Why you should switch to Showit (from wedding professionals who have been there, done that!)

 

Let’s travel back in time to when you first started your business.

You knew you needed a website, so being the scrappy business owner you are, you probably whipped something up that was fast, easy, and most importantly, cheap! At the time, just starting out, it probably worked for you!

But now? Maybe your website is a constant source of frustration. Maybe you want to make certain design changes and can’t on your current platform. Maybe you open your website and it totally makes you cringe (we’ve all been there!).

Enter Showit.

Showit is a no-code, drag-and-drop website builder. Showit was built for photographers, but its amazing gallery options and creative freedom make it perfect for anyone in the creative or wedding industries!

I know it can be scary to switch to a new platform. In fact, I’ve helped several clients through this exact transition, like Rachel and Jontell. My clients tell me that they are pleasantly surprised to learn that Showit really is as easy to use as everyone says, and it’s given them new and exciting creative freedom.

But, instead of just taking my word for it, I wanted you to hear from people just like you who have made the switch to Showit from another website platform! These wedding professionals were kind enough to answer a few questions for me about what it was like making the switch, and how things are going with their current website!

 

Meet our lovely interviewees:

 

Paige Vaughn is the owner and lead photographer behind Paige Vaughn Photo, a wedding photography studio based in Austin, Texas and San Francisco, California. She specializes in wedding photography for FUN, laid-back couples in love who are looking to FEEL as good as they look in their wedding photos. Her unique approach focuses on getting couples to relax and truly be themselves together in order to achieve those swoon-worthy candid shots that will last a lifetime. In addition to weddings, PVP also offers engagements, bridals, boudoir and anniversary photography since she can never truly get enough of her incredible couples. When she’s not shooting weddings, you can find her sipping on rosé at happy hour, snuggling with her precious corgi Paddington, and eating as many Chickfila chicken nuggets as she can get her hands on. You can find out more about Paige and her work at www.paigevaughnphoto.com. 

 

 

Meet your new best friend! Bianca Nichole Events is an Austin based Wedding and Event Planning company. We specialize in bright, fun and whimsical designs. We bring a balance of traditional and creative thinking to your wedding day to help create a wedding better than your dreams! With each couple we service,  it is our mission and passion to give back monetary donations to our community. We are passionate about supporting various cancer research organizations, animal shelters, and child advocacy groups. Our team services couples regardless of their age, race, social status, religious background, or gender.

 

Hi everyone!!! My name is Katie Knotts and I am a mom, wife, wedding and portrait photographer. I love all things Nacho Libre (yep, you read that right) and Lizzo. I live in New Braunfels, Texas, but I travel all over and have begun to add a little travel photography into my world so yay for that!

 

What it’s like to switch to Showit

I interviewed these wedding pros because they are just like you—they started off their business on another website platform. But eventually, they realized the power and potential of Showit and made the switch! Read on to hear why these wedding professionals made the switch to Showit and how it went!

 

1. What platform was your website on before you switched to Showit? How long did you use that platform?

Paige Vaughn: I switched from Squarespace to ShowIt after 3 years of using it to host my website.

Bianca Treviño: Before Showit I used WordPress hosted on Bluehost for almost 2 years.

Katie Knotts: I started my business with a Wix site, and it was BAD. I mean bad you guys. Once I realized I did not look professional at all I switched to Squarespace which was a lot better, but I felt super limited. There was a lot I wanted to customize, but I wasn’t able to. I was on Squarespace for almost 2 years and then I switched to the holy grail that is Showit.

 

2. Why did you decide to switch to Showit?

PV: I was looking for something with more flexibility design-wise since I use my website to share a multitude of resources, including guides, wedding advice, pricing, etc. I also wanted something that allowed my website to look more high-end. Using Squarespace while easy, ultimately felt like I was putting lipstick on a pig. I could never get it to look just how I wanted.

BT: I wanted something customizable. I was in awe of all the design templates available for Showit sites. They looked so clean and professional instead of a cookie-cutter blog like my other site. It was important to me to have a professional-looking website to send clients but I didn’t have thousands of dollars to pay a designer so this was the best option.

 

3. What were your initial hesitations about moving your website to Showit?

PV: I was scared to totally move over all my content and blog posts, I was also worried about starting over with my SEO. I was also intimidated by learning a new system with new tools and almost endless possibilities, but that was also a major selling point to me!

