Originally published November 29, 2022.

12 Wedding Photography Website Mistakes

Most wedding photography website mistakes come from one assumption: believing visitors know more about you and your business than they actually do. I made my share of these mistakes in nearly a decade as a wedding photographer, and in the years since moving into SEO and marketing consulting I have watched the same 12 mistakes cost photographers inquiries again and again.

Check your website against this list before inquiry season. Each mistake costs inquiries, and every one of them is fixable.

Mistake 1: Not Stating Your Areas And Locations Served

Couples search by location. If your website never names the cities and regions you serve, Google cannot connect you to those searches and visitors cannot tell whether you travel. Name your home base and your service areas in plain text.

Mistake 2: An Unclear Homepage

Your homepage has seconds to answer three questions: who you are, who you serve, and what you do. If a stranger cannot answer all three from the first screen, the page needs rewriting.

Mistake 3: Weak Website Copy

Copy problems compound. The most common versions:

  • Forgetting to tell a story because you assume your photos speak for themselves. They do not; copy carries the meaning.
  • Using poetic language, cliches, and industry jargon. Call your blog a blog, not a journal.
  • Never explaining your client experience, so couples cannot picture working with you.
  • Not linking to other pages in your homepage text, which hurts both navigation and SEO.

Mistake 4: No Photos Of Yourself

Couples hire a person, not a portfolio. Show your face on the homepage and about page. It builds the trust that turns browsing into inquiring.

Mistake 5: Not Listing Your Services

State what you offer. If you shoot weddings, elopements, and engagements, each deserves its own description, and ideally its own page, so both visitors and search engines understand your offerings.

Mistake 6: Not Curating Your Photos

You can absolutely have too many photos. Endless galleries slow your site and bury your best work. Curate ruthlessly; every image should earn its place.

Mistake 7: A Portfolio That Caters To Everyone

Show the work you want to book. A portfolio aimed at everyone attracts no one, and it confuses the brand story your ideal couple needs to see themselves in.

Mistake 8: Unoptimized Photos

  • Uploading huge files slows loading speed and influences rank. Convert images to webp format and resize before uploading.
  • Generic file names like IMG_4032 tell search engines nothing. Title photos for web use.
  • Empty alt text wastes an accessibility and SEO opportunity on every image.

The full workflow is in the Photographers Guide To Showit Image Optimization.

Mistake 9: No Clear Calls To Action

Visitors do not know the next step unless you name it. Every page needs a clear call to action, and your contact page should ask for the inquiry directly. Ask for the sale.

Mistake 10: No Reviews For Social Proof

Reviews carry more weight than anything you say about yourself. Place them near your calls to action, and name the reviewer and venue or location where you can.

Mistake 11: A Website That Fails On Mobile

Most couples research vendors on their phones. Check every page of your site on a real phone: navigation, galleries, and especially your contact form.

Mistake 12: No Analytics Installed

Without analytics you are guessing about what works. Install Google Analytics 4 so you know where visitors come from and which pages produce inquiries. The consent-safe setup is covered in How To Set Up Google Analytics 4 On Your Showit Site.

Fix The Mistakes, Then Build On The Foundation

Work through the list one mistake at a time, starting with your homepage clarity and image optimization; those two move the needle fastest. When you are ready to go further, start with a Showit template designed by an SEO professional, request an SEO audit, or work with a Showit SEO expert on an SEO Ready™ website design. Visit the MoCo.Marketing contact page and let’s get your website ready for inquiry season.