Still another forum needed-- Web marketing

[bill c.]

First of all, I would like to thank the photo.net powers-that-be for having

the insight to institute my suggestion for a forum based on the business

aspect of photography. I'm sure it has proved to be as enlightening to me as

it has been to many other members.

 

Now comes time for me to address another void. I am currently researching the

most efficient methods for Internet marketing. There have been many questions

in the forums about the best resources for purchasing and hosting domains,

etc., but I believe that many people here would like to get into the nuts-and-

bolts a bit more. For example, in many sites, Macromedia Flash is used, so

that when a visitor rolls over a thumbnail, a large version of the image shows

up on the screen. Exactly how can I institute that in my site? Will I have to

purchase a program that can do Flash? Can it be done just in HTML?

 

Now, I plan to study this approach tonight and I'll probably have it figured

out before I go to bed, but I'm sure if there was a dedicated forum for this

stuff here on photo.net I could not only find the information I'm seeking far

more rapidly, but I'd probably end up with tons of additional great tips as

well.

 

But there's so much more-- marketing techniques, sales techniques, the most

efficient check-out methods, protecting images, etc. I'm sure that there would

be a mass of people needing this info and a host of people here on photo.net

who could help out by providing it. If there was a forum dedicated just to

this, it would streamline the subjects in the business forum a bit and I'm

certain it would expand the information base a lot.

 

Many thanks for everybody's time and consideration. -BC-

 

P.S.-- Yeah, I know that there was some talk about having a business forum

before I brought up the subject, but it came into being just after I made the

suggestion, so I'm claiming it!;) Hmm, you know, the same thing happened with

the wedding and social event forum. Gad, I'm so incredibly brilliant and

prescient. Excuse me while I polish my nails on my shirt...

[yongbo]

Maybe a forum called ﾓOpen Talkﾔ, but this is off topic. For a website, the most important thing is the content, that's how you get the return visitors and people might refer your site to a friend, PN is an excellent example. You can also use Google AdSense or Yahoo directory service. I am using GoDaddy.com for hosting, and they have some free open source applications, such as Coppermine Photo Gallery. Flash is a big no no for searching engine. Here are some web design guidelines:<br>

<a href="http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=35769">http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=35769</a><br>

<a href="http://www.diveintoaccessibility.org/">http://www.diveintoaccessibility.org/</a>

<br>Book: Increase Your Web Traffic in a Weekend, Fourth Edition

<br><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/159863108X/photonet6-20/">http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/159863108X/photonet6-20/</a>

[peter_lawrence]

Bill, I don't know if you have read some of the other threads in this forum, but Philip

Greenspun, the founder of photo.net, has stated in some of them this past week that he is

looking to eliminate and consolidate the number of forums, and not add additional ones.

 

Also, I don't see why your questions about Internet marketing and website software and

design can't be addressed in the existing Photography Business forum. I think a forum

just about web site construction on a general photography website might be too esoteric,

especially on a site that's trying to reduce the number of forums it currently hosts.

[EricM]

"Also, I don't see why your questions about Internet marketing and website software and design can't be addressed in the existing Photography Business forum. "

 

Because those that perhaps might know more than most on web building don't hang out there? First place I would ask is the digital darkroom.

[peter_lawrence]

I think there are probably quite a few contributors who post regularly to the Photography

Business Forum who have firsthand experience in setting up their own professional

photography websites. People who could give Bill and others who are seeking information

on how to build a functional and successful website some real expert advice on what

works and what doesn't.

[johncrosley]

First: I'm no expert in HTML programming, but it is certainly possible to do a 'rollover' in HTML programming without using 'Dreamweaver' or any other program. Remember, those programs only 'streamline' or at least use 'buttons' in many cases to add HTML code, saving you the need to memorize coding instructions, so anything Dreamweaver can do, a skilled HTML programmer also can do, although the wonder of Dreamweaver is that it can spin code so much faster, making it extremely useful.

 

I don't particularly care where the web development and design information eventually ends up -- in which forum, but I would appreciate someone e-mailing me about where it eventually does end up, so I can participate, (to learn, not to teach). Whether or not the number of fora is going to be consolidated, web design and business development does deserve its own separate forum, I think, but that's Philip's decision, and he may decide that any member web design may be 'in competition' to the purposes of this site (I think that would be wrong, since no individual web site is going to offer the exposure this site offers, and for instance, were I to have a site, I would not leave Photo.net).

 

And I'd be glad to give you credit for pushing the idea, Bill, if a forum is developed.

 

John (Crosley)