Starting a Photography Business: Part 5 – Starting the Website Design

Now I’ve found a reliable web designer I’m turning my attention towards how I want the site to look.  I was having a wonderful time looking at different photographers’ websites and seeing how beautiful they were, my mind was set, I was going to have a stunning splash page, you know the type, where the first page you see is a full screen changing image of a beautiful photo.  Yes, this was how my site would start, one big decision made, I was going to showcase my work in the best way possible.

Step into the picture one professional web designer, I was so pleased with myself, I’d been searching for ages as to how I wanted the site to look, I sent off an email to let him know I’d got it sorted, a splash page for me please!  Oh, so quickly my hopes and dreams were dashed.  I’d let myself be seduced by these sites completely forgetting the training in the book Get into Bed with Google, which the web designer gently pointed out.  If I solely had one of my beautiful images on the first page with no writing I’d just said goodbye to a search engine ever being able to find my site and list it like it should.

I’d like to say I was mature about this and simply accepted it; I’m afraid though my ego was put out as I’d set my heart on it, ‘What no chance to showcase my work in such an attention grabbing way?’  I was a bit like a child again well she’s done it so why can’t I?  Logic, pure logic won the day & I went away to stamp my feet and stick out my lower lip in solitude!  Now though I’m eternally grateful to www.smartdecat.co.uk (who incidentally I receive no commission from for mentioning them), they could have done as I asked and not said a word, I’d have been happy for ooh at least a month until the search engines didn’t list me and then I’d have had to start the design all over again.

So whilst I was busy starting a new search for homepage ideas my web designer guided me towards companies like Marks & Spencer & Amazon, companies that spend huge amounts of money on researching what works best for a site.  Ooh did I hear you take a sharp intake of breath then?  It’s okay, I did too when it was suggested, (silently of course as I thought I might have used up my allotted foot stamping allowance on the flash page!).

I didn’t want it to be an in your face commercial site like Amazon, and I was still having that internal dialogue with myself right up until yesterday when I came across the umpteenth photography site I’ve seen that suggested that they sold their work but how to actually order it was a virtual mystery.  I felt the frustration rising inside me at trying to locate a buy option and decided then and there this is not going to be an issue on my site.

So no, I’m not going to have an ecommerce site with big flashing stickers everywhere, I am though whilst showcasing my work in the best possible way going to make it abundantly clear these photos are for sale and then make it easy for the customer to get from the homepage to the till showing the product options available, framing, print, canvas all on one page so it’s as simple a process as I can make it.

After all, I am wanting to sell my pictures & make money, and I can be a lazy online shopper sometimes, if I have to go searching too hard I tend to leave the site.  I’m so grateful that I never went with a web company that simply supplies the templates for a monthly fee without any input as look at all the mistakes I would have made, and these are just the major ones, www.smartedecat.com have pointed out several other smaller ones along the way but they all add up.

It’s amazing how much there is to think about in the design, and how it’s easy to let your pride suck you in to what you want you rather than what’s best.  There are the site colours, gallery layouts the design of which I’m still deciding on followed by the keywords for each page, making sure you can fit them in without the script sounding silly, to list just a few.  So the design process is still ongoing, but it’s fun now and as I continue with the site build I’ll share more titbits with you.

Before sending this to print I let the web designer have a read through and he felt I just needed to explain some of the points more thoroughly, so rather than try and sum up his thoughts, I will hand over to Alistair who has kindly taken the time to write the notes for us.

Notes

• Being flash might not be all it’s made up to be! While flash can be expensive to have developed it has to be said when done right it can be a visually wonderful thing. The down side is using flash means a search engine cannot use it, it can slow down the speed the page is shown to your users, it can be distracting from the main page content and if the flash includes links some disabled users may have difficulties in using the site meaning your site will not be disabled discrimination act compliant..

• Splash pages might make you drown. They are visually appealing but for an ecommerce site it’s like placing a closed door in front of a user.  Ok you want to show off and why not!  You have something of value to sell and you’re proud of your company.  Splash pages while a dying breed are still easily found on the internet and to be truthful can look stunning, yet in the same breath you would not spend a day creating the most perfect window dressing to only close the curtains on it and expect your clients to open the curtain to see behind.  With millions if not billions of sites and competitors out there why make your potential clients click an extra link just to get to your home page?

• Your site is for your clients – not you! While of course it goes without saying your site is yours and you need to put your stamp on it always keep in mind a simple thing; you’re not the one buying from it, your clients are, so make it count, make it simple, make it easy and make it enjoyable for them.  So when you come up with a way to do something or an idea take a look at some big corporate companies that are as close to your business as you can. Do they do something similar to your idea?  If not why not?  They spend thousands if not millions on image, advertisement and working out the best way to do something.

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Ruth Bayley

Living in the beautiful rural county of Yorkshire it was perhaps natural for Ruth to have an affinity with the countryside and its wildlife. Creativity is Ruth’s driving force finding an outlet in television & radio she worked for many years as producer for BBC & ITV.

However a love of photography and for being surrounded by nature called her to go back to her photography training and bring pleasure and joy to people through her connection with our planet.

Staying in the moment when taking her images allows her to experience the natural magnificence unfolding before her eyes. It is this moment of mediation, of gratitude, that she evocatively conveys through her images.

www.healingwithphotography.co.uk