First professional website

I’m creating my first professional website and i’m stuck with some ‘existential’ questions.

It’s a WordPress website, with a good theme adapted by a graphic designer. Text is created with a content writer.
So far it is going good, it’s the visualisation of the ‘portfolio’ images that’s difficult.
Now i’m must do the part of image culling to place the images om the site.

Goal of the website:
- if possible sell some prints (done that in the past): cyanotype, Platinum Palladium and inkjet.
- Workshops for learning 4x5 and lichtmeting (yes there is here some intrest)
- Fotowalks for visitors in Belgium (already done two)

I’m for 90% a LF, MF photographer, but there are also digital images.

So here are the questions
I can show the exif information (camera, lens …) of each image on the site, but is this interesting for a ‘customer’ and should I ?
The ‘portfolio’ has several category’s and i’m not sure if the digital images must have there own, or can they go together with the analog images.

My first impression is that a potential customer doesn’t care with what camera, lens or film the image is taken.
As long if he likes it, he wil buy it.

So some feedback is welcome.

Well I just took a look at your site. Really nice. I wish I understood Dutch, though. My limitation and my fault entirely.

The site loads reasonably well on my system. The pics take a second and that's on a 1gig internet connection. Folks with slower service might have longer wait time for pics to load.

I really like your photography. The portfolio I looked at the most was the cemeteries. I once had plans to travel to Begium (Berchem, Atwerpen, to be specific) to visit a grave but found out that it was reclaimed a few years ago... so nothing to visit anymore. Might visit anyway some day.

And regarding your question about categories... I think the topical categories, irrespective of how they are produced, is best. I did not even bother looking at the production aspect as my interest was in the images. In general I don't really care. But I would look and read the details if you statewhat camera, lens, film, etc was used on specific images.

The home page of any website should clearly state what it is, what it does, and why it's there.

I don't see any of that -- so why would I "go forward"?

It's true that many websites suffer the same affliction, but you won't get on any search engine list without that.

Lots of nice images there, and it's very easy to look for things quickly without fuss or bother.

One thing that doesn't look right is the font below the picture of the view camera on the main page. That font looks like something from an old DOS warning message.

As Brian Shaw noted, the site language limits your potential viewer base. I'd add some English translations beside or below the original language text. The English can be in a smaller font, so it doesn't clutter up the layout too much.

My biggest criticism is that you haven't done anything to generate "sales". Salesmanship is vital if you want to sell things, and your post stated that image sales are a primary goal.

You should include some basic information on each of the pages that show images. At least let people know that the images are for sale. It would also be useful to provide some basic idea of cost, size, and materials.

At the moment, if someone sees an image on your site that they really like, they'd have no idea if the image is even for sale. They would have to contact you to even find out, and most people aren't going to bother. Once they're hooked, you have to make it as easy a possible for them to go the next step.

Google translate made it very easy to address those of us who aren’t very literate in Dutch. I just highlighted the text and right-clicked to select translate.

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Originally Posted by BrianShaw

Google translate made it very easy to address those of us who aren’t very literate in Dutch. I just highlighted the text and right-clicked to select translate.

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True, but few will go to the trouble, and it isn't available to everyone anyway.

And along the same lines, web generators, like much new stuff, tends to assume that every "client computer" also has the latest and greatest stuff. There are lots of websites that I can only fully access on my latest and greatest computers, and I usually don't waste my time. Good websites are designed to assume that not everyone has the latest and greatest stuff.

A simple example is having images on a website at a higher resolution than a computer screen can display.

A few things. The design is fine, simple, to the point. Typography is good, too.

It seems a bit slow to load all the photos when you go to a thumbnail page. Language--you should have the possibility to choose a language for the site. Flemish is fine, but you obviously need to be able to view the site in French and English would be good, too.

A short sentence about all the prints being available for sale on the category thumbnail page is good, as well as an indication to click on the thumbnails for a larger image. When the larger image is displayed, the size and medium as well as the price is good, plus instructions to contact you for details and purchasing. No one cares about the technical info, camera, lens or any of that, just the size and medium and if multiple sizes are available. Any editioning information should be included, too. If you would rather not have the price on the website, just include instructions to inquire about that in the contact. I know it may be getting complicated but if your intent is to sell prints through the site, when someone clicks on the large image, for purchase the image info should automatically be part of the subject line. If you also want to be contacted for assignments, make that a separate line on the contact page, either instructing the viewer to include "commission request" or something like that in the subject line. Unless, of course you have an agenda for that. Any agents, reps or galleries you are affiliated with should be listed on the contact page as well.

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Originally Posted by xkaes

A simple example is having images on a website at a higher resolution than a computer screen can display.

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An invitation to piracy, too. And AI scraping.

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Originally Posted by BrianShaw

Well I just took a look at your site. Really nice. I wish I understood Dutch, though. My limitation and my fault entirely.

The site loads reasonably well on my system. The pics take a second and that's on a 1gig internet connection. Folks with slower service might have longer wait time for pics to load.

