1. THE WEBSITE BLUESin... · 2018-04-03 · 1. THE WEBSITE BLUES Good photography is a luxury....

1. THE WEBSITE BLUES

Good photography is a luxury. It’s not essential. When you’re looking to invest in something that is a luxury then any old bog-standard, generic website won’t have you reaching for the phone and your wallet. You need to FEEL SOMETHING before you’ll be convinced. You need that website to reach right into your core and speak to your inner desires and concerns.

And let’s not forget the choice factor. If there are hundreds of businesses you can choose to purchase this luxury item from then it makes sense that you’re going to go with the one that stands out and connects with who you are.

Unfortunately most photographers view their website as something they need to have so that they have an online presence. They treat it like a virtual business card. They don’t really know why they have one - they just have one. Once its out there in cyber space they pay it no heed whatsoever and wonder why they spent so much time on it when it clearly isn’t doing its job!

Welcome to ‘Website that Converts’!

Watch the course videos and complete the work in this workbook you’ll be well on your way to having a truly awesome website that captivates your ideal client and leaves them thinking they can’t go another day without you and your business in their lives.

Here are some pointers to help you get the most out of this course:

1. The Masterplan should really be completed first

It is possible to complete this course without doing your Masterplan first but you’ll experience way more success if you do that course first. At the very least, you must complete Day 4 of the Masterplan.

3. Avoid overwhelm

As always - you will have a ‘to do’ list a!er this course. Make the list, put it in order of priority and tackle one thing each week. Don’t look at the whole task. Just the chunks…

Good luck!

Julie x

2. GETTING IN THEIR HEAD

1. Look through your ideal client and pick out all of her main challenges, problems and fears that your business can help her with and list them below. Remember they won’t just be in one section of the persona - they’ll be dotted throughout so look through the whole thing.

Opposite each challenge or fear, write down how you and your business can help your ideal client with this.

I have given you an example to refer to - you can find it straight a!er this section of your workbook.

© Togs in Business Page �2 Website that Converts

CHALLENGE OR FEAR HOW I CAN HELP

EXAMPLE - CAROL’S CHALLENGES AND FEARS AND HOW WE CAN HELP



She doesn’t have much time - she’s so busy running around here, there and everywhere and thinking about a million different things.

We know she’s super busy and has no time - that’s why we take all the pressure off her. We’ll tell her everything she needs to know, we’ll suggest places for the shoot, help her decide what everyone is going to wear and we’ll show her exactly what we can create for her home that will look absolutely perfect. She can just turn up, relax and enjoy the experience.

She worries about putting on weight, looking overweight, getting older and losing her looks and she doesn’t want to see any sign of these things in her photographs!

We know how insecure and fragile she can feel about the way she looks. I know exactly how to pose her, light her and guide her so that she looks and feels beautiful and I’m an expert at picking out the most flattering images of women to show to them.

She has mummy guilts all the time and worries about whether she’s a great mum to her kids.

It’s all about the family connection during a family shoot with me - I capture the moments that show the type of relationship she has with her kids. The loving gazes they give her, the way they hold her hand, the way they laugh when she twirls them around. She’ll be in tears when she sees how much they clearly adore her in these photographs.

She always compares herself and her family and what they have to others.

She’s going to have images just like (or better) than the ones she loves looking at in magazines and on pinterest. Instead of envying the families in them - she is going to BE the family in them.

She worries that she and her husband don’t get time to really connect anymore.

I’m going to capture the love between her and her husband. I’ll catch the moment when he looks at her and smiles and every time they look at these images they’ll remember how lucky they are and how much they love each other.


She gets upset about how quickly time is passing and the kids growing up too fast.

We’re going to preserve her family as they are right now and make these memories into gorgeous images and artwork that she can enjoy for the rest of her life and pass on to her children.

She’s worried that the shoot will be stressful, the kids will misbehave and her husband will roll his eyes.

I’m going to make the shoot as enjoyable as possible for everyone. I love to get to know everyone and make them feel at ease. I know the kids might act up or have a melt down and I don’t mind in the least and have lots of tricks up my sleeve. I’d actually rather she relaxed and let me handle them. As for her husband - I’m aware that he might not be quite so into the whole thing as everyone else but just wait til she sees him smiling and laughing when he sees the shots we’re managing to capture of the kids. He’ll be just as excited as her to see them!

