PhotoBiz Magazine // Spring 2017

VOLUME ONE // SPRING 2017 

MAGAZINE 

PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS, IDEAS, AND INSPIRATION. LET’S GROW!

introduction 

contents 

Best of Blogs 

Spring is here and birds are chirping. Trees are budding. 

Evidence of growth is all around. Shouldn’t the same be 

true for your business? 

But why blog? Why make a magazine? Why bother? 

Well, the reason why we write, send our experts out to speak 

at events, and invest so much time and energy into our clients 

is for two very simple reasons. First, it’s because we love you. 

Second, it’s because nothing makes us happier than to see our 

photographers totally killing it with their business. 

At PhotoBiz we want to help make your business better. 

Healthier. Stronger. Better looking. Your WHOLE business, 

too. Not just the part that lives on the interwebs. 

I want to tell you the story about how we got started, because 

not many people have heard this story, and it’s really cool! 

13 years ago, PhotoBiz began as a two-person team selling 

websites door to door. We made all kinds of websites – for bakers, 

doctors, lawyers… but when we got our first photographer, we 

fell in love. They wanted cooler designs, better proofing, and 

more tools. We fell hard for the creativity and the drive that 

photographers have. No other website offered what they needed, 

and we were inspired to make the absolute best platform 

for photographers. 

Sure we make neat websites, and we could have stopped there. 

But we’re invested in the entire life cycle of a photographer’s 

business. To that end, we doubled down on education and 

encouraging smart business practices. Not only online, but in the 

real world, too. 

We write because we care about sharing our knowledge. 

Alex, our SEO dude, writes articles because he simply loves SEO. 

John is passionate about support and wants to help you use your 

tools more effectively. And I just like to hear myself talk. (Kidding J) 

To make this magazine, we took our best and most popular articles 

for GROWTH and put them all into a lovely little book for you. 

We know you’ll find at least a kernel of inspiration in them to 

improve and grow your photography business this year. 

So cheers to you, and cheers to spring! Let’s all get out there 

and be the very best we can be. We believe in you. Keep being 

awesome. And as always, thank you sincerely for reading. 

XOXO, 

Holly 

4. Rock Your Mini Sessions 

No Goof-Ups on Mini-Session Day 

8. Blogging 101 

How to Get More Readers 

10. Better Landing Pages 

To Hook More Customers 

12. Is Wordpress Best for SEO? 

It’s A Popular Rumor 

14. Turn 1 Client Into 100 

With Proofing Galleries 

16. Blogging for SEO 

Use This Template 

20. New Client Experience 

Onboarding with PhotoBiz 

22. Why Your Logo Matters 

Is It Time For An Upgrade? 

24. Beyond SEO 

7 Steps to Optimize Your Website 

28. Facebook Is Not Your Website 

Why You Need A Website 

02 PHOTOBIZ MAGAZINE 

Holly at PhotoBiz 

Marketing & Content Strategist 

hollyh@photobiz.com

mini sessions 

ROCK YOUR MINI-SESSIONS 

Written by HOLLY H. 

Offering mini-sessions is a fast way to make a lot of sales – 

especially in the spring and holiday seasons. But planning 

a successful event can be complicated! Between booking 

new clients, marketing your event, taking payments, and 

making sure a full day of shooting runs smoothly, it’s easy to 

feel overwhelmed. 

But take heart! We have some advice that will carry you 

through your mini-sessions and beyond. 

Streamline Bookings: 

Register Mini-Sessions Online 

Reliable booking is key to making sure there are no 

goof-ups on mini-session day. And online booking makes 

registration super easy. 

Good news if you’re a PhotoBiz client: you already have 

the power to book clients inside your website. 

If your site is set up for Ecommerce, there’s a feature 

called Registrations that will handle booking, payment 

and scheduling for you. 

Don’t have a shopping cart? We’ve still got you covered. 

Use your Form Builder to make a Session Booking form that 

includes your dates and shooting times. Make sure to capture 

your client’s name, address and email. You can even have 

them sign a model release and pay their deposit in one place. 

It’s free to take payments online, and it’s convenient to 

get everything out of the way beforehand. That way 

you’re not juggling checks and your ledger while you’re 

supposed to be shooting. 

Prep Clients for Speedy Sessions 

Mini-sessions are all about speed. The faster you shoot, the 

more sessions you can fit into your day. One way to make 

sure everything runs on schedule is to prep your clients 

before their mini-sessions. 

You could do a phone consultation… or you could send them 

everything they need to know once they register. 

Your website lets you automatically send registered clients 

everything they need to know to have a successful shoot. 

What time to get there. Where to park. What to wear. A list 

of mini-session packages and products. 

You can even follow up with a little “thank-you” message 

through the Conversations tool. That way, they’ll have an 

easy way to ask questions and you can get to know your 

new clients before the shoot. 

The better prepared your clients are, the easier you can 

take and sell great photos! 

Marketing & Promotion 

Ready to start booking sessions? First, make a quick 

landing page or blog about your upcoming session. Put 

in lovely sample images, let people know the theme, and 

include a link to your registration form. 

Next, post a link with a good-looking graphic to your social 

media profiles. This not only allows people to register their 

sessions, but it also drives more traffic to your website 

(excellent for SEO). 

