Your Storefront is the gateway to attracting and converting potential clients. But what makes a visitor decide to book with you? The answer often lies in social proof—the trust and credibility established by showcasing real client experiences. By adding client reviews and real client galleries to your Storefront, you can build confidence in your services and significantly increase your conversion rates.
You can learn more about how to boost your conversions in our blog about the Photography Offer Value Formula.
This article will show you how to strategically use social proof to enhance your Storefront’s appeal and turn more visitors into booked clients.
Why Social Proof Matters for Your Storefront:
1. Increases Trust and Credibility: Potential clients are more likely to trust your services when they see positive feedback and real-life examples from others who have worked with you.
2. Improves Conversion Rates: Reviews and real client galleries provide reassurance that you deliver high-quality work, helping to turn hesitant visitors into confident clients.
3. Differentiates You from Competitors: By showcasing diverse client experiences, you set yourself apart from other photographers who may lack this authentic validation.
4. Creates an Emotional Connection: Real client stories and photos allow visitors to visualize their own experience, making them more likely to choose you.
How to Add Social Proof to Your Storefront:
Step 1: Collect and Display Client Reviews
Reviews are one of the most powerful forms of social proof. They provide firsthand accounts of your services, quality, and professionalism, directly influencing potential clients’ decisions.
How to Collect Reviews:
• After delivering photos, encourage clients to leave a review directly through the Smiler Gallery interface.
• Smiler will automatically prompt them for a star rating and written feedback once they download their gallery.
• Follow up with a friendly reminder if needed, emphasizing how much their review helps others make an informed decision.
To grow your credibility, consider contacting past clients and inviting them to leave you a review and provide consent to use their photos. To do this, click on "Upload Customer Gallery" in the Storefront menu (Detailed instructions below!).
Step 2: Add Real Client Galleries to Your Storefront
Real client galleries provide a tangible demonstration of your work quality, style, and ability to deliver on promises. They show prospective clients what they can expect, building confidence in their decision to book you.
How to Add Real Client Galleries:
Method 1: Use Galleries from Completed Shoots
When you deliver photos through Smiler, clients are asked to give consent for their gallery to be displayed on your Storefront.
If consent is given, the gallery will appear in the “Customer Galleries” section under the Storefront tab.
🔀 Gallery Display Toggle: Use the toggle on each gallery card to choose whether it appears on your Storefront. Remember, you can feature up to 10 galleries at a time.
Method 2: Upload Past Client Galleries
To add work done outside of Smiler, go to the Storefront tab in your Smiler Photographer Suite.
Under the Storefront tab, find the "Customer Galleries" section where all consented galleries are listed.
Click on the "Upload Customer Gallery" button on the top right hand side of the page.
Fill in the required information such as Gallery name, client name, and upload your photos.
Select the terms & conditions checkbox and click "Save Gallery" to populate the gallery on the Customer Galleries page.
Step 3: Polishing Your Galleries
Under the Storefront tab of your Suite, you'll find the "Customer Galleries" page where all consented galleries are listed.
💡 You can sort your galleries by Newest or Oldest, or filter them by All, Inactive, or Active.
Clicking each gallery card will open a pop-up displaying the full gallery.
You can set a cover photo by clicking the “Set cover” button on any photo. By default, the first photo is selected as the cover. Only one cover photo can be selected at a time, and selecting another will automatically deselect the previous cover photo and auto-save.
Each gallery card displays the Gallery title, Date created, Customer name, and Review (if applicable). Hovering over the review will show the text in a tooltip.
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