Your website is often a client’s first experience with you. Make it great with photography FAQs that set expectations and get them excited to book you! (Featuring JON-MARK WILTSHIRE)
Get More Dream Clients with Great FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) aren’t new in the world of websites, yet many photographers forego them. Used smartly, however, photography FAQs will help you book the right clients and deter the wrong ones.
For years, Victoria, British Columbia photographer Jon-Mark Wiltshire has used photography FAQs on his website. His goal? To set expectations, attract his dream clients, and showcase a bit of his personality.
Photos by Jon-Mark Wiltshire
Here’s what one of Jon-Mark’s prospective clients wrote after a dive into his photography FAQs:
“We reviewed your Portfolio, FAQ’s, About You, etc., and I think that you’re pretty awesome, funny, professional, talented, and detail-oriented. I always have a million questions and want to know as much as I can, and I felt like you explained everything so well that I feel very comfortable and confident going ahead with [booking] you.”
Quit answering the same questions over and over.
As Jon-Mark’s business grew, he found himself writing the same email again and again. Clients asked the same questions, had the same concerns, and needed the same information. Jon-Mark knew he needed a new process that would save him time and give clients the information they needed before they even asked.
Now his photography FAQs do most of the work for him. They filter out the clients who aren’t the right fit, and help seal the deal with clients who are perfect for him.
Photos by Jon-Mark Wiltshire
Start with Five Fantastic Photography FAQs
Jon-Mark developed his FAQs with a simple request on Facebook. “I asked my friends, ‘What questions would you want to see answered?’ ” he explains. He also pulled common questions from resources like The Knot and other wedding publications.
“I provide answers to common questions,” says Jon-Mark, “which shows people that I’m an expert, that I know what I’m doing, and that my value goes beyond pretty photos.”
To begin your own FAQs page on your website, start with these questions:
- How long will it take to get my photos?
- What happens if you get sick or injured and can’t photograph me?
- Do I get the copyright to my photos?
- What if I need to reschedule?
- How many photos will I get?
Your answers should demonstrate that you are prepared to handle any scenario with smooth professionalism.
Photos by Jon-Mark Wiltshire
Photography FAQs are also a sales tool!
The right FAQs can help you convince clients to invest more in their photography experience. Two of Jon-Mark’s most impactful FAQs are:
- “Do you instruct for posing? I’m kind of awkward/unphotogenic.”
and
- “I’m not sure I want an engagement session…”
“Probably 80 to 90 percent of the clients you see on my website told me that they were awkward and un-photogenic,” shares Jon-Mark. “What I want to do is change their minds. Part of that is an engagement session, which I do with the majority of my couples – like 95 percent or more. Once people get their images back, they’re so much more confident and relaxed about being photographed on their wedding day. They trust that I’ll do a good job. It’s really nice to change people’s perception of themselves.”
With two simple answers, Jon-Mark increased his engagement photo sales to nearly 100 percent and dramatically improved his clients’ photography experience. That led to more referrals, better bookings, and happier clients.
Photos by Jon-Mark Wiltshire
Blend Your Photography FAQs with Your Brand
Think of FAQs as another way to define your brand. Your answers and your FAQs page design reveal who you are and how you work.
Don’t be too formal.
Your website isn’t a contract. It’s meant to provide information in a fun, friendly way. So you don’t need fancy language on your FAQs page. Let your photography FAQs be a client’s first introduction to your communication style by writing the way you talk.
Here’s how Jon-Mark answers the question, “Can you shoot in rain or bad weather?”:
“Do bears sh!t in the woods? As a wedding photographer in the Pacific Northwest for more than 10 years, I’ve shot in more than my share of bad weather, I was even featured in an article of Digital Photographer Magazine (UK) for my wet weather wedding work. My equipment is weather-sealed and my rain jacket is ready, and I’m happy to help you figure out the additional challenges of unexpected weather on your wedding day. I’m game if you are!”
Photography FAQs on Jon-Mark Wiltshire’s website
Aim for Smart Design
Most of Jon-Mark’s website content lives on the home page where links in the menu bar take visitors directly to each section. “I put the FAQs at the bottom of my website intentionally,” says Jon-Mark. “It’s labeled and easy to get to, but it doesn’t get in the way of the images.”
Jon-Mark also opted for a website plug-in that expands each question when clicked. This allows him to publish dozens of questions without overwhelming his clients.
Search for “expandable FAQs” to find your own website plug-in – or just click here!
Photos by Jon-Mark Wiltshire
Your FAQs Should Support Your Contract
You don’t need to print your photography FAQs in your contract; but do make sure your FAQ answers align with the information your contract presents.
>>> Get your own contract templates on the ShootProof Marketplace! <<<
“A lot of my FAQs are covered formally in the contract with attorney-approved language,” shares Jon-Mark. Because he presents the most common questions up-front on his website, Jon-Mark’s clients don’t encounter any surprises when he reviews the contract with them. “Photography FAQs are meant to manage expectations,” he shares. “If you set expectations properly and then meet them, you’re way more likely to have happy, satisfied clients.”
Are you using photography FAQs?
Comment below with the ones that work best for your and your clients!
Written by ANNE SIMONE | Featuring JON-MARK WILTSHIRE
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