CHAPTER 8
Personalise and Keep Your Website Current
Table of Contents
A successful photography website is never truly “finished.” Just as your photography style evolves, so should your website. Personalising and continuously adapting your website ensures it remains relevant, engaging, and aligned with your clients' needs. By making small, ongoing improvements, you’ll ensure your website keeps up with changes in your business, the market, and your audience’s expectations.
Why Is It Important to Personalise and Keep Your Website Current?
Your website is a reflection of your brand, and as your business grows, so should your website. Regular updates help you stay relevant, improve client engagement, and attract more bookings. A static website may lose its appeal over time, especially if it doesn’t reflect the changes in your business or the evolving needs of your target audience.
Personalising your website means adapting it to better speak to your audience, addressing their specific concerns, and offering them tailored solutions. It’s about making your website feel more connected to your clients and ensuring it serves them in a way that is both relevant and timely.
With the power of AI triggers, you can keep your website current without spending excessive time making manual updates. AI-driven tools help automate many aspects of personalisation, allowing you to automatically update content, offer seasonal promotions, and create an experience that speaks to each visitor individually. This level of personalisation has been shown to significantly improve conversion rates: websites that include personalisation increase conversion by up to 94% (Influencer Marketing Hub). This means that implementing AI-driven personalisation is not just a way to keep your website fresh but also a highly effective strategy for boosting bookings.
Step 1: Regularly Update Your Portfolio and Content
Why Is It Important?
Your portfolio is a living document. It should evolve as your skills develop and as the services you offer change. A fresh, up-to-date portfolio not only reflects your current capabilities, but it also shows that you are active and engaged in your work. Regularly updating your portfolio ensures that your site doesn’t look stale, which is essential in a competitive field like photography.
What to Do:
Add New Work
Regularly update your portfolio with your best and most recent work. Include a variety of images that demonstrate the full scope of your services. For example, if you’ve recently expanded into new niches, such as product photography or maternity shoots, make sure those are showcased.
Remove Outdated or Unrepresentative Work
If there are images or projects in your portfolio that no longer reflect your style, approach, or the kind of clients you want to attract, remove them. For instance, if you no longer do certain types of shoots or work in specific locations, there’s no need to keep that content visible.
Create Seasonal or Themed Galleries
Organise your portfolio by category, such as weddings, portraits, and corporate headshots. You can also create seasonal or themed galleries that align with what potential clients may be interested in at specific times of the year. For example, a "Spring Family Photoshoots" gallery may be appealing to families looking for fresh, outdoor portraits.
AI Triggers for Dynamic Content
Use AI tools to automatically display seasonal galleries based on user behaviour or time of year. For example, AI can recognise when a visitor is browsing engagement photos and automatically display promotions for couples or suggest relevant blog posts.
Example Tool: HubSpot or OptinMonster can automatically show personalised content based on the visitor’s browsing patterns.
Step 2:
Use Analytics to Guide Website Improvements
Why Is It Important?
The beauty of a digital platform like your website is the ability to track and analyse visitor behaviour. By regularly reviewing your website’s analytics, you can make informed decisions about where to improve and what to change to better meet the needs of your clients. Analytics help you understand what’s working and what’s not, ensuring that your updates are data-driven.
What to Do:
Monitor Website Traffic
Use tools like Google Analytics to see which pages attract the most visitors and where they spend the most time. If your homepage or portfolio is driving a lot of traffic, you may want to update them more frequently to keep visitors engaged.
Track Conversion Rates
Track how well your CTAs (calls to action) are performing. Are visitors booking consultations directly from your homepage? Are people filling out contact forms? Understanding where your site is losing visitors in the booking process will help you make necessary adjustments to improve conversions.
AI-Driven Analytics Insights
Use AI tools to provide real-time suggestions on improving your website. AI can track visitor patterns and recommend changes that could increase engagement and conversion rates. For example, AI might suggest adjusting the placement of CTAs or changing the layout of your portfolio to improve user experience.
Example Tool: Crazy Egg uses heatmaps and AI-driven suggestions to help you optimise your site’s layout based on real user data.
