1. A headline that says what you do
Your name is not usually a homepage promise. Tell a new visitor what you make, who it is for or what becomes possible because of your work. Personality can live in the phrasing, but clarity has to survive.
Test the headline on someone outside your industry. If they can explain the offer back to you after five seconds, it is doing its job.
2. One primary action
Choose the most valuable next step and make it visually obvious. That might be “Book a shoot,” “Shop the collection,” “View the portfolio,” or “Join the newsletter.” Specific button copy reduces uncertainty.
You can offer secondary paths lower down the page, but the first screen should not feel like a control panel.
3. An edited body of work
Show the work that attracts more of the work you want. Group examples by service, project, collection or outcome rather than reproducing the chronology of your social feed.
Give each example enough context to mean something: the brief, your role, the result or why you chose it. A small selection with context beats a large gallery without it.
4. A clear offer
Visitors should be able to tell what they can buy, book or ask for. Name the format, who it suits and what happens next. If prices vary, explain the starting point or enquiry process instead of leaving the entire transaction mysterious.
- What the offer is.
- Who it is for.
- What is included or what the process looks like.
- The next step and expected response time.
5. Proof that matches the decision
Choose proof for the action you want. Brand logos help with familiarity; a short case study proves process and outcome; testimonials reduce personal risk; audience data can support partnership enquiries. Do not fill a marquee with names that have no explanation.
6. A useful about section
An about section should connect your point of view to the visitor’s reason for being there. Share the experience, obsession or method that changes the work—not a full autobiography unless your story is the product.
7. A frictionless contact path
Tell people what to include, where you work, the kinds of enquiries you accept and roughly when they will hear back. A short form often produces better enquiries than an unqualified email link because it helps both sides arrive prepared.
8. A mobile-first check
Open the site from your Instagram profile on a real phone. Check text size, image crops, tap targets, form fields and load time. The mobile design is not a compressed desktop screenshot; it is the primary journey for much of your audience.
- The promise and main action appear without zooming.
- Navigation is short and predictable.
- Images have deliberate mobile crops.
- Forms use only fields you will act on.
- Nothing important relies on hover.
9. The search and sharing basics
Give every important page a unique, descriptive title and summary. Use one clear main heading, descriptive link text, meaningful image alternatives and stable page URLs. Add a share image so the site looks intentional when someone sends it in a message.
A sitemap and crawlable internal links help search engines discover the site, but they do not replace useful pages. Start with a small number of pages that answer real questions well.
The ten-minute final review
Before publishing, ask these questions in order.
- Can a stranger explain what I do?
If not, revise the first screen before touching the rest.
- Can they see the right proof?
Move the most decision-relevant work and evidence earlier.
- Can they take the next step?
Test every important link, form, booking path and checkout on mobile.
- Would I be happy for this page to be shared alone?
Each page should carry enough context to make sense without the homepage.
Keep thisA strong creator site is not measured by page count. It is measured by how quickly the right visitor understands the work, trusts the person behind it and takes the next step.