She’s concerned that she won’t know what to buy or she’ll end up with buyers remorse

We know how overwhelming it can be choosing something so emotional and personal. We also understand that this is a significant investment. We make the whole experience a pleasure. We only show them the best images and we help them decide which they like best by comparing and offering advice on which would look best together in a display or in a certain room. We help them to choose frames based on the images and their home and we have lots of experience in knowing what looks best. They just have to sit back and enjoy viewing the images. As for buyers remorse - this is exactly why we specialise in timeless wall art. Our clients know that when they purchase framed photography from us - they are investing in their home as well as their family memories.


2. Next you’re going to do a very similar exercise but this time using your ideal client’s needs and desires. The ones you feel you can help her with. Remember to look for them throughout the whole persona and list them in your workbook.

Opposite each need or desire, write down how you and your business can help your ideal client with this.

I have given you an example to refer to - you can find it straight a!er this section of your workbook.


NEEDS AND DESIRES HOW I CAN HELP

EXAMPLE - CAROL’S NEEDS AND DESIRES AND HOW WE CAN HELP



She wants to see that her kids are happy and confident and she wants to share great experiences with them and her husband.

The images I will take of her and her family are going to remind her on a daily basis of how happy and sweet and loving her kids are and she won’t be able to pass them without smiling and thinking of how much fun they have together

She desperately wants the home of her dreams - personalised, stylish and homely.

We’re going to help her add something so personal and stylish and stunning to her home.

She secretly longs to leave her job and start her own creative business.

Working with us might inspire her to feel she can start thinking about taking her work life in a new direction.

She wants to feel truly beautiful and happy in her own skin.

I will take photographs of her that show her just how beautiful she is. I will help her to relax so that I capture the very best version of her and she will be over the moon with the final result.

She wants to be admired by those around her and deep down wants others to view them as a really wonderful, close and happy family.

She will love the reaction from friends and family when they see her family images on social media and in her home. They will be full of admiration for how gorgeous and happy they all look.

She wants a professional to take control and make her feel confident about making this decision.

We are going to make her feel immediately confident about her decision to book us. Our client experience and attention to detail are unrivalled in the area and she just needs relax and let us take care of everything else.

She would love to have some really ‘wow’ framed photographs that make a statement in her beloved home and she wants to hang them where all her friends can admire them and be envious of them.

We’ll help her to decide on the most beautiful frames and displays for her chosen space. Her friends will be green with envy when they see them and will wish they had something similar for their own home and family history.

3. THE TECH LOWDOWN Use the box below to make notes on this lesson if you need to.


4. THE WEBSITE COMMANDMENTS

1. Your website must be easy to NAVIGATE

2. The look and feel must be CONSISTENT throughout

3. User EXPERIENCE over style

4. Your website is NOT for YOU


5. A great MOBILE experience is VITAL

6. Give your visitor ONE thing to do

7. Say MORE with FEWER words

8. DONE is better than PERFECT

9. Your website is always a WORK-IN-PROGRESS


5. THE HASSLE-FREE HOME Which of the following statements apply to you?

1. You know exactly which genre and style of photography you want to be known for and booked for and it matches what your ideal client wants.

Hallelujah! This job is easier for you than most other photographers.

Pick out one killer image (or a few as a slideshow or montage) that showcases this brilliantly and have it feature prominently on your homepage. Choose high-impact images with connection, emotion or beauty.

OR…

2. You shoot several different genres of photography, however, your ideal client is similar for each one and your style is always evident and consistent.

No problem! You can still make an impact.

Pick out one stunning image from each genre that you shoot and feature these together as a slideshow or montage on your homepage. Make sure they work well together and they look like they’ve been taken by the same photographer. Again - connection, emotion and beauty.

OR…

3. You offer several very different services with very different ideal clients.

Me too! It’s much harder to come up with a great slideshow or montage when you shoot children, families, boudoir and business headshots. Not to mention running photography workshops too.

You want to get your ideal clients to the pages they need… PRONTO. So abandon any efforts at a slideshow or montage and just show them their options as clickable images or boxes. You can wow them with your work in that genre when they get there ;-)


Use the box below to write down some headline ideas to really grab your ideal client on your homepage (or on your info pages if you have several ideal clients like me)

Are you going to include some text on your homepage? Remember, lots of businesses keep their homepage very clean and simple these days (I showed you mine - it has no copy at all). If you’re going to include some copy - jot down some ideas in the box below.

Lastly, ideally where would you like your visitor to go a!er your homepage? What would you like them to see/read next? Make sure this is next in your menu and maybe link to it in your homepage copy.


