Photographers love their cameras. Lately, the industry is seeing just how much photographers love their websites.
Every day more photographers are moving to WordPress as the application driving their websites. However, not every photographer enjoys setting their website up or the maintenance that goes with it.
In this article, you are going to see 4 effortless lessons for WordPress and photography.
Aesthetics
A photographer’s website needs to be beautiful. That’s the truth. Think about what a customer is looking for. He or she will be on a photographer’s website to see a stunning portfolio. It should be easy to find the portfolio, and when found, it must be big, vibrant and work well on desktops and mobile. The best way to make sure that happens is to find the perfect WordPress portfolio theme for your business. There are so many to pick from.
Function
As you’re browsing for a WordPress theme, read up on each that you’re considering. Make sure that the theme you pick has integrated gallery management. As a photographer, you have to more time with your camera and less time with your website. With easy gallery management, you can easily upload, organize and display your portfolio. A great example of a WordPress theme with gallery management is the Photocrati theme. There are many gallery styles to choose from, with sizing and customizing for each.
Sales
Selling is important for a photographer’s business. Having the ability to sell prints directly from the website means more generated revenue. If the WordPress theme has built-in e-commerce functionality that is great, but having the e-commerce linked to the gallery management system is ideal.
Extras
One of the biggest advantages of using WordPress as the platform behind a website, is the ability to use plugins to increase a website’s functionality. For instance, if a photographer wants to use a WordPress theme not specific to photography, but still wants a gallery management system, he or she can use the NextGEN Gallery plugin. If a photographer needs SEO functionality, he or she can try WordPress SEO plugins.
If you’re looking for social sharing, the DiggDigg plugin is fantastic. Or how about an easy way to integration Google Analytics? Try Google Analytics for WordPress. For easy booking of clients, try Booking Calendar. A list like this can go on for days. The important thing to do is make a list of all the important features that your photography website should have. Then search the WordPress plugin directory for keywords related to the list. Check out reviews, ratings and screenshots to see if the plugins are right for you.
In Closing
In this article I shared 4 effortless things you can do for WordPress and photography. I shared the importance of aesthetics and the use of a well thought out WordPress theme for photographers. I shared function by way of a gallery managements system so photographers can keep photographing. I also shared the importance of sales by way of an e-commerce system for photographers to sell prints to their clients. Last, but not least I shared the important of extra WordPress plugins to further increase functionality of a website.
The 4 lessons should be absorbed differently by every photographers. That is a good thing, because no business should be identical. Find WordPress themes and plugins that separate you from your competitors.
