If you’ve been eyeing up a Showit website template or a Showit Web Designer, you’ve probably got some questions before making that investment in your photography business.
I’m going to walk you through everything you need to know about Showit. If a Showit template is best for your business, and what to consider when finding the right template. Or if hiring a Showit Website Designer is the better option, and what you need to know about the process.
Table of Contents
- What is Showit
- A free Showit template or a premium template?
- Where to shop for a Showit Website Template
- An excellent in-between option
- Should you hire a Showit Web Designer?
- Ensuring your Showit website is based on strategy
- Booking your custom Showit Website Design
What is Showit?
Showit in my opinion is the most incredible website builder on the market! Trust me I’ve been around. From starting out building w*nky websites in WordPress and getting paid next to nothing for it. To moving onto Squarespace because it seemed to be a more popular website builder for creative business owners. I found that none of them can rival the power of Showit though.
Some of my favourite Showit features for web design
Its drag and drop function literally means drag and drop. You place those elements wherever you like my friend and that is where they will live on your website. So you really do get full design freedom within Showit.
It’s fully customizable on both mobile and desktop.
You can actually design your mobile and desktop pages separately, without needing to use any code. So your site will be completely mobile responsive. There’s also the option to copy the home page layout to transfer across to mobile. This will make life easier for you, and the design will just need a few tweaks after.
Adding your branding is easy
Within Showit, you set your brand colours, and fonts in the design settings – then just hit save. It will automatically customize your site for you and pull your details through to the design.
What businesses can benefit from a Showit website
The design freedom you get with Showit allows you to create something completely custom to you, filled with your personality and style.
Originally made for Photographers, although it’s great for all creative businesses such as interior designers, event planners, coaches, social media managers, bloggers, small businesses – you know what, it’s amazing for all entrepreneurs!
Linking your website to WordPress
Another one of Showit’s amazing features is that it links with WordPress. So you can easily add your existing blog to your account. (The Showit team will help you migrate your site over). Or if blogging is new to you, you’ll get direct access to WordPress. Which includes all their plugins depending on which package you chose.
How that works is you’ll design the blog pages in Showit. Then the details you add in WordPress will automatically pull through to your new website.
Free Showit Website Templates
If you’re just starting out, there’s a collection of free Showit Website templates to choose from to build your new site. I’d make sure you’ve got your branding completed first. This will help when deciding on a website design that’s going to be the perfect template for you.
What pages does your Showit website need?
Another thing to consider when selecting your Showit website template is what your primary use is going to be.
Do you need to include a shop page to sell online? Is your website mostly to showcase images? Is this to sell a service, so having something like a sales page will be important to you? Are you an educator, so you’ll want to embed video tutorials?
Knowing this information before signing up to Showit is going to be really useful when deciding if a Showit template is right for you. Or if hiring a Website Designer is going to be the better option for your business.
A free Showit template or premium Showit templates?
You’ve already started thinking about what types of web pages are important for your business, so this will give you a really good idea when you’re looking through the options of free Showit templates. Remember Showit is really easy to customize so even just starting with a base design that works with your brand can be really useful to get creative and build up the pages you need for your new website. Plus there’s 100’s of tutorials online to help you customize your site.
When to find a premium Showit website template?
If taking the time to build pages for your website such as a shop, a sales page, a more complex blog. Or if you want something a lot more creative and on brand then I would save yourself the time and hassle and go for a premium template by a professional Showit Designer.
Where to shop for a Showit Website Template
A great way to start looking for your Showit website template is to think about how you want your brand style to be described, such as modern, editorial, classic, sophisticated, fun, bold, elegant. Then literally search for that term, ie ‘modern editorial showit website template’ you can even add ‘for photographers if you want to get more specific.
Pricing
Make sure you’ve set yourself a price range for your new website that works with your budget, as this will have an influence over where you shop for your Showit template.
Pricing can range anywhere from $200 – $1500 for templates.
Recommended Shops
Etsy has some gorgeous Showit templates from creative small businesses, with a huge range in pricing from the lower-end to high-end website design. Or take a look at social media platforms such as Instagram.
Another amazing shop for Showit website templates is Tonic! They have stunning website templates for photographers and creatives with a really elegant, modern and editorial style. Although again, you completely customize your Showit website to match your style. They’re on the higher end of the pricing range, but they really have thought of everything you need for your website.
Totally shameless plug here, but I also have a range of Showit website templates for Photographers.
These are built with small businesses in mind and provide you not only with a beautiful and unique Showit website, but also resources to ensure a successful launch;
An in-depth copywriting guide to help you easily come up with high-converting website copy for each page of your site to connect with your ideal clients on a deeper level.
There’s an SEO guide to ensure you’re including keywords when coming up with your content – as well as building a content hub for blogging.
