Whether you are just starting out in photography or are a lifer who has been in the game professionally for less than 3 years, I’m pretty sure the idea of a website to show off those ROCKIN’ images has crossed your mind. If you were or are anything like me—I NEVER EVER know where to start. I like to think of myself as a leader in most aspects in life…but when it comes to technology…or anything computer related, I am a HUGE FOLLOWER! Some of my fellow techie lover friends, have sent me a wordpress tutorial for beginners 2020, so if I want to host my website on WordPress I’ll be able to do it, easy peasy!

When I first started out, the only website platform I had heard of for photographers was SMUGMUG. Go ahead. Laugh out loud, roll on the floor and point at me with utter disbelief. Its true. I had no idea what I was doing. For Christmas that year I asked for a year subscription to SMUGMUG PRO (Yes, I thought this meant I was officially a PRO upon purchase). I paid a custom designer within 5 months to make it more, well, me. Problem was…I didn’t know who “I” was yet. Sure, I am Kaitlin. I was a college grad. Mom. Wife. Clearly I know who I am. But photographically speaking. Professionally speaking. I was lost.

After networking over the next few months, another photographer said, have you ever heard of Photobiz? I raised my eyebrows high, perked up my ears and my eyes were widened. I was ready to listen and do anything that would make KNP rise to the next level and help me figure out who I was as a professional photographer. This company had wonderful customer service. It was easy to figure out. Basic start up fees. Monthly parents there after. Much to my dismay though, it still wasn’t right for me. It wasn’t my “Forever Website”.

About 6 months after that, I again was approached. Have you heard of SHOWIT? “What’s a SHOWIT”, I ask again with lifted eyebrows, perked ears and widened eyes. “Oh you are going to love it!!!”

That night I researched it. Threw my hands above my head and swore it was all too much. Was I really ready for thiiiis kind of level. I mean, SHOWIT was the big times. SHOWIT was about as close to “Website Heaven” as I could get. So, without another flinch, I hit purchase and began to explore. I had no idea that on that cold October night that I would be unlocking a little piece of heaven. A website that would help define who I was. Who KNP was. AND show me where I wanted and COULD take this business of mine.

SHOWIT CHANGED MY BUSINESS….FOR FOREVER AND FOR THE BETTER!

Between the live help, tutorial videos, and predesigned templates, being a professional photographer and looking professional seemed to be handed to me on a platter. I chose to go all in and create my website from scratch. (This was huge folks. I mean coming from a girl that couldn’t find the “on” button on my MAC for a good 2 days and coming from a girl that would call a RAM in a computer “horsepower”—oh how I wish I was kidding).

I launched it only about 2-3 months ago from today and I was proud. He’d held high. It was so “me”.

But then the unthinkable happened: Someone asked me, so–how is this Website you? What does it say about you and your business?” I doesn’t. I was so eager to get a site out that I could be proud of that I completely forgot to incorporate anything about me and KNP. I made the “Extras” more important than my work. I made the additives the focus when it shouldn’t have been. It was light, bright and airy like my style had become. It was to structured, editorial and too modern…when I wasn’t. I may have wanted to be those things, but I just wasn’t. Oh no—all that time wasted. Oh no…now I have to change everything. Can I even do that?!!? YES!!! That is ONE thing that is great about SHOWIT.

As you change, so can your website. No additional fees. No limit on how many things you can change. How many times you can change it. YOU ARE FREE to do whatever you want whenever you want with SHOWIT.

One would think the start up fees are crazy. One would think the monthly payments to be daunting. One would think that a company this popular amongst the photography community would have very little time to devote excellent customer service to its clients. ALL FALSE!

For a small and very worthy fee of $39.99 a month (no maintenance or set up fees) you are ready and raring to go. Have a question? No submitting a form and waiting days upon days to get an “unhelpful” answer in reply from some robot! SHOWIT has LIVE HELP. Showiteer experts are there to walk to through everything and actually talk with you, not speed through your question making you feel stupid if you have missed a step.

SHOWIT gets better. I know- hard to believe right?

SHOWIT IS A FAMILY. UNIQUE, UNITED AND FREE!

Once you become a member, you are immediately made a member of the SHOWITEERS group on Facebook. Its a huge group that allows you to talk to all the greats. To ask questions of your peers. Get help building your site when the Live Help Desk is closed. These people are there to encourage you. Improve you. Guide you. They are photographers just like you. Photographers that chose to better their business and selves by joining the most effective and popular photography website platform there is.

SHOWIT also offers groups called Share Groups. These are groups, very similar to the large SHOWITEERS group I mentioned above, but smaller and more regionalized. Bonus- this means you can connect with fellow photographers and showiteers in your surrounding areas. You can network. Meet up. Make new friends, find second shooters, and start yet another fabulous unique, united and free family.

SHOWIT has a slight learning curve to it and it takes time and patience. You have to be all in folks. You have the freedom to be as creative and unique as you want to be, but you have to be willing to step outside of your comfort zone. Though their pre made templates are outstanding, push yourself to find out who you and your business really are as a whole.

You only get one chance to make a solid and amazing first impression. Let SHOWIT help you shine. Help show off the real you. Your heart and soul of your business. Whether its photography, jewelry, or a kids summer camp….Let SHOWIT take your buiness to the next level.

Warning: Once you go SHOWIT- YOU won’t ever want to go back.

Make the jump, because my lord, its so worth it. Here is my Showit 5 website in all its PERFECTLY KNP glory! And ITS MOBILE FRIENDLY!

 

Unique, United and Free…. Its the only way to be! (End of cheese ball rant)

<3 Kaitlin Noel Photography