How to Build a Tattoo Portfolio Website That Actually Gets You Booked
I’ll keep this practical. You don’t need a web design course or a $3,000 freelancer. You need a clean website with your best work, a booking button, and basic info. I built mine in one Saturday afternoon and it brings in 15-20% of my monthly bookings — clients who found me through Google, not Instagram.
Here’s the step-by-step, no fluff.
Step 1: Choose Your Platform (5 Minutes)
I covered website builders in detail in our portfolio websites guide. Quick decision:
- Squarespace ($16/mo) — Best for most artists. Beautiful portfolio templates, easy editor, booking integration.
- Carrd ($19/year) — Best budget option. One scrollable page. Good enough to start.
- WordPress ($5-15/mo hosting) — Best if you’re tech-comfortable and want maximum control.
My recommendation: Squarespace. Sign up, pick a portfolio template, and keep reading.
Step 2: Pick a Template (10 Minutes)
Don’t spend three hours browsing templates. Pick one that:
- Shows large images prominently
- Has a clean, dark or neutral background (your tattoo photos should be the star)
- Is mobile-responsive (non-negotiable — 70%+ of your visitors are on phones)
- Has a simple navigation structure
On Squarespace, look at: Paloma, Degraw, Myhra, or Merida. Any of these work beautifully for tattoo portfolios.
Pick one. Commit. Move on. You can always change the template later.
Step 3: Set Up Your Pages (30 Minutes)
You need exactly five pages:
Home Page
Your strongest piece as a hero image (full-width, above the fold). Your name/studio name. One sentence: “Custom tattoo artist specializing in [your style] in [your city].” A “Book Now” button.
That’s it. Don’t clutter the home page. One beautiful image, minimal text, one clear call to action.
Portfolio / Gallery Page
Your 20-30 best pieces. Not 100 pieces. Not every tattoo you’ve ever done. Your BEST 20-30.
Organization options:
- By style: Fine line, blackwork, color, cover-ups (each as a separate gallery)
- Single gallery: All pieces in one grid, best work first
- By body area: Arms, legs, chest, back (less common but useful for placement-focused clients)
Photo requirements:
- High-resolution (at least 1500px on the longest side)
- Consistent lighting and backgrounds
- Clean skin (no blood, no redness — photograph when wiped clean or healed)
- Include both fresh and healed photos when possible
Update monthly. Remove your weakest 3-5 pieces and replace with your newest best work. Your portfolio should always reflect your current skill level, not where you were two years ago.
About Page
This is more important than most artists realize. Clients are about to let you permanently mark their body. They want to know who you are.
Include:
- How long you’ve been tattooing
- Your apprenticeship/training background
- What styles you specialize in
- What you enjoy about tattooing (make it personal)
- A photo of you (at your station, tattooing, or a casual portrait)
Keep it real. Don’t write in third person like a corporate bio. Write like you talk: “I’ve been tattooing for 7 years. I apprenticed at [shop] under [mentor]. I specialize in fine line botanical work because I genuinely love drawing plants and flowers — and I love helping people carry a piece of nature with them.”
Length: 150-300 words. Enough to build trust, not so much that it becomes an autobiography.
Services & Info Page
Answer every question a potential client might have:
- What styles do you do? (With examples)
- What’s your shop minimum? ($80-150 is typical)
- How does pricing work? (Hourly, per-piece, or both. General ranges are fine — you don’t need to list exact prices for every possible tattoo)
- Do you accept walk-ins? (Days/hours if yes)
- What’s your deposit policy? (Amount, refundability, cancellation terms)
- What should I bring to my appointment? (ID, reference images, comfortable clothing)
- Do you do cover-ups? (Yes/no, process)
- Do you do touch-ups? (Policy and timing)
- Aftercare overview (Brief version, detailed version can be a PDF download)
This page eliminates 80% of repetitive DM questions. When someone asks “what are your prices,” you can send them to this page.
Contact / Book Page
- Booking link — big, obvious button linking to your online booking system
- Studio address with embedded Google Map
- Business phone number (Google Voice, not personal)
- Email address
- Instagram link
- Hours of operation
Make the booking button the most prominent element on this page. Everything else is secondary.
