OK, new site up - C/C?

AZsnapper

I built the new site for my RE Photography - www.homesnapz.com

I gotta add some more gallery pics, and I'll be adding optional services in the future.

So, would anybody like to take a look, give me initial impressions, etc? Also, while I build web sites, I'm not the best content writer. So, if you could look at the FAQ section, give me any suggestions or feedback..?

Finaly, you're welcome to try out the forms. Don't worry, I won't spam you just write 'test' in the comments

Thanks!

Sam

First, I wouldn't have two very poor photos on the home page. If you would like to make a comparison, do it on a different page. When the page opened my first thought was, "is this guy kidding", then I took a minute or two the read the caption.

You need more photos, inside, and out.

Good idea, very reasonably priced. Let us know it works out.

Sam

Elaine

Hey AZsnapper!

I've wondered about doing such a business myself, as I'm very interested in real estate as well.

A quick observation from your website....I think you need to have some nice gallery photos on the front page too! At first glance, the only photos you can see are the bad example shots, but if I don't take the time to read the words around them, I may think that's what you're trying to sell me. After all, it is a photographer's website, so I expect to see the good stuff up front, not have to hunt for a gallery. Keep the gallery, but maybe put a nice slideshow spot on your home page, that scrolls through some of your best shots. That way, people will be drawn in to look farther at your site, not turned off by those bad shots.

I'll be very curious to see how this goes for you! Please keep us posted here. Will you be marketing to agents as well as home owners? I have a relationship with an agent and was thinking about talking to her about doing this type of work. I'm sure there are many agents who would rather have someone else do this part, and agents can tell other agents about you too.

Anyway, I'll try and read through your FAQs later.

Elaine

Edit:

PS - Are you going to be involved in the staging of the home process as well, to make it photograph the best? What if you get there and the home is not in the best shape or set up very well? If you take the photos anyway, they may not turn out how you like or be what the client expects. Just wondering if you've thought about this aspect of it.

AZsnapper

RE Site
Hey - thanks for the feedback! I felt kinda the same way about putting the bad pics on the home page, but hoped people would understand right away what I was trying to do. Should have known better - basic interface design - people scan first, read second!

My house is a mess and full of half finsihed projects, so I can't use my house for gallery images. My neighbors said I could shoot thier house, so I gotta bug 'em to try to get it done soon! It's always that catch 22 - how do you get experience when you have none and nobody will give you a chance because you've got none! I'll just have to try to shoot a couple homes for free to get some good gallery images.

I'm not to try, at least right away, to market to agents, but I figure I won't turn down any jobs from an agent - but 175.00 is my bottom line! I've done a couple of websites for some agents recently, so I might try to call in a little favor, but not holding out hope. They all consider themselves 'pros' cause they have a camera!

Thanks again for the feedback!

Elaine wrote:

Hey AZsnapper!

I've wondered about doing such a business myself, as I'm very interested in real estate as well.

A quick observation from your website....I think you need to have some nice gallery photos on the front page too! At first glance, the only photos you can see are the bad example shots, but if I don't take the time to read the words around them, I may think that's what you're trying to sell me. After all, it is a photographer's website, so I expect to see the good stuff up front, not have to hunt for a gallery. Keep the gallery, but maybe put a nice slideshow spot on your home page, that scrolls through some of your best shots. That way, people will be drawn in to look farther at your site, not turned off by those bad shots.

I'll be very curious to see how this goes for you! Please keep us posted here. Will you be marketing to agents as well as home owners? I have a relationship with an agent and was thinking about talking to her about doing this type of work. I'm sure there are many agents who would rather have someone else do this part, and agents can tell other agents about you too.

Anyway, I'll try and read through your FAQs later.

Elaine

Edit:

PS - Are you going to be involved in the staging of the home process as well, to make it photograph the best? What if you get there and the home is not in the best shape or set up very well? If you take the photos anyway, they may not turn out how you like or be what the client expects. Just wondering if you've thought about this aspect of it.

cmason

I liked the 'bad' photos on the main page, as it really caught my eye, but it took me a moment to realize that this wasnt your work. I think you should keep this where it is, but show a 'better' version on the same page.

Maybe a "click here' for more examples of work...

AZsnapper

RE Site
I removed the 'bad' and replaced it with a 'good' Once I get some more photos under my belt, I'll do a small running slide show.

I do have a page with some bad MLS photos, but, I also think that most people already know what crappy MLS pictures look like, so maybe I don't need to play that up that much

I tried doing a side by side on my gallery page - but no matter what, we see first and read later. I'll let my work stand on its own merit

cmason wrote:

I liked the 'bad' photos on the main page, as it really caught my eye, but it took me a moment to realize that this wasnt your work. I think you should keep this where it is, but show a 'better' version on the same page.

Maybe a "click here' for more examples of work...

AZsnapper

Business
Yeah, well, see how it goes. I was reading the website of the company that does the virtual tours around here. 100 bucks for the full tour. Only 30 bucks extra for 5-6 still photos. What are they paying these guys?.....

AZsnapper wrote:

I removed the 'bad' and replaced it with a 'good' Once I get some more photos under my belt, I'll do a small running slide show.

I do have a page with some bad MLS photos, but, I also think that most people already know what crappy MLS pictures look like, so maybe I don't need to play that up that much

I tried doing a side by side on my gallery page - but no matter what, we see first and read later. I'll let my work stand on its own merit

3rdPlanetPhotography

Dude.... I used to live in Phoenix and I recognize some of those houses...

ivar

I think the idea is good. The camera&tripod need to be way smaller on the homepage I think. It's the first thing I look at, and it kept on drawing attention. The actual text that you have there, is really small and takes up very little space. Your camera/tripod is bigger, your header/logo is bigger, the 'did you know' thing is bigger, and all that is eating attention. But what you want is people giving the attention to the text. You can make the other stuff smaller, but you can also do other stuff. Have a little bit more white below and under the text. That could be combined with giving that part a background color maybe.

The FAQ, services and contact pages are set up real nice, clean, and in a logical manner. You could put a 'request services' button in the 'optional services' section to perhaps.

You definitely need more pictures. You need to have atleast more photos than you can count on two hands. It's a photography business, that is what you do, you have to show it off! If you are buying a car, you want to testdrive it first, right? Not just sit in it. You're teasing people, but not convincing them yet I think.