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Archive 2016 · How do you do album customization with clients?

  
 
tgillespie
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · How do you do album customization with clients?


This past year we focused heavily on album sales and its been great for business and client satisfaction, however I swore to myself that I would streamline a few more steps in the entire process.

During our first consult, we show example albums and the client usually settles on a size, but really doesn't have an idea of colors, cameo, finish, etc.

Post wedding, we throw the designs together, get their seal of approval and then work on customizing it... however its too tedious and time consuming to walk them through each possibility. Just curious how others handle it? A post wedding consult is nice, but couples don't always have the time.

Edited on Jan 19, 2016 at 05:58 PM · View previous versions



Jan 19, 2016 at 05:05 PM
hardlyboring
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · How do you do album customization with clients?


We offer 2 main sizes of our matted album. We send clients a pdf of cover options and beyond that really do nothing because not much else can be customized.
I suppose we could do embossing etc. but I have never had anyone ask about it and it would just add unnecessary costs IMO.
One of the reasons I like selling our matted album is because choices are so limited. Makes choosing options really easy.



Jan 19, 2016 at 05:18 PM
Ziffl3
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · How do you do album customization with clients?


I tell client prior to wedding event that we will still possible meet after the wedding. if we don't meet we will communicate about the album.

Depending on if the client chooses our standard album.... I will communicate though e-mail/phone call.
For the higher level album, I will meet in person and go over actual samples for the album.

-Mark



Jan 19, 2016 at 05:40 PM
SGallant
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · How do you do album customization with clients?


I created my own line and went with 3, 3, 3. 3 sizes, 3 covers, 3 layouts. They can mix and match any of the options. And they see these when they meet for a consult. I have 9 billion options I can offer them, last thing I want to do is overwhelm them. I do let them know I can get whatever they could ever imagine, if what I have doesn't meet their needs. I automatically include their names and wedding date on covers and even the binding is auto selected for them.


Jan 19, 2016 at 05:43 PM
TTLKurtis
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · How do you do album customization with clients?


I have taken offerings from a few companies and selected only one series of album and limited customizability options which I then share with my clients in a custom albums guide PDF sort of like my collections guide. They see them in person at some point and then make their choices from the PDF.


Jan 19, 2016 at 07:49 PM
sherijohnson
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · How do you do album customization with clients?


I have them make the choice of what they want before the wedding, then afterwards all we have to do is select images and do the layouts, typically the communication is via email.


Jan 20, 2016 at 07:26 AM
MRomine
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · How do you do album customization with clients?


Local clients come into the studio to see album samples and customization options. More than half of my clients live more than an hour from me so I send them to the album manufacture's website, Finao. They have excellent photos of all their cover materials and other options. In addition to this, I also have lots of photo of past client albums on my website that I share.



Jan 20, 2016 at 09:44 AM
tgillespie
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · How do you do album customization with clients?


Thanks for the feedback. In summary, make it simpler and meet up if possible.


Jan 20, 2016 at 05:18 PM
Elijah
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · How do you do album customization with clients?


1) Ask them to choose 100 photos (default)
2) design my album in SA (Smart album)
3) send album design to them VIA Cloud Proofing
4) they view the design in cloud proofing and comment on each spread/page to what they would like to customize
5) they submit their feedback back to me VIA cloud proofing & I customize the album to their preference
6) we go back and fourth like this until they approve the album
7) I send the album design to the lab & have them ship to me (if client is local) or to the client (if long distance)

BAM. Done. Simple as that. The best way to do albums for wedding clients. Daniel Usenko is a genius...



Feb 26, 2016 at 02:33 PM
DoubleDragon
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · How do you do album customization with clients?


We use a process similar to what Elijah outlined (above)

However, I'd like to know how you guys deal with the situation of a bride wanting to change most (or all) of the previewed album design... for instance, what do you do if you send a proposed album design (50 pages with the 100 images that the client selected) but the client wants to completely change the entire album around, pick new photos, and basically make you design the album all over again?

We're considering contractual verbiage along the lines of "client has one round of revisions where they can request changes, for up to 10% of the proposed album design" in other words they can request that we change up to 10 images or completely redesign 5 pages (from a 50 page 100 image album) to keep us from suffering through any more complete album redesigns.



