Let’s walk through the top seven mistakes (because, let’s be honest, ten is too many, and five just feels lazy). Here’s the thing: your website is your storefront. It’s how people find you, decide if they like your work, and, ideally, hire you. But if it’s buried in search results, slow to load, or difficult to navigate, you might as well be taking those gorgeous photos and tossing them into the digital void. Whether you’re wondering why your site isn’t showing up on Google or why potential clients aren’t booking after visiting, this list will help you turn things around.
So, you’ve finally built your photography website—kind of like setting up a shiny new camera. You’ve got all the parts, and you think you know what everything does, but somehow, the photos still aren’t coming out quite right. What gives? Well, much like that camera, just having a website isn’t enough if it’s not set up properly. (Cue dramatic music.) Ready to get started? Let’s break it down.
1. Using a Subdomain Instead of a Custom Domain
Let me paint a picture for you. You just handed out a bunch of business cards that read janedoe.mypixieset.com. Now, your potential clients are wondering, “Does this person really have it together? Or are they still figuring things out?” Spoiler: It’s the second one.
Look, using a subdomain is like putting your pro camera gear in a grocery store plastic bag. You might have the goods, but no one’s going to take you seriously. Oh, and if you’re wondering why your SEO is going nowhere—it’s because Google loves custom domains and doesn’t care about your subdomain. You’re building their brand, not yours. Get yourself a real domain. It’s like upgrading from amateur hour to professional in one click.
- Get a custom domain: It’s a one-time investment that tells both clients and search engines that you mean business.
- Build your brand: Your domain name is part of your brand, and if you don’t own it, you’re essentially advertising for the portfolio platform.
- SEO boost: Google likes custom domains way more than subdomains. If you’re serious about growing your traffic, make the switch.
Imagine walking into a restaurant and there’s no menu—just a bunch of random ingredients thrown at you. That’s what poor navigation feels like for your visitors. They’re here to check out your work, not solve a puzzle.
If your website’s navigation looks like it’s trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube, you’ve got a problem. Keep it simple. Think of your website like a photo shoot. You wouldn’t make your clients guess where to stand or what to do, right? Same goes for navigation—visitors shouldn’t have to play a game of “Where’s Waldo” to find your portfolio or contact info.
- Simplify your menus: Stick to basic categories like “Portfolio,” “About,” and “Contact.” Ditch the cutesy names that make people work too hard to figure out where they’re going.
- Be consistent: Keep your navigation bar the same across all pages, so visitors always know where to find what they need.
- Add search functionality: If you’ve got a lot of content, help people find it with a simple search bar or breadcrumbs.
3. Lack of Mobile Optimization
Fun fact: Over 50% (though it’s probably more like 75%) of your current site visitors are most likely on their phones right now while pretending to listen to someone else talk. If your site isn’t optimized for mobile, it’s basically an old flip phone in the age of smartphones. Yikes. When your images don’t resize, or your text is so tiny it looks like you’re sending visitors an eye test, people are going to bounce faster than they would from a terrible first date. Oh, and let’s not forget: Google’s mobile-first indexing. Yep, they care more about how your site looks on mobile than on desktop. So, if your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re losing both traffic and whatever’s left of your dignity.
- Go responsive: Make sure your website automatically adjusts to any screen size, so your images and text look good on everything from a smartphone to a desktop.
- Test it yourself: Take out your phone and see how your site loads. If you’re annoyed by slow load times or hard-to-read text, your visitors will be too. Have friends or family with different phones test it for you, too.
- Optimize for speed: Mobile users are even less patient than desktop users, so keep those load times quick!
4. Slow Page Speed
We live in an age of instant gratification, where waiting more than three seconds for a website to load feels like an eternity. If your website takes forever to load because you’ve got massive, uncompressed images that are the digital equivalent of dragging a boulder up a hill, you’re in trouble.
Here’s the kicker: Google hates slow websites almost as much as your visitors do. You could have the Mona Lisa of photography portfolios, but if people give up before your page even loads, it’s all for nothing. Compress those images, ditch the unnecessary scripts, and keep things snappy. Your future clients (and Google) will thank you.
- Compress those images: High-quality photos are great, but they shouldn’t take forever to load. Use tools like TinyPNG to reduce file sizes without losing quality.
- Limit fancy features: Avoid overloading your site with heavy plugins, sliders, or videos that slow things down.
- Test your speed: Use Google PageSpeed Insights to see how fast (or slow) your site is and get tips for improving it.
5. Common SEO Mistakes Photographers Make
Ah, SEO—the thing everyone talks about but nobody really wants to deal with, kind of like flossing. It’s not exactly glamorous, but if you ignore it, your site is like that dream camera you left at home—it’s just not working for you.
Here’s the deal: Ignoring SEO is like posting your portfolio in a dark alley. Sure, it exists, but no one’s ever going to find it. If you’re not optimizing your images with descriptive alt text, or if your content is thinner than a sheet of tracing paper, search engines won’t even give you a second glance. And don’t even get me started on local SEO. If you’re shooting weddings in Cleveland, but your site’s telling Google you’re a nomad, good luck getting local traffic. Here’s where photographers tend to go wrong:
- Not optimizing images: Each image should have descriptive alt text and a file size that’s been compressed for faster loading.
- Forgetting local SEO: Include location-specific keywords like “portrait photographer in [Your City]” to attract local clients.
- Skipping content: Your website can’t just be pretty pictures. Add written content (think blog posts or detailed captions) to give search engines something to chew on.
6. The Role of Content (Blogging and Galleries)
Oh sure, you’ve got a portfolio. But let’s talk about content. No, not just pictures of your cat—real, useful content. You know, the stuff that brings people back to your site and keeps Google interested, too.
Blogging isn’t just for people with opinions about everything. If you’re not adding fresh content regularly—whether through blog posts or updating your galleries—your site is like a museum exhibit stuck in 1998. And trust me, no one’s lining up for that. Plus, a blog gives you a great way to casually mention your work (and sprinkle in those sweet, sweet keywords).
- Start a blog: Post updates about recent shoots, photography tips, or even behind-the-scenes stories. It keeps your site active and helps with SEO.
- Update your galleries: Regularly add new images to your portfolio, and don’t forget to include detailed captions or descriptions with keywords.
- Engage your audience: Use your content to tell a story. Give people a reason to stay on your site longer—and maybe even come back for more.
7. Lack of Clear Call-to-Actions (CTAs)
“Hey, I like your work!” Great. “But what do I do next?” Uh… This is what happens when you don’t have clear calls-to-action (CTAs). It’s like hosting a party but forgetting to tell people where the bar is.
Make it obvious. “Book Now,” “Contact Me,” “Let’s Chat”—whatever gets people to move from “this is cool” to “here’s my money.” If your visitors have to search for a way to reach you, they won’t. People need to be led by the hand here, preferably with a neon sign that says “this way to your amazing future photos.”
- Be direct: Use action-oriented language like “Book Now,” “Contact Me,” or “Schedule a Session.”
- Make them stand out: Your CTAs should be easy to find, with buttons that contrast against the rest of your site.
- Place them strategically: Don’t bury your CTAs at the bottom of the page. Put them in key places, like at the top of your homepage and near your portfolio images.
Look, setting up your photography website isn’t rocket science, but it does require more than just slapping up a few pretty pictures. Review, fix, or update these seven key elements, and not only will you see more traffic, but you might actually turn some of those visitors into paying clients. And really, isn’t that what we’re all here for?