I recently submitted a survey to the over 900 members of Brand-ography.com regarding their photography business website. There were some very interesting results.  Below is a sampling of the answers I received…

What type of website do you have for your business?

30% = I have a Flash Website and a separate WordPress Blog
28% = I have a fancy Flash Website
16% = My Website is made with WordPress
10% = My Website is made from HTML Website
10% = I have a Website, but I don’t know how it is made!
4% = I have a HTML Website and a separate WordPress Blog
2% = Website? I don’t have a website!

It is interesting that the majority of the photographers I polled had either a flash website or a wordpress blog in conjunction with a flash website. I understand the attraction with a flash website as they are usually quite visually beautiful, however there are sever limitations as we shall see later…

Who created your website?

72% = I did it myself
21% = I hired a professional
5% = A family member or friend made it for me

No big surprise here, the majority of photographers created their website themselves. This seems to be a growing trend as the tools are easier to use and the cost of a professional web designer increases.

Are you satisfied with your website?

41% = It is just okay
33% = Yes I am completely satisfied
25% = No it needs an overhaul

The majority of photographers felt their site was ‘just okay’ or needed an overhaul.  Only 1/3 of those polled were completely satisfied with their website.  Even more interesting are the comments received when asked what they would change about their website.  Below are the responses…

What would you like to change about your website? (expense, time, results, etc)

• My wordpress needs some help looking more professional
• Just updated it and it will be going live within 2 weeks
• My wordpess needs some help looking more professional
• Copywriting
• Results and more engaging
• Needs to be updated
• Easier to update , etc…
• I would like to move away from flash and go with a CMS site where everything is neatly in one place.
• I need to add a proofing section but they are soooooooooooooooooo expensive!
• Client viewing area and testimonial page
• Nothing, I just wish I had the time to update it as much as I’d like.
• I need a cheap, easy to manage site that looks like a million bucks!
• Look more professional.
• I would like to customize it a bit more and make it look less like a blog… but would still like to include a blog. I also would like to learn to make it more effective!
• Results
• I would like to integrate a self hosted shopping cart that I can control the product offering (prints, gift certificate redemption, promos).
• Copywriting
• More flash, easier simple navigation. One that works on all browsers.
• Able to get it pinged on search engines.
• Better SEO for the flash part
• More interaction
• More traffic
• Increase the number of visitors, increase the conversion rate
• Colours, look, content
• I am not sure! But I haven’t improved due to $.
• Just created it but will be looking for a more professional option
• I am not completely satisfied but I don’t need a complete overhaul
• I like it but want more flexibility and options for layout and content
• A comprehensive CMS so I don’t have to do everything with XML, a bit less flash so it has better SEO.
• Actually I just personalized my smugmug site a little and that is all I have.
• Results
• Mix Flash with HTML
• Need to hire to set a website up for me personally
• The client galleries, the speed at which it loads

I found it interesting that there were many repeated themes in the comments to include : Getting results, more traffic, increasing conversions, more professional appearance.

I found it interesting that there were many repeated themes in the comments to include : Getting results, more traffic, increasing conversions, more professional appearance.

Based on this survey, it is apparent that the majority of photographers want a professional appearing website that gets results!

If you are looking for help in setting up your photography website, be sure to join Photowebsitetutorials.com and get a free website building checklist.  Click here to join.

If you are a professional photographer with a staff of one person, it can be quite overwhelming to handle all of the marketing tasks in addition to your photography work.  More often than not, this leads to no marketing happening at all.  One solution to this problem is to purchase photography marketing templates rather than attempt to make them yourself.  It is too easy to believe that just because you have Photoshop you have to do all of your design materials. This is not true. There is a wealth of marketing materials out there that are available for use.  Some of it is even available for free.

If you are a baby photographer, then I highly suggest that you look at the free “Bella Baby Marketing System” created by Sandy Schurz.  She has graciously made this complete marketing system available to anyone for no cost.  It includes over 2 gigabytes of files with business cards, gift certificates, ads, promotional materials, punch cards, stickers and more.

