I have to agree with the comments regarding lack of personality. Your blog is where you can be "you". I'm introverted and it was very difficult for me to find things to type about. However, after a lot of effort, I got better at it. It's a constant struggle, but being a good blogger requires you to be a good writer. Also, blog about everything - this way you blog more often and people get to see who you are. Putting up picture after picture of weddings doesn't achieve much. You wind up turning a blog into one big scrolling gallery.
I know more than one "Man Shannon" but I am with the rest laboring under the assumption that you are a girl.
Why not put "Mr" Shannon Price Photography? Put an end to all that confusion.
Sorry to join in the discussion on this point, but I am with the rest.
I haven't been busy enough (or full time enough) to worry about bookings. so my website really stinks... but just my $0.02 on the shannon thing.... sorry.
My off season is Aug-Sept. I was slow, very slow, scary slow this year. It'll come around. Now it's busier than crazy and 2010 is starting to fill up quick. Everyone's season is different. As long as you continue to make smart business moves and not do anything drastic and retain your brand image you'll be fine.
you should try to play off your first name, and put something right at the top of your page that clarifies who you are immediately. Put something like "photography by a guy named Shannon" or something more witty than what I can come up with.
I agree with most of what has already been said, with a few additions:
- Lose the gmail address
- Fix the spelling and grammar
- Consider your appearance in your website photo
Not everyone's going to care about the email, but it is disconcerting to me (at least it's not Hotmail, though). Personally, I think poor grammar is annoying, but incorrect spelling is downright inexcusable. Also, I couldn't care less about your appearance, but I think it may be off-putting to some conservative folks. Maybe get a shot of you wearing what you would wear to the wedding of an ideal potential client.
Maybe you could try some guerrilla marketing techniques?
I forgot to say that your work is great - there's no way you should be struggling! I hope FM - and whatever other resources at your disposal - help you get business booming.
I love this thread. Got me thinking about my "about me" stuff too And stopping by to say great work.
I am also wondering whether your vertical images are toooooo lonnnng. Takes up important screen real estate since most monitors are now widescreen. (fine, I just realize mine are the same length..., oh well, but it's something to consider)
bwcat wrote:
I am also wondering whether your vertical images are toooooo lonnnng. Takes up important screen real estate since most monitors are now widescreen.
(fine, I just realize mine are the same length..., oh well, but it's something to consider)
Just to follow up on the same thought. Your images are 960 pixels tall. ( a little of that is a white border you have put on each picture)
A quick look at my Google stats shows the top 3 monitor resolutions ( 48.8% in total ) visiting my site have these resolutions - 1280x800, 1024x768, and 1440x900.
Visitors with monitors that size can't view the entire vertical picture on their screens.
As was also pointed out by another poster, your site is all pictures and no words.
You need to put alternate text on the photos that is something other than the jpg's name so the "alt text" isn't - Chicago Joliet Emily Nate 1, Chicago Joliet Emily Nate 2....
You are missing a great opportunity to tell google what you have taken pictures of.
There is to much scrolling. If I want to look at images from weddings just put the best random. Or organize better with tabs and tables. I don't wanna see the whole wedding then scroll all the way down and see another wedding. If I wanted to print your gallery to say show my fiance I would send you an invoice for the printing. It's 73 pages long!!! lol
Page needs organization. It shows your not organized just toss everything out there.
Just my 2c hope it helps.
You have great work but it needs to be displayed better.
There are a lot more choices for brides in the <1000 range than in the >2000 range.
If you are trying to compete at less money you are already at a disadvantage because of all the others in that market.
When you start talking bargains and specials that sends the wrong message to wedding clients.
For me the raise your prices advice worked great. I went from scratching to get 11 weddings in 2008 to booking 19 weddings in 2009 and turning away appx. 15 others because I was already booked, the only thing I changed was I tripled my prices.
Your mileage may vary...
Some of your pictures are so damn good. But I agree with everyone else - trim the fat - and really evaluate the story you are trying to tell with your pictures. Like this one? Was his elbow that amazing? Or did you screw up the focus? Either way it reeks of snap shot and won't impress a potential wedding couple.
ksmahgrts wrote:
please don't let jofoto write your bio. that was painful to read.
painful.
It's "do the opposite of what grits says" month, since I see the bio text up is now the one you love. =)
I like the new photo. I don't mind the scrolling. Doesn't Ed do his similarly? If you have absolutely no work in the winter then, yeah, get a supplementary job.
It's interesting to hear the differing opinions on "Gallery" versus images on a blog. I'm sure it can go both way, but since switching to a blogsite, I've had more than a few brides who booked me say that they liked seeing the blog entries for every wedding (I post around 40 photos for each) and that they didn't really care for galleries because the photographers were only showing their best photos and that it didn't give an accurate representation of their overall work.
I'm sure I'm also losing brides who have short attention spans or who are too busy to look through several weddings to get a feel, so it cuts both ways.
CRFTony wrote:
It's interesting to hear the differing opinions on "Gallery" versus images on a blog. I'm sure it can go both way, but since switching to a blogsite, I've had more than a few brides who booked me say that they liked seeing the blog entries for every wedding (I post around 40 photos for each) and that they didn't really care for galleries because the photographers were only showing their best photos and that it didn't give an accurate representation of their overall work.
I'm sure I'm also losing brides who have short attention spans or who are too busy to look through several weddings to get a feel, so it cuts both ways....Show more →
Why don't you hit them both ways? I have a lead in photo to each blog entry, the entry then contains lots more photos.
Those who just want to flick through the blog main page get my favorite image from each wedding. Those who want to, can then click on it and see an extended blog post with a lot more.
And stopping by to say great work. 