BT: It cost more than my old platform. I saw a lot of marketing about Showit being for photographers [Bianca is a wedding planner], but I think it is great for any creative professional that wants to show off their portfolio through images. It’s pretty perfect for the wedding industry in my opinion.

KK: I was super hesitant because I spent YEARS learning Squarespace, and Showit was a whole different ball game. I am not going to pretend like I picked up how to use it super quick, because it took me a little bit, but once I did…OMG GAME CHANGER.

 

4. What was it like making the switch to Showit?

PV: The Showit team was incredibly helpful. They transferred over all of my blog posts super quickly and learning to create new pages on Showit was a breeze. I was able to use all their free resources and their helpful customer service team to get adjusted and start dreaming up new materials for my site. Once you’re used to the platform, it is super intuitive. It’s like using an Apple product for the first time—it’s so simple it’s almost hard. But once you get it, you’ve got it!

BT: It was actually really easy, I just reached out to the help team and they migrated everything over for me,  including my old blog posts. Nothing was lost in transition and it took less than a week.

KK: Slow. I tried to build my site from scratch. I am talking no template, blank canvas. That original site was horrible. I am so happy it wasn’t live for very long. I finally found a template that I actually liked and I felt like represented me and my brand. Plugged in the code…Instantly my site came to life. SO EASY!!!

 

5. What benefits have you seen in your business after switching to Showit?

PV: My website more accurately reflects the experience I give my clients in terms of quality and who I am as a person and photographer. My brand is also more consistent with the ability to import fonts, host my portfolio—you name it!

BT: I actually get a lot of compliments on my website, which makes me so happy! I love that I can access everything from my computer and make edits easily. I definitely feel confident sending prospective clients my website address.

KK: I constantly get told how much people like my site. How it is easy to navigate, but still interactive! I also just personally love my site. Forever I could not get things to work or look exactly how I wanted and now I think it is perfect, and I know if I want to change something, it is so simple. I also cannot say enough good things about Showit support. I chat with them constantly and I legitimately feel like I know them lol. Love those guys. If you are thinking about making a switch. Do it.

 

Thank you so much to these talented wedding professionals for taking the time to answer my questions! Do me a favor and go check out their beautiful work on their websites and social media (linked below).

If you’ve considered switching to Showit from your current platform, I really encourage you to check on their 14-day free trial, play around with it, and see what you think! And if you want some expert advice on whether it’s the right platform for your business, I’d love to chat!

Here are just a few of my favorite things about Showit:

It’s easy to use and drag-and-drop: Many website builders claim to be drag-and-drop, but limit you to blocks and columns, which limits your creative freedom. On Showit, you really can drag and drop elements wherever you want them! If you’ve ever used a program like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop, you’ll pick it up in no time! The creative freedom you have because of this is amazing. Your website can look exactly how you want it to, and can reflect your brand perfectly!

Custom or template, you can’t go wrong: There are so many awesome designers selling templates in the Showit marketplace! There really is something for everyone. Plus, this network of designers (like me!) can help you get your site up and running with template customization services. Or, if you’re wanting something more personalized, you can start from scratch with a totally custom site! No choosing themes or starter templates, it can be made exactly to fit YOU!

The support and community are amazing: The Showit team is incredibly responsive. You will get way more personal customer service using Showit than you would with other website builders. But my favorite thing of all is the Showit User Group on Facebook where Showiteers share their successes and answer each others’ questions!

Your blog is on WordPress: I love the way Showit integrates with WordPress. You can set up a gorgeous blog design in Showit, then blog in WordPress (aka the most powerful blogging platform out there!) and your posts will populate in your Showit site. It’s SO easy and great for wedding professionals, who tend to blog a lot! Plus, depending on what platform you’re moving from, the Showit team will migrate your blog for you (fo’ free)! See, I told you their team was amazing!

I hope this post is helpful as you consider making the switch to Showit! I’d love to hear your questions or thoughts in the comments!

 

Alex Collier is a brand, logo, and Showit web designer for wedding professionals. Are you ready for a brand and website that elevates your business and books ideal clients? Get in touch!

 

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Special Thanks To:

Paige Vaughn Photography: website // instagram

Bianca Nichole Events: website // instagram

Katie Knotts Photography: website // instagram