Advice Appreciated

[aura_jane]

<p>I have been an second shooter for sometime, and have done a few wedding solo, under my own name as well. I just moved, and have decided to go full time on my own as a wedding photographer. I have updated my logo, portfloio, and bio. I have joined PPA, and I'm waiting for my packet. My business license stuff is all set up to start Jan 2nd, I am getting my insurance before that time, I have a bridal show lined up for May, and some advertising in a local wedding guide. I have smaple albums designed and on their way to me. I don't know anyone in this town, so I am trying to build a client base from nothing. I feel confident in my ability to shoot a full wedding solo, even though I plan to always have a second. My question is, how does the website look, what areas of my porfolio hurt or help, how is my information section, what other things should I consider before openening day? I have been hesitant to branch out on my own because business planning is not fun or easy, and is very costly, as I am finding out very quickly.</p>

[picturesque]

<blockquote>

<p>I don't know anyone in this town...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You need to get to know people in town. Hit the pavement and make the rounds. It is tough to do--you will get rejected a lot--but important to do. You may need to start with the local business organizations and go from there. It is a long road--might as well start now. If your new home is a large urban are--it might be even tougher, or maybe easier--it depends.</p>

[mccosh]

<p>Just visited your site and love your work. Absolutely no problem there.</p>

<p>look at what your opposition are charging by doing a search for local photographers on Google and viewing their sites. Price yourself slightly below your opposition of the same quality until you get established and or offer something that your opposition don't. I offer full day coverage where most other photographers in my area only offer 4 - 6 hours of shooting.</p>

<p>Another good way is to go to wedding venues and strike up a relationship with them offer them a finders fee for each wedding couple they send your way that results in a booking. Most couples will sort out their venue first and then look at booking a photographer so this is a really good way to get your name out there.</p>

<p>Build relationships and networking, I see you have a Facebook page use this to reach your clients by running specials from time to time, off course you will need to build up the people who like you in your area first. I run specials on Facebook and have a draw for a free portrait sitting for those that share my special on there page, If 10 people do this and they have 300 friends each on Facebook your message will reach 3,000 people.</p>

<p>Good luck and will follow your work on your Facebook page.</p>

<p>Kind regards<br>

John</p>

[dave_wilson1]

<p>Go visit the eateries, hair dressers, nail salons, florists and even some of the religious venues, and offer a simple brochure or something.</p>

[goldbergbarry]

<p>About your site, I would avoid Flash sites. Flash is on the way out and it is not SEO (search engine optimized) meaning that the search engines (e.g., Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.) will not pick it up.</p>

<p>I was unable to view your site using Chrome. Might be the color selection or a Chrome issue. See screenshot.</p><div></div>

[aura_jane]

<p>Thank you for all your responses. John, thanks for your kind words.<br>

I am working on building relationships with vendors. There are some local wedding vendor luncheons that I have on my schedule for January, and I know there is so much more work I need to do in that area. I have a hard time approaching people, and I am working to get over that.<br>

Barry, I actually have an HTML mirror site, and I have my SEO setting so that it will use the HTML version for SEO purposes. I am so way down the list for my area though. And I am sure the only way to become known in my area is to network and do some bridal shows.</p>

[goldbergbarry]

<p>So you have two sites, one flash and one HTML? That makes no sense at all. You are much better off having just one site that is not flash. Also don't forget that Flash cannot be viewed on iPads, which is a huge growing market. Ditch the Flash site.</p>

[aura_jane]

<p>No, it's the same site, with the same web address. It's just an HTML mirror of the flash version. If you pull up the web address on an ipad or an iphone, it will be the HTML version. If you are on a computer with flash, it will take you to the flash version.</p>

[goldbergbarry]

<p>Okay. that's better then. I just pictured you having to maintain two parallel sites, which would have been a disaster. </p>

[fuccisphotos]

Went to try and view it on the iPad. A no go. Most wedding planners I work with live by their iPads. Nthat is how they

show clients stuff. If it doesn't show there, they aren't going to go outta their way to say oh remember to go to this site

later.

 

Barry, lots of people have two sites. But with HTML5 being the standard and what can be done with it now, flash sites will

be gone soon. Even adobe (the creator of flash) has pretty much said they will be ending support for it in the upcoming

years.

 

My best suggestion is to meet with wedding planners during the off season. Offer to take them to coffee or lunch. You

shouldn't have to do finders fees (unless that is the standard in your area). Being a talented and reliable photographer

that they can make a client happy with should be enough.

