I have a pretty Good Business going, But how do I keep it going?

[MotionlessMemories]

So I love photography. I have been shooting photos for several years, but recently decided to make it into a business. Things are going well. I have had several clients and broken even to cover my start up costs, but all of a sudden things just slowed down. My website went dead for several days on end.

I have adverting out there and I feel I have built up a pretty good client base for the amount of time I have been in business. So is there a way to lure more people in and keep existing clients coming back for more?

I take professional portraits, sell stock photos and have even started offering digital camera lessons. I have a Canon T2i, professional lights and backdrops, but still I am not bring in as many people as I hoped. Any ideas.

If you want to see what kinda of images I take please visit my site and give me feedback as well. motionlessmemories

Thanks

 

[PhotoWrangler]

So I love photography. I have been shooting photos for several years, but recently decided to make it into a business. Things are going well. I have had several clients and broken even to cover my start up costs, but all of a sudden things just slowed down. My website went dead for several days on end.

I have adverting out there and I feel I have built up a pretty good client base for the amount of time I have been in business. So is there a way to lure more people in and keep existing clients coming back for more?

I take professional portraits, sell stock photos and have even started offering digital camera lessons. I have a Canon T2i, professional lights and backdrops, but still I am not bring in as many people as I hoped. Any ideas.

If you want to see what kinda of images I take please visit my site and give me feedback as well. motionlessmemories

Thanks

 

[bazooka]

I'd say first you need to improve you're photographs. I looked at the ones under Portraits and they have problems, bad wb, mixed light, OOF, amputations, lack of sharpness, etc. Are your clients coming back to you for more than one visit?

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

 

[DS Photographers]

You need to optimize your site. See the thread I started here:
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...earch-engine-optimization-tips-your-site.html

Your site doesn't even say where you are located. When people look on Google, they look for photographers around their location (e.g. photographers in Chicago), so you should optimize your site based on where you are located.

 

[e.rose]

I'd say first you need to improve you're photographs. I looked at the ones under Portraits and they have problems, bad wb, mixed light, OOF, amputations, lack of sharpness, etc. Are your clients coming back to you for more than one visit?

I'm glad you said it because my initial response, before even beginning to read this thread was to say: "My gut reaction is to say: Improve your skill".

 

[MotionlessMemories]

I am located in San Diego CA. And yes I know some of my work can use improvements.

I do have clients that return once a month or so for various reasons, and most love my work. I know with time it will improve more and more. I came to this forum for advice so I am glad everyone is willing to help. If everyone thinks I need improvement, then where should I start? What are some good websites to refer to, or what kind of advice can people offer here?

Also if anyone would like to share links to their work, that would be interesting. I love seeing other photographers work.

Thanks

 

[KmH]

Your pricing is insufficient for maintaining a legal, one person retail photography business.

Federal and State income/use taxes alone require at least 1/4 of your total revenue. Factor in your cost-of-doing-business (CODB) and cost-of-goods-sold (COGS) and there are not enough hours in a day for you to do enough business volume to make enough personal income to equal even the minimum wage.

 

[tirediron]

Never mind any of that stuff, change your friggin name! "Motionless Memories"???? My first impression is that you work for a funeral home!

 

[RauschPhotography]

Never mind any of that stuff, change your friggin name! "Motionless Memories"???? My first impression is that you work for a funeral home!

My thoughts exactly! :lmao:

 

[e.rose]

Never mind any of that stuff, change your friggin name! "Motionless Memories"???? My first impression is that you work for a funeral home!

I can totally see that....

 

[gsgary]

Your pricing is insufficient for maintaining a legal, one person retail photography business.

Federal and State income/use taxes alone require at least 1/4 of your total revenue. Factor in your cost-of-doing-business (CODB) and cost-of-goods-sold (COGS) and there are not enough hours in a day for you to do enough business volume to make enough personal income to equal even the minimum wage.

You fogot to mention the photos are crap

 

[DS Photographers]

Start by copying what this person is doing: San Diego Photographer| San Diego Family Photographer| Beach Family and Child Photography in San Diego, CA

She is #2 on Google when you search for "san diego photographer". Do you see her title tag includes San Diego Photographer?

Also, look at all of the listings below her. They are people that set up a free Google Places account here: places.google.com/business

 

[KmH]

The photographer you linked to has a $195 sitting fee, no other products included.

No $40 CD's either.

fine art wall portraits
24x30........................................$250

The OP has a discounted $10 sitting fee and for $50 more you get 8 4x6, 8 wallets, 2 5x7, 2 8x10 and a CD.

 

[o hey tyler]

Invest in better lights, the ones you are using now are not professional lights. You're using continuous lighting for portraits, that's not really the best way to get quality portrait images, unless you're using the sun as a continuous light, or your continuous lights rival the brightness of the sun.