If you’ve been in the industry of selling photos online for quite a long time, then you should already know that there are a lot of free platforms where you can post your photos and put them up for sale. However, when your business becomes bigger and bigger, you can’t expect these platforms to grow with you. That’s when you need a website.

According to Blue Corona, 30% of small business owners, including photographer-entrepreneurs, say that keeping up with technological advances is a major concern. True enough, building a website will not be easy. However, it can be the best investment you can make in your career.

Before you make a website, though, make sure that you heed the following advice:

1. Study competitors’ websites.

There are a lot of high-quality websites run by individual or group photographers. Each of these websites has a unique layout and design. Studying them might give you an idea of how you want your own website to look. You can see the best photographer websites here.

2. Find your “why”.

Why are you building your own website? Do you want a platform that will showcase and sell photos online? Do need to improve your online presence? Do want to have a place to share your thoughts about your experiences as a photographer?

You need to be able to answer the question and believe in it. Otherwise, you will not be able to find the motivation to pursue the project. You might even end up only losing money.

3. Have a clear goal.

Try to list all the things you want to include on your website– blogs, photo gallery, news, contact page, etc. Once you’re done, think about your budget and expertise. How much are you willing to spend in building your website? Can you build the website yourself or do you need professional help?

Also, try to map how much revenue you can raise with the help of your website. If you think that it will not significantly change the number of sales you’re making at the moment, then you can simply stick to using social media and online photo selling platform as the primary ways of selling your photos. However, a  good and updated website can always help in bringing more sales.

4. Decide for whom your website is.

Before you can create your layout and design, you need to be able to clearly identify your target audience. Your content will also depend on your target customers’ interests.

5. Choose your own personality.

You’ll notice that all big photography websites have a unique personality. You must find yours, too. Do you want your photographs to be thoughtful, whimsical, or upbeat? Make sure that you reflect this choice in  your web layout and design, and content.

Conclusion

Now that you have a good understanding of exactly how to prepare for the creation of your website, you can proceed to the last step– doing it. Building a website takes time and effort. However, once you’ve started it, make sure that you finish it.