John's Tech Corner
    July / August 2008      

Photography and the Web

Photography and the Web

This is going to be a four (4) part article on why using a website for your photography and/or photography business is one of the most effcient and cost effective ways to promote your business.

Thee following articles topics will cover how to easily start your online presence with minimal cost to you:

Part 1:  Why a website?

Part 2:   Portfolios (September/October 2008 issue)

Part3:  Search Engines & Social Networks (November/December 2008 issue)

Part 4:  Blog/CMS/E-Commerce (January/February 2009 issue)

 Part 1: Why is a website crucial for business?

EVERY business should consider a website.  I've listed just a few reasons why a website can be THE most powerful tool for promoting and enhancing your business, so let's dive in.

A website is a LOW COST and effective way of advertising your photography business.

  Accounts for hosting your site with virtually unlimited traffic are generally available for less than a $100 a year! This includes all of your email for your business and some helpful tools for analyzing your sites traffic.

Web design is a more permanent advertisement for your business, unlike printed ads in the paper or phone book that can cost yu money weekly or monthly.  Once it's designed, your cost is less than $100 a year and can be as thorough or as simple as you require.

Dynamic websites can be constructed to allow you and your colleagues to update your content on the site instead of paying to have someone else do it.

 Information for the Client

Provide personalized support for your customers with answers to common questions; assistance on specific products or services, provide a variety of ways in which you can be contacted. Do all this without answering a phone or hiring additional staff.

For those willing to learn, you can provide convenient ways for your customers to keep up to date on the status of your ongoing projects.  Keep them informed of when their proofs will be available or have them send in some detailed requirements for their wedding albums.

Provide live "chat" help to anyone, anywhere in the world, right from your website!

All of this can be done right on your site- safely & securely- with dynamic web design.

E-Mail

Communicate anywhere in the world with customers and employees and pay NO long distance telephone charges. And while you're at it, you can "attach" other documents to your e-mail. For example, you can send an updated album mockups to your client or send off some works to your art consultant across the country - quickly and with 0 shipping costs.

With your own website name (domain name) you can have a professional address for everyone in your business.  Why settle for complicated email addresses from sites like hotmail or yahoo when you can have an email address that makes sense.  (Trade your This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

Ensure Returning Customers

       Have them subscribe to a newsletter, it’s as simple as them entering their email address and clicking subscribe! Provide them with updated information about your latest products, services, sales or events by simply typing up some information and clicking send.

Be Open for Business 24 hours a Day

Being online 24/7 may seem strange but in reality it's a big plus. With e-mail, people can contact you anytime it is convenient for them. You can respond anytime that's convenient for you.

When you have a website, potential customers can find out about your products and services 24 hours a day.  Isn't this much better than getting an early call before opening from customers in other time zones?  What about the people that needed to place an order or view your inventory right after your storefont closes?  There's many scenarios where you could be losing business that could easily be resolved by using an informative website as an extension of your business.

Global Reach

The Internet is being used on a regular basis by millions worldwide with more "connecting" every day. Many of the new users come from countries around the world. They want to buy the "latest and greatest" art and that could include yours. They have money. With the Internet they can become your customer! How much do you think it would cost you to advertise in the Times of London, the Tokyo Daily, and Moscow Today? Compare that to the cost of a website. The information you provide on your website is instantly available to every one of these potential customers.

Reach Customers that Speak a Foreign Language

Why restrict your market to the "English-speaking" world? Translate your website into a number of languages and offer a choice to users when they come to your home page to further increase your exposure.

Update or change your products or services EASILY and at Low Costs

If you have produced "paper" catalogs, brochures, sales collateral's, you know how difficult and expensive it is to change them. And what to do with all of the outdated ones? You want to add a new item. Oh no! The phone company changed your area code. No, no! What a pain with paper. With your Internet site, changing anything is a simple and inexpensive process.

These are just Some of the reasons why a website can benefit photographers, visit us for our next issue and I will show how to get your first website started!