7 Steps To Create A Photography Portfolio Website From Scratch

A well-designed and visually appealing portfolio website can help you showcase your photography in the best possible light and attract potential clients or buyers.

Portfolio websites are an excellent way to showcase and promote your work, as well as a great way to build up a client base. If you have a large following on social media, it can be easy for someone to stumble upon your online portfolio and contact you with an offer.

This could be an opportunity to expand your client base and grow your business, but it's also a chance for you to stand out from other photographers. A well-designed portfolio will make it easy for potential clients to understand what type of photography services you offer and why they should hire you.

1. Make a good first impression.

Creating a strong first impression is crucial for any photography website. Here are some tips to help you ensure that your first impression is a good one;

1. Use high-quality images: Your website is a visual platform, so it's important to use high-quality images that showcase your skills and style. To be most effective, use images that are clear and attractive.
2. Create a visually engaging homepage: Your homepage should grab visitors' attention and make them want to explore your website further. Consider using a slideshow or a full-screen background image to showcase your best work.
3. Make your website easy to navigate: Visitors should easily be able to find what they need. Use clear and concise navigation menus to help visitors find their way around your website.
4. Use a consistent design: Use a consistent design throughout your website, including fonts, colors, and layouts. This will help create a cohesive look and feel and make your website more visually appealing.
5. Optimize your website for speed: Visitors expect websites to load quickly, so it's important to optimize your website for speed. This includes optimizing images, using a fast web host, and minimizing the use of scripts and plugins.
6. Include social proof: Including testimonials, reviews, or other forms of social proof can help establish credibility and build trust with potential clients.

By following these tips, you can create a photography website that makes a strong first impression and showcases your work in the best possible light.

2. Give your photography business a boost with about pages.

When you're looking for a photographer for your photography website, the first thing you should do is think about the kind of photography you do and what kinds of photos you want to use. If it's family and pet portraits, then you might want to go with a photographer who specializes in those types of shoots. If it's landscapes or anything more artistic, then maybe you should consider going with an artist.

Once you've decided on what kind of photos are best for your website, it's time to find a photographer who knows how to capture that vision. When choosing a photographer, make sure they have experience shooting websites! This will ensure that their portfolio contains plenty of examples of their work and can help you decide whether or not they're right for the job.

Once you've found someone who seems like a great fit for your needs, ask them about fees and contracts before moving forward with any sort of project planning—you don't want to be stuck paying for services after the fact!

3. Only include images that convey your best work.

Including only your best images is crucial for a successful photography website. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Quality over quantity: Including only your best images shows that you have high standards and take pride in your work. Visitors to your website will be more impressed by a smaller selection of high-quality images than a large collection of mediocre ones.
2. First impressions matter: As we mentioned earlier, creating a strong first impression is crucial. Including only your best images will help create a visually engaging homepage and make visitors want to explore your website further.
3. Less is more: A smaller selection of images can make it easier for visitors to navigate your website and find the type of photography they're interested in. It also helps you to focus on your strengths and showcase your unique style.
4. Build your brand: Including only your best images can help establish your brand and showcase your skills and style as a photographer. Visitors will remember your work and may be more likely to recommend you to others.

In summary, including only your best images is a key factor in creating a successful photography website. It shows that you take pride in your work, creates a visually engaging website, makes it easier for visitors to navigate your website, and helps you build your brand.

4. Focus on the galleries to showcase your best work.

Focusing on galleries to showcase your best work is an excellent way to organize your portfolio and make a strong impression on your website visitors. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Grouping your images by galleries allows visitors to see your work in a more organized and coherent way, making it easier for them to browse and appreciate your photography.
2. Creating galleries for different themes, subjects, or styles allows you to highlight your versatility and range as a photographer, which can be appealing to potential clients or buyers.
3. By presenting your images in galleries, you can also give them context and tell a visual story. For example, a gallery of wedding photography could include images that show the story of the day, from getting ready to the ceremony to the reception.
4. You can also use galleries to highlight your best work and showcase the type of photography that you're most passionate about or that you want to specialize in. This can help attract clients who are looking for a specific type of photography.
5. Focusing on galleries can also help you keep your website visually organized and clutter-free. Instead of overwhelming visitors with too many images on one page, you can create separate galleries that visitors can explore at their leisure.