Mar 02, 2016 at 11:44 AM
skg photos
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · How do you do album customization with clients?


I'd only give them a round of revisions if they did not pick the images.
Why would they get to re order and re choose photos that they picked?
It overcomplicates it when we give them too many endless choices.
Some people can't ever make decisions, and I hate it when albums are not in their hands within three montths of their wedding date.

My clients don't pick any photos initially. I learned long ago that some people will never get back to you and drag out the process for years if they have to pick the photos.
I pre-design the album using their slideshow & blog images, and most of them typically swap out anywhere from zero to three photos total.
It's so much quicker and easier on all of us, and they get much better design then if they pick the photos to start.
They can swap every single photo out for whatever they like better, once they see the initial design, but no one ever does that.

But if they needed that control and picked 100 specific photos to use, I'd just make sure this was covered in the contract and reinforced several times via email: if they specify the pics, their album will be designed chronologically, will print it via my lab, and be shipped to them. They would then see the exact layout of their choices when they open it.



Mar 02, 2016 at 04:57 PM
glort
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · How do you do album customization with clients?



I plan the layout session at the confirmation meeting before the wedding.
Before they return, ( min 2 weeks) my wife ( she loves doing them) Does the layout. I have a minimal base coverage ( 20 sides) and each side over that is additional.

We generally plan around 60-70 pages which is above most couples budget so they tend to remove more pages than they change. It is unusual to have more than 5 Pics in an album changed typical to change less.

We do the pages as a single print which is the size of the album page which is roughly 11x14". We used to offer 1-4 Pics on a page but with the advent of Digital layouts where anything is possible, we don't usually worry about numbers, more about the pics complimenting each other and creating max wow factor.

When the the couple come back I tell them we were so excited about their pics we did a layout we would like to use as a sample album with their permission. I tell them they are free to change anything they like or keep it the same. We go through all the individual pics first ( on the computer) and I get them a drink and my wife makes up some nibbly snacks.

After they have seen all the pics ( all taken, unretouched, less blinks and outakes) we go through the layouts my wife did. As expected they will tend to cut down the number of pages but the amount of images we have to replace is minimal.
The album is finalised at that point. I can only remember a couple of change requests in all the years I have been doing weddings after this point and both times to appease parents in putting in relative pics not otherwise wanted by the couple themselves. I have certainly never had Multiple redos and approvals.
Bugger that for a Joke!!

The album is planned by the time the couple leave. Nothing goes to the lab until the extras are paid for.
No images that are not used in the album are edited, retouched or otherwise. They are given to the couple SOOC.

I USED to get the couple to design the whole album from scratch. They came in, were shown all the images and then in batches of relevance and as the day happened. A fast album plan was 2 hours, worst was about 9 over 3 sessions. Now with the pre laid out suggestion, The clients can be in and out in an hour ( if they choose) and that's with a good amount of chat other than about the pics.

I have done a good amount of out of town weddings, for several years I was doing the majority of my weddings in an area around 1:20 away and further. Selecting wedding pics is a big thing and something important enough to travel for. I have been asked many time if I can send the pics or they can select themselves and the answer has been no. They will tell you all the reasons they can't come to the studio and when you continue to say no they will tell you something like they can't do it and will have to get back to you. Record so far is 48 hours before they do and have been able to change day off, get time off, are coming to visit parents or are somehow now able to do the previously impossible.

Sameas money for albums extras. They are broke from the honeymoon/ wedding expenses/ house furnishing etc and won't have the money for months. Longest holdout on that, 3 days. Parents come good, they get a tax refund, borrow money off their pet cat... whatever. Suddenly they have the money and want to know how soon they can have their pics.

I think those that have problems with multiple album changes really have a problem with control and communication. This is one of the reasons I don't bend over backwards to accommodate every client request and am not afraid to say NO. It is important t establish who has the control in the transaction and define parameters of what is acceptable and what is not.

It's OK to give a little but you also have to establish boundaries otherwise people will play you like a puppet simply because they can.



Mar 03, 2016 at 04:14 AM





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