I really like your photography. The portfolio I looked at the most was the cemeteries. I once had plans to travel to Begium (Berchem, Atwerpen, to be specific) to visit a grave but found out that it was reclaimed a few years ago... so nothing to visit anymore. Might visit anyway some day.

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Thanks Brian,
But this is the old website. There are more beautiful cementeries around Antwerp, that’s why i’m going for the photowalks :-)
Tip, You have the Antwerp cementary, the one in Ghent. And a hidden one in Brussels with underground graves. And at solstice a hart on an certain grave.

I should have stated that the new website is still not online. As i’m not completely sure about the images.
And yes I have foreseen an translate on the site: English and French.

But again this input is quite helpful.

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Originally Posted by xkaes

The home page of any website should clearly state what it is, what it does, and why it's there.

I don't see any of that -- so why would I "go forward"?

It's true that many websites suffer the same affliction, but you won't get on any search engine list without that.

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Indeed and the new one will explain this

hi, Patrick. Leaving aside that I am film only, I would not include exif data on a website showing your work. Your work is your accomplishment and the reason for the site. Someone interested in your exif data should see your work on the an appropriate forum, a magazine article extolling your technical mastery, or should pay you for instruction.

Hi Patrick, here are some thoughts on your questions about your website.

Regarding displaying EXIF Information:

Pros:

(1) For those visitors who are photographers or tech enthusiasts, including technical details can be appreciated.

(2) It offers transparency and highlights the skill put into each shot, providing authenticity.

(3) SEO benefits: Some people search for images based on camera or lens type, so including EXIF data can make your images more searchable.

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Cons:

(1) Regarding photos, customers prioritize emotional and aesthetic appeal over technical specifications.

(2) Too much information on a page can be overwhelming and draw attention away from the main focus, the image itself.

(3) It's important to remember that most potential buyers won't be concerned with technical details.

After weighing the advantages and disadvantages, a possible solution could be to provide access to EXIF data without it being readily visible.
This can be done by adding a "See Details" link or an icon that can be hovered over to display the technical information in a less intrusive manner.

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Regarding whether to separate digital images from analog ones in your portfolio, here are some considerations:

(1) If a significant portion of your audience consists of photography purists who value LF and MF photography over digital, separating those images might be a good idea.

(2) If your digital and analog work have distinct styles or themes, separating them may make sense.

(3) Grouping all images into thematic or stylistic categories, such as landscapes or portraits, could make the site easier to navigate. However, breaking them down by capture method would add unnecessary complexity.

(4) If the capture or printing process is an integral part of your artistic statement (i.e., cyanotype, Platinum Palladium, etc.), it may be necessary to give it its own category, depending on what you want to emphasize.

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The Bottom Line:
Because your goal is to sell prints, offer workshops, and host photo walks, the primary focus should be on what resonates with your target audience.

Consider what your unique selling proposition (USP) is. If your USP is closely tied to your use of traditional methods (LF and MF photography, Platinum Palladium, and Cyanotype prints), emphasizing that could be beneficial.

Ultimately, people usually buy art because they feel an emotional connection to it rather than focusing on the technical details behind its creation.

It's also worth noting that your website is likely to attract other photographers as a significant portion of your audience, as they often visit the sites of fellow photographers.
Therefore, striking a balance between providing essential information and keeping the spotlight on the artwork itself could be an effective strategy.

Keep tweaking the site as time passes, listen to your target audience, and I wish you the best of luck!

Darr

@Dar,

Thank you for the great response.
What started out as a easy project: find a copy writer for text, a designer and then my ‘incredible’ images ;-) and get it up-and-running before the end of this year.
Turned out not so easy. As the site is getting more and more shape, more ‘problems’ are showing up.
My initial idea of purchasing prints are not user friendly so getting it ready before the end of this year will be a challenge.

Even a simple website WITHOUT sales, email, videos, links, etc. is a time-consuming challenge -- IF you want to make it good. Anyone can get crap setup in a few minutes, because the sales"men" will tell you different.

An update here:

The url below is from a 'testing' site as I have been experience some trouble with Wordpress plugins from some companies.

The site is coming together slowly, I could need some feedback from the forum members.
Layout is done with some help from a designer, and the text with a content writer.

Let me explain:
For the most part the website is for a Belgium audience so the site is in dutch, except the Photowalks. Here the aim is to get foreign customers who are interested in these events (Yes I'm aiming for you out there :-) ). Done some in the past with success.

So I am using a translate plugin on the website. For 90 % this plugin does it job, but not always.

As I’m retired the end of the year another 10$/month to set the translation right … All the little ones make one big one.

I know for a professional site I need things to be correct, so as most of you are English speaking would you recommend the better translation plugin ?

https://fam.marquetecken.be


Thank you

“ My first impression is that a potential customer doesn’t care with what camera, lens or film the image is taken.
As long if he likes it, he wil buy it.”

That’s true from my experience.

Who are your potential customers?

When I did my first web site, my potential customers were people who desire photographs made of themselves. This usually revolved around specific events.

My potential customers spent very little time looking at the first (main) page that would come up.

Simple worked best for me.

My web site did less and less for signing up new clients as, after getting a base of clients that liked what I did, my future clients were from referrals.

Hope this helps you.