Now you can take that landing page and email it to past 

customers and new leads. Your PhotoBiz website allows 

you to send 100 free marketing emails each month (with 

the option to send more), so you can entice customers to 

come back and buy again. 

04 PHOTOBIZ MAGAZINE

mini sessions 

Planning Your Next Season 

Once mini-session day is over, it’s time to start thinking about what comes next. 

When marketing your business, it’s never too early to start thinking about your 

next move! 

So how can this mini-session add more value to your business? For starters, you 

now have a built-in lead list for when it’s time to book your next event. 

Everyone who registered is automatically saved in your website’s contact list. So 

when winter sessions roll around, you can just fire off a quick email. You can also 

offer special deals or items for returning customers. 

And a simple “thank you” message right after your event goes a long way to keep 

you top of mind as your client’s chosen photographer. 

Use the Conversations tool to send branded, personalized messages to your 

clients online. Call your customer by name, mention how much you enjoyed the 

last session, and invite them back. Mention a returning client gift if you want to 

offer one. 

Even small touches like this can turn a casual customer into a client for life. The 

more value and care you put into your interactions, the more your customers will 

fall in love with your brand and ensure that they come back again and again, year 

after year. 


logging 101 

BLOGGING 101 

How to Get More Readers 


You have a fantastic blog. And your readers are out there… 

but sometimes they just need a little nudge. 

If you’re not impressed by your numbers, it’s time to take 

a look at your content and promotion. By optimizing your 

content and making it more accessible to your potential 

fans, you’ll notice a boost – fast. 

Write What Readers Want to Read 

Seems like a no-brainer, but the best thing you can be 

is helpful to your readers. Whether that’s keeping them 

abreast of industry news, sharing tips & tricks, or keeping 

them flush with cool new photos, make sure you excite 

readers with the kind of content they want to read. 

In the beginning, try lots of different topics and angles. 

Then start analyzing which ideas stick and which fall flat. 

Once you know what your audience is reading, you can 

develop a content plan that will maximize clicks and shares. 

Write Baller Headlines 

Your article may be the best you’ve ever written, but so 

much depends on its headline – especially if it’s found 

on search or social media. Here are some quick tips for 

creating an irresistible headline: 

08 PHOTOBIZ MAGAZINE 

As a general rule, your headline should be about 6 words 

long, or about 55 characters. (That’s also about the length 

that shows up in search engine results.) 

If possible, frame your post as a How To, List, or Question. 

• How To Write An Irresistible Headline 

• 5 Secrets To Writing Irresistible Headlines 

• Does Your Headline Fly Or Flop? 

Use powerful, emotional words. Don’t be afraid to promise 

that your article is the BEST or to challenge a reader. 

• 5 Best Headlines For Blogs 

• Top 5 Headlines You’d Never Think Of Using 

• Knockout Headlines Your Customers HAVE To Read 

Our best performing blogs are framed as HOW-TOs and 

LISTS – and they all focus on topics that are really helpful to 

our readers. If you’re looking to attract more local clients, 

include your location in your headline, too. (It’s great for SEO.) 

Update Regularly 

An irregular blog is a dead blog. Consistency is key for 

maintaining a strong following. When people know that 

you update regularly, they’ll stop by more often to read. 

Search engines also reward websites that update 

often with more favorable rankings, so you’ll appear 

higher in search results. In addition, your customers will 

know that you’re active and will view you as an authority 

(which is good for sales). 

So, how often should you update? There’s no magic 

formula, but we recommend at least once a week. If you 

can post three times a week – go for it! What matters is 

that you pick a schedule that works for you and stick to it. 

Set the expectation with your readers and follow through! 

A good strategy for staying consistent is to build up a 

bank of posts when you have time to blog, then schedule 

them out. This will help cover the times when you’re just 

too busy to write. 

Cross-Promote on Social Media 

Use your social capital to pull in more readers. When you publish an 

exciting blog, share it on social media to encourage more of your 

followers to read it. 

If it’s particularly interesting, your reading public can share the post to 

their own network, giving you even more visibility. (This is where having 

an uber-clickable headline is really important.) 

If your blog references other people (like when you’re posting about a 

session), TAG THEM in the post. They’ll more than likely share it, too, 

which could double or triple your reach. 

Offer a Subscription 

Hand deliver your blogs by letting your biggest fans subscribe to your 

newsletter. Here’s how: 

• Create a Form that allows people to add their email to your list. 

• Tag the Form #blog, so subscribers are automatically added 

to your blog list. 

• Add the Form on your blog so you can start collecting emails. 

• Create an Email template and link to your new articles. 

(You can do this easily with your free Email Marketing Tool.) 

• Send the Email to your #blog list. 

Voila! Now your blog is in your reader’s inbox. 

Remember: write helpful articles, title them well, update often, promote 

online, and let people subscribe for updates. 

If you follow these steps, you should start seeing better traffic and 

higher engagement on your own blog.

landing pages 

BETTER LANDING PAGES 

To Hook More Customers 


Let’s talk about Landing Pages. What are they? How do I 

make one? How can they help my sales, promotions and 

lead generation? 

