How do you improve Sales?

TractionAction

I'm looking at improving sales, I'm told I take nice shots and do enjoy some sales. However, my yearly sales pays for my Pro fees and a little more.

What have you done to improve your sales from your smugmug Pro site? I've only been selling for almost 2 years and I do get my share of hits (60k-90k/month.

Does placing your watermark in the middle of the photo help? Should I spuce up the look and feel of my portal?

Your comments and critiques are welcome!

http://tractionaction.smugmug.com/

Thanks

Awais Yaqub

When sales are low do Advertising this is what companies do. Make looks of your home page extremely professional looking and good. Improve findability on search engines. Make sure you have placed everything in userfriendly way lots of sales are missed due to confusing checkout in online and offline selling.

Send your portfolio to corporates and your target market. Try to create desire in target market to have your pics.

I am also planning to do same, but i am in race of collecting appropriate equipment to target all the areas which i can handle by doing what my gear is capable of.

Till companies want to sale their products Photography is In

urbanaries

TractionAction wrote:

I'm looking at improving sales, I'm told I take nice shots and do enjoy some sales. However, my yearly sales pays for my Pro fees and a little more.

What have you done to improve your sales from your smugmug Pro site? I've only been selling for almost 2 years and I do get my share of hits (60k-90k/month.

Does placing your watermark in the middle of the photo help? Should I spuce up the look and feel of my portal?

Your comments and critiques are welcome!

http://tractionaction.smugmug.com/

Thanks

For starters, turn on right click protection, turn off "Share Photo" and yes, a bigger watermark that is more of a deterrent rather than a small "brand" in the bottom corner might help. My guess is folks are happily downloading shots they fancy...for free.

Other than that, forcing Journal style wouldn't be my choice for a "sales" friendly gallery. Try the Smugmug or even slideshow gallery style instead.

justus

Right Click protect and watermark photos
I agree, most of your sales have been "lifted" I would assume since you don't have right click protection on your photos, that I saw.

Once that's done, I think a more professional look is in order for the website as well. I don't allow "Favorite" photos to be selected, or commented on, for example. I strictly keep it business and if someone wants to comment on how much they like a photo, they usually do so after I send them a personal email thanking them for their photo order.

You have obviously found a niche for your photography skills, that is very important, so now target that group and advertise, as was mentioned before. Target the motocross races to be the official photographer for that event, if you're not already doing that. They can help with advertising too with the entry information.

Just a couple thoughts. Hope it helps!

Linda

MikeMcA²

This is the Intenet generation. If they can right-click or print-screen and have the image for their MySpace/FaceBook account they'll never buy a paper copy. I watermark all the images I am targeting for sale right across the middle, because when I relax my sales drop right off. It causes a bit more work to upload watermarked images for the "for sale" galleries and then upload non-marked images to "unlisted" galleries for web-sharing on photography sites, but that's the only way I've found of driving sales. Just like in a brick and mortar shop, have a decent product at a fair price, advertise it, and have enough security to keep it from walking out the door.

amadeus

TractionAction wrote:

I'm looking at improving sales, I'm told I take nice shots and do enjoy some sales. However, my yearly sales pays for my Pro fees and a little more.

What have you done to improve your sales from your smugmug Pro site? I've only been selling for almost 2 years and I do get my share of hits (60k-90k/month.

Does placing your watermark in the middle of the photo help? Should I spuce up the look and feel of my portal?

Your comments and critiques are welcome!

http://tractionaction.smugmug.com/

Thanks

I've also started shooting/selling MX. I've been getting 19 cent business cards (4x6 prints) and rubber stamped the back with my smugmug info and handing them out.

As far as your pics, I took a quick glimpse at a July practice session. I think what guys want is ME pics. thats ME.



I'm trying to fill the lens as much as possible, and when I hand them out, they thank me profusely. some are even buying.

I think its a long term project. A lot of people are telling me they like my pics more than the resident photog, as his seem to be safer, try to get a shot of everybody kinds of pics. action sells.

its selling it that you have to work at. I also think pricing is key.

I'm pricing 4x6's at $2. the "other" guy wants $5.

seems a bit steep to me.

good luck.

TractionAction

I like the suggestions and have already made some adjustments and will continue to do more. My next task is to update the site for ease of navigation and improve the look. I've been busy doing sites for other's I've neglected my own!

Thanks all!