The Website Checklist Every Photographer Needs in 2025

Fact: Your website is either booking clients while you sleep or sending them straight to another photographer.

There’s no in-between.

If inquiries feel slow, or you’re constantly getting ghosted, your website might be working against you instead of for you. The good news? A few key upgrades can make all the difference.

This checklist will help you spot the weak points in your site and fix them so that your website isn’t just a digital placeholder, but a client-booking machine.

Homepage: Make a Strong First Impression

Your Website Headline Should Be Clear and Specific

Within seconds, visitors should know who you are, where you are and what you do.

Your website needs to grab attention immediately. Visitors form an opinion about your site in just 50 milliseconds, and 94% of those first impressions are design-related (Artimedia Pro).

That means if your homepage isn’t clear, engaging, and easy to navigate, potential clients are bouncing before they even see your work.

Your Homepage Should Match Your Brand

Your website should instantly communicate your style, personality, and ideal client. From colors to fonts to messaging, everything should feel cohesive and aligned with your brand. A strong photography site is, despite what photographers want to think, about more than just the photos.

A few things to check:

• Does your homepage feel like you? Your brand’s personality should shine through, whether that’s modern and bold or soft and romantic.
• Are your colors and fonts consistent? If your logo and buttons scream high-end luxury but your fonts look casual, it sends mixed signals.
• Is your messaging clear and client-focused? Your website should immediately tell potential clients what you do and why you’re the right fit for them.

BONUS TIP: I highly recommend reading the book Building A Storybrand by Donald Miller. The StoryBrand framework is a proven process to help you create a website that speaks to your ideal clients. I guarantee it will have you looking at your messaging in a whole new way!

Make Booking Easy

Your call-to-action (CTA) should be visible and clickable within the first scroll. If they have to search for it, you’re losing business. Remember that people need to be told what to do next.

Avoid These Common Homepage Mistakes

• A homepage slideshow with no clear CTA.
• Overly vague messaging that makes visitors guess what you specialize in.
• Talking too much about yourself, and not enough about your clients.

Portfolio: Show What You Want to Book

Curate Your Best Work

Your portfolio should highlight the work you want more of. If it’s not a style you want to shoot again, don’t include it. If you’re trying to book luxury maternity sessions but your portfolio still features that one newborn swaddled in an oversized crochet dinosaur hat, it’s time for a refresh.

Show the work that reflects your brand and attracts the right clients: the ones who won’t show up with a Pinterest board full of chaotic requests.

Organize by Category

Make it easy for potential clients to browse by separating sections (e.g., weddings, newborns, families).

I’ve seen so may photographers do a generic “portrait” gallery, or mix in newborn photos with cake smash photos. Your clients are looking for one thing – make it easy for them to see it!

Optimize for Speed

Large, uncompressed files will slow your site down and hurt your SEO. Resize and optimize images before uploading.

Yes, Showit will do some optimization for you, but you should absolutely not be uploading full res images. For me personally, I only use images resized to 1500 pixels on the long side. That size works well for everything except full opacity background images.

→ JpegMini and ShortPixel are both great options for photographers.

Mistakes to Avoid in Your Portfolio

• Having too many images – stick to 20-30 standout shots per category.
• Displaying inconsistent editing styles.
• Forgetting to add descriptions for SEO benefits.

About Page: It’s Not About You (Well, Not Just About You)

Your About page isn’t a biography, it’s a connection point. Yes, clients want to know who you are, but more importantly, they want to know why you’re the right photographer for them.

Make It About THEM, Not Just You

Think of it this way – No one’s clicking on your About page thinking, ‘I hope I get to read an autobiography today.’ They’re thinking: “Is this the photographer I want to work with? Do they get me?”

Instead of a long-winded backstory, focus on who you serve and how you make their experience amazing.

What to Include

• A friendly, professional photo – Clients like to see the person behind the brand.
• A short, engaging intro – “I’m [Your Name], and I [what you do] for [who you serve].” Simple and effective.
• A relatable personal touch – Just enough to make you memorable (your coffee addiction, love for Star Wars, etc.).
• Why clients love working with you – Show them what sets you apart.

What to Avoid

• Your entire life story – Keep it short and client-focused.
• Too much industry jargon – Clients don’t care about your gear; they care about their experience.

Bottom line? Your About page should make clients think, “Yes, this is my person.”
If it’s all about you, you’re missing the point.

Pricing & Packages: Be Transparent (Because Mystery Isn’t Luxury)

Photographers, let’s get something straight: not showing prices isn’t “luxury.” It’s just annoying. (#sorrynotsorry) I’ve seen way too many “Pricing” or “Investment” pages that don’t actually have any numbers on them. Just vague, poetic fluff like:

• “Your memories are priceless.”
• “Photography is an investment in your legacy.”
• “Custom quotes available upon request.”

Clients Need to Know Where the Wallet Burn Begins

As photographers, we love to think that stunning images are all it takes to book clients. But here’s the reality: People need to know if they can afford you before they get too emotionally attached.

Imagine walking into a boutique, picking up a gorgeous bag, falling in love with it – only to flip the tag over and find out it costs $12,000. Gut punch, right?

