Kelsey Christine – Experience Page for Wedding Photography Websites
INTRODUCING KELSEY CHRISTINE
WEB DESIGNER FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
Kelsey Christine (owner of Launch Your Daydream) creates strategy-first Showit websites for inclusive photographers who are breaking the mold in their industry. She’s based in Music City USA (Nashville, Tennessee), where she loves going to concerts and art shows, trying new restaurants, and bingeing reality TV with her three tuxedo cats.
Hi, I am Aida, host of My Wedding Season -The Podcast!
If you prefer listening, this blog post is also available in audio format on my podcast: Episode 61
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MY WEDDING SEASON – THE PODCAST
INTERVIEW WITH KELSEY CHRISTINE: MAIN TAKEAWAYS
(I, Aida, have at times paraphrased and other times directly quoted what Kelsey and I have said in the episode to make it easier to understand – this is not a direct transcription.)
How well is your wedding photography website converting? Could it be that there is a missing piece? Perhaps the answer is to add an Experience Page! Not sure what that is, neither was I – but not to worry, Kelsey Christine is here to walk us through the process of creating a strategic Experience Page to lead our dream clients to inquire with us.
WHAT IS AN EXPERIENCE PAGE?
Aida: What is an Experience Page and what purpose does it serve?
Kelsey: Strategy and personality are both really important in creating an Experience Page. For me, it is a must-have on every website. It is essentially what I prefer having over an Investment Page or an About Page – it is kind of a combination of multiple pieces. It is going to have your investment information on there, but it is also going to having information about your approach and your philosophy to photography. It is going to have a little bit about your style and a preview of your portfolio – it is going to have testimonials and credibility to back you up. It is all of those helpful, strategic things that I think most photographers have on their website, but most photographers have them all spread out. I think that it is more helpful and strategic to have them all on the same page. Because you might have people who directly just search for the price and don’t learn anything else about you. How are they going to know if they want to work with you if that is all that they are looking for? Trying to help strategically guide your readers through this journey is the goal of the Experience Page.
Aida: That makes so much sense.
Kelsey: Yes, the idea is to educate them on the value of working with you. What sets you apart from other photographers? What is that experience like? Are you helping them with more than just photography on their wedding day? This is where you get to talk about that. Dropping those little breadcrumbs of value down the page before they get to the nitty-gritty of pricing. The idea is that by the time they see your package information, whether you are just sharing a “starting at..” price or you are giving more detail, they are going to be like “totally makes sense, I get that.” Instead of just seeing your pricing and having no context. So, it is also a way to help you raise your prices.
THE PROCESS OF CREATING AN EXPERIENCE PAGE
Aida: I took the time to work-through your freebie “The Ultimate Experience Page Toolkit”. You start off by stating that it is important to nail down your niche? Can you please explain that a bit more.
Kelsey: I love to do a little Shrek refernece “Niches are like onions, they have layers.” I encourage to think about your niches with those layers. I encourage wedding photographers to get more specific because there are so many types of weddings. Add a layer of where you are based – are you focusing on a certain area or are you a destination wedding photographer? When you hone in on that, it is also helpful for your SEO. Add another layer – what types of weddings? This is where I work with photographers that do alternative weddings, elopements, non-traditional weddings etc… You can also add another layer where you start talking about the types of couples that you work with. You want to use descriptive words like “bold and eccentric couples”. Or some people prefer to work with “shy and introverted couples”.
Aida: That makes sense.
Kelsey: Even though it might feel like you are pushing some potential clients away, I like to shift the mindset that you are opening up more space to bring in more of those clients who fit. They will feel like it is directly speaking to them.
WHAT ARE YOUR CLIENTS’ PAINPOINTS?
Aida: The next point that you focus on in the Experience Page Toolkit is about finding out the paintpoints that your clients have. Are there some examples that you can provide and explain how we can work that into the Experience Page? Especially in a way that does not sound negative.
Kelsey: Painpoints can be hard to identify – I have some prompts that can help you out. If you are able to reach out to past dream clients, you can ask them questions to find out what their painpoints were. For example, people feel uncomfortable in front of the camera. Espeically since weddings are so personal, some people are looking specifically for someone who would fit into their day. Some are just overwhelmed with planning their wedding and when a photographer helps with timelines, that is taking away a painpoint.
And when it comes to how to make it sound positive and not negative, talk about the outcome. Rather than saying “you are so stressed right now” I like to use words like you deserve or imagine. For example, you deserve to be fully present with your spouse on your wedding day. You are just shifting it – instead of focusing on the pain, you are focusing on the solution – which feels really good. That way, they can envision themselves in that reality.
Aida: Totally! You give a wonderful example in the freebie of how you can speak to marginalised communities where you write “You deserve to be seen”. I love that! You demonstrate that you get them. Good wedding photoraphy should be a standard at this point. This is about going beyond photography skills.
COPYWRITING FOR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY WEBSITES
Aida: It really impresses me that you not only design websites, but you also write copy. Can you explain how you go about that?
Kelsey: I never like to claim that I am a copywriter. Investing in full-out copywriting can be really helpful when you do not know how to communicate your brand. I have a very in-depth questionnaire that I share with my clients when they book me. We get into the client journey, and this is where I can help with the copy. I let my clients braindump without making it sound good – my job is to make it sound good and I place it startegically through-out the website in a way that speaks to your dream clients.
HOW TO BUILD TRUST WITH POTENTIAL CLIENTS
Aida: What elements can we add in our Experience Page to build trust with potential clients?
Kelsey: A lot of this is going to come in with credibility – things like testimonials – getting some reviews from past clients and sharing them. Sometimes you will get really, great, multiple paragraph testimonials from past clients – I really encourage to pull out one sentence from it that really encapsulates what you are talking about on the page. Because the point is that you are backing up what you are saying.
Being transparent by showing a preview of the process on this page is helpful. For example, what can they expect once they inquire. Don’t go into too much detail here, just provide 3-5 steps as an overview. Focus on what you want to highlight in your brand experience.
If you have been featured anywhere and have any of those badges, you can put those on this page. Any stats that you want to include – how many weddings you photographed, or where you have travelled for weddings.
If you don’t have these things yet, make it a goal to get them.
HOW MUCH FOCUS SHOULD THERE BE ON THE PHOTOGRAPHER?
Aida: How much should photographers share about themselves on the Experience Page, even though there is normally a separate About Page?
Kelsey: Even if you are technically talking about yourself, the way that you are voicing it is about them. We want to talk about the stuff that makes you you, and the fun-facts and the story that led you here on the About Page. When you start the page, you should technically talk about you, but moreso how you are benefiting the client – more about the philosophy to your approach to photography and to your clients. And then further down the page, you can get into the fun stuff.
I do encourage having your brand photos on almost every page. But it is a personal preference – you need to know what feels good for you. I do encourage showing yourself and talking about yourself, but we are just doing it in a strategic way that is actually letting the client know how you are going to help them.
I am so grateful to Kelsey for taking the time share so much valuable information with us.
Episode & Show Notes:
EP 61. Kelsey Christine – Experience Page for Wedding Photography Websites
Connect with Kesley Christine:
Instagram: @launchyourdaydream
Website: Launch Your Daydream
Freebie: The Ultimate Experience Page Toolkit
Connect with Aida Glowik:
Instagram: @aidaglowik
Website: Aida & Tim Photography / Aida & Tim Hochzeitsfotografie
Workshop: Wedding Photography Retreat in Corsica, France
1:1 Mentoring Session: Book More Weddings | Book a Website & Portfolio Review
1:1 Coaching Session: Book a Clarity & Action Session
Free Download: My Wedding Season Digital Planner