The complete system is available for download at brand-ography.com.

In addition to the “Bella Baby Marketing System” there are also available complete branding packages.  These branding packages contain everything you need to establish a distinct look for you business.  Each branding package contains full PSD files for logos, banners, business cars, thank you cards, flyers, brochures and more.  There are a variety of colors and styles.  Each package can also be easily modified to fit your particular style.

There is also another free item at Brand-ography.com.  It is a complete Portrait Experience that you can offer to your clients to help prepare them for their sessions.  I highly suggest you take a look at this download.  Again it is offered with all of the high resolution PSD files that can easily be modified.

One other item available at Brand-ography.com (albeit for a nominal fee) is a complete marketing system called the “Fabulous Ten”.  This product shows you step by step how to establish you own marketing network among fellow small business owners in your town.  This network will provide discounts and specials to their clients for your business.   This is a great way to tap into the clientele of targeted business that match your target demographic. If all this sounds difficult to you, don’t worry as it is all spelled out completely in the “Fabulous Ten” guide.  As with all the products on this site, the full resolution PSD files are included to provide easy customization and modification.

So if you are looking for marketing templates for your photography business, I highly suggest that you checkout Brand-ography.com.  The free items are well worth the visit!

If you love photography and enjoy working with people then a home based photography business may bring you a lifetime of fulfillment and pleasure.  A photography business offers many advantages over traditional employment but can also be a very scary step for most budding photographers.   After all, no matter how good of a photographer you are, it is important to remember that a photography business is more than just taking photographs.  The key word to remember is that it is a BUSINESS.  Which means in order to be successful you have to be much more than just a great photographer. You also have to be a great business person.

One of the advantages of the photography business is the low barrier to entry. By that I mean that if you have a couple thousand dollars to spend on good equipment and have a place to start shooting you can be in business.  This however can also be a big downfall as there will be a lot of competition from others who enjoy photography as much as you do. So how do you get ahead?  Well it starts with being the better business person.  This may surprise you as you probably thought I would say to find a niche, improve your work, be the best photographer, etc.  Well those are good things as well but being a better business person is much more important than being a better photographer.

I know that last paragraph probably turned off most of the people reading this. That is because we all want to make the most stunning, amazing, creative, artistic images possible. Right?  Who want’s to worry about profit and loss, advertising, marketing, etc.  Doesn’t  that just dilute the art?  Well if you are of that mind set then I suggest you pursue a career outside photography that allows you to enjoy your hobby of creating beautiful pictures.  Because if you want a lifelong career in photography it will require much more than just an artistic eye.   It will require a lot of business sense.

So what do I mean by business sense?  Well I have spent a lot of time researching what makes a successful business.  I believe that just a few of the key traits are: Consistency, Personality, and Vision.

Consistency:  When a client comes to you they want to be 100% confident in the product that they will receive. They want to know that the pictures you take will be as wonderful and heartwarming as the ones they received last year. So how do you ensure this?  By #1 being capable with your equipment. And #2, being methodical in your processes. That means you should have a written workflow on how you setup for sessions and how you process them. Your client should know how long the session will be, how  long before they can see proofs, how long before they will get finished prints.  A steady and consistent experience breeds confidence in them of your abilities to deliver EVERY time.

Personality:  This is where you get to shine. Feel free to express yourself. If you are goofy, friendly, silly, let your clients know that. Don’t try to be someone you are not.  You won’t appeal to all people, but the ones you do appeal to will love you for live.  Photography is about personal interaction.  Let them feel connected to you.

Vision:  Have a purpose for your business.  Do you know where you want to be in five years? Do you know how many sessions you want to have this month?  If you don’t, it is time to start your plan. And that begins with a long term vision that is developed into a working plan.  This could be the form of a business plan or it could be as informal as a list of long and short term goals.  Do what works for you. But just do it.

In conclusion, I would like to encourage you in your dreams in starting a home based photography business.   I would like to help you along your way and I wish you much success!