Step 3: Tailor Content to Address Client Pain Points
Why Is It Important?
Personalisation isn’t just about your brand story; it’s about addressing your clients’ specific needs. By speaking directly to the challenges or desires your ideal clients have, you increase the relevance of your website to them. This will make them more likely to book with you, as they’ll feel like you truly understand their needs.
What to Do:
Create Client-Focused Content
Regularly update your blog with posts that address your clients’ most common questions or concerns. For example, if you’re a wedding photographer, write about topics like “What to Look for in a Wedding Photographer” or “How to Prepare for Your Engagement Session.” These posts position you as a trusted resource while also providing value to your visitors.
Adjust Your Website Messaging
Use language that addresses specific client pain points. If you’re a family photographer and know that parents are often stressed about getting kids to cooperate during shoots, your content could speak directly to that.
Example: “I know how chaotic family shoots can feel—let me help you capture beautiful, natural moments while making the process as fun and stress-free as possible.”
AI to Address Client Pain Points
Use AI chatbots or pop-ups to deliver real-time, personalised messaging to visitors based on their activity on your site. If someone is looking at wedding photography, an AI-powered chatbot can pop up with a message like: “Need help with your wedding photography plans? Click here for a free consultation.”
Use Testimonials to Reinforce Trust
Regularly add fresh testimonials from recent clients that speak to the unique benefits you offer. Choose reviews that highlight how you helped solve problems or alleviated pain points for your clients, like managing pre-shoot nerves or helping them feel comfortable in front of the camera.
Step 4: Implement Seasonal or Special Offers
Why Is It Important?
Your clients’ needs change throughout the year. Whether it's Christmas portraits, engagement season, or summer family shoots, aligning your website with seasonal demands keeps your content fresh and relevant. Special offers can also encourage potential clients to take action, particularly if they are considering booking in advance.
What to Do:
Create Seasonal Campaigns
If you offer seasonal services (like holiday portraits or summer family sessions), make sure your website reflects these offerings during the appropriate time of year. Create a dedicated section for seasonal packages and include relevant CTAs to book or inquire.
Example: “Get your family portraits ready for the holidays—book your shoot before [date] for a special discount!”
Promote Limited-Time Offers or Discounts
Offer time-sensitive discounts for new clients, or provide a special package for referrals. These incentives can encourage visitors to book sooner rather than later.
AI to Trigger Seasonal Content
Set up AI-driven triggers to display seasonal promotions automatically as soon as the relevant time of year approaches. For example, AI can trigger a pop-up in the winter months offering a discount on family photoshoots, based on user behaviour or browsing patterns.
Example Tool: OptinMonster allows you to set triggers for specific seasons, offering time-sensitive deals when users land on your website.
Highlight Special Collaborations or Events
If you’re partnering with a wedding venue or offering a limited-time photography workshop, make sure to promote these partnerships and events on your website. Create landing pages for each event with relevant information and a clear CTA to get more information or book a session.
Step 5: Keep Your Website Mobile-Friendly
Why Is It Important?
More people than ever are browsing and booking services via mobile devices. If your website isn’t optimised for mobile, you risk losing potential clients who find it difficult to navigate or interact with your site on their phones. A mobile-friendly site improves the user experience and increases the likelihood of visitors booking with you.
What to Do:
Test Mobile Usability
Regularly check your website on different devices to ensure it’s responsive and that images, forms, and buttons display properly on smaller screens.
Use Mobile-Specific Features
Enable features like click-to-call buttons, so visitors can easily call you directly from their mobile device.
Simplify the Booking Process for Mobile
Make sure your booking process is just as easy to complete on mobile as it is on desktop. Simplify forms, reduce text, and ensure that your CTAs are easy to tap.
Final Thoughts
Your website should evolve alongside your business, audience, and industry trends. By regularly updating your portfolio, tailoring content to your ideal clients, and personalising the user experience, you ensure your site remains engaging, relevant, and effective at converting visitors into clients. With small, consistent improvements, you can continue to grow your online presence and build deeper connections with your audience.
AI-driven tools can make this process even easier by automating content.