p.1 #1 · Critique my site/Blog/Branding, please! :)
I got some great advice from a recent poster, who suggested I look into a complete overhaul of my site (mostly to cull down images), and my logo.
For reference, I kept the music on the site because brides have given me only positive comments (on the music as well as they site itself).
I wanted to get everyone else's thoughts as well, as I'm at a bit of a loss for direction. My goal is the high end market, so I want a website/brand that will just feel 'expensive', but also have some personality to it. I realize it likely doesn't do that now.
So...
If you could, please let me know what you think of:
1) The whole experience (my images, my blog, my website)
2) My organization of images (how many images I have, the categories)
3) My logo
4) Any other recommendations if possible (including websites from photographers you truly admire!)
Blog (go through a few posts if possible, to see a wedding):
p.1 #2 · Critique my site/Blog/Branding, please! :)
d)
For your front page website images... use png's. I can see a difference in the bg colors of jpgs vs the background color of your site. The wedding and portrait sections on the front page have weird stuff around the font. looks like you were trying to embellish them but it comes across as not looking so hot.
Music... personal preference to not be blasted by it.
p.1 #3 · Critique my site/Blog/Branding, please! :)
thebeginning wrote:
Blog (go through a few posts if possible, to see a wedding):
Is this what you expect clients to do? Clients don't all have time to filter through your other posts to find your weddings.
Nice images BTW, but I think less is more, you post a lot of similar scenes. Clients like multiple versions for themselves, but future clients come away with a watered down impression IMHO.
p.1 #4 · Critique my site/Blog/Branding, please! :)
stevez32 wrote:
Is this what you expect clients to do? Clients don't all have time to filter through your other posts to find your weddings.
Nice images BTW, but I think less is more, you post a lot of similar scenes. Clients like multiple versions for themselves, but future clients come away with a watered down impression IMHO.
I'm kind of new to the blogging thing, but that makes sense. I do have the search function, which helps. I'll look into having sections of some kind too. I'm trying to avoid the blog just being another gallery.
And to "you post a lot of similar scenes", could you expound a bit?
p.1 #5 · Critique my site/Blog/Branding, please! :)
I kept the music on the site because brides have given me only positive comments (on the music as well as they site itself)
A lot of photographers rationalize their choices like that but you need to understand that the brides who like you will therefore comment favorably to you. People are more loathe to tell you something about you that they don't like. Also, when people are indifferent to you, they won't tell you anything anyway. So hearing only from your supporters isn't exactly how to base decisions because it means the ones you're turning off who may have liked you given more opportunity, who may have booked you, aren't telling you that having music on your site made them go away.
It's like an ex-girlfriend I had who said she knew her cat loved her because her cat would rub up against her. I pointed out that her cat must also have strong feelings for her coffee table.
Look at your stats. Are you getting a lot of hits during weekday working hours? How long are they on your site? Going through your pages? What's your bounce rate? What's your conversion rate? Look at those figures instead.
p.1 #6 · Critique my site/Blog/Branding, please! :)
TheGE wrote:
Look at your stats. Are you getting a lot of hits during weekday working hours? How long are they on your site? Going through your pages? What's your bounce rate? What's your conversion rate? Look at those figures instead.
I decided not to put music as the visits at working time with speakers would click off rigth away.
p.1 #7 · Critique my site/Blog/Branding, please! :)
I think your work is strong.
Get rid of the splash page altogether. The frames don't work and it is so so bad. Just make sure a visitor can get to anything they want from the site.
Logo looks good but not fond of the font for your name.
People don't come to your site to kill time. They come to make a quick decision about putting you on their shortlist to make personal contact. Yet to get around your site their are so many sub links it would take me 45 minutes to go through it all.
With that in mind under the captures link have one gallery if they are all related to wedding. The next gallery should only be for something completely different such as family.
Wow, then you have more wedding related galleries under the portraiture link. Make one link called galleries and post one gallery of your best wedding images.
tie your about me and my philosophy segments together so they are under one link.
Put a link to your blog on your site and vice versa.
It looks fine but more important than form is function and an old saying in sales and marketing is the more options you put in front of people the less likely they are to decide. Cull the amount of sub links down.
Combine your portraits with family and a seniors gallery under the same site so you can get rid of the splash page.
The music on your site, get rid of that. The clients that are not giving you positive feedback on that are the ones who close your site down on the spot which is what most of us do when we hit a site with music. Of course the clients that don't switch off are not complaining.
The work is very nice, the site just needs tightening up.
p.1 #8 · Critique my site/Blog/Branding, please! :)
Blog... You need a category link. Brides that come to your blog will scroll a half page and give up. Seniors will love it. In two months, that may change. You should allow access to whatever the visitor wishes to see. Add a category link to your offerings. Forefront what is most important. Be defined.
