Small business website design
The pages, words and details a small business website needs to bring in enquiries.
Photography website design
Photographer websites that win bookings, from £49 a month
A photographer website with a portfolio that loads fast on a phone, packages people can understand and an enquiry form that asks for the date first. Send new favourites after each shoot and I'll swap them in.
- Galleries that load fast on phones
- A date-first enquiry form
- No contract, domain included
80+ websites built by Charlie through Transform Sites
Track record
- 80+websites built
- 100+happy clients
- 1working day to go live, once I have your answers
- £0upfront
Track record from Transform Sites, MonthlySite's parent company.
The short answer
What should a photographer's website include?
A photographer's website needs a tight portfolio of your best work for the shoots you want more of, clear packages or starting prices, an enquiry form that asks for the date and location, reviews from past clients and the area you cover. It has to load quickly on a phone. We build and host that for you from £49 a month, with no contract.
At a glance
- Price
- £49 to £99 a month
- Contract
- None
- Upfront
- £0
- Live within
- 1 working day of your answers
- Cancel
- Any month
- One-off
- From £549
80+ websites built by Charlie through Transform Sites.
Tap a number to see where it sits on the page. Example template: Hannah Reid Photography is a made-up business.
What a photographer's website needs
Four things I put on every photography website, because they're what turns someone browsing into an enquiry.
- Galleries that load fast
Your best work in clean, full-width galleries, resized for phones so a 40-image portfolio doesn't grind to a halt on 4G.
- A date-first enquiry form
A “Check my date” button and an availability form that asks for the date, location and type of shoot, so you can reply in one message.
- Packages with starting prices
A packages page with a “from” price for each type of shoot. Couples and businesses shortlist on budget before they fall for a style.
- About you, with a photo of you
People are letting you into their wedding day or their home. A friendly photo and a few honest lines do more than a long biography.
On this page
How clients choose a photographer online
Photography is bought on style first and trust second. A couple planning a wedding, a parent booking a family shoot or a café owner who needs photos for a new menu will usually look through several portfolios, often found on Instagram or through a search like “wedding photographer Cotswolds”, then shortlist two or three and check whether they're free and affordable.
Social media is good at showing your latest work, but it's a poor place to make a decision. Posts are out of order, prices are in the DMs and there's nowhere to explain what's included. Your own photographer website is where the shortlisting happens: a considered portfolio, clear packages and a simple way to ask about a date.
Wedding enquiries often arrive a year or more ahead, and many couples contact several photographers at once. The photographer who replies quickly and clearly, with the information the couple asked for, is usually the one who gets the call.
What to put on a photography website
The pages that do the work. Send me your images and details and I'll put them together.
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A portfolio you've edited hard
Around 20 to 40 of your strongest images for each type of work you want more of. Only show the kind of shoot you want to be booked for.
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Packages or “from” prices
Hours of coverage, number of edited images, how the gallery is delivered, prints or albums. People who can't find a price often assume you're out of their budget.
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A date and location enquiry form
Date, venue or location, type of shoot and a rough budget. You can reply with availability in one message instead of three.
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Reviews that describe the day
Quotes that say what you were like to work with: calm, organised, good with nervous grooms and restless toddlers. Your Google reviews count too.
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Where you're based and where you travel
Your home town, the areas you cover without a travel fee and whether you go further. It helps local searches as well as couples planning ahead.
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Insurance and memberships
Many venues ask about public liability insurance. If you belong to a body such as the BIPP, the Guild of Photographers or the SWPP, say so.
A photography website with your name on it
The live photography template lets the pictures lead and keeps the words short. Type your business name at the top of the page, or switch between the three styles to see which suits your work.
What to notice
- The gallery leads: images first, words second, the way people browse
- Packages sit on the home page with a price, so nobody has to ask
- The main button says “Check my date”, because availability is the first question
Portfolio builder, gallery platform or a monthly plan
Most photographers end up using more than one tool. This is what each is good at.
| DIY portfolio builder | Client gallery platform | MonthlySite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main job | A portfolio you build | Delivering and selling photos | Winning enquiries |
| Monthly cost | Typically £10 to £30 | Free tiers, paid plans vary | £49 to £99, all in |
| Who builds it | You | You upload galleries | I do |
| Changes | You, in the evenings | You | Email or WhatsApp me |
| Client galleries | Sometimes, as an add-on | Yes | Linked from your site |
| Contract | Monthly or yearly | Monthly or yearly | None |
DIY figures are typical UK ranges, not quotes.
