The digital revolution has fundamentally changed the way photographers work. One of the most positive changes has been the arrival of online shopping and testing. These tools have allowed the photographer to offer testing and ordering services for their products to anyone in the world.
Various software packages and web products have been developed to meet the demand for this service. The following is a list of items a photographer should consider when deciding which will fit well within their business plan.
1. How complex is the interface and whether that complexity will be welcomed by most of your customers. Some packages allow the client to view the image in black and white, sepia and other tones. They will allow the choice of a variety of different papers. They allow the purchase of frames and silks, prints and gallery wraps. Some customers will be happy to have all of these options.
Others will be overwhelmed by all the options. One of the reasons they hired a high-end photographer and are willing to pay a high price is for the photographer to personally guide them through this process. These customers are likely to be unhappy with all the complexity. A photographer needs to access their clients and decide which group the majority of their clients will fall into.
2. How much customization the site allows and if it fits what the photographer wants to achieve. For example, some software packages allow you to change background colors to match the rest of your site. For a photographer who has worked hard to maintain consistency throughout their site, this will be important. Others may want to disable the option to view black and white images because they always provide their trademark black and white images (with all the custom settings).
Online proofing and ordering has greatly changed the way photographers do business and is an essential part of any photographer’s business model. Keeping the above two issues in mind will help the photographer make the right decision regarding this service.