[mccosh]

<p>I agree Vail, that You shouldn't have to do finders fee.</p>

<p>However when the venue has 10 excellent photographers approaching them and most have a long standing relationship with the venue it is one way to have the venue work that little bit harder for you. At least until you are established anyway.</p>

[aura_jane]

<p>Vail, thanks for letting me know it's not working on the iPad. That's strange because it works on my iPhone 4, so I just assumed it would work fine on the iPad as well. I will have to do some research to find out why it's not working.</p>

[seandepuydt]

<p>Aura, check in with your chamber of commerce. Consider attending some networking events. Your should be able to get FREE business advice from a state or partner agency. That advice should include assisting you with developing a business plan. If you were in Michigan, that organization is called the The Small Business Technology and Development Center (SBTDC). http://www.sba.gov/<br>

Good luck!<br>

Network, network, network!<br>

Sean</p>

[William Michael]

<blockquote>

<p>My business license stuff is all set up to start Jan 2^nd . . . <strong>I am getting my insurance before that time,</strong> My question is . . . what other things should I consider before openening day?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>As well as face to face with other vendors, I would be making a presence at gatherings likely to have prospective Wedding Clients and shooing a few of their gigs pro bono – you’ll have to move fast but December is obviously a great time for Pro Bono, Community & Charity work.</p>

<p>Business Cards and expedient, consistent and interactive use of them, is very important.</p>

<p>A web site is considered necessary, but is passive and the leverage is totally with the viewer. Returns for expenditures, both TIME and money have always to be considered.</p>

<p> </p>

<blockquote>

<p>My question is, how does the website look</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Two comments one IMO very important also some minor details:</p>

<p>When I opened the site (three times) the same image appeared first: low vantage point UWA shot of Bride, train to front and camera left – the Subject square to the camera.<br>

I suggest you use another image as the first seen by the viewer to open your site: without an in depth critique of the image, it is my opinion that there are better works in your portfolio which are much better than this and still in keeping with your general style which will entice the new viewer to stay for more than a glance at the shop window.</p>

<p>The minor points:<br>

In script, one does not use a comma before the "and" and it is also best to NOT use the Ampersand ("&") but rather use the word "and" at the end of a list.<br>

The Ampersand is restricted for use in a title, such as “Wedding & Portrait” – and then also a comma does not precede it.<br>

”unique” is definitive and therefore cannot have degrees: it is <em>unique</em> or not, it cannot be “very unique”.<br>

<br>

WW <br>

</p>

<p> </p>

 

[aura_jane]

<p>Thank you for the feedback and info. Looks like I should have someone who has better technical writing skills than myself edit my "information" and "about me" pages. My librarian mother would be so ashamed ;-)</p>

[William Michael]

<p>Often one is too close to see the fine detail - that's why you asked for feedback and that is wise.</p>

<p>WW</p>

[art_tatum]

<p>I liked your photography but I wish I could have seen more. I was viewing the site on my Mac Book Pro using Chrome first and then Safari and it was a messy endeavor. Some images took way too long to load (on a fast connection) so long I thought the page was not loading. Perhaps your images are too fat... low res them. Also you spelled portrait wrong (portriat) in title bar of all your pages.</p>

[green_photog]

<p>I took a loook at your wedding portfolio and IMHO, I'm not a big fan of the few low camera level wide shots.</p>

<p>If I may say so, I like 2,11,22,38 and think you can put them up front to grab viewer's attention.</p>

<p>And 36,45 I would leave out as they are not as strong as your other photos.</p>

<p>I stopped at no. 50 and I suspect most brides would not even go that far. Because if you can't grab their attention in the first ten pics or so, they'll move on to other sites. I think you'll only need your best 30 pics in your wedding portfolio and more is not neccessarily better in this case. Hope this helps.</p>

[curt_kalkstein1]

<p>A couple of people hit on what I think is very important: networking. Facebook is important and the Chamber of Commerce can be helpful, but you've got to be out there in layers. See if it's worth your time to join BNI (Business Networking International - BNI.com) and if you have the time, volunteer. The people you help often are NOT your prospective clients, but the people who run the volunteer agencies can be.</p>

[aura_jane]

<p>Help me out Art, I am not seeing where the mispelled "portrait" is on the page. I checked the menu text and I am not seeing it.<br>

I am doing some volunteer work here, I always do, but not as much as before I moved. I don't have as much time now.</p>

[William Michael]

<p><strong>"I am not seeing where the mispelled "portrait" is on the page."</strong></p>

<p>Neither do I: I have looked twice.</p>

<p>WW</p>

[fuccisphotos]

Aura, it is working on the iPad today.

[art_tatum]

<p>It's in the page title typically found in the source code but your site is entirely flash so you'll need to look in your template admin info.</p>

<p> </p><div></div>

[Dave Gardner]

<p>You could try to touch base with some of the 'Hair Salons' in the area and ask if you could put up a photo or two of yours. In exchange for....say....doing a photo of them they could use for their own ad. Then stop in every now and then. Better yet...stop in for a cut or so. Great way to get to know the ladies in the area.</p>

<p>Dave</p>

[aura_jane]

<p>Thanks Art! Found it. It was in my title-meta and description-meta sections. I thought it was in one of the information text area. </p>