Posts Tagged ‘Web Design and Development’

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Apr
20

Spring cleaning

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

The economy seems to be picking up a little.  Let’s hope it sticks.

As the economy grows, so do the opportunities for more visitors to your Web site. Now would be a good time to do a little spring cleaning on your Web site.  It’s easy to forget about the foundation of our Web presence when there are so many new and exciting platforms on which to share our message.

Take a fresh look at your Web site. Listed below are five quick things for photographers to consider:

1.)   Does your site look modern?

2.)   Is it easy to navigate?

3.)   Do you have contact information on every page?

4.)   Can the portfolio be updated with better or more current images?

5.)   Are there any dead links?

There are many more things to consider, but if you check and consider the above list, you should be in good shape.  If your site looks outdated, more work is ahead of you.

Make sure visitors can navigate easily on your site.  Ask friends and family to test it, too.  If they have trouble, most likely potential clients are having the same experience. This means you are losing opportunities.

Remember that search engines do not index Web sites, they index Web pages. This means people can land on any page of your site and it could  be their first and last impression.  Make sure your contact information is easy to find on all pages of your site. If you think your visitors can or should figure it out for themselves, you are losing opportunities.

We all have photographs to which we are emotionally attached, but the reality is old and outdated photographs may cost you work opportunities.  I recommend getting a second opinion about your site images from other photographers and clients. Ask them what they think are your strongest images and what photographs should be replaced.

Check all your links, both internal and external.  Click them all, even if the links worked the last time you checked. You might be surprised. External links change all the time.  If you have exchanged links with someone, confirm they have not changed their mind and removed your link.

Spring cleaning should happen more often than once a year.  Every few months, at the very least, check all five items on the above list so your visitors have a good experience.

What items would you add to the spring cleaning list?

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Feb
23

Wrong answer

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

I had a project estimate presentation with a large client.  We had a long list of topics and services to discuss.  One of the services was search engine optimization (SEO).

I was asked to justify the price tag for SEO.  I explained what we do, the actions, research and management of each page.  Although my response was accepted by the client,  I felt my answer was incomplete.  It was the wrong answer.

SEO is a valuable service.  Much of my photography work comes from people finding my portfolio through the search engines.  SEO works.  In fact, this company originally found our Web site because of our SEO efforts.

So what was wrong with my answer? I focused on what our company does — what some might call the features. No one really cares about feature details, only how the features will benefit them.

The client only needed to know one thing: Better search engine placement will help them make more money.

SEO is a good investment. The client most likely will earn back more than they paid for the service. I know it. I’ve experienced it.  The future of most companies hinges on being highly visible on the Internet.

The same principle holds true for your photography.  Your work is valuable.  When someone asks you  to justify your price, make sure you have a good answer. Here are a few examples:

  • “My photography will help you sell more products.”
  • “You are losing money with the poor photography on your Web site.”
  • “I will make you look beautiful.
  • My vision, style and passion will capture the memories of  the most important day of your life.”

People don’t care how you’re going to do it. They just need the justification to spend money on the amazing results you will provide.

Rosh

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Dec
18

Don’t forget Web site basics

Friday, December 18th, 2009

Sometimes it’s good to review some of the basics.

What do people find when they land on your page? Are they pleased?

Does your Web site look professional? Can visitors easily identify who you are and the name of your business?  Don’t forget  to have easy-to-find contact information on every page of your Web site.

Is your Web site easy to navigate? Just because it’s obvious to you doesn’t make it user-friendly for the rest of the population. If you think they will be able to figure it out, you have figured wrong. Don’t make people work too hard.

If you are using a blogging platform such as WordPress as a base for your site, you have a wonderful opportunity. Most blogging systems offer a real simple syndication (RSS) feed so people can subscribe to your site with their favorite reader, such as Google reader.

It’s amazing how many sites don’t have the option to request more information or subscribe to  newsletters. Acquiring e-mails from people who care about you and what you do is extremely valuable.

If you want people to click on a button, make it  easy to find. Make it loud.  Slick buttons that flow with the beautiful design of your site often are overlooked.

How quickly does your Web site load? This is important.  In 2010 it will become even more important as the search engines continue to use page-load speed as a criteria for page rank.

Remember, it is important to test how your Web site looks on different browsers.  Your favorite browser is not enough.  You might be surprised at how different your site looks on other browsers.

