Why Photographers NEED to Work with a Designer

As a brand and web designer whose niche is women in service-based businesses, I work pretty closely with photographers. As a broad statement, a lot of photographers out there are totally DIYing their branding and website. Which is totally fine! It’s not always the best option to outsource from day 1. But there is a time where it’s clear that your brand + site needs an upgrade, and sometimes it can be more obvious than you realize. That’s why I want to hit three points that may encourage you to take the leap and finally invest in your business by hiring a brand and web designer.

Of course, there are plenty of reasons why working with a designer can benefit you and your business — most of which will be uniquely personal to you. But here are the top three ways, which I think will speak to most photographers out there. Let’s dive in!

01. Your brand + website will look and feel better when you bring an expert into the process.

This may be a tough pill to swallow, but if you’ve DIYed your website, chances are it’s obvious. I don’t mean that in a rude way! But you can easily tell the difference between a generic website off mypixieset, versus a custom experience on a program like Showit or Squarespace.

When you DIY your own site, you’re taking the risk of a site that doesn’t attract bookings. Your site could be cluttered and hard to navigate. Not to mention, if you don’t even have a brand identity & strategy in place, the design is purposeless and not accurately portraying you and your heart. Links may not work correctly — what if that “Book with me” button doesn’t actually work, so that dream client is unable to successfully send in an inquiry? And your copy may be full of personality, but it isn’t professionally edited, so it actually ends up coming off scattered & unprofessional. These are all completely avoidable issues if you take the leap of faith and work alongside professionals who can help your business truly stand out in a way that feels perfectly aligned to you and your dream clients.

Think about it this way: I’m not a photographer, so I wouldn’t take my own brand photos. I mean, I might try to take a few iPhone shots of me in my bedroom, but you would easily be able to tell that they were done by someone with little to no photography experience. But if I wanted beautifully aligned photos that represented me and my personality, I would outsource and find a photographer to help me out. The same goes for you DIYing your brand identity + matching site. Your area of expertise lies elsewhere, so let an experienced designer help you out to really make your business shine!

I know it’s a big, huge, scary thing to invest in a totally one-of-a-kind brand + website, but the eyes on your business will notice that difference. Not to mention — they may even be more likely to book with you because of it.

02. A designer will work with you to create a brand that is unforgettably you.

Not only does a designer know how to make your brand + website look professional, but they know how to make it feel just like you. A lot of people like to say that the industry is oversaturated, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still make a home out of your business! How do you stand out in a sea of similarities? You have to be uniquely unforgettable.

A designer working with you and for you will be able to help you add that level of personality that your clients want to see from you and your business. When you invest in a custom brand identity, you’re making yourself unforgettable in the midst of your competitors. Not only is there room for you in this industry, but there’s room for you to show up exactly as you are and attract the clients and projects you’ve always dreamed of!

I hate to break it to you, but not everybody makes it to your About page. So if you’re putting all your eggs in that basket, it’s probably not reaching as many people as you’d expect. That’s why we infuse your personality into every aspect of your brand identity — logos, colors, fonts, photos, copy, everything — so that anyone can take one glance at your site and get to know your vibe right off the bat. Then, maybe they’ll be more likely to browse your About page so they can get to know you deeper beyond that brand personality — and they may even book with you, too.

03. Outsourcing design can give you more time and freedom to work on the parts of your business that are life-giving for you.

Spoiler alert, but this doesn’t only apply to owners of photography businesses! This kind of freedom is available to anyone who works with a designer.

Think about those tasks that you love doing. Is it hopping on calls with your clients to get to know them before their shoot? Maybe it’s the rush you get when you edit multiple galleries to send out in one day, just to see the smiles and responses from your clients when they get their photos. Or you might love photoshoot days more than anything and you wish you could book a million in one year.

When you leave the design things to the design expert, you give yourself an abundance of time and energy to spend on those parts of your business that you love more than anything else. You don’t have to spend weeks working on your website alone — instead, you can bring someone else into the process who knows what they’re doing so that you can focus on your area of expertise. And the right designer will involve you at all the right times, so you never feel too excluded from the process but you don’t have to spend every day worrying about it, either.

Outsourcing is a crucial investment in any business. Think about how many businesses hire an accountant to deal with their finances and taxes because they can’t do it on their own. It’s no different when hiring a brand/web designer! An experienced designer (like me!) will help you thrive in your business by giving you a personality-packed, professional brand + web experience that will help you show up authentically and joyfully in your business, month after month.

If these points feel a little relatable for comfort, you’ve come to the right place! At Studio Alexia, we’re always taking brand and web projects to help creative women thrive in their industries. Inquire if it feels right, and let’s take your business from average to aligned.