Tag Archive for: photography

Scottsdale Web Design – Web Design Tips from Amazon (Part 3)

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We’re down to the last post! If you missed the first 2 articles about Amazon strategies, part 1 is right here, and part 2 is posted here. For the first part, I’ve discussed how Amazon’s categorizes its items and how it uses the power of colors. Meanwhile, the second part is about how Amazon uses the “add to cart” button. Now, there are 3 more tips below:

  • A picture is worth a thousand words.
    • Amazon is marketplace for different sellers. Not everything is sold by Amazon, but every product carries the Amazon brand. Even if a product is not sold and shipped by the company, a lot people trust because it’s on Amazon.
    • One unique feature about Amazon is that it uses superior quality photos that you can zoom in. Products, like books, are actually viewable. You can take a sneak peek through its “look inside!” option.
    • It gives the customers confidence on the product they are buying since a preview is provided by Amazon. Same is true for your website. If you provide sharp photos, people can preview it down to the littlest details.
    • Naturally, you would not buy a product you have not seen. So, it’s important for your website to provide high resolution photos. Choose a photo that can make customers take action. An image should be able to connect with your web visitors and should subtly tell them “hey, check me out.”
      One of Amazon strategies is providing a convenient rating system.

      One of Amazon strategies is providing a convenient rating system.

  • Make reviews easier to make.

    • Customers trust other customers. That’s why Amazon is making sure that their customers can easily rate their products. A rating system is provided by Amazon so customers can just review a product using stars.
    • Seeing a 5-star rating will surely make you purchase a product. As a seller, you don’t need to say much because the 5-star review already says everything. It is an effective way to persuade people to give this product a try.
    • As a customer, you are very meticulous, and every detail is important. You run to people you trust. You seek their advice on what works better. So, Amazon focused on sustaining relationship and not marketing its product. It wanted to gain the trust of its audience.
    • As a seller, learn from Amazon’s strategy. Don’t tell your customers to buy your products. Let 5-star rating do the talking. If your products need exposure, reach out to digital influencers. They might be able to help you spread the word. Their positive review will give your products a much needed boost.

  • Everyone loves anything with the word FREE!

    • I love FREE stuffs. Who doesn’t? Amazon is aware of that! If your order is more $25, you get FREE Shipping. Thus, you are inclined to put more items in your cart just to avail the FREE shipping option.
    • Doing the same will definitely help you gain more customers. They will stick around and browse the daily deals just to reach the minimum amount of the “Free shipping” offer. (I talked about the importance of adding a FREE shipping feature here.)
    • Whatever it is you are selling on your website, try offering something for FREE to convince more people to transact with you. It may be a FREE sample, FREE 15-day trial, or FREE ebook. Business Insider conclusively declared that out of all the freebies, free shipping remains supreme.

Where to Sell Your Photos?

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art, clothes photos

Websites to sell your photos.

If you have taken a number of photos of good quality, why not sell them online and earn good money from it? There are a lot of options online. Many companies have means to help photographers in selling their photos. If you are looking for a place to sell your art, look no further.

Here are 9 great sites you can try:

  • Shutter Stock is the prime sites for photographers. Each picture is $0.25-$2.85 and this rate could be higher for excellent photos. There are thousands of photos added to the inventory every day, and before they get uploaded, every photo is analyzed.
  • iStock Photo They offer millions of clip art, photos, illustrations, video. Every download  earns 15% royalty rate.
  • Fotolia This micro stock agency company is based in New York. Each download payment ranges from 20% to 63%.
  • PhotoCrati is a website for photographers and visual artists. No coding needed because you can quickly sell photos with the Photocrati theme’s built-in ecommerce galleries. It integrates easily with Paypal so collecting money is easier than expected.
  • Tour Photos It showcases amusement parks, northern lights excursions, cruise ships and many more. It also has photos of activities like diving, paragliding, scuba diving, and rafting. If you are interested in these sports, this website is perfect for you. You can choose to sell your photos, or make them available for free.
  • Smug Mug In this site, you can showcase your greeting cards, photos, prints, digital downloads, and sell it at the same time. You decide on how much each cost and the royalty is 85%. Shopping won’t be a hassle because you will provided a storefront and your customers can easily buy them with one single click.
  • Photo Shelter There are nine website templates available to choose from and in minutes, you can build your own site. There is no coding required. Simply upload your work. Plans begins from $9.00 every month but it can go up to $49.99 monthly.
  • Alamy It boasts that they feature the world’s most diverse stock photo collection. This photography agency was launched in 1999, and they sell around 60 millions of images and videos. A photographer may also sell their photos in other sites.
  • Snapped4U It shows event like gigs, festivals, weddings, parties, etc. Here, selling photos are really simple and the sales of each photos raises money for good causes. The site will charge 10% commission on photos that are sold at more than $5.00.

