Are you guilty of any of these website mistakes? Here’s how to fix those problems TODAY!

1) Have your contact info instantly accessible

Everyone has a contact page. BUT, you need to have your email address, phone number, and social links on your HOMEPAGE or even better, the FOOTER of your entire website so that someone can connect with you and your social channels in less than 5 seconds.

If your contact form has mandatory wedding questions on it, be sure to separately list your email address. Nothing is more irritating then trying to send an album of wedding photos to a florist, and I can’t contact them without inputting my “wedding date” and “venue”. Don’t ignore the other people trying to contact you – press, fans, photographers, and people trying to do you favors or give you MONEY!

2) Write an about page that makes you proud

If you could substitute your name on your about page and the copy could apply to someone else, you’re missing something HUGE. Speak in the first person, not third, and make sure to include minimum THREE unique facts about yourself. This could be your story, favorite things, family, etc. Make sure that a client could tell someone three unique things about you and your personality before ever meeting you.

3) Give your clients a clue about pricing

Imagine you’re shopping for a new couch. You’re looking online and found an AMAZING, adorable sofa. But the price isn’t listed ANYWHERE… on any of the products! Not even a ballpark. However, there’s another great sofa online that DOES… buying that couch is much easier than sending the company an email and waiting for an answer, just to find out it may be out of your budget in the first place. Frustrating, right!? Lesson: ALWAYS INCLUDE A PRICE POINT. I’m not a fan of listing your complete collections, but you should want to make your prospective clients’ lives easier by including a section on what to expect when it comes to pricing. This can be phrased as “Most couples invest $X for their wedding day” or “Portrait collections start at $X” In turn, you’re saving time answering emails to people who’s budgets are way off from your prices in the first place. Win win!

4) Go mobile, ditch the Flash player

If your website is Flash based or not mobile optimized, remedy that immediately. The numbers don’t lie – when I look at my analytics, 50% or more visits to my website are on mobile. If your website is looking less-than-perfect on tablets and phones, you’re missing out on impressing clients! Switch to a website platform with integrated optimization, like Squarespace or Showit.

5) Fix slow load time

Let’s admit it, we really do have short attention spans. Artists have very image-heavy sites, which slow down load time. Remember to always downsize images before uploading them. Check your site’s load time on free websites like GT Metrix or Pingdom – and they’ll even give you suggestions on how to improve!

Let’s banish the bad website – and set yourself up for success!

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