Listen, you’ve built a photography business you’re really proud of. You’ve put so much effort into every aspect of your business – including your website. But for some unknown reason, you aren’t getting the inquiries you think you should be. In fact, you have a sneaking suspicion that your website is losing you clients versus what it should be doing: converting leads into inquiries.
In a field like photography, you don’t want to leave any money on the table. Your industry feels increasingly oversaturated and you aren’t entirely sure what direction to take to fix your website.
In this post, you’re going to find 7 ways your photography website is losing you clients and easy fixes to help convert leads to inquiries.
- Your Homepage Lacks Clarity
You’ve heard this before and yet you don’t exactly know what this means. It’s simple.
Website visitors should know within a matter of seconds what you do, who you serve, and where you’re located.
Didn’t I say it was simple? Yet, SO many within the photography space lack this info on their site. When visitors come to your site and they cannot easily find these things… they’re left confused.
And guess what?
Confused visitors leave and do NOT inquire. Even worse… they’re not coming back.
The Fix:
– State what you photograph (weddings, family, lifestyle, maternity, branding, boudoir, etc)
– Who you serve (“Growing families”, “Nontraditional couples”, “Self-Love Baddies”, etc)
– Where you’re located (Cleveland, Ohio | Pacific Northwest | Austin, TX and beyond)
Example: “Cincinnati Wedding Photography for couples who want to enjoy their special day while having real moments captured vs curated”
- Your Site Isn’t Mobile Friendly
Most website visitors are viewing your website via their phone. Prioritizing a mobile friendly version of your site is not only expected – it is crucial. Not making your site easily navigated at the palm of your visitor’s hand is making them click away.
The Fix:
Take some time to ensure that your mobile version of your website is easy to read and navigate. Not sure if you’ve achieved this? Ask a trusted friend to check out your website via their phone and ask them to find your inquiry form, what services you offer, how much those offers cost, and the three golden bits of info your homepage should have immediately: what you photograph, who you serve, and where you serve. If your friend can’t find these things quickly and easily, it’s time to optimize your mobile website further.
- Your Website Looks DIY (Do-It-Yourself)
There is nothing wrong when you’re starting out in business to DIY your website, but there comes a time when you elevate in business and a makeshift website no longer matches your photography and business experience. If you’re trying to sell a certain level of service and your website isn’t showcasing that level, you’re losing authority and trust. In other words, you aren’t looking like the expert you are and visitors feel unsettled with the idea of paying you for your expertise.
What Does a DIY Website Look Like?
Inconsistent fonts, clashing colors, cluttered layouts, outdated templates, AI logos, and no clear brand direction.
Your brand should make your work feel more expensive, not cheaper. Think of it this way: you go into a “high-end” restaurant and all the chairs and tables are mismatched, the decor is confusing/not cohesive, the tables are too close together or in weird locations…. And don’t get me started on the unclear menu choices. The food might be 5 Star but the whole experience is lacking.
The Fix:
It might be time to hire a professional to ensure you have a consistent brand that matches the level of your experience (both professional and what you provide).
- Your Pricing is Confusing or Missing Altogether
The consensus from clients seeking services: they want clear, accessible pricing. You want to convert clients? You need to be transparent.
When you’re hiding your pricing or making it hard to find, your lead is assuming you’re out of their price range or worse… they’re frustrated by your lack of clarity and you’ve lost all trust. Either way, they want to know if you are or are not within their price range, they don’t want to inquire to find out (most of the time), and the assumption is always going to be that you’re too expensive.
Remember the restaurant analogy from before? Imagine a menu without pricing. What assumptions are you going to make? This is how your website visitors feel about your website.
The Fix:
Have a starting range for your price. You don’t have to have everything completely written out, but at least have a starting price point. Remember that clarity and transparency equals trustworthy. If you’re asking people to trust you as a photographer, this is one step closer to building that trust.
- A Wall of Photos and a Lack of Messaging
Aside from number one, this is a top mistake I see being made by photographers. You think: “Well, I’m a photographer. I should show my photographer”. Yes, but there is a balance between having enough photos and enough messaging.
“But a picture is worth a thousand words”. Sure, but also language matters, too. If your site is a wall of your wonderful work and literally no words, you’re losing visitors and your site is lacking basic SEO. This screams amateur.
You could have the greatest photography on the planet and if you aren’t ACTUALLY speaking to your leads, you’re losing them.
This is a website. Not instagram (I’d argue that even on IG you need to speak more). Your website should be guiding visitors to inquire with you, but if you’re saying nothing… your potential clients are doing nothing. Another client lost.
The Fix:
Find a balance between showcasing your work and speaking to your ideal clients. Focus on what makes you the obvious solution to their problem while guiding them to inquire with you.
- No Clear CTAs and It’s Difficult to Inquire
CTAs (call-to-actions) tell your leads what to do. This is where you guide visitors to do what you want them to do on your website. As a photographer, your website goal is to book more clients or at the very least, more inquiries. Make sure to scatter these throughout your website and not as an afterthought at the end of each page. Make it easy and clear how to inquire with you and do it often.
If you don’t make the navigation on your website easy and finding your booking or inquiry form is difficult, website visitors are not going to put in the work to find it. They’re going to bounce and find someone who has made it extremely easy for them to inquire or book.
The Fix:
Have CTAs throughout your website that guide directly to your inquiry form.
- Your Website Isn’t Built With SEO Basics
You don’t have to be an expert in SEO to have SEO built into your website. There are some simple things you can and should do.
The Fix:
– Optimize your image file names. So no more IMG_1234.jpg and changing it to something relevant to the image. I.E. “Laughing-couple-on-beach.jpg”.
– Make sure you state immediately on your site: what you do, who you serve, and where you serve.
– Work on your site messaging – especially if you’re lacking it all together.
– Ensure your site has easy and clear navigation
– Be sure the colors on your website have enough contrast. This is very simple: if you have a light blue button with white text, people can’t read it. And yes, having color contrast is something search engines prioritize. It’s part of ADA standards (Americans with Disabilities Act) and yes, this matters for websites.
Lastly:
Of course, implementing all of these will take time and strategy. That’s exactly why I design SEO-driven Showit websites for photographers who want a brand that stands out and a website that actually converts visitors to inquiries.
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