 

Planning to Turn Your Photography Hobby into a Business?

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photography, art, artist

Tips in making your photos better.

You are wrong if you think that photography is a small time business, because it isn’t! In fact, photography is a rapid and lucrative business because a lot of people wants to purchase photos online. Just take very clear and captivating photos, and then, upload them on your site or other websites. Either way, you will be noticed.

But first of all, ask yourself this question – what photos would people buy? The substantial number of people who purchase photos are bloggers or those who has their own websites. The sought-after photos are:

  • Nature
  • Things like books, computers, tools, bag, dress, jewelleries
  • Animals
  • People
  • Travel
  • Close-up photos
  • Work situation like office
  • Cities

It is a great idea to find out which images are in demand in various websites.

Admit it, to have good photos you need a good camera. A DSLR camera is a wonderful choice. If you’ve got shaky hands or you need to shoot for quite a long time, use a tripod. You can also find photography kits in reliable websites. Lastly, never miss-out  on storing your pictures online. If you are a member of Amazon Prime, you can use their free online storage. Another option is Carbonite who can do the same.

When you shoot, use backdrops to have a larger surface. The vinyl backdrops can do a fantastic job. It also has a reversible version. Use a light tent to soften the blaze of the sun. You can use a table top for smaller items.

Once your photos are sold, money will start coming in. But there is another way to earn, and that is, not to sell your photos! Sounds, conflicting? Well, this is how it works. Give a license to buyers who wants to use your photos. This way, you can sell as much photos to different people and yet, you still have the copyright. It may sound as if you are not going to earn a lot, but wait! If your photos are offered for sale many times, you could earn a huge amount of money. That makes stock photography very profitable.

Another option is to sell your photos as prints. Simply upload them to different printing sites where buyers can purchase your printed photos. It may not be so much, but it sure is a good start. The great part is that you don’t have to print, to ship, and ask for your payment because they will do that for you. How good is that?

If you want to earn a lot more, then, you have to put money in the business. This means creating your own website and selling your photos. You need time and of course resources but you will not regret it. The result will surely be good. On the other hand, if you want an immediate budgeted way, you can buy a portfolio website that will show ready-to-use template. Find out the websites that offers portfolio solution and you can start operating in just a few days!

Tips in Taking Better Product Photos

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camera

Better product photos will help your business.

Amateur products shots will not help to gain your customers trust. So if you want to increase your sales online, take good product pictures that can introduce your product. This will give your costumers the chance to decide if they need your product. You do not have to spend so much for the equipment and no need to hire a professional photographer. You just need a good camera and take the product shots yourself.

Here are the easy steps:

  • Good camera is good, but you can also invest on good lenses. A point-and-shoot camera is affordable. When you get a camera, make sure it can also capture a video. If your budget is not enough, use the camera on your phone. A modest equipment can likewise give you a great result.
  • Consider your background. Shooting products in a continuous background of neutral color like grey, beige or white, is great. Use a poster board or craft paper. Get clamps to attach the paper on the table or whatever it is you will use for your shoot.
  • Natural lighting can do the job. It gives us the best lighting. Set your product near a window and get the lighting you need. The down side is the weather, if not, the sun could hide and that gives you poor lighting. Another option is to use the lighting kit which is available in the market. Make sure that it can operate in a continuous mode as compared to flash only. This can also take videos. Two lighting kits attached on top of a clear plastic container will work. Just put the right color and wattage for the two lighting kits.
  • If you want to produce an excellent result, get a tripod if you have shaky hands. This way, you don’t have to hold the camera with your hands. A camera that has slow shutters, will produce blurry images once your hands moves. What you need is a result that is clear and sharp down to the littlest detail.
  • Aperture can add a dimension by blurring the background or put everything in focus. It is an opening through which light travels specified by an “f-number”, “f/4” or “f/16”. Use the small f-number and a wide aperture to produce a narrow depth of field. Set your camera in the “aperture priority” mode to take professional shots.
  • A shadow in the photo can be an eye irritant. Harsh backlights or setups can bring shadows in your product. Lighting should be on the same side as the product and your camera, or a bit off to one side.
  • Clean your product from dirt or fingerprints. Make sure there is no dust on your lens. Use a microfiber rags to clean everything on the set before shooting.

Practice makes perfect. Be creative and have the patience to go on. Keep on clicking until you produce a great result. Be bold and experiment. Remember that good product shots can translate into sales.