Top 7 Best Websites for Wedding Photographers & Pro Tips!

If you’re wondering what the best websites for wedding photographers are, then you’ve found the right article. When it comes to owning your own website, you may think that the cheapest option is best or that a website doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things, it’s just another way of showing your photos. But you are wrong.

As a web designer for photographers and an SEO specialist, I’ve seen first-hand how owning a performing website can be crucial to your photography business.

Owning a great website that is search-optimised is important for photographers as it serves as a portfolio to showcase your style and work, attracts potential clients, and establishes your credibility. It should also enhance online visibility through SEO, helping your wedding photography business rank higher in search results and reach a broader audience.

Your photography business website should encompass all these essential aspects. Learning about these fundamentals and why they should be included in the platform you opt for is critical. So if you’re ready to understand the importance of a professional-looking website, why you should consider SEO when building your website, and which website platform suits your needs best, let’s dive into the top 7 website platforms for wedding photographers.

The Importance of a Professional Website for a Wedding Photographer

Wedding Photography Website Design

Before we discuss the best websites for wedding photographers, it’s pivotal to delve into the importance of having a professional website as a photographer and exactly what this means. 

A well-designed website is your potential client’s one-stop shop for learning all about you, your business, and your vibe. This is not only where you can showcase your style and portfolio, but also where you can convey your brand message, share your story, and make that valuable first impression.

A professionally designed website not only helps portray your brand voice but it also helps establish your brand and makes it easier for potential clients to find you online. According to HubSpot, 75% of users judge a company’s credibility based on its website design. 

In making that first impression, you want potential customers to be wowed by what they see. Of course, there are many DIY website options available, where you can use a template and customise it to your needs, but these often come with varying levels of creative restriction. It’s important to bear in mind that your website should showcase creativity too, just like your wedding photography.

Your Wedding Photography Website Design Should Attract and Engage Potential Clients

A professional wedding photography website should be engaging and turn visitors into clients. Utilising your best images, sick visuals and an intuitive user experience to keep visitors on your site longer. It is so important for your website to not just be a ‘calling card’  but be packed full of interactive elements like galleries, blog posts, and contact forms. These help your visitors engage with your site and therefore you and your services.

During my experience as a web designer, I have seen the huge benefits of adding a blog to your website. A blog is not just for your musings or showcasing a couple’s big day however, it’s about driving your ideal clients to your website, keeping them engaged and getting them to book your services. When done correctly utilising ‘search optimisation’ techniques, it can be a real game-changer.

Your Photography Website Should Showcase Your Portfolio and Client Testimonials

Of course, a website for photographers wouldn’t be complete without your portfolio. Your portfolio is the heart of your website. It should display your best work with killer visuals categorised and organised in a way to makes it super slick for visitors to your site to find what they need.

No one likes a bragger, but…showcasing your client testimonials is really important too. Client testimonials can really increase trust and the chances of someone booking their wedding photography with you. This social proof demonstrates that others have used your service and been pleased with your service. Their positive experiences can greatly influence potential clients’ decision-making process when booking.

The Use of SEO in Building The Best Websites for Wedding Photographers

I can’t stress enough how important SEO is when setting up your wedding website. Making sure your site is optimised for search engines is a must. These days, I won’t build any websites that aren’t SEO-friendly. But what the f….fudge is ‘SEO’?

SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is all about making your website more visible on search engines like Google. The higher your site ranks, the easier it is for potential clients to find you. 

How is website search optimisation achieved? That’s a whole other series of articles! But in simple terms, it includes using relevant keywords in your content, creating descriptive titles and meta descriptions, optimising images to load quickly, ensuring your site is mobile-friendly, and building quality backlinks from other reputable websites. By doing all this search engines can better understand what your site is all about, rank it higher, and therefore make it easier for potential clients to find you. 

SEO tools are essential when choosing the best website platform for wedding photographers, and this should not be overlooked. It’s great having built-in SEO tools but you have to learn how to use them correctly too. Whether you opt for Showit, or WordPress.org, integrating strong SEO practices is key to maximising your online presence and booking more clients. If you want to read more about SEO check out my previous blog post SEO for Wedding Photographers.

By ensuring your website has the above key elements means you will be off to a great start. You want visitors to, first find your website (SEO), be engaged by what they find and then convert those visitors into loyal clients, simple…yes? So now you know what your website should do and contain, let’s take a look at my top 7 best website builders for wedding photographers.

The Top 7 Best Website Builders for Wedding Photographers 

As a professional web designer working with photographers, I have found the following seven platforms up there with the best. I like to balance several different design elements along with ease of use. With hours of editing for photographers to do, you then don’t want to spend hours making minor updates to your website.

First off I want to talk about my personal fav. I am not sponsored for this post by the way, if I was after that I would probably write a blog post about my favourite coffee! I digress, my favourite is the website platform for creatives called Showit.

1. Showit

Showit is a ‘drag and drop’ website builder designed for photographers and a whole host of other creatives. It gives wedding photographers the creative freedom to build a site without code. It integrates with WordPress, for awesome blogging capabilities making it numero uno in my books for beautiful aesthetics and perfect functionality. 

