New decade, new Format. After more than 10 self-funded years, we’re debuting a fresh new look and all-new features to help photographers grow their business.
We’re also debuting a new mission: Where photographers get serious. We want to provide professional photographers with everything they need to create a stunning site to promote and, yes, get serious about their photography business.
We get photographers—many of us are photographers. As a design- and research-driven company, we did a deep-dive into the wants and needs of the photography community. We also saw a real gap in the market: photographers’ needs weren’t being adequately addressed through one easy-to-use platform. With that in mind, we set about solving that problem. Here are a few ways we’re pivoting to fully support photographers in all of their business needs.
New Slideshow Options
Our new slideshows were intentionally designed with three key things in mind: they had to look professional, be customizable, and be easy to use. This included adding a number of different animations for smooth transitions, multiple layouts, and ensuring they are fully integrated into the visual drag-and-drop editor. To achieve this type of look with competitive products, photographers have typically had to resort to paying someone to write custom code or installing cumbersome add-ons. This is another way we’re making it easier for photographers to build the website they want.
Mailing Lists
Every professional photographer who makes a living off of their work has to learn how to market themselves. These marketing efforts usually revolve around building out their brand, acquiring new customers, and staying top-of-mind with existing clients to get repeat business or to help with word-of-mouth referrals. Our new mailing list feature helps photographers do just that by capturing the visitors’ email addresses. That mailing list can then be used for sending out newsletters, promos, or even holiday wishes.
Premium Website Templates
Our online portfolios already feature both polished, professional designs and excellent ease of use. With no coding required to get a site up and running, the drag-and-drop functionality means that busy photographers can get their site functioning fast. There are also dozens of stunning themes to choose from, each optimized to showcase photography. Every template, page, and layout is also mobile-ready, so every photographer’s portfolio will look amazing no matter how big or small the screen. We’ve made it easier than ever before to build a portfolio by creating over 65 templates that busy photographers can customize to create their website as quickly as possible.
Site Building Service
What about photographers who are a bit daunted by the idea of themes and e-mail lists—or even creating their own site? At Format, we have always prioritized member experience, providing our members with resources to ensure their photography businesses succeed. We’ll continue to provide exceptional 24/7 customer support, but we’ve added a few new support offerings.
Those looking for a little extra support can schedule a consultation with a Format Expert, who can aid them in curating, creating, and customizing their online portfolio website. One of the key pain points that we heard from members getting started with Format is that they do not have enough time or expertise to build out a beautiful portfolio site. Our team of Format Experts have made thousands of portfolios; now they can help photographers create their dream websites—and at an affordable price point. This way photographers can have a professional-looking portfolio site in days, instead of doing it themselves over weeks or months. And the best part? This service is absolutely free with a yearly Pro Plus or Unlimited membership.
Pro Plus Plan
With all of these changes, we wanted to create a one-stop-shop plan just for photographers who want to get serious. The new Pro Plus plan includes all the new features, plus Site Building Service, a professional domain for a year, and our new Photography Business Masterclass—a video series offering tutorials in everything from branding and budget-friendly marketing to client management and financial guidance.
The new plan also comes with all the other built-in Format features, like fee-free online stores; client photo galleries that eliminate the need for endless, frustrating email chains and large file transfers; Instagram, Lightroom, and Google Analytics integration; blogging functionality; an iPhone app, so members can edit their sites on the go; and SEO optimization.
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