As I'm sure you already know, I've written four posts in this series so far:
"The Anatomy of a Modeling Website Pt I: Welcome Page"
"The Anatomy of a Modeling Website Pt II: Photo Gallery"
“The Anatomy of a Modeling Website Pt III: About Me”
"The Anatomy of a Modeling Website Pt IV: Resume Page"
If you haven't had a chance to check them out yet, those links will take you right to it and get you up to speed.
All right, let's get to the fifth installment in this series: The Services Page!
WHAT IS THE SERVICES PAGE?
Simply put, the Services page of a modeling website states what type of modeling is being offered. Like the other pages of a website, Services should be clear and to the point. No need for long, rambling paragraphs or unnecessary information. Remember, you want people--especially potential clients--to stick around and be engaged in what they're looking at. Don't give them too much info to absorb.
The main thing you want to showcase on the Services page is what modeling you specialize in. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Fashion/Runway/Editorial
- Commercial/Print/Lifestyle
- Glamour/Fine Art/Boudoir
- Sports/Fitness/Swimwear
- Alternative/Goth/Steampunk
IT'S NOT MANDATORY
The Services page is actually an optional one to have, which means you don't need to include it on your site if you don't want to. However, it doesn't hurt to have one. For those of you that choose to, this post will be beneficial to helping you craft your version.
Speaking of versions, I always suggest writing a draft of what you want to say and then putting it away until the next day. Go back and re-read what you've written and start editing where it's needed. Delete things that aren't important and rewrite parts you think require more clarification. When you feel there aren't any more changes to be made, that's a sign that it's ready to be published to your site.
I don't have a Services page on my own modeling website, mainly because I've been in the industry long enough with a body of work and resume that makes it clear to people viewing it what I do and the types of modeling I can be hired for. Newer models, especially freelance models, could find this page useful for giving more content to their site if they don't have much work to showcase and to also help them determine what kind of modeling they want to focus on.
THE DETAILS
In another post in this mini-blog series, I mentioned briefly listing the types of modeling being offered on the Welcome/Home Page. While this is still a good place to have that information listed, the Services page is where you can expand on that list.
You can opt to keep it simple by listing each category, followed by more detailed examples in sentence form:
Commercial/Print: catalogs, stock photography, magazine & online ads
Or followed by a bulleted list:
Commercial/Print
- Catalog
- Stock Photography
- Magazine & online ads
Some of the descriptions may apply to more than one modeling category and that's totally okay.
Want to make the content for your Services page more personal? Then you can simply write a brief paragraph describing the type of work you want to book. If you go with this option, I would recommend also talking about what you would bring to the table.
Below is an example (for this example I'm using first-person but you can also choose third-person. It's a matter of personal preference):
I'm currently interested in booking paid work related to photo shoots for magazine publication, high fashion shoots, runway shows, bridal themed shoots and tasteful boudoir photography. Depending on the project, I can arrive camera ready and have a range of wardrobe options I can bring.
This is obviously pretty short, considering that I totally made it up, lol but the point is that you can be a bit more personal with stating what your modeling services are, if you want to use that approach. I would say make it no longer than one decent paragraph or broken up into 2-3 shorter paragraphs. Include an image or graphic on the page as well if you want to use more space on the page itself.
WHAT ABOUT RATES?
The beauty of having your own modeling website is that you can have whatever you want on it. That includes rates. If you've read enough of my blog posts, you already know that I don't include rates on my website or other social media profiles because I like to keep the nature of that subject between myself and whatever client is inquiring about hiring me. Not all modeling projects are the same so I don't apply the same rate to everything I get booked for.
However, if you want to list your rates (which is totally fine!) then the Services page is exactly where that belongs on your website. The way your rate appears on the page will depend on the format/layout you choose and the content. You can have a specific rate applied to each type of modeling category you offer or you can make it its own text on the page that is separate from the content related to listing/describing your services.
For example, you may list your hourly rate and/or flat rate at the top of the page before the content of the modeling categories/services or after. It's all up to you and what you like. But don't get pulled into listing a bunch of different rates for too many different things. That will overwhelm you (and the people viewing your site). As with everything else, keep it simple and straightforward.
You don't need to explain every nook and cranny on the page as it relates to your rates. List the rates that are relevant and then include a line of text that is a "Call to Action," such as:
Click on the Contact Page for more information about rates and booking inquiries.
For more information about rates and booking inquiries, visit the Contact Page.
Click here to submit an inquiry and/or questions. (The "here" would be an active link that would take the user straight to the Contact Page or compose an email directly to you)
These are all statements that will lead viewers to take the next step, which is to contact you. It is at that point in the process where they can ask you questions about your rate, their budget, project needs, etc. and you can respond in more detail.
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