IMAGES ARE EVERYTHING << YES, ALL CAPS!!!
There is no such thing as a GORGEOUS website with sh*tty images. I don't care how amazing your website designer is - you can't send someone crap images and expect them to design a website that is worth staying on. IMAGES ARE EVERYTHING.
I have had clients who come to me with NOTHING image-wise and expect me to pull a stunning website out of my ass that they will love. Not gonna happen << sorry, not sorry. If you want me to work my magic then you need to supply me with materials. If you want ANY website designer to work their magic: BRING THEM IMAGES!!!!
In the wedding industry this is especially important! Brides are visual lovers. They want to see the pretty!! This is what great wedding blogs like Style Me Pretty, Martha Stewart Weddings, Bridal Musings, Wedding Chicks, etc have taught them! The brides today are PHOTOGRAPHY SNOBS. Even if they can't afford the best wedding photographer they still want to see the best. They want to feed their brain with amazing images. You want them to stick around on your website??? GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT.
Heather, stop yelling at us through your blog post!! We get it!! I swear I would think people get it, but they don't. I have clients get mad at me because I can't create a website for them that they love - and what they sent me was images shot with their 'point and shoot' camera in 1990 << yes, this has happened. Throw your website designer a bone! Don't give them 'nothing' and expect them to make butterflies and rainbows out of it.
Ways to get amazing images?
Create a styled shoot and make sure you are working with a killer photographer!
Hire a photographer to come photograph the details you created at one of your real weddings - in these cases only if the bride hired a sh*t photographer and you need to hire someone who will stay out of the way of the wedding day photographer.
ONLY refer talented photographers to your clients and make sure they don't hire crappy ones!
The truth of the matter is: the images of your work is your bread and butter - it's how you will attract the right clients. If you don't have great images, you can't have a great website. It's just the truth and I wish it wasn't.
Here is post I wrote about the 5 second rule of website clicking!
XO~ Heather
