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One of the most valuable aspects of this project is the information. I think it would be fun to share one piece of information that you learned from building your own site that you found extremely valuable. Here’s mine.
People will seek me out to buy direct from me even when they find my images on the micro sites. This is both interesting and intriguing to me as well. Nevertheless, I frequently get calls and or e-mails from people who saw my port on one of the micros and then chose to visit my site and buy direct from me. I know this is happening because I ask them. They are also pleasantly surprised to find out that there are very many new images on my sites that are not available on the micros. If you don’t have your site in the signature of every site you contribute to that allows it, you should.
What is your thing?
I’ve found it helps to have a presence outside your website, on Facebook and Twitter. I’ve had one client go to my site, follow my slideshow to my portfolio on the micros, then message me via my Facebook page to order an image he found on the micros that I hadn’t uploaded to vector999 yet. He saved money by buying from me directly, and I made more than I would have if he’d bought the image through the micros. But the surprising thing to me was that he got in touch via Facebook rather than through my site.
Possibly he’d liked my FB page and found my site through there? Anyway, it’s one more option for clients who want to get in touch.
I would echo the two previous posts and add that SEO is not a singular element. There are so many elements form key wording to content, titles to H1 and H2 tags, social media presence, incoming and outgoing links, ping lists, frequent updates, targeting markets, and so on and so on…. And just when you’re starting to think you understand it Google changes the rules.
One thing I’ve learned from building my Symbiostock site is WORDPRESS.
I’ve never worked with WordPress before but once I’ve got the hang of it, I started to really like it. And since i do web design for local businesses on the side, I created my last two websites on WordPress making a nice earning.
Something I have learned is that if anything goes wrong – turn off all the plug-ins first and see if anything is interacting badly. This can save hours of stress 🙂
http://kerioakimaging.com - trying to reopen
http://nail-art-at.kerioak.com - Art and Nail ArtI have found that patience and taking my time building my site keeps me sane. I already have a busy life and I worked non stop and thought this has to be perfect quickly. I find my self more sane these days by just being patient and once in a while taking a break for a few days to go do what I enjoy and then come back to work on my site again later.
I found that having a test site was GREAT. I could test updates, new features, or customization’s before I went live with the changes. Less stress if I screw something up on a test site. 😀
Did not realize “s-c-r-e-w” was a bad word 😆
-Tim
I agree with everything said so far. I’d just like to add that you must brand yourself. As much as I like my privacy I’ve learnt that reputation is built online and with search engines. My blog is not very active but it has been around for years. It buys me a chunk of credibility!
So I say to everyone, follow these suggestions above. Get yourself a social media everything! Personally I think it is all a load of crock but it works! The sooner you get yourself on these sites the quicker the site can “mature”. I may be wrong but I really believe this.
Once you have those media sites, personal sites, and anything else up and running, link them ALL up to each other where ever you can. By posting, by inserting the various sites into your menus, and anything else you can think of.
Search engines love this criss-cross action. To me it’s all just viral rubbish but this is the system we have currently so either you stay home and knit jerseys or you try it out.
I know that social media can take up your time but honestly … I never use twitter and I have an account. IF I get someone chatting to me on there, I’ll reply. If not, then no harm done. They cannot contact you if you are not there.
I know that some of you may think that this doesn’t really apply to photography but it does! I also do these things because I write and I’m trying to sell books but one photograph washes the other books back!
I’m also a great believer that you MUST give something back to your potential customers other than a bill! Tempt people to come see for themselves. Don’t look at my site (stockyimage) for that though LOL! I haven’t had time to get to it for months, but I intend to do a massive overhaul soon ….
Jo
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