As a former website designer for more than 10 years, I find that I’m qualified to let you in on a few design tricks. Let’s be honest — websites have to be kept up on in terms of not only their content, but their design, too. If you have a website that looks outdated or is difficult to use, you’re less likely to have potential clients go beyond your homepage. And while we can’t all have the most amazing website on the internet, there’s a few things that we should definitely do.

Use awesome, elaborate fonts

Nothing shows our expertise more than having a professional-looking font on a website. Whether it’s Zapfino, Brush Script or Papyrus, choose a font that’s overly elaborate. It’ll show how creative you are, and really pop off the page. And of course, you can’t go wrong with Comic Sans, which is still the greatest font of all time.

Flashy colors and random animated GIFs

There are some absolutely amazing things you can do when you think outside the box. Put your text in a neon green or hot magenta color — you know, from the Windows 95 days. Then add in some animated GIFs of cats and tigers. Even better, make the tiger roar when you click on it.

Animation

Flash is all the rage and is by far Adobe’s greatest product. They only abandoned it because they didn’t want all of us to be cool. Who doesn’t like animation all over a website, spinning photographs and movie-like elements that aren’t supported on mobile devices? It’s like a speakeasy experience for your website, and will certainly make your website visitors feel extra special.

Background music

I personally listen to music when I work. By having the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want it That Way” play automagically on your website, you’re creating a wonderful, professional environment for your clients to view your work. It’ll surely help you land more projects.

Cats

People love cats! Put them on your website, as a watermark to your images, or even DANCING cats ON TOP of your images.

 

If you haven’t realized it by now … April Fool’s. Except the tiger roaring part. I legitimately had a client who had one on their website.

For more on Photography Marketing, see my weekly column.