargon. Use a proofreader; it can't hurt to have another pair of eyes looking over your content.
 
Also, consider organizing your content into tabs and include internal links throughout the copy, redirecting users to other landing pages within your site (internal links help build SEO credit). Perhaps your category tabs at screen's top will feature the various photographic categories you specialize in: "Senior Portraits," "Wedding Photography" or "Sports and Special Events." Tabs also make it easy for visitors to find information quickly. A long, scrolling site becomes too text intensive and gets in the way of capturing a customer's interest because it means more work for him or her to search down each page.
 
Consider complementing the top tabs with sidebar links, including one for contact information. Visitors should be able to find a way to contact you without any trouble, so don't bury this information. If you have capabilities to include an onscreen quote tool on the contact page, this only enhances the overall experience with your site and company. Basically, this allows customers to enter information about their photo opportunity, only to have you contact them with a price. Or perhaps you'd rather include a general price chart for each product or service you offer, organized under a link titled "Pricing." The contact page is also an ideal place to place a secure web form for interested customers to enter personal information for follow-up action at a later date and time, so store this collected data for use in future marketing campaigns. Finally, author a brief autobiography to correspond with your photo so customers can get familiar with you before speaking to you. Highlight your strengths and specialties.
 
As a photographer, it makes sense to showcase your image portfolio with a link on the side, as long as you update your gallery with fresh photos. Too often have I seen websites of professional photographers with older samples, making the sites appear outdated. First impressions are everything. And if you have a blog, link to it on the sidebar. (If you don't have a blog, what's holding you back? Consider WordPress.com for free, customizable blog templates that are neatly organized and free of SPAM or outside ads. Many blog tools make it possible to incorporate one into your existing site without any previous HTML knowledge. But that's another topic entirely.)
 
A growing trend among photo studios is the ability to host online proofing software - similar to Apollo's Photo Boutique program - that gives customers access to a library of their images directly onscreen and organized by event type and name. Some programs limit access to these libraries with a special username and password for each customer. Other programs also provide an avenue to purchase customized photo products using a photographer's professional images. If this option exists for your studio, make this a prominent feature on your site, as this improves customer satisfaction with your company. Always look for ways to offer options, customized features and easy access for your visitors.
 
Of course other factors play into optimizing your customers' experiences with your website, including SEO tactics, graphics, Flash images, downloads, and more. But this is a good place to start.