Beatriz Perez - New Trends for a Successful Online Portfolio in 2021

Beatriz Perez

New Trends for a Successful Online Portfolio in 2021

Social media has an enormous power to attract and seduce audiences. For example, a professional and well-curated Instagram account gives visitors a snapshot of you and your work in three seconds, and first impressions matter. The online portfolio has evolved with time and it follows new trends that will set you up for success.

There is more competition now, but there are more opportunities too. To generate traction, you need to have a great digital presence and this starts with a clear, well-structured, functional and effective website.

So, what is the role and relevance of having a photography website today?

The answer is simple: discoverability, client list and monetisation (to name a few). In order to benefit from these, you need to have an active website that works for you.

Traditionally, photographers’ websites functioned mainly as static online portfolios, showcasing photographic work, skills, and achievements. Today’s market is filled with fierce competition and photographers have to fight for attention in this over-saturated digital world.

The website is the digital ‘shop’ of your business, it shows professionalism, sets you apart from amateur or hobbyists, and shows you are ready for business.

Know Your Audience

The first and most important consideration is not to design your website to impress or compete with your peers, but with your ideal client in mind. Who is your target audience? Galleries? Curators? Collectors? Brands? Editors? These considerations are important to define not only the look and feel, but also the content of your website.

Choose Quality Over Quantity

Less is more.

The strength of your portfolio is not in the quantity but in the quality of the images. Editing down and sequencing your work is key. Being critical and showcasing only your best work is a must.

I know from experience that this is easier said than done - so ask a peer to help you with this and be open-minded.

Start Blogging

Sometimes, great images are not enough, the use of text is equally as important and most online portfolios meet the bare minimum.

Wired.com estimates that more than 80% of the activities we do online are text-based. Content is key and when used effectively, can help convert visitors into potential clients. The easiest way for photographers to add content to their websites is to start blogging.

A blog boosts your visibility online, drives traffic to your website and helps you establish yourself as an expert in your field of photography. And Google pays for your traffic. The blog has to be optimized with keywords, have an effective SEO approach (being ‘searchable’) and updated regularly.

Make It Personal

Another section where you must add text is the ‘About’ page, the second most visited page of any website (after your ‘Home’ page). This is a golden opportunity to tell your story and share your message. It helps to connect with your audience on a more personal level. This is paramount in today’s era of transparency and authenticity.

Avoid the pitfalls of using your ‘About’ page purely as a CV or a contact page. Your website should of course include a CV and a personal statement. But people connect to people. Write in first person and show your personality! Demonstrate competency, character and qualifications by including social proof. This is not bragging about yourself. It’s about letting others do the talking for you.

Client and peer testimonials, photography awards, media and commercial logos tick the ‘trust’ box in clients’ minds. These are powerful marketing and sales tools. If you are starting up and haven’t got any yet, you can use extracts from reputable industry reports, client surveys or quotes.

The World – It Is Different for All (Ekaterina Elikstratova 2019)

Build a Mailing List

Driving traffic to your website and keeping audiences engaged in your beautiful portfolio is half the job. The other half is to capture these visitors and start building a solid mailing list.

This can be the livelihood of your photography business and email, is a more stable platform. You can do this effectively using a lead magnet to give free value content in exchange for sign-ups.

For example, an e-book, how-to-guide, checklist, discount voucher, free webinar, etc. Also make sure your contact details are pinned to the website footer, so they are accessible and easy to find at all times and that the links to your email and social media profiles work.

Add Calls to Action (CTAs)

Once you have captured some leads, you need to work on converting those leads into potential clients/buyers using Calls to Action (CTAs) that could lead to a sale. These could be Transitional CTAs like ‘Learn More’, ‘Contact Me’ or direct CTAs like ‘Buy Now’.

This goes hand in hand with the E-commerce functionality. A digital ‘shop’ where you can sell and upsell your photography products and/or services directly to your clients. This gives you an opportunity to connect, build trust and provide a more personalised service that in turn will bring you more client recommendations!

As photographers, we are also entrepreneurs, and we need to start thinking as a business. Your website, blog and social media channels provide opportunities to showcase your creative and business skills. The end game is to bring your audience ‘home’, into your mailing list and ‘shop’ because - your website matters.

Is your photography website on brand and set up for success?

Challenge accepted!