A tattoo studio website with each artist's portfolio and a request form that gets the details.

People pick an artist, not a shop

Someone getting a tattoo has usually been looking for months. They have a folder of references and a rule: find the artist whose line work looks like this. That makes the artist pages the heart of the site. Each artist gets a short bio, the styles they do and do not take, a set of their best photos, and a plain statement about whether their books are open.

Healed photos matter

Fresh tattoos are red and shiny and can mislead. Show healed work whenever you have it, mixed with fresh. Photograph in even light on neutral skin, with the skin stretched flat, and ask permission before posting, especially for anything that could identify the client. Group images by style so the person who wants fine-line does not dig through traditional flash.

Make the request form do the screening

• Description of the idea, in a few sentences
• Size in inches and body placement
• First tattoo, add-on, or cover-up
• Preferred artist, or no preference
• Budget range and when they hope to be tattooed

Say what the form leads to: you reply within a few days, a consultation comes first, and a deposit holds the date. Put your age policy and ID requirements where nobody can miss them. That filters out the requests you would have turned down anyway.

Aftercare and local search

Write the aftercare page once, in your own words, and link it from every thank-you email. Clients search it late at night, and the AI Agent can answer from it. For local search, make the artist pages and the city name part of the headings, such as "fine-line tattoo artist in Portland," and make sure your Google Business Profile shows the same hours, address, and a few current photos. Check your state and county health rules and show your studio's license if required.

What clients check before they message an artist

By the time someone contacts a studio, they have usually picked the artist. Next they check whether the studio feels safe and professional:

• Whether the artist's books are open, and for which styles
• Hygiene: single-use needles, a clean station, a license on the wall
• The age rule and the ID they'll need on the day
• Whether a consultation comes first, and if it costs anything
• How long the wait for a date usually is

Answer these on each artist page and on Request a tattoo, and the messages you get come from people who are ready.

Which apps fit a tattoo studio

Appointments is for consultations and piercings, not long sessions. Make a consultation service for each artist in approve-each mode, so you see the idea in the booking notes before you say yes. Piercings work well as plain bookable services with set lengths. Big pieces still get scheduled by the artist, in person or by email, because Appointments doesn't take deposits.

The Photo gallery gives each artist an album, split into healed and fresh, and location details are stripped from every photo automatically. The AI Agent answers aftercare and age questions late at night from your Aftercare page, and passes anything about a specific design to your Inbox with the person's name and email. The Announcement bar says when books open or a guest artist is in. Visitor stats show which artist pages get opened.

A walk through the Ink & Iron Collective example

Ink & Iron Collective is the made-up studio in the preview, with the line "Fine-line, blackwork and piercing in a friendly studio" and a Request a tattoo button. Artists gives each person a page with their styles, a portfolio album and whether their books are open. Request a tattoo explains what to send (idea, size, placement, budget) and offers a consultation booking. Piercing lists jewelry options and prices with a Book button. Aftercare is the page you send every client home with.

To build yours, tell Chip about your artists and styles, or send 5 to 15 phone photos of healed work and approve the draft. It goes at a free address like inkandironcollective.dollarsite.page, and you can connect a domain you own once it is live.

When Instagram is already your portfolio

For most artists, Instagram is the portfolio, and that's fine. The site holds what Instagram is bad at: the age policy, the deposit rule, whether books are open, and aftercare people can find again. Keep posting, and put the link in your bio with one line on how to request. If you rent a spot in someone else's studio, check that studio's rules on personal sites and bookings first.

Pricing, deposits and what to bring

Explain how you price: by the hour, by the piece or with a minimum. Say what your shop minimum is, how a deposit works and what happens if a client cancels or does not show up. Tell people to eat before a long session, avoid alcohol the day before, and bring ID. A clear page filters out unserious requests and prepares everyone else for a good day.