Time to Clean Up Your Online Galleries?

by Skip Cohen

Wrapping up the week, I always try and hit you with something to think about over the weekend. I try and keep it simple with a suggestion to focus on one unique aspect of your business. Here's an easy one - let's clean up your galleries.

Several times over the last few weeks, I've been looking at the galleries of different photographers while I had them on the phone. Each time they've apologized for their galleries and website being outdated. This is such an easy fix; it all starts with your mindset. Remember, procrastination is NOT a marketing strategy!

• If it's not your best work, DON'T SHOW IT!
• If it's an image anybody's Uncle Harry could have captured...again, DON'T SHOW IT!
• Limit the number of images you share. For most of you, there's no need to go beyond 8-10 spectacular photographs per gallery/topic. This is all about quality, NOT quantity.
• Set up your galleries and show logical connections to each topic. For example, a wedding photographer who not only photographs weddings and events but has an interest in building tabletop product/commercial work is in trouble if both types of work are on the same website.The target audiences are two utterly different buying groups. An ad agency looking for a commercial shooter will go right by wedding images if they hit those first.
• Keep your galleries diverse in showing different techniques and your skillset.
• Don't be a filter-junkie! You know if it's a bad image to start...all the filters in the world won't necessarily save it. Years ago, I was on a podcast in the Panasonic booth, and we were talking about fine art photography and people who overdid it with filters. My comment? "You can't buff a turd!" While we all laughed, a few weeks later, somebody sent me the link to a Mythbusters episode on YouTube showing that you can buff a turd!

• Don't bury your galleries in your website. Your galleries should be the first thing people see when they visit your site. Your About section should be your next tab, and then everything else. Your galleries hook the potential client into wanting to learn more about you.
• Check your load times - don't let a slow website stall potential business.​

Here's the bottom line - Your home page and galleries are the two most valuable pieces of cyberspace real estate you own! Don't waste the opportunity for new clients when somebody walks by and looks in the "window!" It's all about the experience of visiting your business and liking what they see.