Photography Business Archives

How To Optimize Your Squarespace Website For Search Engines

April 12, 2018 by Seshu | Editor & Publisher 1 Comment

The #1 Question Asked By Photographers

“How can potential clients find me online?”

Even in 2018, a lot of photographers believe that all one has to do is upload photographs to a website and their clients will miraculously find them.

Adding to that myth are these words, “oh, I have a website but I haven't updated it in eons.” Then they chuckle.

Imagine your business is a steam engine (remember those?). The content you add frequently and consistently is the fuel for your engine to go faster and farther.

These are both huge problems that Galen Mooney of PhotographySquares is committed to solving for photographers.

If you want to be found online, your website needs to be set up properly and you need to be posting online often, sending search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo! (among many others) an alert that there is fresh content on your site.

Why Squarespace?

Right now I publish two other websites: Seshu Photography & Connecticut Headshots, both using the Squarespace platform.

While it was super easy to set them up initially, I kept hearing about how it was difficult to optimize Squarespace sites for search engines. Digging a little deeper, though, I found out that was not true at all.

Now, compared to WordPress websites that use plugins like Yoast SEO, there aren't any plugins or extensions for diving into SEO on the Squarespace platform. So, one has to set things up manually (but done once and checked often, you should be good to go).

I might have been poking around Google and Facebook when perhaps it was a targeted advertisement that presented Galen's 5-day SEO Challenge (going on right now, with tomorrow being day 5, so sign up now and you can watch the replays of days 1-4).

SEO For Photographers

This is Galen's promise:

SEO for Photographers is … “Made especially for Squarespace users! You'll learn how to optimize your image tags, how to tweak old pages and blog posts to get the results you want, and how to track your SEO success as you start seeing results.”

If you are considering a Squarespace website for your photography business or you already have a Squarespace site, you owe to yourself to at least check out Galen Mooney's 5-Day SEO Challenge first.

If you want to learn more, then sign up for her course, SEO for Photographers. She will be opening enrollment tomorrow with some special bonuses, after her one-hour special presentation in her Facebook group.

5-Day SEO Challenge

Go ahead and LIKE her page and you should see a notification for her 10 am presentation. Just as a teaser, here is Day 1 of her most recent SEO challenge:

Interviewing Galen

A few months back, I interviewed Galen. You'll learn in this short interview with why it's important for you to optimize your site and what she teaches in her course, SEO For Photographers:

Of the two websites that I own that are using the Squarespace platform, I have used what Galen Mooney has taught me through her course on Connecticut Headshots and have seen a great many more inquiries and bookings. These are subtle or drastic changes – something as simple as using a H1 tag on each page or using the right descriptions when uploading images.

While she doesn't say it, I will … it pays to sweat the details. And like I say in the interview above, you won't be breaking anything when making those changes. If you find yourself flustered, Galen's Facebook group is a wonderful place to visit and ask questions and compare notes.

If you have a Squarespace site, you would do well to start optimizing it using Galen's advice.

Nigel Merrick: Go From Zero To Booked In Your Business

December 27, 2017 by Seshu | Editor & Publisher Leave a Comment

Who Is Nigel Merrick

Nigel Merrick of Prime Focus Lab is a business coach and mentor to many photographers. He is also a prolific author, penning some of the most useful business guides in the photography industry.

Check out his books:

Interviewing Nigel

I recently recommended some of the best books you should read in the coming new year.

In this short video interview, Nigel and I talk about his new book, From Zero To Booked.

In it, he helps you identify your ideal clients, create compelling marketing that makes an impact on them, and shows you how to turn them into paying customers. It's a terrific read and I encourage you to read it.

This book by Nigel Merrick is particularly applicable if you are a wedding or portrait photographer who is either getting started in the business or who has been at it for some time but has started to feel a little burned out. Nigel offers clear-cut solutions to market to the clients who are right for you and who will see you as a good fit for them as well.

Want to get a taste of Nigel Merrick's writing before you invest in his books? I highly recommend you read this article on his site: The Phone Call That Almost Killed My Photography Business.

Are you ready to go From Zero To Booked in your business? Comment below! Or, ask Nigel questions that I am sure he will be able to answer given his wide breadth of knowledge and experience working with photographers just like you.

Kirsten Lewis Documents Families As A Photojournalist

January 29, 2016 by Seshu | Editor & Publisher Leave a Comment

Family Photojournalist, Teacher, Mentor

Where Kirsten Lewis is based really doesn't matter.

