Looking for ways to increase sales...

leightonoc

Hello,

I'm looking for ideas to increase sales on my SmugMug site. I have over 11,000 images online and market the heck out of my site off line and with social media. I rank very well in the seatch engines for my industry keywords also. Many people know me and my work in the states and overseas. I do lots of press about the sailing regattas I shoot before and after races. I even have signage on my boat with a web address. I get lots of traffic and lots of compliments about my work but I think sales could be a lot better for stock, event photos and prints.

Does anybody have any tips for web design, gallery layout, pricing, product offerings and navigation that might get more people to hit the buy button more? I'm also looking to get more impulse sales from my Twitter traffic. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Leighton

Hikin' Mike

I looked at your site. Normally when I hear music, I leave....period.

You have some 'issues' with your "Print" page. I'm on a PC using FF3 and your text as all messed up. I checked it using IE7 and same thing.

You've got some nice images though.

bob swanson

That's odd about the music. I don't like it either but didn't hear it. I keep my speakers off. What an enviable direction for your photography. I live on the east coast too and have traveled some of the same countries as you but don't have the resources to photograph what you have. I haven't really taken advantage of SM's image sale benefit but probably need to as the economy is discarding the rest of my photographic endeavors. My only observation is pricing doesn't seem to be easy available. I'll look at it again but you had just about every other aspect covered but the pricing. I should know how to find pricing in SM. Sorry about that. I do know from my experience that the smaller sizes sell more readily that the larger. Maybe a category for smaller than 8x10. If that's what you are after. Looks like you do fairly well though.

Andy

Leighton, don't forget the Amuse bouche

Markjay

Mark's website
The business model you describe is a viable one, Andy.

Only thing I'm not sure I understand, is why he allows access to ANY size view with zero watermarks on them? Even his originals have no watermarks!

But if it's working for him, more power to him!

Markjay

Andy wrote:

Leighton, don't forget the Amuse bouche

Andy

Markjay wrote:

The business model you describe is a viable one, Andy.

Only thing I'm not sure I understand, is why he allows access to ANY size view with zero watermarks on them? Even his originals have no watermarks!

But if it's working for him, more power to him!

Markjay

Hey Mark, hoofclix puts those snapshots in a gallery to offer for free to his customers - that's the point of the "Amuse Bouche." Holler if you have questions, ok?

leightonoc

Not a big fan of the navigation on that site.

Not ready to give away prints yet. I give away enough to the blogs and online pubs in exchange for links.

Andy wrote:

Hey Mark, hoofclix puts those snapshots in a gallery to offer for free to his customers - that's the point of the "Amuse Bouche." Holler if you have questions, ok?

leightonoc

Thanks for the feedback Mike. Are the pages still messed up? I made some changes.

Hikin' Mike wrote:

I looked at your site. Normally when I hear music, I leave....period.

You have some 'issues' with your "Print" page. I'm on a PC using FF3 and your text as all messed up. I checked it using IE7 and same thing.

You've got some nice images though.

leightonoc

Yep you have to press the buy button to see the prices. I need to walk a fine line on the site because the corporate clients go on that site and I don't want to look too much like an event photog. Thanks for your feedback.

bob swanson wrote:

That's odd about the music. I don't like it either but didn't hear it. I keep my speakers off. What an enviable direction for your photography. I live on the east coast too and have traveled some of the same countries as you but don't have the resources to photograph what you have. I haven't really taken advantage of SM's image sale benefit but probably need to as the economy is discarding the rest of my photographic endeavors. My only observation is pricing doesn't seem to be easy available. I'll look at it again but you had just about every other aspect covered but the pricing. I should know how to find pricing in SM. Sorry about that. I do know from my experience that the smaller sizes sell more readily that the larger. Maybe a category for smaller than 8x10. If that's what you are after. Looks like you do fairly well though.

Hikin' Mike

leightonoc wrote:

Thanks for the feedback Mike. Are the pages still messed up? I made some changes.

Much better!

leightonoc

thanks!!!

Hikin' Mike wrote:

Much better!

dlplumer

Andy wrote:

Hey Mark, hoofclix puts those snapshots in a gallery to offer for free to his customers - that's the point of the "Amuse Bouche." Holler if you have questions, ok?

Andy, how do you make them available "free" from smugmug?