Well, let’s think through it: When you send an email or 

promote your offerings on social media, what happens 

after the first click? 

Obviously, they head to your website to buy, 

submit their info, or register for a session. But consider 

user experience. How closely does the page they land 

on match the information they expect to see? Is the 

transition jarring? Does the page naturally flow from offer 

to completion? 

You can help improve visitor confidence and secure more 

successful conversions by tailoring the landing page they see 

to the information they expect. Custom landing pages are 

vital for successful promotions, sales and event registrations. 

Good landing pages let visitors immediately know they’re 

in the right place and lead them to the next step. 

The more focused your offer, the better. Instead of dumping 

visitors on your homepage or online store, you can lead 

them to a single offer, lay out its benefits, and close with a 

strong call to action. 

One way to easily raise your conversion rates is to make it 

so your customer has to click as little as possible. 

Every time we force a client to click, you typically see a 30- 

50% drop off for each click. The answer? Streamline your 

messaging so users can complete their request quickly 

and easily. It can be the difference between a campaign 

that succeeds and one that gets lost in the shuffle. 

So how can you use landing pages to collect leads, 

close sales, and register for sessions? Let’s take a look at 

some examples of how to make all kinds of easy, focused 

landing pages. 

Landing Pages For Sales 

Selling something special? Several somethings? I am! It’s 

50% off for a limited time. But how do I get the word out? 

I could put a banner on my website... but only folks who 

already visit my site and read it will know. I want to bring 

new customers to my site. And I’d like to make the page 

look really special so visitors will know this is a big deal. 

Let’s start by building a quick landing page for my sale. In 

the Marketing tool, I can select a template to customize. 

Then, all I have to do is drop in my images, words and 

branding elements. 

Once I have a page I like, I can easily share it to Facebook. 

Even better, I can send the page straight to the people 

most likely to buy – my current clients and interested leads. 

I can track who clicks and completes the sale using 

built-in analytics. The landing page will also be indexed 

by Google, so even more customers can find it through 

organic search. 

Landing Pages For Lead Generation 

Having a steady stream of new leads coming in is the best way to keep your 

sales engine fully gassed. 

There are many ways to snag new leads. You can run a contest and promote 

it on social media. You can offer your visitors a treat for signing up for your 

newsletter. You can get current customers to refer a friend. 

The goal is to get email addresses of NEW customers so you can contact 

them later. Make a cool page and include a form, so new subscribers will 

automatically be added to your contact list. And if you #tag that form, you can 

send a follow-up email later. 

Landing Pages For Registration 

Mini-Sessions are a great way to score some serious business during the 

holidays when your adoring public is most ready to spend coin. 

Many people don’t know they can book mini-sessions with a professional 

photographer, and instead turn to big-box mall photographers to get their 

few snaps. 

Let’s make the pitch with a shareable registration landing page that 

breaks down your offerings and shows off your work. Include some 

choice photos and a link to your registration page or form. Share on 

social or via email to let your biggest fans know they can get a slice of your time 

for cheap. 

How are you using landing pages? Can you think of a clever way to sell, get 

sessions or more leads? You can build as many free landing pages as you want 

in your PhotoBiz Marketing panel. So go nuts! 


est for SEO 

IS WORDPRESS BEST 

FOR SEO? 


We got a great question from a reader who heard that 

WordPress is best for SEO. 

This is something we also hear from time to time – it’s 

a popular rumor! Somehow people believe that by just 

having a WordPress site they will be rewarded with higher 

search rankings. 

What a cool world that would be, right? Just like magic, you 

can convince Google to show your site more than your 

competitors – through no work of your own! 

Well, I’m here to tell you that just isn’t so. SEO is not magic, 

and the platform you use has little to no impact on how 

your website ranks in search engines. 

How Do Search Engines Rank Websites? 

Search engines have refined their algorithms to favor sites 

that serve up the most useful and interesting content. This 

means Google considers the quality of the information 

you publish as the most important factor for SEO. 

Beyond having rich and useful content, search engines also 

consider your site’s metadata, the number of links to your 

website, your navigation, traffic, and mobile-friendliness. 

There is nothing in Google’s ranking algorithm that 

checks if a site is WordPress, Drupal, or hand-coded 

in HTML. 

Websites are websites, what matters is what’s on ‘em. 

No, WordPress Doesn’t Automatically 

Give You a Boost in SEO 

Now, there are good plugins for WordPress that you can 

install that will help you configure your SEO. 

But that’s not an example of “WordPress being great 

for SEO.” It’s an example of you doing more work to 

get your WordPress template ready to POTENTIALLY 

optimize your SEO. It’s not automatic. And it’s not 

exactly easy. 

You still have to use the tools in a smart, controlled way. 

WordPress or Yoast isn’t going to hold your hand or do it 

for you. 

But you know who will help? 

This Guy. (His Name’s Alex.) 

The key difference between WordPress and PhotoBiz is the level of 

help you get. 

WordPress leaves you on your own with a thick manual. We give you 

access to Google Certified Experts who can help you optimize your 

site’s content and achieve the highest ranking possible. 

