SURPRISE! If you found yourself visiting my website home page today, you may have noticed a bit of a fresh new look! As an Indianapolis wedding photographer & lifestyle newborn photographer, I am constantly looking for new ways to improve my business and provide the best possible experience for my couples and families.

One way I choose to do so is by investing in a form of education at least once a year. In the past, I have done workshops and conferences, but this year was my first online course! I signed up for Davey & Krista’s Inquiry System Course, a six week class on all things SEO and website management. Krista was my small group leader at Creative at Heart, and it was so fun to learn from her (and her husband!) again. :)

Outside of increasing my knowledge on optimized blog posts and web pages, my favorite part of the course was the 15 minute one-on-one website review. Davey & Krista walked me through my site and pointed out several spots of confusion potential clients could have.

If you recall, I designed a lot of my original website by myself on top of a purchased template. I’ve always LOVED my website, but I realized that I may or may not have over-complicated a few things in the process. ;) Haha! There have always been a few things that bothered me about my website, but I put them on my “someday” list to fix. However, hearing Krista & Davey’s thoughts was just what I needed!

With pages upon pages of notes from the review, I couldn’t wait to get to work on my website refresh after the craziness of fall wedding season. I knew I didn’t need to invest in a whole NEW website, but with a few tweaks and additions here and there…it’s finally feeling more like ME! Refreshing my site was the perfect way to kick off a productive off-season! I’m going to share a few of my favorite updates below, but don’t let me keep you from exploring around yourself. Enjoy, friends!

A few of my favorite updates:

One of the big pieces of feedback Davey & Krista shared with me was the lack of clarity my website homepage offered. They suggested incorporating a few “click here” options that would tell potential clients exactly what to do, and I love the consistency that provides to my page! I also included a “popular destinations” option for people that aren’t necessarily looking for their own photographer at that very moment….but are still interested in my work!

I am also obsessed with the new design of my wedding galleries! It’s funny, because I actually went back to the original Pinterest-style gallery included with my Showit5 template (with some tweaks, of course!). In the past, my featured weddings gallery included a mix-match assortment from all different couples and years. However, this option allows me to showcase a particular wedding venue, style, or feel! I love that potential brides and mommas will now be able to see a larger picture of what they can expect when booking with me. Even though it was a lot more work than the scrolling gallery I had before, I think it matches my overall online presence *so* much more!

 

This one was such a small tweak, but I was shocked with how much of a difference it made! Before, this text was spread out over the entire page. Krista pointed out that it was a little difficult to read, and she suggested mimicking the set up I already had on the “Meet Sami” page. Ta-da!!!

My favorite update, however, just might be the new lifestyle newborn photography galleries on my “For Families” page. The newborn brand of my business holds such a special place in my heart, and I am so excited to hone in on these lifestyle sessions: in home, minimal props, and lots & lots of snuggling. :)

And that’s about it! What’s your favorite update? Is there anything else you’d like to see? One of my favorite parts of hosting through Showit5 is the amount of customization I can control and create with. I still have a few things on my website “to do” list (link my education site directly and adjust the menu), but I’m overall very happy with how it’s coming together!

In the meantime, I’m working away on my annual “Year in Review” posts — I just can’t believe how amazing 2017 was, and I am so incredibly thankful for all the memories and moments I witnessed! Stay tuned for those…and enjoy this first Monday of December, friends!

Love love love,

Sami

P.S. Don’t forget to explore the updated website yourself! You can start at the home page HERE.