Easy Website Setup Checklist for Tattoo Artists

You've mastered the art of creating stunning designs on skin, now it's time to create an online space that:

captures the essence of your artistic style
helps your ideal clients discover your work
makes it easier for them to book with you

The good news? Setting up your artist website doesn’t have to be overwhelming or time-consuming. This checklist breaks everything into manageable steps, so you can work through it section by section at your own pace.

We've also included a free download of the checklist in Notion below if you want to gamify and track your progress. ↓

Free Website Checklist Template

Navigation

Before you start building, it’s important to map out your website’s structure to create an organized and intuitive experience for visitors.

Why this step matters: a clear sitemap ensures visitors can easily find what they need while keeping your site organized and intentional.

Improves user experience by making your site easy to navigate
Highlights key information for visitors
Help search engines understand and rank your site by organizing content into clear categories

Your main navigation pages are the most visible elements that guide visitors through your site. They should be clear and intuitive to help clients find what they need quickly.

Home: Your homepage is the first impression — keep it clean and inviting
About: Share your story, your passion for tattooing, and what makes your work unique
Portfolio: Showcases your best work, categorized by style
Booking: Explains your booking process, pricing, and deposit policies
Contact: Provides a way for clients to find your studio and reach you

Supporting Pages

Supporting pages are essential for building trust. They should be linked in the footer of your website, which appears at the bottom of every page.

Terms of Service: Outlines your policies
Privacy Policy: Explains how you handle client information
Accessibility Policy: Ensures your site is inclusive for all visitors

Forms

Forms allow you to collect, organize, and retain full control over your client data. This helps you maintain client connections even if social platforms go down, you lose visibility, or you stop posting.

Request Form: Allows clients to book appointments
Contact Form: Handles general inquiries

Part 2: Compress + Categorize Images

Your images are the most important part of your website—they showcase your talent and are what ultimately sells clients on your work. By optimizing your portfolio, you’ll create a faster, more organized site that beautifully showcases your designs and helps turn visitors into clients.

Compressing Images

Large image files can slow down your site. Using a free compression tool reduces file sizes without losing quality, helping your site load faster and improving user experience.

Renaming Image Files

Descriptive file names that include keywords (e.g., "geometric-arm-tattoo.jpg") make your images more search-friendly and professional.

Adding Alt Text

Alt text describes your images to search engines and improves accessibility for users with visual impairments. Short, clear descriptions (e.g., "Black-and-gray rose tattoo on forearm") work best.

Categorizing by Style

Organizing your portfolio into categories like realism, geometric, or black-and-gray makes it easier for clients to explore your work.

Part 3: Fill Out Your Pages

Each page of your website serves an opportunity to share your story and showcase what makes your work unique. Carefully curating the content on your site will build trust with visitors, guiding them to book with you and turning them into clients.

Home Page

Your homepage is often the first thing visitors see — leaving a strong impression, keeping them engaged and leading them to take action. Below we’ve laid out best practices for structuring it in a way that guides visitors naturally through your site:

Layer 1. First Impression

Add a bold image that reflects your tattooing style
Write a short, impactful headline (3–8 words)
Include a supporting paragraph (7–15 words) introducing yourself or your studio
Add a clear next-step button, like “Book Now” or “See My Portfolio”

Layer 2. Benefits and Features

Highlight 3 key benefits or features of working with you, such as your expertise, unique style, or client care. For each:

Write a benefit headline (2–5 words)
Add a short supporting paragraph (5–10 words)
Include a relevant supporting image above the headline

Layer 3. Testimonials

Showcase a few client reviews to build trust and credibility. Pair them with a next-step button, like “Schedule a Consultation” or “Request an Appointment.”

Layer 4. FAQs Addressing Objections

Add an FAQ section answering common concerns, such as “Do you accept walk-ins?” or “What is your cancellation policy?”

About

Your about page gives clients a glimpse into who you are and why they should choose you. It’s your chance to build a personal connection and stand out as a tattoo artist. Here’s what to include:

Your Story: Share what inspired you to become a tattoo artist, your journey, and what sets your work apart
Your Style: Highlight your specialties (e.g., black-and-gray, realism) and what clients can expect when working with you
Your Values: Mention what’s important to you, like creativity, client comfort, or professionalism
Call to Action Button: Add a next-step button, like “View My Portfolio” or “Book an Appointment,” to guide visitors toward the booking process

Portfolio

Your portfolio is the heart of your website—it showcases your talent and helps clients envision their next tattoo. Make it organized, visually appealing, and easy to explore. Here’s what to include:

Categories: Group your work by style or theme (e.g., realism, black-and-gray, geometric) to help clients find what they’re looking for
High-Quality Images: Use clear, professional photos that highlight the details of your tattoos
Descriptions: Add short captions or alt text for each image, describing the design and style
Call to Action Button: Add a next-step button, like “Book a Consultation” or “Request an Appointment,” to encourage visitors to move forward.

