For a photographer, a website can be a make or break tool/resource for your business.
Your website is your portfolio. It’s where people find you and where they make the decision whether or not to hire you. You want it to be informative, beautiful, and a time saver (rather than a money sucker! 😅)
I’ve gone through several websites. My very first site was a custom flash website that cost several thousand dollars. Clearly, flash is outdated now.🤦🏼♀️ But the experience taught me two things:
- Custom websites can be very expensive.
- When you go with a custom site through a designer, if you’re not using the right software, you’ll have to ALSO pay them hourly to make updates… and that’s exactly what happened to me.
I went from that flash website to the software I use now: Showit.
I absolutely LOVE Showit because it’s affordable, easy to use, and beautiful. Let’s break down exactly why Showit is the best website builder for photographers! If you’d like to try Showit, you can use the code MAGIC for 10% off at sign up!*
*We do receive a small commission if you sign up with our affiliate code, but I only recommend services and products I absolutely love!
Versatile & Free Templates
When my husband was building his architecture website and my dad was building his financial advisor website, I found it AMAZING that Showit could accommodate them both. Showit started as the best website builder for photographers… and yet they provide options for anyone!
Additionally, other than a monthly subscription cost, they provide free templates that are easy to use. You get the basics like a portfolio page, about page, contact page, and more – and I was able to help both my husband and dad build out their websites within a day or two!
Robust Templates
If you feel like you’re further in your career and want a more robust template, you need to check out two websites:
Both websites have beautiful templates with varied options for photographers. They have created templates that show off your photos, have a variety of different styles, and can show off your photographer personality.
Ease of Use
Showit is extremely easy to use… so easy that I learned to use the entire platform in TWO DAYS!
I had a background in architecture so I had an understanding of software. But if you have no experience, it’s pretty similar to Canva. It’s mostly drag and drop!
If you’re working with a designer who is helping you with your website, it’s definitely a platform that will allow you to hop in and make edits. But if you’re designing your own website, you can do that yourself within Showit!
There is an entire help section that will assist you, but the templates themselves are drag and drop. I’ve tried Wix, Squarespace, and more… Showit is BY FAR the easiest website builder.
Ease of Updates
When I had my first custom website created for me, I had to pay a designer hourly to make updates. It was incredibly cumbersome and expensive.
With Showit, even if you work with a designer who builds the site out for you, it’s still super easy to hop in yourself and update:
- Text
- Colors
- Images
- Layouts
- And more!
You don’t have to have any knowledge of coding or website design – it’s that user-friendly!
(fun fact: I was in the webpage club when I was growing up, but I assure you that you don’t need that background to work in Showit 😉)
Limitless Pages
There is no limit on how many pages you can create on your website. Once I had my template in place, I was able to add as many pages as I wanted.
Not every page would be visible on your main menu bar. For example, you might want to build out a pricing page that’s not on the main menu. Or, you could build out a separate side of your website (like a family portraits page separate from your wedding photography pages).
For me personally, I worked with Krista Jones to build out most of our website. Once that custom site was built, I was able to go in, make adjustments, and build out the limitless pages as needed. It was so convenient and easy! 🙌🏼
Pricing
This is something we’re always thinking about as business owners. Things can get expensive and add up quickly! 💵
When I’m working with a wedding photographer as a mentor, building a website is at the top of the list. As we already talked about, your website is your portfolio. Your clients will make investment decisions using the images and copy on your websites – it’s that important!
But that doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune on it.
And thankfully, Showit is very affordable! You can check out their pricing here, and you can save 10% with the affiliate code* MAGIC.
When it comes to investing in your website, there are many options. You can do a full-blown custom site (which can cost thousands), OR you can work with someone like Showit and build out using a template for less money.
I’m here to tell you there are beautiful, professional templates out there. I truly believe you can have an amazing website and book high-end, luxury clients with those templates – WITHOUT hiring a custom designer.
Company Leadership
Part of what makes Showit such a successful company is that it starts with great leadership. The owner, Todd, is a wonderful person who I’ve had the privilege of interviewing. I spoke at their conference, Showit United, and got a feel for what they’re about: they’re an open community who started their business with a photographer focus.
Many of the templates and features they’ve designed have been specific to our industry. There’s many web design options out there, but this one was created with photographers in mind, which is SO cool!
Incredible Support
When you start building out your website and you have a question, you will have access to a very thorough frequently asked questions section with answers and videos. Then, if you still having issues, you can reach out to their customer service through an online chat. They’ll go into the backend of your website, look at what’s going on, and diagnose the problem right on the spot. 🖥️
We ran into an issue a few weeks ago when my website was down. Within Showit, there’s an emergency website line you can reach out to… and within MINUTES, they helped me get my website back online.
This is huge. If a client goes to your website and it’s offline, that’s a massive opportunity missed. Having people there to guide you and welcome you in your business is so important – more so than I ever realized when I first started out.
Showit: The Best Website Builder for Photographers
Trust me when I say I’ve spent ALL the money and done all the things when it comes to what works well for the business. There are so many options out there… and I learned Showit truly is the best.
Whether you’re just starting out or you’re experienced and looking to refine and tweak things, Showit is the best website builder for photographers!
**Don’t forget to use the code magic to save 10% on your site subscription!**
Your Next Steps
After you’ve found the best website builder for photographers, you need to make sure the pricing on your website is solid. Do you ever struggle to price your products? Do you use other people’s pricing without really being sure WHY or if those prices are right for you? 😓
I created my Pricing Guide to help you:
- Understand the WHY behind your base prices
- Decide what to charge for your photography
- Cover your expenses to remain profitable and sustainable
Check it out below ⤵️