In summary, focusing on galleries to showcase your best work is an effective way to organize your portfolio, highlight your range and versatility as a photographer, tell a visual story, and keep your website visually organized and engaging.

5. Use a blog to share your work with the world.

A blog to talk about your work can be a great way to engage with your audience, share your insights and experiences, and showcase your expertise as a photographer. Here are some reasons why:

1. Connect with your audience: A blog can be a powerful tool to connect with your audience and build a relationship with them. By sharing your thoughts and experiences, you can create a sense of familiarity and trust with your readers.
2. Showcase your expertise: Writing about your work and your process as a photographer can help showcase your expertise and knowledge. This can be particularly useful if you're looking to attract new clients or establish yourself as an authority in your field.
3. Share behind-the-scenes stories: A blog can be a great platform to share behind-the-scenes stories about your work, which can be both entertaining and informative for your readers. This can help give your photography more depth and personality.
4. Boost your website's SEO: Writing blog posts that incorporate keywords related to your photography can help boost your website's search engine optimization (SEO). This can make it easier for potential clients to find your website and your work.
5. Provide value to your readers: By sharing your insights and experiences, you can provide value to your readers and help them learn more about your work and the photography industry as a whole.

In summary, using a blog to talk about your work can be a valuable addition to your photography website. It can help you connect with your audience, showcase your expertise, share behind-the-scenes stories, boost your website's SEO, and provide value to your readers.

6. Design your site to be easily navigable and make sure it is mobile-friendly.

Keeping your website's navigation simple and ensuring that it's mobile-friendly are both important factors for a successful photography website. Here's why:

1. Simple navigation: A simple navigation menu makes it easier for visitors to find what they're looking for on your website. Having a clear and concise menu with links to your galleries, portfolio, blog, and other key sections of your website will help visitors navigate your website more efficiently.
2. Mobile-friendly design: With more and more people accessing the internet on their mobile devices, having a mobile-friendly website design is essential. A responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes will make sure that your website looks good and is easy to navigate on all devices, including smartphones and tablets.
3. Improved user experience: A simple navigation and mobile-friendly design can improve the user experience of your website visitors. If your website is easy to navigate and loads quickly on mobile devices, visitors are more likely to stay on your website longer and explore your work further.
4. Higher search engine rankings: Google considers mobile-friendliness as a factor when determining search engine rankings. A mobile-friendly website design can help improve your website's visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs), leading to more traffic and potential clients.
5. Professionalism: A well-designed, mobile-friendly website with simple navigation reflects professionalism and attention to detail, which can help build trust with potential clients and buyers.

In summary, keeping your website's navigation simple and ensuring that it's mobile-friendly are essential factors for a successful photography website. They can improve the user experience, lead to higher search engine rankings, and reflect professionalism and attention to detail.

7. Provide visitors with an easy way to contact you.

Giving visitors an easy way to get in touch is an important aspect of a successful photography website. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Encourages communication: By providing an easy way for visitors to get in touch with you, you are encouraging communication and making it more likely that potential clients or buyers will reach out to you.
2. Builds trust: When visitors can easily contact you, they are more likely to trust you and feel comfortable working with you. This can lead to more business and referrals.
3. Shows professionalism: Providing a clear and easy way to get in touch with you reflects professionalism and attention to detail. It can also help you stand out from other photographers who may not make it as easy for visitors to get in touch.
4. Helps with customer service: Having a clear and easy way for visitors to get in touch with you can also help with customer service. If a visitor has a question or concern, they can reach out to you and receive a timely response, which can lead to a better overall experience with your brand.
5. Increases conversions: By making it easy for visitors to get in touch with you, you are increasing the chances that they will convert into clients or buyers. This can ultimately lead to more business and revenue for your photography business.

In summary, giving visitors an easy way to get in touch is an important aspect of a successful photography website. It encourages communication, builds trust, shows professionalism, helps with customer service, and increases conversions. Consider including a contact form, email address, phone number, or other easy ways for visitors to reach out to you.

Professional websites, in particular portfolio sites, are powerful tools for creating a loyal audience and generating revenue from your photography business. We put together an article highlighting some of the best website builders for photographers to help you get started.