I also find Showit great for the geeky side of SEO, if you need your website to perform in the search results, it is a must. If you’re looking to create a fresh, eye-catching website that stands out from the crowd and is great for SEO, Showit is the way to go. Also, side note, the professionals at Showit are a great help and good fun!

Pros:

• Highly customisable with no coding required.
• Seamless integration with WordPress for blogging.
• Beautiful, professional templates are available.
• Great support function
• Huge library of help resources
• Great for photographers and creatives

Cons:

• Can be slightly more expensive than other options.
• Steeper learning curve for absolute beginners.

2. Squarespace

Squarespace is a user-friendly platform perfect for wedding photographers seeking stylish templates. Its interface is pretty intuitive too, making it easy to create a professional looking website. There are a lot of great customisable templates that cater for photographers too. It gives your site that sophisticated look.

There are a lot of features you can add to your website with Squarespace including some great e-commerce features and built-in SEO tools which can save time shopping around for plugins to do the same job. If you don’t do well with fiddly tasks or hassles, Squarespace is an excellent choice.

Pros:

• All-in-one solution including hosting and domain.
• Excellent design flexibility and ease of use.
• Integrated e-commerce features for selling prints.

Cons:

• Limited third-party integrations.
• Less customisable than Showit.

3. Wix

Wix has come a long way in the website platform game. It’s quite versatile and has a wide range of templates available. If price is a big thing for you then Wix may be a good shout. 

Wix is another drag-and-drop builder that allows you to build a professional looking website without any coding skills, although personalisation can be limited. Wix also has a variety of apps, which enables you to add various features to your website if you have any specific requirements. There is an availability of SEO tools too. If you want a user-friendly platform, built-in SEO tools with plenty of design options, Wix is a great choice.

Pros:

• Affordable with a variety of pricing plans.
• Extensive app market for additional functionality.
• Easy drag-and-drop interface.

Cons:

• Limited design flexibility compared to Showit.
• Can be slower in terms of page load speed (this can negatively affect your SEO)

4. Weebly

Weebly is another straight-forward user-friendly website builder and I find this a good option for beginnings. The templates and designs are restrictive and I feel you won’t be able to really let your individuality show through here. Costs are low but restrictions are high.

Pros:

• Simple to use 
• built-in e-commerce features for selling prints and services,
• integrated SEO tools

Cons:

• Limited design flexibility compared to more advanced platforms, 
• Fewer third-party integrations which can limit functionality.

5. Zenfolio

This is a platform specifically designed for photographers. It offers tools to showcase your portfolio and be able to sell your prints directly from the website. If this is your aim for your business then the strong e-commerce feature is great.

Pros:

• Built-in client proofing and sales features, 
• Optimised galleries and portfolio layouts, 
• SEO-friendly options

Cons:

• Limited design customisation options, 
• Generally more expensive than other general-purpose website builders.

6. Pixieset

I have used Pixieset quite a bit whilst working with a photographer on his SEO. It’s a very photo-centric platform that has great tools for creating beautiful galleries and selling your pics online. It makes this type of business super easy for you. The site builder itself I find really simple and updates can be made very quickly. The downside for me is the limited creativity, as again, you are quite restricted with the templates, and the SEO isn’t advanced meaning you are unable to take control of your optimisation in areas where you underperform.

Pros:

• Easy-to-use interface
• Stunning gallery layouts
• Integrated client proofing and sales features

Cons:

• Limited customisation compared to more flexible platforms 
• May not be suitable for extensive blogging or advanced SEO needs.

7. WordPress.org

No article on website platforms is complete without a mention of WordPress. WordPress.com is a hosted platform, meaning they take care of all the hosting for you. It’s easy to use but has some limitations on customisation and features. WordPress.org, on the other hand, is self-hosted, giving you complete control over your website’s design and functionality, but you’ll need to manage your own hosting and maintenance.

WordPress.org is an open-source platform that provides unparalleled customisation and control. It’s definitely for those who have some technical knowledge or are willing to learn. WordPress overall is a powerhouse for websites but be warned it can be very time-consuming, costs can stack up and it can be quite fiddly and unnerving with updates to say the least. 

Pros:

• Extensive range of themes and plugins, 
• Full control over design and functionality, 
• Strong SEO capabilities with plugins like Yoast SEO.

Cons:

• Requires more technical knowledge and ongoing maintenance, 
• Separate hosting is needed and additional plug-ins can add to the cost.

Final Thoughts on The Best Websites For Wedding Photographers

I really hope you have enjoyed this article and will go on to create your own wedding photography website that you love. Whether you have gone for any of my recommendations or sought out other platforms (there are a lot!) I wish your business every success.

If you’re unhappy with your current website, need a brand new one from scratch, lack the time, or simply want someone to handle all the heavy lifting of designing, building, and optimising your site for search engines, then I’d love to chat! It would be an honour to create a site that truly showcases your services and performs in search results. (My last wedding photography client got to number 1 in Google for his area) You can click here to learn about my website services or here to get in touch.