Step 4: Optimize Your Photos (1 Hour)
Your portfolio photos make or break your website. Here’s how to make them look professional:
If you’re shooting on your phone:
- Shoot near a window with natural light (overcast days are best — no harsh shadows)
- Use portrait mode for that blurred background effect
- Hold steady — rest your elbows on a surface or use a small tripod
- Clean the tattoo area, apply a thin layer of aftercare balm to reduce glare
- Shoot at multiple angles — straight-on, at a slight angle, and a close-up detail shot
Editing workflow (Snapseed, free):
- Adjust exposure (brighten slightly)
- Adjust white balance (remove any yellow/blue color cast)
- Increase sharpness slightly (25-30%)
- Crop to focus on the tattoo
- Export at full resolution
Batch edit for consistency. All your portfolio photos should have similar brightness, contrast, and color temperature. This makes your gallery look cohesive and professional.
Step 5: Add Your Booking System (15 Minutes)
Embed or link your online booking system. Most platforms offer embeddable widgets:
- Squarespace + Acuity: Built-in integration (Squarespace owns Acuity). Add a booking page in a few clicks.
- Porter / TattooPro.io: Get your booking page URL and add it as a link button.
- Square Appointments: Embed the booking widget or link to your Square booking page.
The “Book Now” button should appear:
- On the home page (hero section)
- In the main navigation menu
- On the contact page
- At the bottom of the portfolio page
A client should never be more than one click away from booking.
Step 6: Basic SEO (30 Minutes)
You don’t need to be an SEO expert. Just do these basics:
Page title format: “[Your Name] | [Style] Tattoo Artist in [City], [State]” Example: “Sarah Chen | Fine Line Tattoo Artist in Austin, TX”
Site description: “Custom [style] tattoos in [city]. Specializing in [specific styles]. Book online for consultations and appointments.”
Image alt text: Describe each portfolio image for Google. “Fine line peony tattoo on inner forearm — black and grey” instead of “IMG_4857.”
Connect to Google Business Profile: Add your website URL to your GBP listing. This creates a connection between your Google presence and your website.
Get your site indexed: Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console (Squarespace provides a sitemap automatically at yoursite.com/sitemap.xml).
Step 7: Connect Everything (15 Minutes)
Your website should be linked from everywhere:
- Instagram bio — Your website URL (or Linktree with website as top link)
- Google Business Profile — Website URL in your listing
- Email signature — Link to your site in every email you send
- Business cards — Your website URL (QR code if you’re fancy)
- Booking confirmation emails — Link to your portfolio page
The more places that link to your website, the more traffic it gets and the higher it ranks on Google.
What NOT to Do
Don’t use a free website with ads. No Wix free plan with “Made with Wix” footer. No WordPress.com free with a .wordpress.com domain. Spend the $16/month for a professional appearance.
Don’t auto-play music. I shouldn’t have to say this in 2026, but I still see it. No.
Don’t use stock photos. Every image should be your work. If you don’t have enough good portfolio pieces, that’s a photography problem to solve, not a stock photo problem.
Don’t neglect mobile. View your site on your phone before publishing. If anything looks weird, fix it. Most visitors are mobile.
Don’t set it and forget it. Update your portfolio monthly. Post new work, remove old work. A stale website with the same 20 photos for two years signals you’re not active.
Total Setup Time
| Step | Time |
|---|---|
| Choose platform and sign up | 5 min |
| Pick template | 10 min |
| Set up pages (home, portfolio, about, services, contact) | 30 min |
| Edit and upload portfolio photos | 1 hour |
| Add booking system | 15 min |
| Basic SEO setup | 30 min |
| Connect to other platforms | 15 min |
| Total | ~3 hours |
One Saturday afternoon. That’s all it takes to have a professional portfolio website that ranks on Google and drives bookings for years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a tattoo portfolio website include?
A gallery of your best work organized by style, an about page, services and pricing information, an embedded booking system, contact info with studio address, and a clear “Book Now” button on every page.
How many portfolio images should I include on my website?
Include 20-40 of your absolute best pieces. Quality over quantity — 25 stunning pieces makes a stronger impression than 100 mediocre ones. Update monthly, replacing older work with your newest best pieces.