You see, both her passion and her vision to document families takes her around the world from her home base in Denver, Colorado. She is a highly sough-after teacher as well. Did you catch her on CreativeLive?

Her first course, Family Photography: Modern Storytelling, drew such a huge following that she is scheduled to come back and teach again this February. This time her topic is – Family Photography: Photojournalism in the Home.

But before she heads back to teach at CreativeLive, in Seattle, Kirsten Lewis will be at Inspire Photo Retreats, taking place February 8-10th. Her presentation at Inspire is called “The Being Of You.”

The Interview

If you are asking yourself what that means, you will want to listen in to our short conversation below:

We talk about:

– How Kirsten moved from wedding photography to documenting families
– The unpredictable nature of photographing families
– What the best photojournalists can teach you
– Encouraging all photographers to be vulnerable enough to strengthen your work
– The Artist vs. Business person
– Being a documentary family photojournalist
– How Kirsten becomes a part of the family she is photography for the day
– The one important you can grow your own documentary family photography business
– Who are you photographing for?
– Why are still photos so important?
– How to offer all-day, or 1, 2 or 4 hour sessions
– Why trying to convince parents to hire you for their documentary family session is the wrong move to make … instead what will persuade parents to sign up

In our current industry, saturated with thousands and thousands of photographers all making work that look like they come from a single shooter, it's imperative to stand out in your market. The easiest way to do so is to simply make pictures that are an extension of you, your experiences and how you see the world.

Kirsten Lewis' Documentary Family Photography Portfolio

Though Inspire Photo Retreats is just a few weeks away, you can still register for it. I am going to be there and Kirsten Lewis's presentation is on the top of my list. As a family photographer in Avon, Connecticut, I owe a great deal to her as my mentor and teacher.

Bonuses

We mentioned Huy Nguyen who founded The Foundation Workshops and Fearless Conference.

Kirsten also talks about the amazing portrait photographer Luis Gervan. Check his work out!

Marketog: 6 Steps That Will Take Your Business From Passion To Profit

January 18, 2016 by Seshu | Editor & Publisher 1 Comment

Why Are You In Business?

If you are in business, you should be making money at some point, right?

Jamie Swanson of The Moderntog has it dialed in when it comes to teaching photographers how to market their business – to move from mere passion into the sphere of profit.

If you are dedicated to your craft, you would have noticed how you have progressed due to your discipline and focus. The business side of the equation is no different. It too needs your constant attention. Ignore it at your peril and in a short time you will have nothing more than a hobby to call your own.

That might just be the ticket for a lot of people currently in the industry. Nothing wrong with being a hobbyist or a weekend photographer, while you still have your day job. For some photographers, the grass is always greener on the other side anyway and you living that life might mean a more comfortable and stress-free existence.

That said, if you are going all in, and you are going to spend the next 20+ years as a professional photographer, you are going to need to market your photography business and do so really well.

The Marketog Course

Back in 2014, I spoke with Jamie about Marketog and since then she has made a few additions to her tried-and-tested course.

Here are the six steps she covers in Marketog:

How to get more of the right kinds of clients
How to turn inquiries into clients: 6 game-changing strategies
How to turn your website into an inquiry-generating machine
How to get repeat clients and more word-of-mouth advertising
How to get other business owners to send you their best clients
Your marketing toolkit for effective marketing

Open Enrollment … Now!

Jamie is about to open enrollment for the course again, for a limited time (today through January 24th). Despite her busy schedule (look, she has five kids and home-schools them all), I managed to convince her to spend a little time with me being interviewed about the six-week commitment you are about to make for yourself.

The Free Sample

Grab this FREE sample lesson to get a sense of what you will learn from the Marketog course.

Follow Along At Your Pace

One other thing, while the course runs for six weeks, you have access to all the course materials for life. So, if you don't get to it as the course starts on January 25th, relax! Just log in when your schedule permits it, and walk through the modules step-by-step at your own pace. Jamie makes it super easy to follow along, but there is a good deal amount of work to be done. If you are spinning your wheels, pop into the Facebook group Jamie has set up for you to ask questions or share your successes.

Ready To Sign Up?

Are you ready to jump-start your photography business with a solid plan for marketing it? Will you enroll for Marketog now that you a little bit more about the course? Do you still have questions? What would get you off the fence? Tell me below in the comments section and I will do my best to help you out. You see, like you, I am enrolled in this course as well and honestly, I am lingering on module 3 right now. Come join and inspire me to complete all six modules of Marketog with you!

Why Your Photography Black Friday And Cyber Monday Shopping Spree Starts Here!

