Are Bio's important for your website?

Here is a common question photographers ask me when building up their website. Is a Bio or About Me section important? My honest answer is, not really. I am sure there will always be a handful of customers that want to know more about the photographer they are thinking of hiring, but I don't think it really plays into a noticeable percentage of being a deciding factor on if they should hire you or not.

My honest opinion here is, that they will begin to develop some sort of relationship with you by reading through the pricing and information pages, combined with looking at the body of your work. Why do I think that? Because I have never had a bio on my website, and one of the first things I hear from customers when I get them on the phone is, "I just love your work", combined with, "I was surprised at the price for what I get." Not to mention, "Can you tell me more about that Signature Series Print thing you talk about on your website?"

This tells me they are reading my information, and looking at my work. If I have done a good job with explaining what I will do for them on my website, combined with displaying some good images - or at least the best I can do - then that is all that apparently matters.

But what if I want to write up a bio anyway, you may ask.

Well here are some important tips to remember when you are writing it out.

1. No typos. For me this is like the pot calling the kettle black. I am a notorious bad typist. But get someone to proof your write up first and do not depend on spell check to catch your mistakes. You will be sorry.
2. Be grammatically correct. Nothing makes you look like a big ole' doofus more than a sentence that is not grammatically correct. It is worse - in my opinion - than a mistyped word. So do yourself a favor and have an english teacher at your local middle school read through it one time and write all over your bio in red ink. It does not have to be perfectly grammer proof. But it certainly cannot look like a third grader hopped up on Ritalin wrote it. (Don't write me nasty emails on that comment. I have 2 kids on this stuff. Have a sense of humor)
3. The reader will want to know that nothing is as important to you than providing a good job. So talk about that.
4. Do not talk about how much you just love photography, and how you are there to just have fun. You are there to do a job. Period. See number 3.
5. Keep it simple. The majority of prospective clients will not read 6 paragraphs of information. Remember that we live in a fast food world. Keep it simple, and not too wordy.

Remember that your website is often the first interaction that you will have with your client. What is there is a complete and total reflection of you. At least in the minds of your clients. So remind yourself of that as you are writing your bio.

In the end, if there is a big question mark over your head about your bio. Whether in the information that you have included, or in its very requirement for being on your website, don't put one there at all.

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