While the latest focus is on driving traffic to your site, don’t forget to pay attention to the basics.  All the traffic in the world doesn’t do any good if people can’t find what they are looking for and don’t like what they see.

Rosh

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Nov
17

Fotomoto: Sell Your Photographs on your Web site

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

fotomoto

I have been recommending fotomoto.com for about six months. It’s an effective sales platform for photographers.

Fotomoto offers photographers an easy-to-use e-commerce solution directly on their Web site.  Whether a photographer wishes to sell images directly from a traditional Web site or blog, Fotomoto has a solution.

You may recall me complaining during the summer about their terms of service.  This issue was satisfactorily addressed months ago. Fotomoto makes it very clear you own your images and they only want permission to reproduce the images to serve your clients. I’m just late in following up with a good review.

There is no set-up charge for the Fotomoto service. Once you insert the Fotomoto code or activate a plug-in,  all future images posted to the site will simply and automatically be e-commerce ready without any additional work.

Once you place a photo on your site, Fotomoto automatically keeps track of the views and offers image management such as turning the “for sale” option on and off under the print section at the Fotomoto site.

The platform works with standard HTML Web sites, WordPress, squarespace, movable type, pixelpost and photoblog as well as custom scripts or templates. You have the option to sell prints, cards and products (in the future). They also offer a free e-card option that is designed to help promote your site.  Once an account is opened, multiple sites may be added with custom pricing for each location.  They even make custom coupon codes easy to create to encourage sales.

The entire transaction takes place without the customer losing sight of the photographer’s Web site.  Each transaction is conducted through PayPal, which allows for standard credit card purchases.  If you are not familiar with PayPal once you set up an account all you need to do is give Fotomoto or any e-commerce service your email and PayPal will securely take care of the rest.

Fotomoto earns a 15 percent commission of the sale (plus the cost of the prints or products).  I find this very reasonable.  You don’t have to upload full resolution images until a sale is made.

All the photographer options such as setting prices, products and customer management are found on the Fotomoto Web site.  Each of the options is easily adjusted in the well-laid-out and user-friendly site.  They also offer multiple options to answer your questions such as e-mail support, a getting started page, FAQ section, plus tips and tricks to help you customize.

Although Fotomoto is effective for standard Web sites, I see this platform as an excellent answer for the photoblogger. Fotomoto allows the photoblogger to upload his image and move on without additional actions needed.  Each image automatically will be offered for sale (depending on the settings) to fans and followers.

Below is a sample I created from last Sunday’s Royal Oak photo walk. All I did was upload the image and Fotomoto automatically did the rest. Test it out, send an e-card or review the prints.  I set the price just above cost and commission.

Rosh

trackssmall2

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Nov
3

Seven new Web sites for the photographer

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

Take a look at these sites for photographers, most of which are new:

Imgur.com allows you to upload your images and create multiple methods to share, including a link shortening system.  Imgur also features a gallery of popular images and statistics.

Screenr.com offers a free, five-minute screencast.  You can share your best Photoshop technique and then tweet it to the world.

Zenbe.com Don’t have your Google Wave invite yet? It’s not real time, but you won’t be left out of the new collaborative world.  Work on projects and share images with clients in one location.

Imageraters.com allows you to submit, share and others will rate your images.

Snapixel.com is a new service to buy, sell and share photographs.

Plogger.org Open source photography Web gallery.

Faculte.com Create and distribute interactive video presentations.

Feel free to review these site further in the comments.

Rosh

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Oct
1

Should you use AdWords?

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

I’ve been frustrated with Google’s AdWords, pay-per-click advertising, on a few recent projects. It seems like the quality of traffic is getting lower every month.  Are the only people clicking the ads seated at desks in India?

Has the Internet population become blind to advertising? Do Internet users really ignore most of the ads populating the millions of spaces across the Web?

The last campaign I created through AdWords was not photography related.  It was a product. The ad message was clear and the Web site was as advertised.

I must concede my projects had low budgets with bids on only 20 key words.  Nonetheless, every click equaled a 100 percent bounce rate and zero time on the site.  In other words – it was worthless traffic.

When you first begin a campaign, it is all about testing. For example, on a basic level you want to track the ads and keywords that are clicked on,  then you want to analyze landing pages that convert traffic into sales.

