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Archive 2017 · Website Critique

  
 
bipock
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Website Critique


I redid my website about 4 months ago as well as started getting some help on the SEO work. We looked over my numbers today and were both surprised and disappointed in what we found. We found that I'm averaging about 10 NEW users per day with average time on the site of about 2:30 minutes. Bounce rate is about 38%. That's the good.

The bad is that nothing is translating, there's no conversion. Visitors aren't reaching out.

So, I turn to you fine gentlemen. If you have time and are willing, please let me know if there is something on the site you like, don't like or you feel isn't working. I would be greatly appreciated.

http://www.blendedlightphotography.com

You can PM or post here, doesn't matter to me.



Jan 11, 2017 at 09:51 PM
bipock
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Website Critique


Anyone want to take a stab?


Jan 12, 2017 at 07:26 PM
amonline
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Website Critique


First impression... Not good on widescreen.

Wedding splash... bride with half a head... groom with none.

Caps and heads cut off in the grad pic.

You need to check it on a lot of different platforms.



Jan 12, 2017 at 10:08 PM
bipock
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Website Critique


OK, I think that is fixed on the widescreen. Thanks Amonline!


Jan 12, 2017 at 10:32 PM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Website Critique


If I were in your shoes, I would ask 12 different women between the age of 23-30 to look at the site. Tell them that you're getting visitors, but no inquiries, so something's wrong. "What do you think it is?"




Jan 12, 2017 at 11:27 PM
bipock
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Website Critique


LeeSimms wrote:
If I were in your shoes, I would ask 12 different women between the age of 23-30 to look at the site. Tell them that you're getting visitors, but no inquiries, so something's wrong. "What do you think it is?"



That actually popped in my head today! Now to find 12 women between the ages of 23-30.



Jan 12, 2017 at 11:32 PM
Chris Cooke
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Website Critique


My thoughts from a quick glance at the site.

1. overall the photos are good. Lots of variety in the portfolio.

2. Investment page is way too long and wordy. Give people the basics and go into more detail when they contact you. Just way too many words.

3. The "videos" would be better as a blog post not on the site, especially since you didnt produce them. If they were videos of you and showing you working with your clients thats one thing but to me they arent needed on the site.

4. Reviews. To me if a review section isnt linked to an actual review site (yelp, the knot, wedding wire, etc) they lack credibility. Thats just my opinion.

5. Under Services why does it say "Family Engagements" and "Senior Engagements"? I hear engagement and think pre wedding photos. I think Family Portraits and Senior Portraits would be better wording.

6. There is no way to get back to the main site from the blog.



Jan 13, 2017 at 01:29 PM
bipock
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Website Critique


Thanks Chris. I'll look at those and see what I can do. I thought the investment pages were too long, but I wanted them to have as much as possible - guess "less is more".


Jan 13, 2017 at 02:06 PM
dmacmillan
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Website Critique


I did a little experiment that might be helpful to you. I pretended I was a prospective customer and googled "Raleigh wedding photographer". The result was eye opening. Look at Joe's and Azuz's pages and see what you are up against. You might not be aiming at the same demographic, but your target customers are probably going to see those other sites as well. It might not be fair, but they will use them as a point of comparison.


Jan 14, 2017 at 09:37 AM
bipock
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Website Critique


They are both a couple categories above me, but, yes, I have used them as reference sites. There's a pretty distinct line in the area where the website really reflects pricing. They are top end. My site is somewhere between that middle area of a nice site but doesn't look professional and super high end.

This is partly what is causing me some problems. My site looks very nice, but my prices don't reflect upper end, where as some of the photographers in that middle bracket site matches work a little better. Don't know if that makes sense.



Jan 14, 2017 at 01:22 PM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Website Critique


Tough love, ahead.

> My site looks very nice, but my prices don't reflect upper end, where as some of the photographers in that middle bracket site matches work a little better.

Neither do your images. You're not a colorful photojournalist who's images feel like loving confetti. You're not an awesome conservative posed photographer, either — as judged by a ton of posing rules you break in almost every photo. I'm not sure who you're trying to be, other than a nice guy with a camera. I sense a lack of passion to truly excel in any area. I saw a photo of a bunch of guys on a tractor and one of them has a t-shirt ... nice idea, but that guy with the t-shirt blows it. Don't show that one. You should've shot one the eliminated the t-shirt guy for yourself. For your future marketing. We are have to be visual snobs who in a moment say "this looks good" and "this looks like crap let's change it." These images look like they are taken by a nice guy who doesn't want to make waves. You have to be assertive and say, "now one without t-shirt guy" ha, ha, ha, everyone laughs. T-shirt guys is pissed but WTF is he doing at a wedding in a t-shirt?

I sense you want to be a great conservative posed wedding photographer. If you want that client you have to show great posed conservative wedding photos which you don't have. There's a check list for posed photos they you blow, a lot. Before you shoot another wedding, or do any portfolio selection, I strongly suggest you read Roberto Valenzuela's Picture Perfect Posing. Then re-read it and test yourself on it. Now look at the initial images you're showing on your website. See all the rules you're breaking? Roberto's not the end-all / be-all on posing, but that book's the best thing that's ever been written on the subject. He was a teacher before he was a photographer and we benefit from it.

I think posed & controlled wedding work is WAY easier than photojournalism. You're in control and you check off a bunch of checklist items then just create a final zen-like hint of magic/sex appeal. Photojournalism is fishing. Put your pole in the right spot, know how the fish react, pray that they come to you. Sometimes it works, often it doesn't. Most wedding photojournalism is boring, but customers gravitate to it because they attended a friend/relative's wedding and the photographer didn't how to pose people and wasted everyone's time on a hot summer day with poor results. So they say "I don't want that" and go to photojournalism where at least they know they'll have a great wedding — even if the posed glory photos are sorta flat.

And tighten up all your web copy about yourself. You can't pick up a women at a bar by telling her you were late on a car payment 10 months ago. Your copy reads like that — WAY too much meaningless detail. No sex appeal. No passion. What makes you tick? If you hired a professional copywriter to write your bio what would they say?

>> tough love, now over <<

I'm not a 20-something bride, I'm a 50-something guy who markets to women. Talk to 20-something brides and they'll tell you what they want (if you read between the lines). It's marketing, it's branding. Know your client.



Jan 14, 2017 at 03:23 PM
heikoM
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Website Critique


in hard words:

Work on your photography skills.

The market is tough and it gets more competitive everyday. You need to know what you are doing to play with the guys...


All the best!


heiko



Jan 14, 2017 at 08:25 PM
bipock
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Website Critique


No issues Lee and I appreciate the harsh words. If I read your comments right, I need to define myself as to how I shoot, find my style.

I'll find Roberto's book.



Jan 14, 2017 at 09:44 PM





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