Choosing a template isn’t just about finding one that looks pretty. The right template should support the type of work you want to book, fit the way your business operates, and give you room to grow. Here’s what I’d consider after designing websites and Showit templates for photographers for more than a decade.
Start with where your business is headed, not where it is today.
Your business probably isn’t the same as it was five years ago, and it likely won’t be the same five years from now. When you’re choosing a Showit template, don’t just think about the business you have today. Think about the one you’re building.
Take some time to consider the types of clients you want to work with, the kinds of weddings or sessions you want to become known for, and where you see your business heading over the next few years. Your website should support that next chapter, not the one you’re trying to leave behind.
The same goes for your portfolio. If your goal is to book more editorial weddings, adventurous elopements, or high-end family sessions, those are the images that deserve the spotlight. Your website naturally attracts more of what it showcases.
If you’re not quite sure where your business is headed next, my free End of Season Brand Checklist is designed to help you take a step back, evaluate what’s working, and identify where there’s room to grow before you invest in a new website or Showit template.
Don’t choose a template just because the demo photos are beautiful.
Trust me, I KNOW how hard this is! Sometimes I feel like I have my favorite templates, just because of the images in them (it takes special skill to pair images with the proper design elements, right? 😜)
But try to look past the photos for a minute and consider the overall layout and feeling of the template instead. If your style is more traditional, a modern, colorful template might not be the best fit for you. On the other hand, if your work is bold and playful, you may feel boxed in by something that’s soft and minimal.
A great Showit website template should complement your photography, not compete with it. Once your own images are in place, the design should feel like a natural extension of your brand.
Consider how much content you actually have.
Make sure the pages in the template include everything you need, both now and in the near future. Some photographers have a more minimal website and only need the basics like Home, About, Portfolio, Info, and Contact. Others have a lot more content to organize.
If you plan to offer products, courses, mentorship, freebies, opt-ins, guides, or anything beyond photography services, it’s worth choosing a Showit website template that already includes those pages or can easily accommodate them. Starting with a template that’s closer to what you actually need will save you a lot of time later.
Don’t feel like you need to fill every page on day one, either. It’s much easier to start with a template that gives you room to grow than to realize six months from now you’re trying to squeeze new offers into a website that was never designed for them.
Think beyond your homepage.
A homepage might get someone interested, but the supporting pages often determine whether they inquire.
Make sure it’s easy to customize.
Good thing all of ours are, right?!
Not all Showit templates are created equally. Some make it incredibly easy to swap fonts, colors, pages, and sections around. Others can leave you scratching your head, wondering how you’re ever going to make the demo look like your business.
Before you buy, take a look at how the template is organized. Can sections be moved around easily? Is there room to add pages if your business grows? Does it feel flexible enough to make it your own without starting from scratch?
The whole point of buying a Showit website template is to save time, not create more work for yourself.
It’s also worth mentioning that you should buy from a reputable Showit designer. I can’t tell you how many templates I’ve seen that look beautiful on the front end but are a mess behind the scenes. Poor organization, inconsistent naming, accessibility issues, missing heading structure, and little to no thought given to SEO. A beautiful template is important, but what’s happening behind the scenes matters just as much.
SEO matters more than people think.
Look for a template that gives you room to write meaningful copy, includes clear heading structure, has a well-organized blog, and makes it easy to create pages around the services and locations you want to rank for. A beautiful website doesn’t do much if nobody can find it.
The good news is that SEO isn’t something you have to figure out all at once. Starting with a well-built Showit template simply gives you a stronger foundation from day one, without having to read a single SEO help article!
Ask yourself these questions before buying.
Before you purchase a Showit website template, take a few minutes to think through these questions:
- Would I still love this template if all the photos were replaced with my own?
- Can I picture my work here?
- Do the page layouts make sense for my business?
- Does it have all the pages I need, or will I be creating a lot from scratch?
- Does this fit the direction I want my business to grow?
- Will this still feel like “me” a few years from now?
- Is the design helping my work stand out, or distracting from it?
The best Showit template isn’t always the trendiest one. It’s the one that makes your work shine and supports where you want your business to go.
A template should grow with your business.
The best Showit website template isn’t necessarily the one with the trendiest fonts or the flashiest animations. It’s the one that still works a year from now, after you’ve raised your prices, refined your style, or started attracting the kinds of clients you’ve been working toward.
Your website shouldn’t become something you outgrow every couple of years. It should be flexible enough to evolve alongside your business, whether that means adding new services, changing your niche, expanding your portfolio, or simply feeling more like the photographer you’ve become.
Choose a template that gives you room to grow. Future you will be grateful.
At the end of the day, choosing the right Showit website template isn’t about picking the prettiest demo. It’s about finding a website that supports your business today and still works as you continue to grow.
I spent years as a wedding photographer before I ever designed a single website. Over time, I realized my strongest skill wasn’t behind the camera. It was seeing the bigger picture. Understanding how photographers position themselves, how clients perceive value, and how a website can either elevate that story or hold it back.
That perspective has shaped every Showit template I’ve designed over the past 15+ years. As a Showit Design Partner, Showit’s 2021 Designer of the Year, and after helping more than 1,500 photographers launch their websites, I’ve learned that the best templates don’t just look beautiful. They make running and growing your business easier.
Ready to find the right fit? Explore all of my Showit website templates.
