How much business do you do via the web?

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

01/09/2008 02:19:46 PM · #1

I'm an I/T person outside of my photographic efforts, so when I decided to starting doing more paid photography I quickly decided to do as much as possible via the web. I started with a nice custom designed sight, but found people preferred to just talk to me and review images in person. I thought maybe it was my site's design, so I quit doing the programming and went with a smugmug site. I probably kept the site too conservative so I would not scare away potential senior portrait clients, but I thought the navigation would be more straight forward. I still find that client want to review images and work in person rather than over the web. I've also found that most don't like to review proofs or order prints online. I've thought about dropping back to a site just focused on getting people's attention and dropping all of the online proofing and ordering, but I thought I would see what other photographers have experienced. Any thoughts?

Prof_Fate

01/09/2008 03:18:57 PM · #2

I use the web for two things, one being essentially a 24/7 worldwide billboard and brochure. Second, I sell images from weddings, reunions, and the like.

The first part works well, but I have a lot more work to do to make it, well, work well for me. For instance, what does a potential client type into google to find you? I live in Beaver, PA - leave off the pa and you get other beaver named towns in the US. Put beaver wedding photographer or wedding photographer beaver and you get two completely different lists of photographers, and while I top the one it only recently occurred to me to reverse the wording, and I'm on like page 3 or 4 that way. Hmm...

And by being highly ranked has probably gotten me some business (free listings are alphabetic, so even there since my name starts with a C i'm usually on page 1) has not made my phone ring off the hook.

What the web seems to be getting me the most business wise is bride to be's that live out of state but come back here to get married, as this is where their family is. It works well for that. It's also gotten me several family potraits - something I don't advertise or even mention on the website.

I did get me a college yearbook shoot, so at least some young people use the web to find photographers! I can't say it's gotten me much in the way of HS seniors though. Certainly not the dozens I'd like.

I will soon be revamping my site, removing a lot of info, especially prices (other than weddings) and see if that makes a difference.

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

01/09/2008 03:26:09 PM · #3

I do almost everything over the internet ... except TAKE the pictures! :-)

I've only had one customer ask for physical proofs. And one customer who wanted to review the pictures together with me. The latter is a process I should probably do more of, but as I don't have a lot of spare time, I leverage the internet as much as possible. And yes ... I'm using smugmug to do it, and no, I haven't done hardly any customization to the site.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

01/09/2008 03:29:42 PM · #4

Originally posted by Prof_Fate:

I will soon be revamping my site, removing a lot of info, especially prices (other than weddings) and see if that makes a difference.

Yes, I think that is consistent with what I have been thinking. Try to use the web site as more of a billboard and drive contacts rather than as an online information and proofing source. In this case making the presentation attractive and getting people excited about my work is more important that the number of features I can offer.

This is quite the opposite of what I expected...

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

01/09/2008 03:32:11 PM · #5

Just reading Prof_Fate's answer ... I wanted to add:

I mainly use my web site for sales of images I've already taken.

The thing is, nearly all of my customers are referrals from other customers. I doubt that my web site has brought in even a single customer "all by itself" (i.e. not a referral). But it's good to have it there so that the referrals have a place to go to see what my style is like.

Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM for Canon

01/09/2008 04:55:28 PM · #6

Originally posted by dwterry:

I've only had one customer ask for physical proofs. And one customer who wanted to review the pictures together with me.

I guess this just shows me that, like much of photography, there is no one answer.

Originally posted by dwterry:

And yes ... I'm using smugmug to do it, and no, I haven't done hardly any customization to the site.

Yep, your site is one of the ones that helped convince me to spend my time capturing images and learning rather than creating my own site from scratch. I still think it was the right decision, just wondering where to focus my online efforts next.

Message edited by author 2008-01-09 16:56:00.

inshaala

Canon EOS-7D

01/09/2008 05:10:12 PM · #7

I use my website as an easily accessible from anywhere portfolio of sorts, and it was by virtue of that site that i managed to get a local studio interested in hiring me - all they did was look at the website and that was all the info they had on me... (i am only starting out in the photography world and would consider myself only really an advanced hobbyist although technically i can say a semi-pro as i have sold some of my prints here and there - not from the website yet tho)

Prof_Fate

01/09/2008 06:08:59 PM · #8

To an extent people ask for what you offer - 'proofs included' in a package means you do them automatically, so no one asks. For weddings you gotta do some sort of proofs (web at least), but I've found I can sell proofs (book or for even more, prints). It's an item I make a profit on.
For portraits, I refuse to do any sort of printed or web proof, I do projection only. The average sale is triple w/o proofs.

I don't do action sports, and have at times used the web for events and that has worked well. I think it depends to a degree on your clientele - low end folks want printed proofs and plan on buying less. Higher end clients know ahead of time they're buying, so proofs are less important.