And there are marketing resources including a free lead magnet template to help you bring in new clients to your business. So the whole bundle will make the launch of your Showit website as easy as possible.
See the templates here.
Important features and pages when selecting your Showit website
One last point for choosing a Showit website template that’s right for your business is if there are page add-ons. Such as a sales page if you wish to advertise in the future, or a shop page if you want to sell your images or digital downloads.
A sneaky in-between of a Showit website template and custom web design
A lot of web designers offer a service of a Design Intensive, or a VIP Day. This will usually include customizing a Showit template in a day, or adding additional pages to your website.
These are a great option if you’ve bought a Showit website template and haven’t got round to adding your own custom design to your site…. after maybe a few weeks or months haha! No judgement, we’re busy people.
Or if you’ve started the design of your site but it’s too much for you to customize each page. Then you can outsource the design and have this completed with a quick turn-around to get your website launched.
These can be a little more expensive because you’re paying for such a fast service. I personally charge $1500 for this which is mid-range. I do get very involved in your website though, and ensure you’re happy with your site, or additional pages before hitting launch.
Or should you hire a Showit Web Designer for Photographers?
I say for Photographers, because if you’re going to invest in your business you ideally want an expert in your field that understands how to best display your images throughout your web design to tell a story to potential clients. And knows how to make your website work for you to capture leads and book more clients.
While Showit website templates are amazing, and so creative! They’re still templates. So you do risk your website being recognized as a Showit website template. Even with all of your own images, brand and personality being dominant throughout your design.
I know thinking about investing so much money on web design can be scary. So I’d recommend thinking about exactly where you are now, and where you want to be in your business.
Do you just need a modern website that helps your clients find the important details to be able to search for you and book their session? Then a Showit website template will be perfect at this stage.
But, if you’re ready for the next level of growth in your business! Meaning you want to attract high-paying clients and raise your rates accordingly. Then you’re going to want to search for designers that build websites based on strategy.
This may start with Brand Strategy before even looking at web design. (You can read more about when you’re ready for branding here.) If you do have solid branding in place that already resonates with your ideal clients then you’re ready for custom web design.
What to look for in a Showit Web Designer?
Working out your budget
Decide on your budget early on. What’s going to be a great deal for you? What is going to push you to feeling uncomfortable financially that you want to avoid? Are there payment plans you’d consider for the right designer? What do you expect to achieve with that budget? What should be included within the package you go for?
If you’re aware of these details early on it’s going to make it easier for you when you shop around for something that fits your needs.
Recognizing your own style
Obviously having the kind of creative style you’re looking for will be a big deciding factor – have they worked on other Showit websites you love, or other photographers websites that you’ve been admiring?
Is their style more boho and fun while you’re looking for something that’s editorial and you can’t find evidence that they’re comfortable with that kind of style. Or maybe they haven’t worked with quite your style, but there’s something you love about their work that you think could work perfectly with what you’re looking for?
(It’s ok if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, just start a Pinterest board now with everything you feel inspired by, even if it’s not website related, pin away and your designer will be able to create something completely unique that you never could have imagined but feels like you.)
How do you relate to the designer?
Your designer needs to get to know you pretty well to be able to represent your brand and business in such a way that’s going to help you connect on a deeper level with your dream clients.
So most importantly, look for someone you feel a connection with. Someone who listens to you and your goals, and can understand exactly where you’re moving forward to in your business.
Do they have social proof?
I’m going to say this isn’t as important if you’ve found the right designer for you. If you’re one of their first clients, they’re not going to have social proof. But that doesn’t mean they can’t provide a website that you’ll love and will move your business forward in the way you want.
That option is completely personal preference. It’s just something to consider when finding the best person for you, your budget, your style and your values.
Ensuring your Showit website is based on strategy
This is an important one when you’re in conversations about your Showit website. You want to know that your site isn’t just going to look pretty. But the design is about meeting your business goals and is strategically built to do so.
This will include improving your customer experience. Using images that tell a story of what it’s like working with you, and making the customer journey easy throughout your site so that they’re excited to book now without questioning your pricing.
And you want to stand out from other photographers in your niche while attracting the right-fit clients to you, and being able to repel those who aren’t a good match.
What happens pre and post-launch of your Showit website?
Booking in your web design and going through the whole process is exciting! Especially as you’re seeing your website come together. But what are you going to do during this time to build hype around your new website?
Does the designer offer any branded social templates to build hype around your new website?
Or once the design process is complete, will you have further support should you need it with your website?
Those are just some smaller factors to consider as well.
Booking your custom Showit Website Design
If after reading this you’re feeling inspired to get started with having your photography website designed for you, you can check out my web design experience here.
My biggest focus is on creating genuine connections and helping you stand the f*ck out with unique Showit web design and branding as unique as you are.
LEAVE A COMMENT