SIC 61 – How to impress clients with your website.

Do photographers need a website?

In this podcast, Johny shares his experience with FUJIFILM X-T1 and then inspires us with the first photo he took with it. We then talk about why you need to have a website and which are the best website technologies to use for photographers.

We really love the new podcast format. You can listen to the podcast while working or while walking the dog outside. We are both really excited about it.

Share - Johny’s experience with FUJIFILM X-T1
Inspire - Sunset image from a local spot in Soldier’s Point
Create - Why would a photographer needs a website?

Enjoy! Brent & Johny

In this episode:
(05:28) - Johny’s experience with FUJIFILM X-T1
(06:20) - Made a decision to go mirrorless
(12:16) - Sunset image from a local spot in Soldier’s Point
(13:45) - One thing about FUJIFILM X-T1
(17:30) – Why would a photographer needed a website?
(19:09) - Forward your domain name to somebody else’s platform (Squarespace & Smugmug)
(22:51) - People will look for you online
(24:10) - What is the purpose of having a website?
(26:21) - What kind of pages and what things you need on your website
(38:28) - Biggest benefit of a WordPress website for photographers

Episode Highlights:

Share - Johny shares about his revelation recently. He’s been lucky enough to get or loan a FUJIFILM X-T1.

• Enjoying having a small camera system
• Made a decision to go mirrorless
• Don’t be afraid to play around with a mirrorless system
• It’ll brought the spark back in my photography

Inspire – Johny shares an image that he took using the FUJIFILM X-T1 from a local spot in Soldier’s Point. This would be the first image that he took from the FUJIFILM

• Sunset with rocks on the foreground
• Nice leading line of rocks with really calm and clear water
• It wasn’t shot with a polarizer
• Slight longer exposure at F16
• All processed in Lightroom

One thing about FUJIFILM X-T1:

• You can’t go lower than 200 ISO
• If you switch it on low for about 100 ISO, it switches back to JPEG

Create – We talk about websites for photographers, why you need one ; and which technologies to use.

Why would a photographer need a website?

• You need to own a website and your own domain if you have a business.
• Don’t build a website on somebody else’s platform.
• You can forward your website to somebody else’s platform as long as it’s your own website like for example Squarespace.com.
• SmugMug.com is a great starting place for anyone who just needs the basics and getting their work up online.
• When it comes to photography business, most people when they buy something, the first place that they’ll research is online. So, they will look for you online. They will get you social media and your website.
• When they go to your website, they’ve got 6 seconds or less to be impressed by what they see.
• Only 4% of people that come to your website will return if they’re not super impressed from the first go. So, 96% will not return to your website.

What is the purpose of having a website?

• To get people to give you a call.
• To get credibility from people.
• To get people join your mailing list.

What kind of pages and what things you need on your website:

• A homepage that is impressive.
• People will know what you do.
• Put your best big work up front.
• Words that sell on what you do – Above the fold
• Doesn’t have to be fancy; no fancy slideshows; Less is more.
• The headline needs to capture your audience’s attention.
• Your contact above and below the home page.
• Call to action on every page.
• About page – should be about what you can do for your clients.

Biggest benefit of a WordPress website for photographers:

• Highly customizable with plugin