6. A BEAUTIFUL BIO

You simply must have a professional photograph of yourself on your ‘about me’ page.

(You are trying to convince your ideal client of the importance and value of professional photography - how can you expect to do that when you clearly don’t value it enough to invest in it yourself!)

If you want to appear more human and allow your ideal client to connect with you - write about yourself in the first person.

(You are your business.)

PETE’S BIO

I know what you’re thinking right now!

You’re thinking about how much you hate having your photograph taken, right? You need fresh, dynamic headshots to match your awesome business and of course you want to look fabulous in them. If only the ‘standing in front of the camera’ part didn’t have to happen first! Cause it’s embarrassing and awkward and you never like how you look in photographs anyway. Am I on the right track?

My name’s Pete. I’m a Dundee-based headshot photographer and I’m pretty sure I’ve got your back on this one…

• When we meet you might wonder if I got dressed in the dark but it’s my laugh that you’ll remember (it’s kinda loud).

• I don’t think twice about my own appearance but I’m obsessed with yours and making sure you look spectacular in your photographs (no, honestly, I’m obsessed).

• I have 14 tattoos and masses of facial hair but I cry at sad adverts and drink tea from a china cup (it just tastes better).

• I believe that you only feel awkward in front of the camera of someone who doesn’t ‘get’ you (in case you hadn’t figured it out already - I get you).

• You’ll come to my studio for photos but you’ll leave with a new vision of yourself and a brand new pal (I mean me by the way).


Look through your ideal client’s desires and concerns that you recorded in the tables in section 2 ‘Getting in their Head’.

Use the table below to jot down the specific desires and concerns that you know you can help your ideal client with simply by being you.

e.g. Pete’s ideal client is worried about feeling awkward but he knows he can put her at ease and they’ll have a laugh together. He wants to get that across.


NEEDS, DESIRES, CHALLENGES & CONCERNS HOW I CAN HELP JUST BY BEING ME

Use the box below to note down some snippets about yourself that will give your ideal client an insight into the kind of person you really are. Interesting facts, personality traits, funny stories, things you love, things you don’t love etc.

If you’re struggling - ask your loved ones. You can always add to this over time. Ideas will hit you at the strangest times!


Now put this together in a few paragraphs or bullet points. Be as brief and lively as possible. If you need help you can always give your content ideas to a copywriter or a kind friend who writes well. Look at Pete’s for inspiration. I’ve also included links to a couple of other good bios under the video.

Incorporate a keyword or phrase naturally into your bio (Google Juice!) Once it’s done - get it online and let it evolve. Don’t overthink it!


Other things to consider:

• Think about where you would like your ideal client to go a!er reading your about page. That should be next in your navigation menu and you could link to it in the copy too.

• Adding more images of yourself can be really powerful. E.g. ‘Behind the scenes’ shots of you working with clients or images of you with your family.

• Even more powerful is a video showreel of you working your magic and being interviewed about your job and how you can serve your ideal client. Honestly - this is gold!

• A short testimonial backing up what you have said about yourself would be great on this page.

Make some notes below about the other elements you’d like to include on your ‘about me’ page and add them as tasks in your calendar for the year ahed.


7. IRRESISTIBLE INFORMATION Look through your ideal client’s desires and concerns that you recorded in the tables in section 2 ‘Getting in their Head’. This is your content! You’ve already planned it all out. You just need to put it into a sensible order like Pete did and write it with some personality and feeling. Write it FOR and TO your ideal client.

Firstly, pick out the KEY concerns and desires of your ideal client that you think you feel your service can help her with. List them in simple statements below. (Pete’s example is included in your workbook)

KEY NEEDS AND DESIRES YOUR SERVICE CAN ADDRESS

KEY CHALLENGES AND CONCERNS YOUR SERVICE CAN HELP WITH


Now use them to plan and write your content. Make a start in the box below but remember the ugly first dra!.

Use Pete’s examples on the following pages if you need inspiration.


PETE’S EXAMPLE - PLAN


PETE’S FINISHED INFO

I know how hard you're working towards this dream business of yours. You’re ambitious and full of determination most days but then some days leave you full of doubt and resistance. How do I know? Well, I’m pretty passionate about this little business of mine too, you know, I’m on that rollercoaster with you. You know how brilliantly you do whatever it is that you do and want the world to know that too. Your brand identity is mega important to you and its got to be right.