Website... Dump the splash. That's sooooo 2007. Dump Flash. That's soooooo 2009. Move to HTML5 or a WP blogsite. Many clients look at sites via mobile devices. When I first clicked your link this morning on my iPad, I left. If I can't view it, I'm not wasting time. A client thinks the same way. They're not going to hunt out your blog. And, even if they do, and they see seniors for the first 100 images, they're probably going to move on.
Your work is great. You have something to offer. I would consider starting from scratch - with the visitor in mind.
So, that's the "experience".
Image organization... Well, there isn't any really. Here's where I'm personal. Personally, I don't want to see something like "Glipses 1", Glipses 2", etc. A portfolio should be a portfolio. It should show your best work. It shouldn't be broken up into 4-5 different areas where the visitor has to keep digging. (seeing a trend here?) Your visitor should be smacked in the face with your passion. If it's weddings, they should enter right into your wedding portfolio - not a generic, I do everything, now go look for the Easter eggs.
Logo? Sucks. Build a brand. Camera graphics say, "I'm a noob." You may not be, but it's not a good reflection on your true talent.
I'm pretty harsh and straight from the hip, but that's what I see when I visit. It all just has a very "4 year old website" feel. It's just not what is working today.
p.1 #10 · Critique my site/Blog/Branding, please! :)
Your initial slideshow isn't bad. However, it does no good if your visitors can't see it. So, in that case, they go to your blog. Now, guess what?
As for sites, just start cruizin' all the guys on here. There are plenty to consider. Just note how they lead you in and straight to the most important content. I think that's really what your focus should be first. (outside of making the leap to a more mobile-friendly platform)
p.1 #11 · Critique my site/Blog/Branding, please! :)
amonline wrote:
Your initial slideshow isn't bad. However, it does no good if your visitors can't see it. So, in that case, they go to your blog. Now, guess what?
As for sites, just start cruizin' all the guys on here. There are plenty to consider. Just note how they lead you in and straight to the most important content. I think that's really what your focus should be first. (outside of making the leap to a more mobile-friendly platform)
I'll start looking around for sure. I'm partnered with Photobiz at the moment and they've been completely wonderful, so I may just look into switching for one of their html designs. We'll see.
p.1 #12 · Critique my site/Blog/Branding, please! :)
Just a note here, to play devil's advocate a bit.
This guy seems to be breaking all the 'rules' that have now set the standard. He has music, his site is flash, it's pretty confusing, and his blog doesn't have easy categories.
However, he's constantly shooting destination weddings.
My guess is that once you get to the point where referrals are enough, your website matters less and less.
OR
That photographers are much pickier about websites than the average engaged woman, and that certain brides-to-be actually like the atmosphere of some busier sites.
Now his images are quite good, he is a great writer, and his brand makes sense. But again, he's broken all the rules that photographers now seem to be putting on themselves.
p.1 #13 · Critique my site/Blog/Branding, please! :)
His site does exhibit many things I mentioned. It takes you directly to his passion. His visitors don't see high school seniors first. His visitors don't have to dig. (too much anyway) Sure, he's still running a Flash site, but he's obviously got over three years of experience on his blog, and regular referrals. You're not quite there yet, are you?
p.1 #14 · Critique my site/Blog/Branding, please! :)
Well to be fair, I was throwing that out there for everyone to comment on, not to argue with the advice you gave.
Still, he has music. His site is flash. His organization is confusing (in my opinion).
I've seen quite a few photographers that were top notch, obviously doing very well, with pretty awful sites. I've also seen beautiful, crisp websites for photographers that were poor.
Just saying that there is no 'be all end all' of website design to be successful.
And to answer what seemed like a pointed question - while I am new to blog postings, 100% of my business has come from referrals since I started, for a full time income. So yes, I have extremely regular referrals. Only in the past month have I started other forms of marketing, because the referrals were coming from the same group of people (which I wanted to expand from).
p.1 #16 · Critique my site/Blog/Branding, please! :)
amonline wrote:
Are you doing weddings full-time?
Define full time. I do up to 4 a month, but try to keep the average to about half that. I shoot other stuff (seniors and the like) in quieter months. I don't have a 'day job', if that's what you're asking.
Strange how this is becoming more of an inquisition than anything...
p.1 #20 · Critique my site/Blog/Branding, please! :)
I don't post every shoot. No chance.
Blogging is not so much for your existing clients as it is for your future clients. As long as their are some good weddings to showcase you are good.
If you can tell a brief story of what each one does and how they met your clients will lap that up and each write up can follow the same formula yet be unique not sounding like some insincere rant that each couple is the raddest, coolest most wonderful couple you have ever worked with.