Your PhotoBiz site also already has automatic SEO features built right 

in to publish your sitemap and generate meta titles, descriptions, and 

keywords based on your content. And if you want to fine-tune your 

metadata, you can do so by clicking the “SEO” button on each page. 

We wish you luck fine-tuning your site! And remember, if you ever 

need some advice on writing killer SEO content, we are here to help! 

Check out the Growth Hub (blog.photobiz.com) for tips on how to 

improve your SEO, search ranking, and customer traffic. And if you 

want a BIG hand getting your SEO just right, Alex offers an SEO 

Kickstart program that will fine-tune your pages, metadata, and 

content strategy. 

Want to know more about SEO? 

Give us a call at 1-866-463-7620. 


proofing 

TURN 1 CLIENT INTO 100 

With Proofing Galleries 


We love tools that do double duty. Ones that not only work, 

but work with your other tools to improve your business. 

Take proofing, for instance. It’s easy to find a proofing tool 

that does the job. But many are standalone tools that don’t 

integrate with anything else. They don’t connect with your 

website. They don’t include a way for clients to communicate 

with you. And they don’t have networking features to get 

you more new customers. 

A disconnected proofing solution is a dead-end that doesn’t 

add to your lead generation strategy. That got us thinking: 

could there be a better way to proof photos that actually 

improves your business? 

That’s where PhotoBiz Proofing is different. We designed 

our proofing platform to work even harder and reach 

beyond the clients you already have. It comes free with 

every website and links up your galleries to the rest of your 

online presence – including social media and your blog. 

This method works threefold, and it all comes down 

to networking. 

First, we create galleries that your clients can share on 

social media. That way the people who care most about 

your clients will see your amazing work. 

Second, we save the contact info of anyone who views the 

gallery. You get new users on your website AND you also 

get their emails for later. 

This all comes back to the third piece of the puzzle: marketing. 

When the time comes to drum up new business, you can 

leverage this ready-made list of contacts who already know 

and love your work. 

When all of your tools work together, you have the ability 

to find a wealth of new customers from each of your current 

clients, even at the end of their individual sales cycle. 

Social Proof: Networking In Action 

Every customer has friends and family. Each customer is 

linked to hundreds of potential new clients on social media 

and beyond. 

When you finish up a session, consider sharing your gallery 

to Facebook, Twitter, or wherever you connect online. 

“Had a blast photographing @KarenSmith and her 

beautiful family! Such a lovely afternoon in the park, and 

what great photos. So much personality…” 

Your post will include a sample photo and a link to the 

gallery. Your followers will see the post… and because you’ve 

tagged your client, all of THEIR friends will see it, too. 

From here, your proofing gallery ripples out through 

Karen’s social web. Even though you don’t personally know 

them, your post will reach all of Karen’s friends and family 

members. Naturally, they’ll like the post and visit the gallery 

to like pictures of Karen’s beautiful family. 

Whenever someone likes a photo, downloads an image, 

shares the gallery, or leaves a comment, their email is 

captured. Now all of Karen’s friends are potential new clients 

who are ooh-ing and ahh-ing over your awesome shots. 

This kind of social proof is the best kind of advertisement you can get. If someone is looking 

for a photographer, they’ll trust a friend or family member’s recommendation over a 

stranger’s review every time. 

Now that you have a list of Karen’s friends, you can target them with special offers or 

marketing messages that leverage your shared connection. 

“Thank you for taking a look at Karen’s gallery! I offer a 20% discount to friends & family of 

my clients. So if you need a good photographer, I’d be happy to help your family get some 

awesome shots, too!” 

Send a quick message in the marketing app, or as an individual chat with Conversations. 

The contact will get a lovely, branded email that looks like it was made just for them. They’ll 

appreciate the effort, and because you worked with their friend, they’ll be more inclined to 

book their own session. 

Give this strategy a try and see if you notice an uptick in likes, shares, and social interaction. 

With an integrated proofing strategy, you can translate those extra clicks into new business, 

and your proofing gallery can turn one client into hundreds. 


logging for SEO 

BLOGGING FOR SEO 

Use This Template! 

Written by ALEX C. 

As an SEO Specialist and Consultant, I can’t stress enough 

how important Blogging is for your website – especially for 

photographers and small business owners. It’s one of the 

best ways to connect with new clients, raise awareness about 

what you offer, share what you’ve been up to, and promote 

seasonal options or specials. 

However, as a person with a full-time job and other 

responsibilities, I know how hard it can be to start a 

blog from scratch and to update it consistently. That’s 

why I want to share with you a template that I use all the 

time for blogs that will make both potential clients and 

Google happy. 

#1: Blog Title 

A blog’s title is your hook: it’s meant to be both informative 

and compelling all at once. If you don’t spend time thinking 

through a title that will captivate your audience, your blog 

article will fall flat. 

Remember three things when developing your title: keep 

it simple, keep it informative, and keep it relevant. If your 

blog article is about Senior Photography, stick to the topic. 

You can mention your wedding and family services in 

separate blog posts. 

#2: The Opening Sentence 

You’ve used that great headline to grab a user’s attention 

from your site, social media, or email. Now what? Well, 

they’re here because something you said or showcased 

piqued their interest. The first sentence or two should 

accurately describe that something. 