I’m often asked by photographers if they should use AdWords to generate traffic and leads through Google.  I often respond with my opinion that search engine optimization is a better investment.  But, if you cannot get your site on the front page of the search engines, advertising is worth considering.

I believe it is still possible to be successful using Google advertising tools. But, I equate it to the stock market.  If you don’t have the capital and resources, chances are you are going to lose money.

One advantage photographers have is that photography is generally a higher ticket item compared with the $3.99 widget.  Even if a photographer converts only once a month, chances are good that the advertising will pay for itself.

I don’t advertise because I’m generally listed in the top three and often No. 1  for many of my keywords.  Some people feel the AdWords help reinforce search results with additional branding. I’ve bought into that idea in the past, but today I’m not 100 percent sold.

I’m going to be diving deeper into AdWords with many of my new ventures. I’ll share my findings.  I’d like to know about your experiences.  Please share  in the comments.

Rosh

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Sep
16

Should photographers have blogs?

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

Blogging is not an option anymore.  It is a necessary part of a photographer’s marketing plan.

Search engine optimization of  your Web site plays a vital role in the growth of almost every business.  Many photographers are found and hired through Internet searches.

The great thing about blogs is they contain the elements that search engines look for and can push your site to the top of search results. How? Blogs are updated regularly. They have headlines and supporting posts. They have links and key words to support the title of the site.

Unfortunately, many photographers are not writers and shy away from blogging. Some may feel their lives are not interesting enough or are not comfortable sharing information. If you are a photographer,  it’s all about your work.

Photography buyers like to see images outside the photographer’s portfolio. They like to see behind-the-scenes stuff to gain an understanding of how the photographer works.  Blogs are a great place to share this information.  Blogging isn’t about what you had for lunch.

Many photographers just upload photographs to their blogs. It’s a start.  But, images alone will not help the search engines find your site.  Search engines can’t read the 1,000 words your photograph is worth.

Some photographers are excellent writers and offer a bounty of information about their photographs, experiences and thoughts.  Long essays are very good for search engines.  But, make sure you offer quality imagery throughout the longer posts to retain a photography buyer’s interest.

Some photographers write in a manner that only attracts other photographers.  This is a big problem if your target market is not other photographers.  In many cases, a photographer needs to think more about the people he is trying to attract to his blog and what they might be looking for on the Web.

If you are a photographer who does not write well,  I recommend the bullet-point system for your posts. Create a template. Then plug in the standard information you want to share with your readers and search engines. This is an easy way to eliminate worries of literary inadequacy.

A sample post might look like this:

Photo: Model at sunset
Description: Model posing on Palm Beach wearing a light-blue swimsuit
Model: Jenny Smith
Art Director: Ashley McMillan
Makeup and Hair: Armando
Location: Palm Beach, Florida
Client: 2010 Palm Beach calendar committee
Assistants: Jim Davis and Loris Kem

Share  as much information as you want. It is important to name drop, especially big clients and famous people. Names are important; the more names you list, the greater the long-tail opportunities.  People like to ego search and look up family and friends in the search engines. Make sure your descriptions are full of key-word rich details. The more information you give, the better opportunity you have to place your imagery in front of additional sets of eyes.   If you are not sure how people might react to their names being mentioned, ask and then honor their wishes.

For blogs to be considered fresh, they should be updated every two weeks for the search engines.  If you are trying to attract a following via your blog, then posting several times a week is important.

I like to say that blogging is like an eggs and bacon breakfast: The chicken participates. The pig is committed.

If you are like the chicken, you update every few weeks to keep the content fresh and search engines happy.  If you are like the pig, you must make a plan.  You must understand your target market and blog often for the people following you.

How often should you post to your blog? The key is consistency.  This way readers know when to expect your next update.  My podcast is every Monday.  I offer 2-3 additional posts like this one throughout the week.  My followers generally know what to expect and you should offer the same.

Also, I’m starting to offer updated blog posts on all my photography Web sites.  It helps to keep the Web sites updated and fresh.  When I create an image I want to share, I will schedule it in the blog portion of my site.

Web sites are still important. They are your brochure. Your blog is your personality.

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Aug
22

Photographers Secret to SEO

Saturday, August 22nd, 2009

Search engine optimization is important to photographers.  This video shares the secret for photographers to improving their rankings in the search engines.  I’ll add additional information in Mondays podcast.