And that’s why you’ve been putting this shoot off. Because it has to be right. You don’t want images of you looking like just another corporate bore with a clipboard in your hands! You want a set of images that reflect you and your business to a tee. You want them to show just how dynamic and fresh you are and you want them to help you stand head and shoulders above your competition because that’s exactly where you deserve to be.

But there’s another reason you’ve been putting it off, right? You’re not exactly relishing the idea of awkwardly standing in front of some tattooed guy’s camera wondering how much longer you’ll have to endure this ordeal and overthinking your smile so much that its frozen to your face. Add to this the fact that you haven’t liked a photograph of yourself since you were 8 years old and the thought of this experience is not exactly filling you with joy…

Lucky you found me then!

You see, I won’t pick up my camera until I’ve got the measure of you and your business and what you want to project to the world. You can tell me all about it over the phone and we can geek out over business, marketing and branding for a bit. We’ll chat about ideas for your shoot and you don’t have to worry if you don’t have any cause you can bet I’ll have loads!

And as for feeling awkward and embarrassed in front of the camera… There won’t be time for that cause I pretty much never stop telling you exactly what to do and showing you exactly how to do it. You can have a good laugh at me showing you how to ‘work that shoulder’ (just wait til you learn that little trick!) You will be stunned and amazed at how much fun you and I will have taking photographs. Who knew?

Oh, I nearly forgot. You know how you always hate how you look in photographs? Yeah - you can eat those words a!er you see the images I take for you. But just in case you need an extra nudge - have a browse through my before and a!er gallery below…


8. GALLERY GORGEOUSNESS • Create the smallest number of galleries you can get away with

• Only display your BEST images

• Only show the kind of work you want to be booked for

• Display images that will evoke emotion

• Show your seasonal images first in the gallery

• Make sure the images look like they’ve been taken by the same photographer

• Keep your galleries fresh - add and remove images regularly

• Ensure your galleries are very easy to use

• Make sure your galleries load and transition fast

• Including images with testimonials can be effective

Notes


9. COMMUNICATING PRICING • If you don’t want to frustrate your visitors then you NEED to include pricing on your

website

• Make it easy and obvious to find

• Give an indication of what your ideal client can expect to spend with you

• Don’t be afraid to put the wrong clients off

• Go for detailed pricing OR a ‘start from’ approach

• Include product photographs

• Add a testimonial related to price and/or products

Notes


10. CONFUSIONLESS CONTACT • Don’t distract your ideal client from the task of getting in touch with you - keep this

page very simple

• Make it easy and obvious to find

• Clear, simple contact form with a minimal number of fields to complete

• Only ask for a phone number if you’re going to actually phone them!

• Customise your ‘form successfully submitted’ message to add some personality

• Add your studio address or at least the area where you are based

• Only include your phone number if you intend to answer it!

Notes


11. LEAVING LOVE NOTES • Your ideal client is more influenced by positive social proof than saving money!

• Spread relevant testimonial snippets throughout your site - dedicated page is optional

• Choose snippets that address your ideal client’s desires and concerns

• Less is more - pick out the gold and leave the rest

• Be brave and tell clients what you’d specifically like them to write about

• Add full names and photographs to your testimonials or no one will believe them!

• Always get full permission before publishing testimonials

Notes


12. FAQs FOR THE WIN • Your ideal client WILL have questions

• A page of FAQs cuts down your back and forth enquiries

• Further qualifies your potential client

• GREAT for search engine optimisation (SEO)

• A simple accordion-style layout works best

• Add some images!

Use the box below to note down some of the questions you get asked regularly that you could address on a future FAQs page.


13. TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG? • Only add a blog to your website if you intend to blog regularly

• No blog is better than a blog that hasn’t been updated in 18 months

• A busy, engaging blog can captivate your ideal client and bring them closer

• Google LOVES a site that’s being updated with fresh content regularly

• You’ll always have something to share on social and via email

• More on this in the Marketing course

Notes


14. LEAD THEM TO YOUR LIST

• If they don’t get in touch straight away - subscribing to your list is the next best thing

• Why should they subscribe? Give them a reason!

• You don’t want your opt in forms or buttons to distract your ideal client from enquiring with you BUT you also don’t want them to be hidden and unseen

• Opt ins are completely pointless if you don’t actually email the people on your list

• You could have a floating bar opt -in along the top/bottom of your site or a pop up which only appears when your visitor is leaving your website

Notes


1. THE WEBSITE BLUESin... · 2018-04-03 · 1. THE WEBSITE BLUES Good photography is a luxury....

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