For instance: If this is a blog article about a Senior Session 

with Sarah in Bicentennial Park of Sydney and there was 

something serendipitous (ok, enough alliteration) about 

this particular client, the opening sentence is a great place 

to put it. 

“Today’s Senior Photography Session with Sarah in 

Bicentennial Park in Sydney was great! She’s such a natural, 

and I loved working with her!” 

By creating this informative opening sentence, you’ve given 

readers a short and interesting description of exactly what 

they came for. You’ve also included keywords in your 

text by referencing the location and type of photography 

(something that makes Google happy). 

#3: Images 

So if this Senior Session with Sarah in Sydney 

is what captivated users to read to your blog, 

it’s safe to assume that their primary reason for 

visiting your site is to see pictures! 

Moderation is key here: we don’t want to make 

the user feel slighted, but we don’t want them 

to feel like they’ll be scrolling for days, either. 

Not only that, but if you have too many images, 

it may create loading time issues for users with a 

slow internet connection (we’re looking at you, 

mobile phone users!) 

Depending on the story you’re looking to tell 

with the blog article, I recommend no less 

than 4 images and no more than 20 images 

per blog article. 

#4: Additional Content/Text 

After your title, opening sentence, and initial 

image, you can begin to flesh out the rest of 

your blog post. You can create your blog by 

using blocks of content and images. The order 

is up to you! 

For Example: 

• Pictures, Content 

• Content, Pictures 

• Pictures, Content, Pictures, Content 

• Content, Pictures, Content… 

You get the point. 

Again, moderation is key: there will be posts 

that require minimal text, and others that need 

more. Don’t bloat your post with extra words just 

because you think it will make Google happy. 

At the same time, don’t leave readers feeling 

lost or confused by writing too little. The goal 

is to engage readers throughout the entire 

post, from beginning to end. To do that, simply 

remain on-topic and don’t ramble. 

At a minimum, your posts should be no shorter 

than 1-2 paragraphs, with 3-5 sentences apiece. 

This will ensure that your blog post has enough 

text to keep readers engaged, as well as 

provide complete metadata to search engines. 


logging for SEO 

#5: The Call To Action 

At the end of the day, your blog is for your business. If used effectively, it can and should be 

generating leads for you. This requires a shift in thinking about the people reading your blog. 

The typical reader that stumbles on your post from Facebook, Google Search, word-ofmouth, 

etc. is here for entertainment. It’s your job to help a casual visitor think, “Hmm, I might 

actually want to hire this person.” How can you do that? With a call to action. 

A call to action is a direct instruction or request for the reader to do something specific. In 

this situation, the request could be “Check out more related articles!” or “Contact me about 

booking your own session.” 

To do this, you’ll want to place a link or button at the end of your post that invites users 

to learn more. There should also be an opportunity to contact you directly from the blog 

article – either with an embedded form, your phone number & email, or a link to your 

Contact form (preferable). 

Final Thoughts 

A few final thoughts on optimizing your posts: 

Spell-check your blog before posting them! Remember that your blog represents your 

brand, your business, and you professionally. Make sure there are no grammatical, spelling, 

or other types of errors. 

Do not rant! Remember that this blog is visible to everyone. Therefore, bad-talking other 

businesses, brands, clients, etc. is a big “no-no” as this can hurt your potential for future 

business. 

Consistency is key. The only thing that’s worse than not having a blog is having a blog 

that you update bi-annually. 

Share, share, share! No one just “sees” your blog article once you post it. It’s up to you 

to get the word out about this post through social media, email blast, word of mouth, etc. 

If you want to discuss blog strategy, how it relates 

to SEO, or your SEO in general, contact our Support 

Team and ask about our SEO Kickstart service. 


new clients 

You might be thinking, ”I’m not a web designer, and I 

don’t have any technical expertise.” This is exactly why we 

have a Welcome Team. 

NEW CLIENT EXPERIENCE 

Onboarding with PhotoBiz 

Written by CARRIE H. 

Setting up a new account with a company is typically pretty 

boring and “hands-off.” Just sign up and click a button to 

buy. No human interaction whatsoever. 

But what about after that first purchase? 

Did I really set up my account in the best way? Am I 

using all of the tools included in what I pay for? How would 

I know? 

We like to do things a little differently here at PhotoBiz. 

Because of this, we have a special team of Brand Consultants 

who are dedicated to helping new clients get their websites 

launched. Around here, we call them our “Welcome Team.” 

You may recognize them as Sarah, Blake, and Jeffrey. 

Our Welcome Team will introduce themselves to you 

soon after you sign up. They’ll learn about your business, 

challenges and goals. Then, they’ll help you build 

your website. 

We know that as a small business owner, it’s not 

realistic to learn a whole new set of skills in order to 

build a website. 

We want you to lean on us as if we were actually on your 

payroll. No other company does this. 

We work with small businesses every day, and each one is 

a little different. This is why our websites come with flexible 

tools like online contracts, proofing and email marketing. 

We give you the opportunity to try new things to help drive 

your business. 

Beyond the initial launch of your site and the interaction 

with our Welcome Team, we have a whole staff of experts 

that love showing business owners how to try something 

new – and you can call us anytime. 

