Are you a makeup artist? What your website needs 💄🖥️

Once you have finished your course at makeup school, prepared your salon and lined up all your makeup products, it is time to start working. The first step, of course, is to invest in a website and pages on the main social media channels, so you can be where your potential clients are.

We all know this is no longer the future: it is very much the present.

Whether you are in Porto, Lisbon or the Algarve, your makeup work will speak for itself. Anyone looking for a makeup artist will certainly search online. If you want to be among the top results on Google or other search engines, read on to discover everything your website needs!

1. Photos and a portfolio: what makes your work stand out

Showing potential clients what you can do is essential. Take professional before-and-after photos and short, high-quality videos too. Show clients exactly why they should choose you.

Never forget that without photos, you will not inspire the trust this kind of work requires. As women and men usually book this service for special occasions, they will want the best possible treatment. And a picture is worth a thousand words!

2. Social media and SEO

Use social media to complement your website. Make people want to see more of your work as a makeup artist, and make it easy for them to do so. Choose your best photos, create attractive profiles and remember: keep your contact details up to date, reply quickly and keep an eye on activity on your pages!

You cannot be too careful when using the internet to generate business. You could talk about the best brushes for defining eyebrows, the best foundation for dry or oily skin, or even the pigmentation of a new eyeshadow palette.

Create, invent, build your own identity and talk about subjects you know your followers will enjoy. Build your audience and keep them coming back with photos, videos and the quality of your work. You could even use a few storytelling techniques.

It sounds like a cliché, but it is true: start at the beginning!

As for SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, you can never invest too much! It is a powerful tool that will really boost your website. You already know that if you are not on the first page of Google, you might as well not exist. Invest in good content to keep your followers or visitors interested in visiting your page; optimise this online shop window so it always appears among the first search results.

If you do not know how, or would rather focus on liquid or matte foundations, swatching eyeshadows or trying that new highlighter, get in touch with Indigit. We will improve your website while you plan that bridal makeup in Braga, Coimbra or Bragança, or think about that new organic cosmetics brand.

3. Reviews: yours and your clients'

Reviews matter and should never, ever be forgotten. On your website and social media pages such as Facebook and Instagram, it is important to show new clients what people think of you and your work. This creates new content while building more trust among your target audience.

Imagine you are getting married, it is your school prom today, or you want professional makeup for Carnival. You would not choose just anyone for the job, would you? Exactly. That is how your audience thinks, even if they are looking for makeup for a work event or simply because they feel like it.

You can also write reviews yourself, about brands. This kind of content is usually produced by micro or macro influencers. But think about it: until you have a solid, loyal audience, brands are unlikely to know about your work. It may seem like a vicious circle, but everything has to start somewhere.

Get people to notice you and your makeup work, and the rest will follow.

4. Product types and brands

Do you work with vegan brands, or the favourites of YouTuber and makeup artist Helena Coelho? Then say so! The brands will appreciate it, and you will save clients visiting your website some research. It is also a simple way to show the world the tools of your trade.

Think of someone looking for a makeup artist who uses the most highly pigmented eyeshadows from Too Faced, or who only wants to use Make Up For Ever foundation. When they visit your website, they will see that you are exactly what they were looking for!

5. Explain the kind of work you do

There is no point being able to create perfect eyeliner or celebrity-worthy makeup with red lips if you do not tell the people looking for it! Explain your main skills, almost as if you were writing a CV. Show exactly why people should choose you, whether for a full makeup look or simply eyebrow design.

The same applies to types of makeup: if you specialise in special effects or bridal makeup, your website should say exactly that. This immediately narrows down your market and attracts the clients you want, avoiding time spent on quote requests, phone calls or messages from people who would probably never book your services.

6. Online booking and quote requests

One thing clients appreciate is being able to find out quickly whether the service they want is available on their chosen date. After that, being able to book online without calling or sending a message is ideal. Give serious thought to having a clearly visible button on your page, so checking your availability is intuitive.

As well as bringing more clients to you, it will make it easier to manage your diary.

The same logic applies to quotes: being able to click a button and receive the price by email is fantastic for anyone searching online for these services. You will impress visitors with the speed and ease, while automatically filtering out anyone unwilling to pay for your work.

Better still: you barely have to do a thing!

7. Always keep your contact details up to date

Yes, even if you choose to add these buttons that make your clients' lives so much easier, never forget to show them how to contact you directly.

It could be an email address, a phone number or a postal address: what matters most is confirming your physical presence, even if someone looking for your makeup services found you online.

8. Your social media feed

Including your Facebook or Instagram feed on your page is great for several reasons. As well as showing daily activity (yes, you should post regularly), it gives visitors a more interactive way to see that wonderful cut crease you created or how you contour like Kim Kardashian.

At the same time, you can draw people from your website to your social media, which is great. If they like what they see, they will follow your page and start liking your photos and videos. This is how you can start building an audience that becomes ever more loyal, visiting your profiles for inspiration and more.

Make your name the first they think of when they need professional makeup.

9. Links to social media and brands

As well as including your feeds, you can and should add buttons with direct links to each of them. These links are usually near the contact section, but the final website design will determine the best place for them. And, of course, make them clearly visible!

Earlier, we explained why it is important to mention the brands you regularly work with. Adding links to them is just as important! It makes your website more appealing and improves optimisation too.

10. Attending events or making appearances? Say so.

Do not hold back from saying you will be at one of Europe's leading makeup exhibitions, or that you have been invited to an event by a fashionable brand. This shows that you really are an expert in your field, while generating more content for your pages.

You could even create a separate tab for your diary if it is already fairly busy. The same applies when you take a new course or attend a masterclass with one of the gurus of professional makeup. You can never show too much knowledge or willingness to improve!

11. Design. Never forget design!

If you have read this far, you will know there is plenty to do before your website is ready for the world to see! Web design is essential: as well as putting every piece in the right place, it makes your page as attractive as possible and ensures it works properly.

You certainly do not want broken links or slow-loading photos; you also want attractive buttons that actually encourage people to contact you.

To get all of this just right, do not overlook the importance of a good web design team. These professionals will help more people see your makeup online and highlight what you do best, turning it all into real results.

If you have questions and do not know where to start, count on Indigit to create your website!