Written by Kelsie Pinkerton, founder of Pinkerton House, website designer, and wedding photographer of 20 years.
Every once in a while, I have a conversation that goes something like this:
“I bought a website template six months ago…and I haven’t opened it yet.”
First of all…
No judgment. 🙋♀️
Because buying a great template gives you an incredible head start.
Instead of staring at a blank canvas wondering where everything should go, you get to begin with a thoughtfully designed foundation that’s already done a lot of the heavy lifting.
Now comes my favorite part: making it unmistakably yours.
Choosing the right images.
Refining your copy.
Adding your personality.
Trying to make it feel like you without accidentally redesigning the whole thing from scratch. 😉
Over the last two decades, I’ve watched photographers and creatives have incredible experiences with Showit templates…
…and I’ve watched others accidentally make the process way harder than it needed to be.
Not because the template wasn’t good.
But because they unknowingly created work the template had already solved for them.
So before you click “Add to Cart,” here are a few things I genuinely wish every photographer knew.
Quick Answer
A thoughtfully designed Showit template can instantly elevate your brand, save you time, reduce decision fatigue, and give your business a strategic foundation from day one.
But buying the template is just the beginning.
The photographers who end up with websites they absolutely love usually have two things in common: they start with a well-built template, then customize it thoughtfully to reflect their own brand, voice, and work.
Table of Contents
- You’re Starting With A Huge Head Start
- The Demo Isn’t The Goal
- Your Copy Matters More Than Your Fonts
- Let The Template Do Some Of The Heavy Lifting
- Your Portfolio Is Your Secret Weapon
- Done Really Is Better Than Perfect
- Pinkerton House Perspective
- Key Takeaways
- Frequently Asked Questions
You’re Starting With A Huge Head Start
It’s easy to fall in love with a demo site.
The gorgeous, perfectly curated imagery.
The expert copy.
The cohesive branding.
But here’s the exciting part.
You’re not buying that website.
You’re buying the strategy behind it.
Someone has already spent countless hours thinking through the page hierarchy.
The user experience.
The mobile layout.
The conversion strategy.
The SEO-readiness.
The flow.
Instead of figuring out every little detail from scratch, you get to jump straight into making it feel unmistakably like you.
And that’s exactly what makes a strategic template so valuable.
If you’re still deciding which template is the best fit for your business, my guide on how to choose the right Showit template for photographers walks you through what actually matters before you buy.
The Demo Isn’t The Goal
One of the quickest ways to feel disappointed is constantly comparing your unfinished website to a fully polished demo.
Those demo websites were built from months of thoughtful refinement by an expert.
Your website doesn’t need to look exactly like the demo to be successful.
It just needs to communicate your brand beautifully.
The goal isn’t to recreate someone else’s website.
It’s to create the best version of your own.
Your Copy Matters More Than Your Fonts
Unpopular designer opinion alert:
Amazing, spot-on messaging > the perfect typography.
Because…
Beautiful typography does NOT fix confusing messaging.
Now hear me out.
Your font choices absolutely help visitors recognize your style and taste.
And yes…
That matters.
But your dream clients are far more interested in understanding:
Who you are.
Are you for them?
Why you’re different.
And what it’s like to work with you.
Than whether your fonts are the perfect editorial pairing.
(Rest assured…I’ll still analyze font pairings ’til I can’t see straight. 😂)
Let The Template Do Some Of The Heavy Lifting
Oh, I am guilty of changing things just because I can.
It’s especially sneaky because Showit makes revising a website so dang easy.
“I’ll just see what happens if I move this section…”
“And maybe rebuild the homepage…”
“And what if I re-worked the navigation…”
Before long, you’ve accidentally turned a strategic template into a giant DIY project.
A great template didn’t become great by accident.
Someone has already thought through:
The hierarchy.
The user experience.
The conversion strategy.
The SEO-readiness.
The mobile layout.
The usability.
If you’ve invested in a thoughtfully designed template…
Let it do some of the heavy lifting.
Customize it.
Make it yours.
But resist the urge to reinvent every single page.
If you do decide to make bigger changes, avoiding a few common Showit template customization mistakes can save you hours of unnecessary frustration.
Your Portfolio Is Your Secret Weapon
Can I let you in on a little secret?
The place I see photographers spend the most time isn’t learning Showit.
It’s choosing images.
Because this business is deeply personal.
“This wedding was featured…”
“They became dear friends…”
“I still remember this sunset…”
With twenty years of emotionally charged images sitting on my hard drives…
Trust me, I get it.
But remember:
The photographers whose websites feel the most intentional are almost always incredible curators.
A carefully curated portfolio doesn’t just look beautiful.
It helps your dream clients instantly picture themselves working with you.
Don’t make them work for it.
In fact, it’s one of the biggest reasons some photography websites feel instantly high-end while others don’t.
Done Really Is Better Than Perfect
I know… cliché.
But it’s also true.
One more headline.
One more gallery.
One more little tweak.
Weeks quietly become months.
Meanwhile…
Your website isn’t collecting inquiries.
It isn’t showing up in Google.
It isn’t helping your business grow.
Launch it.
Then improve it over time.
One of the things I love most about Showit is that updating your website later is incredibly simple.
And I promise you this: you will learn far more from an imperfect, live website than one sitting in draft mode.
It just has to be finished enough to start working for you.
If you’re wondering what that launch process actually looks like, here’s my realistic guide to how long it takes to build a photography website.
Pinkerton House Perspective
If there’s one thing I hope photographers take away from this article, it’s this:
A great Showit template’s value isn’t in beauty alone.
It’s valuable because it quietly removes hundreds of unnecessary decisions.
That’s why I love starting with templates.
Not because they’re simply a faster path to launch…
Although they absolutely are.
Because they let you spend your energy on the handful of decisions that actually matter.
Your message.
Your curation.
Your story.
Your work.
Your dream clients.
That’s what good strategy does.
Key Takeaways
- A strategic Showit template gives you a huge head start.
- Your messaging matters more than tiny design tweaks.
- Trust the strategy before changing everything.
- Thoughtful portfolio curation is one of the most valuable parts of customization.
- Launch first. Refine over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I customize every page of a Showit template?
With your own personal content, yes. Structurally, usually no. The best templates already have thoughtful page structure and hierarchy. Focus on making the content yours—copy, images, and branding—before redesigning the layout.
Will my website look like everyone else’s if I use a template?
Not if you customize it well. Your images, copy, branding, and personality have far more influence on the uniqueness of the finished website than the underlying structure.
What’s the biggest mistake photographers make after buying a Showit template?
Trying to change everything just because they can. That’s usually when projects become overwhelming and never get launched. You can use this checklist to help you customize your Showit site and get it launched fast, and without the overwhelm.
Ready To Find The Right Foundation?
Whether you’re looking for a strategic Showit template or a more hands-off Website Design experience, my goal is the same:
To help you spend less time second-guessing your website…
…and more time building the business behind it.
Because buying the template isn’t the finish line.
It’s the beginning of creating a website that’s unmistakably yours and ready to work for your business.
Kelsie Pinkerton is a Showit website designer and founder of Pinkerton House, with 20 years of experience in the luxury wedding industry.