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Jul
18

Polls are good for business

Saturday, July 18th, 2009

We hate the intrusive phone calls. We don’t like it when strangers with clipboards stop us on the street to “ask a few questions.” Polls and pollsters are everywhere. But polls are important. The reason companies work so hard for our answers is because our opinions are extremely valuable.

Traditionally, conducting a poll was an expensive undertaking.  Modern technology and social media make today’s polls extremely easy. 

Conducting a poll on your Web site or blog can shed light on what people really think about what you are offering. A simple poll also can capture information about what your viewers would like to see added or extended on your site.  The answers are not always obvious.

I’ve found that creating polls on Twitter is  very insightful and great for problem solving. Recently,  I had  number of questions about one of my projects. I needed a second opinion.  I used polldaddy.com to create and deliver a few polls to my Twitter followers.  The results were profound, clear, and helpful.

If you have light traffic to your Web site, it will take time to produce meaningful poll results. But, if you have a lot of followers, friends, or connections within a social media community,  quality results will emerge quickly.  Don’t count on a huge number of participants, but keep the poll running long enough to see any possible trends.

Every polltaker must be aware that small samples can be easily skewed.  The type of questions asked and the way they are worded greatly affect the answers.  It is also important to keep the wording as neutral as possible. Also make note that a large part of your audience within your community is often of similar mind, opinion or demographic.  This can weigh on the results.

Don’t abuse your friends and followers with polls every day.  Use them for your most important questions. Also note that other members of your community create valuable polls, too.  The results are usually available to everyone, so take advantage of the information.

So, what do you think?

Below is a list of applications for taking polls:

Twt poll – Polls for Twitter

Polldaddy – Polls for Twitter

Wp-polls - polls for WordPress

Zoomerang – polls free and premium

Vizu poll widget creator (use anywhere)

http://www.crazyprofile.com/poll/create_poll.asp

http://www.gotoquiz.com/pollcreate.html

http://www.htmlpoll.com/

http://www.acepolls.com/create

http://www.snappoll.com/

http://www.misterpoll.com/

http://www.modpoll.com/create/

http://www.99polls.com/

http://luckypolls.com/

http://www.pollsb.com/create

http://www.tapoll.com/poll/create/new

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Jul
9

What is your bounce rate? Should you care?

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

A bounce rate is a term used for Web site analytics or statistics.  It is the measure in percentages of how many people land on a home page and then bounce away from that page back to their starting point.

A 100 percent bounce rate means that not one visitor to your Web site found anything interesting to click on. On the other hand, a zero percent bounce rate means visitors — even if you are not what they are looking for  –  find something of interest to hold their attention.

The general rule is that Web sites have a lower bounce rate than blogs.  Blogs  generally offer one long page that contain enough content to satisfy most readers.  Clicking on another link within a blog often is not necessary to gain further information.  A good Web site bounce rate target is 25 percent; aim for a blog bounce rate of less than 50 percent.

Why should you care? You should care because Google cares.  Google uses bounce rate as part of  its algorithm.  It’s a good indicator of whether a site is interesting, offers quality information, or presents the material as advertising on other sites through advertising or links.

If an advertisement or link misrepresents what is found on the other end, Web surfers tend to bounce away immediately.  But, if the Web site is interesting, chances are the viewer will find at least one thing to click on.

This concept is important to consider when trading links, advertising or listing your Web site.  Traffic for traffic’s sake is not always good.  Is your Web site everything it’s supposed to be?

Content isn’t always the reason for a bounce. Sometimes a bounce is due to a technical glitch such as a slow load time, poor navigation, or  incomplete information. There are many reasons why people bounce. Your job is to find out why and fix the problem.  The goal is to attract the right prospects and keep them engaged with quality content.

When it comes to blogs, it is important to have a lot of  links in your post that are related to your post.  This is good for SEO (search engine optimization) in general, but it will encourage the viewer to click on at least one item.  If you worry about people leaving your site,  then link to related posts on your blog.

Whether you have a Web site or a blog, it is important to create easy-to-access links and buttons that naturally engage your viewers and tempt them to look at one more thing before judging your Web site.  Ask questions, offer polls,  or additional information linked to fresh pages.  The name of the game is just one more click.

Rosh

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