Mistakes Make Magic

004: Showit: Todd Watson – Building a Strong Online Presence and Being a Leader

October 10, 2017

I’m Catherine.
A New Orleans based wedding photographer and educator. We are excited you are here and cannot wait to connect with you!.
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Our guest on the show is the founder and CEO of the website builder, Showit! Today, Todd Watson talks about the ins and outs of the Showit website, and how it all began. Showit allows photographers to easily create beautiful and creative websites all while providing great customer service. I personally use Showit for my site and could not be happier! Throughout the show, Todd will give tips and advice for those looking to build their own website. Todd is an inspiring leader to his Showit team and I’m so excited for you guys to listen along!

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS PODCAST:

  • Where did the idea of Showit begin?
  • What is Showit 5?
  • What makes Showit stand out from other sites?
  • What are some mistakes to learn from?
  • How important is mobile site building?
  • What are some pieces of advice for photographers building a site?
  • How have websites changed over the years?
  • What are some tips for leaders in a company?
  • How important is it to connect with others?


SHOWIT:

In 2016, Showit 5 was launched. The biggest difference between this version and the previous versions, is the integration of WordPress. As many as 28% of creatives use the site, WordPress, for their blogs. Rather than creating their own blog platform, they decided to partner with WordPress. Showit 5 now offers the option to host a WordPress blog within a Showit website.
What differentiates Showit from other website builders is their drag and drop feature! This feature is great for photographers and creatives because it feels a little more like Photoshop and you can get the exact creative look you are hoping for. The drag and drop feature makes the website building process much easier because you can create your own website, rather than being limited to only using a template.

MOBILE SITE BUILDING:
In today’s world, more and more people are using their mobile devices to visit websites. Understanding when people look at a site on their phone, their priorities might be different than if they were viewing on a desktop. (Typically in mobile, a potential client is just looking for the quickest way to contact you.) As a result, it is best to make sure your mobile site is easy to navigate and allows the visitor to see exactly what they are looking for on your site. Customizing a mobile site to better connect with people is very important!

WEBSITE ADVISE FOR CREATIVES:
I don’t think anyone has seen as many photographers’ and creatives’ websites as Todd has. Throughout the years, he has learned what creatives should and should not add to their sites.
– The first mistake he notices is when someone does not have a photo of themselves in their “About Me” page.
– Todd even recommends adding a short video clip of you working so that the customer can visualize the same experience for themselves if they were to hire you.
– Another mistake is when a photographer or creative does not declare where they live.
This is a big deal to say where you are located for customers to know.
– Lastly, sometimes people add too many images on a homepage. It is more powerful for the photographer to choose fewer photos that display your best work.

HOW WEB DESIGN HAS CHANGED:
More than ever before, mobile devices are being used to browse websites. When people use their mobile device, they are very used to scrolling. Knowing this, it is important to cater to this feature by picking things that will stand out to someone as they are scrolling through. While pages on a site are great for more in depth content, people now avoid clicking and prefer to just easily scroll through. Realizing that mobile devices are used more frequently should change how you design your website (or at least the mobile version of it)!

ON BEING A LEADER:
Dave Ramsey says, “A leader is a lid.” Todd thinks it is so important to read, to listen and to continue to learn more every day about growing a business. As a leader, he tries to challenge and better his team through these vehicles (some of his favorite books are in the links listed below!) Another piece of advice from Todd is to have people in your life who care about your success and want to see you succeed, but also will hold you accountable. Having those people in your life who you can share everything with, whether it is business, fitness or family, will allow you to check in and follow through with your goals.

CONNECTING WITH OTHERS:
Showit is big on connecting with people. They even created the United Conference, which is held each Fall. This conference provides the perfect opportunity for people with similar visions and passions to come together and connect. Most people leave the conference having met people who are on the same journey as themselves; some even walk way with lifelong friendships! If you are a photographer looking to create with other inspiring industry creatives, definitely consider attending the event!

LINKS REFERENCED:
Entreleadership by Dave Ramsey
The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni
The Power of the Other by John Preston
United Conference: November 5-8, 2017

CONNECTING:
Website: Showit.co

SPONSORS:
Showit – User-Friendly Web Design Platform: Use code MAGIC for 10% off your subscription!
Black River Imaging High Quality Online Print Site: Use code MAGIC for 20% off your order!

If you enjoy the content that we are putting out here at Mistakes Make Magic, please take just a few minutes to SUBSCRIBE to the podcast and leave a review! We appreciate and value you!!

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