This kind of help really streamlines the whole website 

building process, helping clients launch in nearly half the 

time of purely “do-it-yourself” web design. 

Passionate Support is what sets us apart from other 

providers, some of whom you can’t even call if you try. Our 

clients rave about the service they receive, and nothing 

makes us happier. 

You’ll provide your images, content, and logo, and we’ll 

help you put it together so you can go live ASAP. And 

after your site goes live, the rest of our Web Consulting 

Team will always be on hand to offer additional assistance 

and advice. 


your logo 

WHY YOUR LOGO MATTERS 


Your logo is the face of your brand, and it speaks volumes 

about your business. But sadly, so many companies settle 

for a mediocre logo. Or worse — none at all! 

Whether because of time or cost, many small business 

owners are so eager to get their business up and running 

that they settle for a “first” logo, thinking that having 

something is better than nothing. But is it? 

Your Logo Makes a Statement About 

the Quality of Your Business 

A slapdash logo can be a warning to consumers, signaling 

that you have no eye for design or that you are OK with 

sub-par work. Even worse, potential customers may think 

that the products and services you offer are of poor quality. 

Not the message you want to send. 

A well-designed logo makes customers feel at ease with 

your brand. It says that you care about quality and are willing 

to invest in your business to ensure its success. It says that 

they can trust in you and the quality of your work. 

So How Do You Know Your Logo is 

on Target? 

Ask yourself: “Would I wear it on a T-shirt?” If the answer 

is no, keep looking. 

Your logo will be on your website, on business cards, on 

the side of your building, on company cars – and yes – 

maybe even on a t-shirt. If you can’t stand looking at it 

every day, reconsider your choice. 

The goal is to get a logo you’d want as a tattoo. One that 

will stand the test of time and that you’ll still look at fondly 

20 years from now. 

The Shape and Color of Your 

Logo Matters 

Sometimes it’s obvious what your logo should look like. A 

landscaping company would be right at home in green and 

brown. The Society for Zebra Preservation will likely have a 

white-and-black motif. An apple farm’s logo might include – 

shocker – an apple. Seems pretty straightforward, but 

sometimes companies go off the rails. 

Take Airbnb’s squishy pink logo. Would you feel the same 

way about the company if they replaced their logo with 

something more like this? (See above.) 

One represents a comfy place to sleep. The other 

represents the glory of the Klingon Empire. 

We’re guessing you wouldn’t. 

The shapes, angles and curves of logos have been studied 

by brand researchers and scientists alike. What have they 

learned? Well, a lot of things. For example, round shapes 

make people feel comfortable, while angular shapes 

indicate that a product or company is more durable (but 

less empathetic). 

In addition to shape, your logo’s colors matter, too. 

Green is soothing and sincere, while red is energizing and 

powerful. Blue is stable and reliable. Pink cues femininity. 

Different colors communicate different things to consumers 

about your brand and your level of service. Your logo needs 

to send the right signals. 

But aren’t logos expensive? (Nope.) 

When professional design comes up, the next thought 

is often the cost. Big design firms can charge into the 

thousands for a professional logo, but that’s not the rule. 

PhotoBiz offers custom logo design for just $250. You 

can’t beat that deal with a stick. 

I could go on and on about our world-class designers and 

how they capture your brand with unique, hand-designed 

logos. But suffice it to say that if you’re looking to revamp 

your business image, you should at least take a glance 

at your logo. If it’s not thrilling you, it may be time for 

an upgrade. 


eyond SEO 

BEYOND SEO 

7 Steps to Optimize Your Website 


We sometimes get calls from clients who are concerned 

that their sites aren’t performing as well as they like, and 

their first thought is usually SEO. While some sites could 

use a little SEO love, there are usually other issues that are 

driving customers away. 

Perhaps a website is hard to navigate. Maybe the content 

is unfocused. Sometimes it’s impossible to find the 

contact page! 

Let’s take a look at the most common website pitfalls and 

how to correct them. With a few tweaks, you can attract 

better customers and sell more products and services. 

Clean Up Your Navigation 

Your website’s navigation is like a road map. Not only 

should all roads lead to “Contact Me,” there should be as 

little clutter as possible to distract a visitor along the way. 

Try to limit your navigation to only a handful of 

top-level links. 

• Start with Home 

• Give a little info About yourself 

• Provide compelling examples of your Work 

• Share your Investment page or any Products for sale 

• Link to your Blog 

• Then ask visitors to Contact you 

People like to start at the left and click down the line. In this 

way, we lead the visitor through your story in a logical way 

and end with a final request to contact you. 

Another way to declutter your top navigation is to use 

List or Marquee Plus pages. 

Long drop-down menus can get cumbersome and cover up 

important information. Instead, consider linking to a page 

that provides a portal to your different galleries or products. 

It’s cleaner and provides a better experience than trusting a 

user to navigate a drop-down menu. 

Build A Solid Homepage 

Make sure that a visitor knows everything they need to know 

about your business EVEN IF they only see your homepage. 

Show a few choice images that reflect your bread and butter 

work. (Or the work you’d most like to attract!) Include a little 

information about your business, including your location and 

service area. Then end with a strong call to action to contact 

you – or better yet, embed a contact form right on the page. 