If you already use Pixieset, Pic-Time or similar to deliver client galleries, keep it. Your website links to it, and does the job of winning the booking in the first place.
Mistakes that cost photographers bookings
Most of these come from building a site late at night after an editing session, which is understandable. All of them are easy to fix.
- Full-size files straight off the camera, so galleries crawl on a phone
- Every genre you've ever shot, which makes you look like a generalist to a couple who want a wedding photographer
- No prices anywhere, so budget-conscious clients quietly leave
- A contact form that only asks for a message, so every enquiry needs three emails back and forth
- A portfolio that hasn't changed in three years
Getting found when people search locally
Searches like “family photographer near me” often show a map of local businesses above the normal results. Your Google Business Profile does most of the work there, backed up by a website that names your town, your areas and the kinds of shoot you do. A site that's all images and no words gives Google very little to go on, so each gallery gets a short description of the shoot and the place.
Growth includes setting up your Google Business Profile and local SEO for your area. Pro adds a page for each area you cover, with room for write-ups of real shoots at local venues. Rankings are Google's call, so I won't promise one.
MonthlySite is new. I'm not.
80 websites and counting, built for small businesses through Transform Sites, MonthlySite's parent company.
- 80+websites built
- 100+happy clients
I only publish genuine reviews, and MonthlySite's first ones are on their way. Until then, here's my promise: you'll deal with me, and I'll reply within one working day.
Charlie, founder
What a photography website costs
Every plan includes design, hosting, security updates and changes by email. Starter's 3 pages (home, portfolio and contact) suit a simple portfolio. Growth is the one I'd suggest if local searches matter to you, because it includes your Google Business Profile setup.
£1.61a day for Starter, billed as £49 a month. No contract.
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Starter
£49a month
- Up to 3 pages
- Hosting and SSL included
- 1 change a month
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Growth Charlie's pick
£79a month
- Up to 6 pages
- Google Business Profile setup
- Unlimited small edits
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Pro
£99a month
- Up to 10 pages
- A page for each area
- Priority 48-hour edits
No contract. Cancel any month. No upfront fee.
Compare plans in detail
Build my photographer preview
Free. No card. About 60 seconds.
Rather own it outright? One-off builds from £549.
Questions photographers ask
Message CharlieI reply within one working dayAsk me on WhatsApp (opens WhatsApp in a new tab)
Will big galleries slow my photography website down?
Not if the images are prepared properly. I resize and compress every photo before it goes on the site, so a full portfolio still opens quickly on a phone. Keep your full-resolution files for clients and your gallery platform, not your website.
Can I deliver client galleries through the website?
Not on our plans. The website is there to win bookings, not for proofing or print sales. Most photographers use a gallery platform such as Pixieset or Pic-Time for that, and I'll link to it from your site so clients can find their photos easily.
How many photos should I put in my portfolio?
Fewer than you think. Around 20 to 40 strong images for each type of work you want to be booked for is plenty, with a mix of wide shots, details and people. Swap in new favourites every season so it never looks stale. You send them, I update them.
Do I need a website if I get enquiries through Instagram?
Instagram is great for showing new work, but prices, packages and availability get lost in a feed, and you don't control the platform. A website gives people one place to check your style, prices and date, and it shows up when they search your name on Google.
How do I update my portfolio after a busy season?
Send new photos by email or WhatsApp and I'll add them. Starter includes 1 content change a month, which covers a portfolio refresh. Growth and Pro include unlimited small edits, so you can swap images in after every wedding or shoot.
Can I use my own domain name?
Yes. If you already own one, we'll point it at your new site. If not, one standard .co.uk, .uk or .com domain is included in your plan. Either way it's registered in your name, so you keep it if you ever leave, along with your text and photos, and the yearly renewal becomes yours.
Let's see your photography website.
Pick your trade, add your business name and see it on a laptop and a phone. If you like it, plans start at £49 a month with no contract.