Yes, people will spend on things that they value. They will save until they have enough for that Disney trip or that Coach purse or that incredible 40×50 Italian cotton canvas portrait of their family… but they can’t do that blind.

Your clients don’t want that experience. They need a baseline.

If you don’t tell them where your pricing starts, they’re either:

• Bouncing to a photographer who does list prices.
• Assuming you’re way out of budget and never reaching out.
• Wasting your time with lowball inquiries that go nowhere.

What to Include on Your Pricing Page

• Starting Prices – Give them a “Sessions start at…” number so they know if they’re in the ballpark.
• What’s Included – Outline exactly what they get at each price point. Transparency builds trust.
• Payment Plans or Deposits – If you offer flexibility, mention it! It can help convert hesitant clients.
• A Call to Action – Guide them to book a consult or contact you.

Pricing Page Mistakes That Cost You Clients

• Listing zero numbers – If a client has to email you just to figure out if they can afford you, many won’t bother.
• Making them dig for info – Your pricing should be clear and easy to find.
• Using too much fluff – Clients want to feel something when they see your images, but they also need hard facts about cost.

Your dream clients? They’re out there ready to book. Make it easy for them by showing them where to start.

Contact Page: Keep It Simple

Your contact page is like the front door to your business – don’t make clients feel like they need a secret password or a treasure map to get in! This page is the end goal of your website: to get them to reach out to you so that you can seal the deal before they get distracted by TikTok, their kid’s third snack request, or that ‘urgent’ email they suddenly remembered at 2 AM.

Keep It Simple

• Make it easy to find. If your Contact Page is hidden in a dropdown menu or buried at the bottom of your site, clients will assume reaching you is just as difficult.
• Only ask for essential details. Name, email, phone number, event date, and message. Maybe a quick “How did you hear about me?” for good measure. But let’s be honest – you don’t need their entire life story before the first date.

Speed Matters

The faster you respond, the higher your chances of booking. The average first reply to contact form leads is over 17 hours (Leadferno). If you can get back to inquiries sooner, you’ll already be ahead of the competition.

Does this mean you need to answer that email at 2am or in the middle of your kids softball game? Absolutely not! But be clean about when clients can expect to hear back from you.

Set Expectations

• Tell them what happens next. Clients feel more confident reaching out when they know what to expect. Let them know when they’ll hear back from you and what the next step is.

A simple “You’ll hear back from me within 48 business hours” is all you need if responding at all hours of the day and night just isn’t your jam.

Bottom line? If your Contact Page is a hassle, potential clients will move on. Keep it short, clear, and easy to use, and you’ll have more inquiries turning into actual bookings.

Mobile & SEO: Your Website’s Silent Sales Team

Make Sure Your Website Works on Mobile

Make sure your mobile menu works. If people can’t easily tap around, they’re gone. Check that your navigation is clear, functional, and thumb-friendly.

Did you know that more than half of all web traffic comes from mobile devices? Currently 63.38% worldwide (Exploding Topics). In the U.S., mobile traffic makes up about 47.64% of total web visits (Oberlo). Go check your Google Analytics and see how your stats compare!

If your site isn’t easy to navigate on a phone, you’re losing potential clients before they even reach your portfolio.

Showit gives you full control over the mobile design. Unlike other platforms, Showit lets you design your mobile site independently from the desktop version. That means you can create a seamless, on-brand experience without relying on auto-generated layouts. (Because my OCD could NEVER…)

Your mobile site can be just as polished and user-friendly as your desktop version, exactly how you want it.

SEO: Speak to Humans, Not Google

Fact: Google’s ranking algorithm isn’t looking for how many times you can say “Atlanta Wedding Photographer” in a single paragraph. Don’t be that person.

• No keyword stuffing. Seriously, just don’t do it. You don’t have to say “Atlanta” 47 times to rank for “Atlanta Wedding Photographer.” In fact, Google hates that.
• Write for real people. Google rewards relevant content that actually answers a searcher’s question. If your site provides valuable info, you’ll rank higher naturally.
• Prove you’re an expert. Google wants to show users trusted, authoritative sources. So be sure to share knowledge (not just about photography, but the the local industry for your specialty) and position yourself as the go-to photographer in your niche.
• Keep it fresh. Regularly updating your site with new content (like blog posts) helps with rankings.

Bottom line? SEO isn’t about tricking Google – it’s about proving you’re an authority in your field and the best choice for the searcher’s intent. Write like a human, provide value, and let the rankings follow.

Does Your Website Check All the Boxes?

If you went through this checklist and realized your website is missing key elements, it’s time for an upgrade! I highly recommend checking out the Fuel Your Photos Facebook group for legit, no-nonsense, non-shady SEO and website advice. To take it a step further, I will boldly say that his SEO course is one of the best investments I’ve ever made in my business!

Too many people today claim to be an “SEO Pro,” but Corey actually is one.

Or, if the thought of reworking your website makes you want to rage quit the internet, let’s talk. I design custom websites for photographers that don’t just look good – they book dream clients and grow your business.