Fine Tune Your Galleries 

Huge numbers of photos can overwhelm visitors and 

cause long loading times. Statistically, visitors only view 

the first 10 or so images in a gallery. We recommend 

limiting your galleries to about 20 images each. 

In addition to making sure your galleries are the right 

size, you’ll need to add new images regularly. This is for 

three reasons: 

You’ll Give Repeat Visitors Incentive to Act 

A prospect can visit your site multiple times before 

they make up their mind to book a session. Giving the 

appearance that you’re busy churning out amazing 

photos will help clients feel that you’re in high demand – 

and that they should act now! 

You’ll Avoid Looking Out-of-Date 

The second your work starts to look dated, you’ll lose 

visitors who are looking for an active, modern photographer. 

Cull any photos that look “old” (clothing and hair styles 

included). 

You’ll Draw in New Visitors 

Google loves it when you update your site. This is partly 

why regular blogging is so effective for SEO. In addition 

to getting Google points, you can promote major updates 

on social media and drive visitors to your site to check out 

your amazing new galleries. 

So if you can’t decide between your reams of images, 

don’t despair! Keep in mind that you can (and should!) 

change up galleries every few months to keep content 

fresh and exciting. 


eyond SEO 

Strong Calls To Action – Make Sure All 

Roads Lead To “Contact Me” 

You never want a visitor to feel like there is no “next step.” 

A page that just ends is a dead end. So always take the 

opportunity to ask customers to contact you, book or buy 

whenever it seems appropriate. 

Strong calls to action are personal, to the point, and 

urgent. The best ones also let customers know what 

benefit they get once they click. 

“Secure Your Session Before They’re Gone” 

“Get Your Personal Quote Now” 

“Give Them Boudoir Photos They’ll Treasure Forever” 

That kind of thing. 

Take A Close Look At Your Style 

Maintaining a consistent, modern look to your site makes 

you more attractive as a photographer. 

Take a look at your fonts. Are they easy to read? Do they 

clash with the background? Test your site on multiple 

browsers and devices to make sure your site looks good 

across many platforms – you never know which one your 

visitors will use. 

Also, take a look at your template and layout to make 

sure it’s fresh. Change is hard, but we try to make 

it as easy as possible to stay on the crest of current 

design trends. 

Focus On Your Bread And Butter 

Most photographers do more than one kind of photography. 

But what is your bread and butter? What pays the bills? 

What do you want to do most? 

A website that features many kinds of photography can 

struggle, because both visitors and search engines often 

wind up confused. 

So what can you do? 

Separate your industries. At a minimum, group your 

photography types and examples into their own pages 

and galleries. Make sure your homepage clearly 

expresses your bread and butter industry. That will help 

to draw in your preferred audience and keep things tidy 

on your site. 

Update Your Blog! 

We love blogging! It adds relevant searchable text to your site, engages readers, and 

provides heaps of shareable material for you to use on social media. 

An active blog lets visitors know that you, too, are active, and is a great place to post about 

your recent work. 

Post about your recent sessions, promote sales or specials, and share your experience and 

insight with the world. You’ll add credibility to your brand and bring in even more visitors 

through search than your website can do on its own. 

With these tips in mind, go forth and give your website a second look. See if you can find 

any dead-ends you can fix or galleries you can refresh. By making a few changes, you could 

see a major change in your website engagement. 

Website woes? Give us a call and 

we’ll be glad to take a look. We are here 

to help you grow and succeed! 


facebook 

Your website also has a much larger footprint. You can 

include dozens of pages, each with the potential to 

show up in search results. So when a customer searches 

“Jacksonville Photographers,” your beefed-up site will 

win over Facebook every time. 

FACEBOOK IS NOT 

YOUR WEBSITE 

Written by MITCH W. 

Facebook is a powerful tool and you should use it to 

promote your business. In fact, Facebook is ideal for: 

• Announcing sales 

• Building an audience 

• Sharing blogs and images 

• Giving day-to-day updates 

But it only goes so far. Social media is just that – social. 

It’s a tool for chatting with clients and sharing photos. It is 

not for running your whole business. 

You need a dedicated web presence to present yourself as 

a professional who cares about your business. And there 

are many ways your website represents you better than 

Facebook alone. 

Reaching the Largest Network 

Facebook isn’t going to reach your entire market the way 

search engines will. This is for a couple of reasons. 

First, not everyone is on Facebook. Your website, however, 

is indexed by Google and Bing. That means you’re not 

just reaching Facebook’s audience, you’re reaching the 

entire world via search. 

Last, your website is permanent. On Facebook, new 

content pushes down old posts. Things get lost in the 

shuffle. On a website you control, nothing is going to just 

change without you knowing… and you’re not competing 

for attention with random dog videos! 

Building Your Brand 

A beautiful website can solidify your brand, embody your 

style and showcase your work like no Facebook page 

ever could. 

You have almost no control over the way your Facebook 

page looks and behaves. You’re locked into Facebook’s 

design with little room for personalization. 

Your website allows you the freedom to design a space that 

puts your best foot forward and caters directly to your clients. 

Flexible Form and Function 

Facebook’s functionality is limited and changes without 

warning. You may spend hours building your Facebook 

page, only to have them launch an update that wipes out 

your hard work. 