Booking

Your booking page should make it easy for clients to understand your process and take the next step. Be clear and transparent to build trust and encourage bookings. Here’s what to include:

Booking Process: Explain the steps, such as submitting a request form, confirming availability, and paying a deposit
Pricing: Provide an overview of your pricing structure or hourly rates. If rates vary, mention factors like design size or complexity
Deposit Policy: Outline your deposit requirements, including whether they are refundable or go toward the final cost
Call to Action Button: Add a request form button labeled “Book Now” or “Submit a Request” to guide clients to the next step.

Contact

Your contact page should make it easy for clients to reach out and find your studio. Keep it simple and direct. Here’s what to include:

Headline: Write a welcoming headline, like “Get in Touch” or “Contact Me”
Supporting Text: Add a short paragraph encouraging clients to ask questions or schedule a consultation
General Contact Form: Include fields for name, email, phone number, and message
Studio Address: Provide your studio’s address for clients who prefer to visit in person
Call to Action: Add a button linking to your request form, labeled “Book Now” or “Request an Appointment”

Part 4: Check + Launch

Before launching your website, it’s important to double-check everything to ensure it runs smoothly. This section will help you catch any errors and get it ready for visitors.

By completing these steps, you’ll ensure your website looks professional, functions smoothly, and is ready to make a strong impression on your visitors. Once everything is set, it’s time to share your site with the world and start attracting new clients!

Website Settings

Make sure your site is search-friendly and easy to find:

Enable search engine visibility in your website settings to ensure your site isn’t hidden
List site keywords, like "Tattoo Artist in [City]," to align your content with search terms clients may use and help search engines understand what your site is about.
Use short URLs that include relevant keywords to make your pages easy to share and rank in search engines
Write keyword-rich title tags (55–65 characters) that clearly describe each page
Write keyword-rich meta descriptions (155–165 characters) to encourage clicks from search results

Final Checks

Make sure everything is polished and functional:

Ensure all layouts, text, and images adjust properly for smaller screens
Test all buttons and links to confirm they work correctly
Test your forms to ensure submissions go through without errors
Review every page for typos, broken links, and missing information

Connect Domain + Profiles

Tie everything together so your website is ready for visitors:

Link your custom domain name to your website so it’s accessible at your chosen URL
Link your social media profiles to your site to make it easy for visitors to connect with you

Part 5: Boost Search Visibility

For local businesses (like tattoo artists), showing up in search results is critical. Most potential clients will search for artists in their area, and your Google Business Profile is one of the most powerful tools to help them find you. Taking a few simple steps to start setting this up can make a huge difference.

Create a Google My Business Profile

The first step to appearing in local search results is by creating a Google My Business account. Once your account is set up, optimize your profile by adding the following:

High-quality photos of your work
Key details like your studio name, address, business phone number and hours - make sure that your contact information matches across all social platforms as well as your website as it builds trust and credibility not only with clients, but also with Google
Take advantage of the competitive edge: many tattoo artists don’t realize they can do this, so filling out your entire profile gives you a significant advantage
Link your Google Business Profile to your website to connect your listing directly to your site, making it easy for clients to book with you

Stay tuned for our upcoming dedicated post on optimizing your Google Business Profile, with tips on ranking higher in local searches, gathering more reviews, and standing out from the competition.

Extra Credit

Once your website’s basics are set up, take it to the next level with these advanced features and enhancements:

Engage Visitors with Advanced Content

Add a blog with helpful posts, like tattoo aftercare instructions or preparation tips
Create a testimonials page with additional client reviews
Add a newsletter signup form to stay connected with potential clients
Translate key pages into other languages to reach a broader audience
Expand your FAQs to address common questions in more detail

Enhance Your On-Page SEO

Use short, descriptive URLs that include keywords
Write concise, keyword-rich title tags and meta descriptions
Add Open Graph (OG) tags and Twitter card tags to improve social sharing previews
Use schema markup to help search engines better understand your content

Boost Performance with Technical SEO

Ensure your site uses HTTPS for secure browsing
Check for broken links and fix any crawl errors
Improve your site’s speed by compressing images and reducing unnecessary code

Create Unique Features

Add interactive tools like a tattoo cost calculator or design previewer
Link blog posts and pages internally to help visitors explore more of your site
Organize content into clear categories or clusters for easier navigation

These extras not only improve your website’s functionality but also create a better experience for your clients and help you stand out from the competition.

Build Easier with the Free Companion Template

Building a website is an exciting step to growing your tattoo business. Take it one section at a time, and don’t hesitate to revisit and improve your site as you go—you’ve got this!

To make the process easier (and maybe even fun), I’ve created a free gamified Notion template as a companion to this blog post. It breaks the steps into manageable chunks and gamifies your progress for each section to keep you motivated.

Click the button below to access the template and start building your professional website with confidence!