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I want to help my friend's business. What can I do for him?

WillCADWillCAD Registered Users Posts: 722 Major grins
edited January 16, 2010 in Mind Your Own Business
I have a friend who has been shooting weddings for about 4 or 5 years. He's quite good, IMHO, has excellent people skills, great composition, and has perfect customer satisfaction from all of his clients. But his business is not doing well.

The only advertizing he's done is to attend a couple of bridal shows, and to stock flyers and business cards at a local bridal mall. The shows generated some nice bookings, but barely paid for themselves, and the bridal mall fell through about a year ago because the person who ran the mall passed away, and her replacement has her own preferred photographers, so my friend's advertizing all got pulled. Now he relies entirely on word-of-mouth from his former clients.

He wants to do more shows, but he just can't afford them right now.

I'm trying to help him improve his web site, but he doesn't put a lot of confidence in it; he believes that the site is good for absolutely nothing other than showing his packages to people who have already heard of him from some other advertizing source. He simply refuses to believe that the site can refer new clients to him cold. And so far, it hasn't.

So, what advice do you have for him? What can he do to build up his business? I'm at something of a loss, myself; I'd like to help him, but I don't know how.

Can his business be saved?
What I said when I saw the Grand Canyon for the first time: "The wide ain't wide enough and the zoom don't zoom enough!"

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    WillCADWillCAD Registered Users Posts: 722 Major grins
    edited January 12, 2010
    No advice at all? Doesn't someone have an idea or two?
    What I said when I saw the Grand Canyon for the first time: "The wide ain't wide enough and the zoom don't zoom enough!"
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    Hikin' MikeHikin' Mike Registered Users Posts: 5,458 Major grins
    edited January 13, 2010
    There are 'free' things to do on any website. Google SEO for starters. Do you have a link to you friend's site?
    - Mike
    Images in the Backcountry

    My SmugMug Customizations | Adding CSS to Your Site | SEO for the Photographer | Locate Your Page/Widget Number | SmugMug Help Desk
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    zoomerzoomer Registered Users Posts: 3,688 Major grins
    edited January 13, 2010
    Sounds like you gave him good advice and he doesn't want to listen.
    Contrary to popular belief, if your customers love the work you did for them, your work is very good and current and your website is not a total disaster, the wedding photography business is going strong.
    For people who are fighting it out in the under $1000. dollar market it is an entirely different story I imagine it is pretty dog eat dog.

    The website should be considered the heart of the operation. If it is very fast and holds the viewers interest it will help your business, if it loads slow and the first 3 or 4 pictures do not grab the interest, people are gone to the next photographer.

    If your customers love what you did for them you will get word of mouth business, if you are not getting that then your customers do not love what you are doing for them...no matter how much they tell you to your face that they loved it.

    The other thing you can do is get out there and interface with other wedding vendors. Venues planners decorators caterers. These people give out A LOT of referalls. If you spend the time getting to know them and form relationships they will be a gold mine of business.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/21695902@N06/
    http://500px.com/Shockey
    alloutdoor.smugmug.com
    http://aoboudoirboise.smugmug.com/
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    WillCADWillCAD Registered Users Posts: 722 Major grins
    edited January 13, 2010
    I'm almost embarrassed to post the link; I thought it was a nice looking site when I designed it, but after looking at so many far better sites of pro photographers here on Dgrin, I don't think so any more.

    The gallery is the part most in need of an overhaul, not only for the operational software, but for content, as well. I noticed when I looked it over that he has nothing but formals, even in the areas devoted to Reception and Prep. I think if he gets a SmugMug account, we can spruce it up quite nicely. I've asked him to select some additional photos for the gallery to represent common wedding events like bouquet, cake cutting, toasts, introductions, etc.

    I also want to get him a new header graphic. The one on there right now always did look a little crude to me, but I'm not a graphic artist and am not great at that sort of design.

    http://www.frankhoehnphotography.com/

    I'll look into SEO techniques to try get him some traffic. It's almost non-existent now.
    What I said when I saw the Grand Canyon for the first time: "The wide ain't wide enough and the zoom don't zoom enough!"
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    orljustinorljustin Registered Users Posts: 193 Major grins
    edited January 14, 2010
    WillCAD wrote:
    I'm almost embarrassed to post the link; I thought it was a nice looking site when I designed it, but after looking at so many far better sites of pro photographers here on Dgrin, I don't think so any more.

    You're right. That looks like a geocities page from 1995. I'd suggest making him hire a real designer. Nice wedding sites show some real style to get customers' attentions.
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    W.W. WebsterW.W. Webster Registered Users Posts: 3,204 Major grins
    edited January 14, 2010
    WillCAD wrote:
    He wants to do more shows, but he just can't afford them right now ... Can his business be saved?
    eek7.gif
    At SmugMug • On Facebook • Photo Blog • Tools of Trade
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    metmet Registered Users Posts: 405 Major grins
    edited January 14, 2010
    He needs to list his business on google maps. That will get him higher google rankings and cause him to show up if say people do a search for "photographer" + their city. That is most likely keyword searches that will drive new clients to his site.

    Here's a link to do that.
    http://www.google.com/local/add/analyticsSplashPage?gl=us&hl=en-US

    Honestly, I would scrap the website that he has now and start from scratch. If he is going to get a smugmug anyway - I would use that for the homepage as well. He can do a nav bar, a main single image or a nice simple slideslow without knowing any code or web programming. If I was a bride looking for a photographer - I would click away from his site immediately thinking that he doesn't have an overall feel for what constitutes nice design and that aesthetic may carry over into the photographs. I wouldn't risk it. Just my $.02.
    My website
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    denisegoldbergdenisegoldberg Administrators Posts: 14,247 moderator
    edited January 15, 2010
    That site looks pretty much like a home-grown site. It doesn't give a professional appearance at all. And the photos on the site are not showcased well. I would take one look at the site and walk away.

    You might take a look at some of the sites linked in the signatures of the folks in the Weddings forum for some ideas.

    --- Denise
    https://www.denisegoldberg.com ... https://denise.smugmug.com

    Musings & ramblings at https://denisegoldberg.blogspot.com
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    afmdmcafmdmc Registered Users Posts: 62 Big grins
    edited January 15, 2010
    here are my first thoughts after the web site. does he know the first name of every florist in town if not, why not? does he stay in touch with his former clients? in a year or two they will be needing baby photos make sure that he send them anniversary cards that way he stays at the front of their mind when their friends get married and what about cake decorators, how many of them does know by their first name an wedding planers. these are people that he needs to be talking to all the time. it cost nothing to stop in and say hi how's business and leave a few cards. and get a few, you can't believe what it's worth to be able to give some one a referral. it never hurts to do a little charity work you never know where that may lead.

    well those are my ideas hope they help.
    http://afmdmc.smugmug.com/

    My Tomestone Will Read : I spent most of my money on Cold Beer, Loose Women, And Fast Bikes, the rest I just Wasted !!!!

    Dave.
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    WillCADWillCAD Registered Users Posts: 722 Major grins
    edited January 16, 2010
    Thanks for all the advice so far. Keep 'em coming!
    What I said when I saw the Grand Canyon for the first time: "The wide ain't wide enough and the zoom don't zoom enough!"
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