Your own website is flexible and customizable. You’re not 

beholden to the whims of an external platform. 

Plus, your own website offers tools your Facebook page 

never will. You can collect and save customer information 

more effectively and sell products or services right on 

your site. 

Tracking Your Visits 

Facebook provides limited information about who visits your page and what they interact 

with. When you install (free!) Google Analytics on your website, you can track detailed 

information about your visitors and your site’s performance. 

The insights you get here go leagues beyond what Facebook offers. Armed with this 

information, you’ll know what areas of your business get the most attention and where 

you need to focus more energy. 

“When I see a photographer who just has a 

Facebook page, I just have to stop them 

and say, ‘A Facebook page is not a website!’” 

– Sarah Petty, Pro Photographer 


facebook 

“Get a website. Make it beautiful. Then go 

do what you do: Run your business.” 

– Sarah Petty, Pro Photographer 

Quality & Credibility 

Your website is on your business cards and on all your marketing materials. If you only 

have a Facebook page you can come off as someone who is not established in your field 

or that you’re a beginner who hasn’t had time to build a proper website yet. 

A real business domain name gives customers confidence in your business. It says that 

you care about your business and you’re successful at what you do. That you’re willing to 

invest time, energy and at least a little money representing yourself online. 

But most importantly, a professional website gives buyers confidence that the products 

and services you deliver will be of equally high quality. 

Always Lead Customers Back To Your Website 

Your Facebook page is an important tool for promoting yourself. But your website should 

be the door through which all business is funneled. 

Every post on social media and all offline marketing should point back to your website. 

The more traffic you can drive to your site, the better it will perform in search. And every 

page on your site should provide a road map to “Contact Me” or “Buy Now.” 

Because no matter how many likes you have on Facebook, nothing is better at converting 

visitors into clients than a professional website on your own domain. 


photobiz stories 

The team at PhotoBiz 

The PhotoBiz team 

sets them apart from 

has made all 

any other website 

the difference in 

company. They have 

my business. 

the *best* customer 

I constantly get 

service of any company 

compliments, and 

I’ve worked with... ever, 

my SEO traffic 

not just photography 

has gone up 

related. 

considerably. 

JENN LEWIS 

of Jenn Lewis 

Photography 

CRAIG 

LAMERE 

of Moz Studios 

–Jenn Lewis 

SARAH 

PETTY of Sarah 

Petty Photography 

SHAWN LEE 

of Shawn Lee 

Studios 

–Zara Ashby 

Jenn’s Story: Jenn 

loves bringing out 

the personality 

of high school seniors 

with custom Senior Experience sessions. 

Her standout portrait & headshot work has 

made her one of the area’s most in-demand 

Craig’s Story: 

When he was 

39, Craig 

bought his first 

camera – a Canon Rebel. “It was like buying 

a lottery ticket and winning the whole pot. 

Life Changer.” Since then, Craig has grown 

INTERESTED 

IN A PHOTOBIZ 

WEBSITE? 

Sarah’s Story: 

Sarah Petty is 

one of the most 

profitable children’s 

photographers in the country. And it’s no 

wonder. With a solid background in marketing, 

she grew her Springfield, IL studio around a 

Shawn’s Story: 

Shawn Lee is 

a powerhouse. 

And when you meet 

him, you just get it. His passion and charisma 

can fill up a room & are obvious in everything 

he does. His inspiration and drive helped him 

INTERESTED 

IN A PHOTOBIZ 

WEBSITE? 

photographers, earning her a coveted spot 

to be a top talent in his field; traveling, 

boutique business model: to give her clients 

become one of the most accomplished and 

shooting for a professional acting studio & 

speaking, teaching, and (best of all) shooting 

an incredible experience and heirloom-quality 

recognized photographers and “do-ers” in 

talent agency. Jenn also teaches on how 

gorgeous and often ethereal portraits. Did he 

artwork. With her marketing background, 

the country today. In 2007, Shawn came 

to run successful senior model programs & 

improve in-person sales techniques. One of 

do it alone? Heck no. Craig doesn’t know the 

first thing about web design or SEO. So how 

VISIT 

Sarah knew she needed a killer website. But 

she didn’t want to spend time hemming and 

to Photobiz looking for a new website and 

logo… and never looked back. 

VISIT 

her favorite things about the photography 

industry is building great relationships with 

photographers, vendors, and clients. 

did a startup photographer in Idaho come to 

be internationally recognized? 

www.photobiz.com 

OR CALL 

hawing over the endless details that go into 

design – so she turned to PhotoBiz. 

www.photobiz.com 

OR CALL 

1-866-463-7620 

1-866-463-7620 

Read more about Jenn & Craig at STORIES.PHOTOBIZ.COM 

Read more about Sarah & Shawn at STORIES.PHOTOBIZ.COM 


INTERESTED IN A 

PHOTOBIZ WEBSITE? 

visit www.photobiz.com 

or call 1-866-463-7620 

TEMPLATES • PROOFING • BLOGS 

INVOICING • FORMS • EMAIL MARKETING 

CONTACTS • SEO • SUPPORT

PhotoBiz Magazine // Spring 2017

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