Center The Visual: 3 Tips For Tattoo Shop Websites

Center The Visual: 3 Tips For Tattoo Shop Websites

If you run a tattoo parlor, your website is a vital part of your business. Not only do customers want to check out local parlors before they come in – they also want to look at your portfolio, see past work, and learn about artists’ overall style. Informed clients won’t just walk into any shop and pick a piece off the wall.

With that in mind, you’ll want to spend some time designing a website that does your shop justice. Here are three key factors you should keep in mind.

Stay On Trend

Tattoo parlors are expected to be hip, so if your website looks like it just emerged out of 2004, that’s going to scare off many of your customers. Choose a theme and layout for your site that’s both coherent with you overall shop aesthetic and in keeping with current website trends.

Formats like parallax that feature smooth scrolling are currently very popular and look slick. This Wix website uses a parallax-style as an example of what a tattoo shop site might look like, but as the breaks in the page indicate, it’s a flexible format that you can really make your own. Even if every shop in your area uses parallax design, your site can stand out.

Stay Visually Focused

The primary thing that potential clients will be looking for when they come to your website is pictures of your work – so make those images the center of your design. In fact, start with images and go from there, since users will likely navigate away from your landing page almost immediately to check out your portfolio. Then, if they’re interested, they’ll come back to the landing page and explore other parts of the site.

When organizing pictures for your online portfolio, you may want to consider how clients would encounter your work if they came into the shop first. Typically, tattoo artists have a photo book filled with images of prior tattoos that can give clients a sense of their style. They look at the book and know, for example, that they’ve found just who they’re looking for, or alternatively, that this artist does American Traditional tattoos, and they should seek someone else to tackle their New School-style project. You want to offer them the same rich, comprehensive experience of your work online.

Stay In Your Field

Because your website is such an important part of your business, don’t just choose any web designer to work on it. Instead, look for web designers who have worked with tattoo and piercing shops in the past, or who create sites for other art styles. Seek out examples of tattoo sites and highlight what you like. Someone with experience working on this genre of site will know how to take those preferences and create something edgy and engaging.

Your tattoo shop’s site should be a work of art, just like the creations you produce on people’s bodies. Don’t let the digital format be a barrier to an attractive site that reflects your style – putting in the work will enhance your business and win you customers.