 ScriptureExpressions.com - Leland N. Saunders  Contact Leland N. Saunders Leland N. Saunders's Gallery |
BetterPhoto Pro Websites I'm thinking about upgrading to a BetterPhoto Pro Website so I can use the "Sales" tools that are provided. I would like to hear from anyone who has a Pro website and you are using the "sales" tools. What is your site name? What are your likes and/or dislikes regarding BetterPhoto's approach (non-technical)? How is it working for you? I appreciate any info anyone can provide on this subject ... Lee
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Kerry Drager |
Hi Lee, Great hearing from you, and a good question. I don't sell prints, so I can't help there. But most Pro owners do. You may have done this already, but if not, probably the most valuable business techniques is to see what the competition is doing :-) ... and BP makes it easy by publishing a listing of all Pro sites. By looking at dozens of sites, you'll learn a lot and see the tremendous variety of selling and marketing techniques that the various owners use - and the website setups. With the Pro sites, you get extra wild-card pages. Plus, you'll see how blogging works into the marketing of photography. Here's the link: Of course, you'll want to see Jim Zuckerman's site too :-) ... www.corporatefineart.com Have fun! Kerry
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Bob Cammarata |
Don't expect a photography site to generate sales all by itself but it can be a great marketing tool once initial contact has been made via other venues (i.e.. business cards, public displays, paid advertising sites, word of mouth, etc.) With a Pro Site at BP, it's easy to conduct business but only after a potential client has been prompted to see what you have to offer.
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Kerry Drager |
Hi Bob, Excellent - thanks for jumping in here with your valuable insights and tips!! Kerry
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Thom Schoeller |
Leland, I have a Pro site on better Photo. www.ThomasSchoellerPhotography.com. I'm thrilled with what they offer here at BP. As you get deeper into the website and its workings you'll need to learn about whats called "site optimization". To make the website work FOR you learn about "keywords" and phrases that will drive search engines to your website or to your galleries. BP offers tutorials to get you started with the techniques to get Yahoo! and Google to recognize your website. Google offers FREE a "keyword tool" that shows you what phrases are entered into Google search and how many times in an average month. Example: my own website I have a gallery titled "Farms and Barns". In the Google keyword tool I enter a bunch of ways to describe those images I want to sell. Then you get a myriad of responces for best keywords. "Barn Pictures" gets 27,000 searches per month! I attach those keywords to the images and Im part of the 27K hits. Thomas
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Pamela Njemanze |
Leland: I also have a Pro site (just a few months old) and it is helpful to look at what others have done. You can either use your wild card page with instructions on how they can contact you to purchase an image or set up the paypal / buttons. I have done both on my site (for now but this will change soon). It is easy to select the buttons and make the product categories (I used sizes) and then you can make photo products in bulk (you can apply to any one category or all pictures on your site).
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Kathy Radford |
Tom, have you sold many barn photos from your site? I currently only have the basic BP web site.
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Thom Schoeller |
@ Kathy. :) I wouldnt say "many"...I Prefer to say "too many"! In general the web sales are sluggish. I think they (BP) need to allow the site owner to add more information for site optimization. If I could generate LOTS more hits the sales would roll. My name recognition is not like that of Tony Sweet or Brenda Tharp so I dont get the hits like someone so much more established. On a good note, I sell at Art Fairs-Galleries etc.. Looking forward to a big art gallery exhibit at the "Hopkins Vinyard" in New Preston, Ct Sept. 18-19. I was invited to hang 10-12 framed and matted photographs.
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Kathy Radford |
Thanks Tom for the info and good luck at Hopkins Vinyard. This weekend I have a booth at the Barrington Antique Truck Show in Barrington, NH. This event is never advertised but has a huge following and gets bigger and bigger every year. We've been going to it for years. It's held on Sunday only.
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Thom Schoeller |
Best of luck at the Barrington show! These shows require a great deal of patience :) Just came home to great news: Yankee Magazine is publishing 3 of my photos for an upcoming article. Its along the lines of the best "New England foliage towns.
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Kathy Radford |
Oh, Tom that's awesome. I love Yankee Magazine but it is very hard to get accepted there so that is quite an honor to get published there. A big congratulations, I'll be looking to seeing them, let me know what issue as magazines need everything months in advance of publication some up to 6 months in advance.
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Thom Schoeller |
Thanks Kathy . This has just turned into more good fortune, USA Today is publishing a "lead in" article on that story and also wants permission to publish an image from Litchfield County Ct. Heather (Yankee Mag) just told me about some USA blog that already published my name...I'll have to google that
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Kathy Radford |
WOW!!! What a roll you're on Tom. That's wonderful lets hope it keeps going.
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- Ken Smith Contact Ken Smith Ken Smith's Gallery |
Tom, coincidently today my wife forwarded me a link to 25 great get-a-ways in New England...and I cracked open the site and saw your name...and remembered I had just read this BP forum thread. Here's the link: http://www.yankeefoliage.com/ffeatures/top-foliage-towns-ne#
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Thom Schoeller |
Thanks Ken, I forgot to come back and post the link.
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Thom Schoeller |
Gosh I hope Leland doesnt mind! We got way off subject a while ago. Anyhow, I'll also be in the USA Today weekend edition this upcoming weekend 8/21-8/22. They are doing a related article to Yankee Magazine and using my "Kent Hollow Farm" autumn shot. Photo editor is very nice, spoke at length this afternoon.
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Nobu Nagase |
I agree with Bob 100%, the 2nd response to your question. A photo site won't magically generate any more sales. Generally, a photo site works best when you already have prospective buyers, or established clients. For example, if you are taking senior photos, little league/sports team photos, kid's birthday party photos, and so on, then you publish your web site to draw your customers to your web site. And if you choose the site that takes care of orders, prints, and shipping, it's a very convenient way to make sales/purchase for both you and your customers. In my experience, it's rare when someone out of the blue emails me saying that they wish to purchase certain photos on my web site. When that happens, it really makes my day.
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