5 Photo Booth Website Mistakes

I’ve taken a look at a good number of photo booth rental business websites and noticed some basic errors that can easily be corrected.  This is by no means an exhaustive list of improvements that can be made but I believe these are the top 5.  These mistakes can easily be fixed and will result in a better experience for potential customers, favor with the search engines, which both mean more money in your pocket.

#1 – Websites that are not mobile friendly.
Once in a while I’ll meet someone who still has a “flip phone” but it’s becoming more and more of a rare occurrence. These days it seems like nearly everyone has their head down and is focused on a smartphone or tablet.  Therefore, your photo booth rental website is going to be viewed on a mobile device very often, probably more often than on a traditional desktop.  Any website can be viewed on a mobile device, however that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s “mobile friendly.”

What does it mean to have a mobile friendly site?  Basically, this means that your site fits properly on the device it is being viewed on.  If a potential customer has to scroll from left to right and zoom in and zoom out to see the entirety of your site, then it is not mobile friendly.  Website templates and builders refer to mobile friendly sites as “responsive designs”, as they respond to the device they are being viewed on.

On April 21, 2015, Google came out with a new update, which some referred to as “Mobilegeddon.” Basically, Google changed its algorithms and is now giving search engine ranking preferences to those sites that are mobile friendly. You can use this Mobile Friendly Test Tool from Google and see how they view your site.

We want our potential customers to have a good experience when they come to our sites and not quickly leave because it’s not user friendly.  The longer a customer stays on our sites, the better and more likely we’ll get their business.

 #2 – Not making it obvious that you are a photo booth rental business.
When a potential customer lands on your website it should be very obvious what kind of business you are and what services you offer.   Visitors to your site should immediately understand that you are a business who offers photo booth rentals, your contact info in plain site and where you’re located.

I’ve seen some photo booth websites are confusing.  Sometimes potential customers can be left scratching their heads.  Is this a DJ who rents a photo booth on the side?  Is this a company who makes photo booths but also rents them? Are only the backdrops being rented or sold? Don’t be abstract, instead make it very clear who you are and what you are offering.  Your site should “scream” photo booth rentals, with all your images and text photo booth related.

#3 – Broken links.
Hopefully you have some external links on your photo booth site, search engines like to see this. On my photo booth website I link to the websites of the venues that we have previously had our booth at.  I also link to the websites of past clients if they are some type of organization (business, school, non-profit, etc.)

Whatever external links you do have, make it a habit to regularly check that they are still working and fix any broken links.  Potential customers could be turned off by broken links and it just appears unprofessional.

#4 – Outdated information.
If you have any blog posts or other information that is date stamped on your website, make sure that the date is at least from the current year, preferably within the last 6 months.  Potential customers visiting your site want to see that your business is current and not filled with outdated information.  Even if you just make a small change to an older blog post, the date will be updated.

Search engines also favor websites that are frequently updated and have “fresh content.”  Google understands that recent information is likely to be relevant to their users.  A good strategy is to write a brief blog post after a photo booth event, especially after a wedding.  Write a brief article about the couple, the venue, other vendors, and include a few of the best photo booth photos.  Potential customers will see more social proof and the search engines will love it.

#5 – No links to social media profiles.
These days businesses are expected to have a social media presence.  Personally, I am only concerned with Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for the photo booth rental business. These are the social media channels our customers seem to use most.

In the footer of your website, be sure to link to your social media pages.  I prefer the footer over the header because I don’t want someone arriving to my site and quickly clicking off of it.  Social proof is important and will be a topic for another post but people want to see themselves in your photo booth via your past customers.

Have you made any of these mistakes?  In the past I’ve had to make some changes to my own site to correct these errors.  Make it a priority to fix any of these errors this week.

Prop of the week: 
Boxing gloves.  One of the most popular props in our box, always a “hit.”

Disclosure:  The above “prop of the week” link is an affiliate link, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase.  These commissions help with the costs of running this website.

If you’d like to be first to receive these articles, please sign up for my free email newsletter below.

If you found this article helpful take a look at The 4 Letter Word that Books Photo Booth Gigs then let’s start talking about if your email address turning off customers?