November 23, 2015 by Seshu | Editor & Publisher 1 Comment

Black Friday to Cyber Monday are typically the days when people in the US (and perhaps only in the US) go on a shopping spree like no other. Why? Well, because the deals are too good to pass up.

As savvy photographers, I am sure you want to do your shopping and get some of the best products, services or courses at lower than regular prices. I don't blame you. I would do the same thing.

Thankfully, some of those vendors have an even earlier start than Black Friday. So, if you are poking around this site and you hit this post, you can start your shopping spree right now.

Here are three main reasons why clicking on an affiliate link and buying the products in this post is good for you:

1) You will be supporting this site – servers space, new plugins and even a redesign is in the works but they all cost money. By buying products linked here, you aren't paying anything additional. It's just that I get a small commission that I can tuck away to pay for my annual expenses to run this website for you.

2) I curate the very best products, services and courses for photographers. I am told in person and privately how much a particular resource has helped photographers become more efficient or in this case more economical because my goal is to save you money when and wherever possible. Hey, I am Indian and it runs in my blood to cut costs as much as I can!

3) You are going to be buying one or more of these resources for your business before the end of the year anyway, right? (hey, keep that receipt as it is tax deductible if you are running a photography business)

So, if you do decide to buy anything this Black Friday (or sooner) from this website, do know that I am particularly thankful to you this Thanksgiving holiday.

Like last year, I'll do my best to keep adding to the post or editing anything out whenever the need arises. I am watching social media sites and receiving emails constantly with offers that I am happy to pass along to you!

Ready?

1. Online Proofing by ShootProof

The Deal: Save 60% on ShootProof for your first year! Act fast as the discount reduces through Cyber Monday.

Here at ShootProof, we believe in the work that you do. We also believe in simple, intuitive design and freedom of choice for photographers. With beautiful client galleries, integrated professional labs for printing, and immediate digital download fulfillment, we empower photographers to upload, share, sell, and print their work. Plus, with the ability to use their own labs, create invoices and contacts, and design custom mobile apps to drive referrals, photographers can focus on what matters most and let ShootProof do the rest.

Friday 11/27 – New users get 60% their first year. Existing users will receive 30% off a plan upgrade.
Saturday 11/28 – New users get 50% their first year. Existing users will receive 30% off a plan upgrade.
Sunday 11/29 – New users get 40% their first year. Existing users will receive 30% off a plan upgrade.
Monday 11/30 – New users get 30% their first year. Existing users will receive 30% off a plan upgrade.

2. SEO, More Than Letters In Your Alphabet

Did you know Connecticut Headshots, my business portrait business is ranked #1 on Google? Go ahead and type in the words, “headshot” and “Connecticut” to check that out. That didn't happen by accident. Zach Prez of Photography Spark is one of the people I lean on for advise on SEO. Search Engine Optimization is vitally important if you want to be found online and fast. Get between 50% – 60% off his SEO resources. The ROI on this is HUGE, so don't wait around for this deal too long!

First up is Zach's SEO Cookbook for Photographers. For a limited time, get it for 50% off! It is regularly $99. You get it for $49.

Learn more about this resource by watching this video introduction by Zach:

Business Planning Cookbook is a book that Zach co-wrote with my friend Angela Pointon. If you are trying to get your business off the ground, you need this. Lots of worksheets to guide you through the process. This too is $99, but the special offer gives you 50% off!

3. When You Want The Law On Your Side

Nobody knows to help photographers through contracts and other legal intricacies than my lawyer/photographer friend Rachel Brenke. She runs the popular website and blog, The LawTog. If you haven't followed her work before, you will now because getting your legal ducks in a row means you are serious about your photography business.

Get 30% off all her contracts when you use the code – BF30

4. Pricing Your Photography To Perfection

Not sure how much to charge for your photography?

Do you hate math so much that you put off pricing and know you’re probably leaving money on the table?

Ready to transition away from shoot and burn and into a business model that you can keep going as you raise your family? A business model that can replace your current income from your ‘day job'?

If that’s you, know this:

Pricing is not something you need to struggle with. It can be easy, once you know what numbers to pay attention to.

In this 9 module webinar course, you’ll learn from one of the United States most profitable photographers, Sarah Petty, how to set profitable prices so you can move on and make a living doing what you love … PHOTOGRAPHY!

You save 70% when you buy this from November 25th through November 30th. Look, the regular price is $799, but you get this for less than $240! Save the money and put it towards marketing your business. I am sure Sarah would approve of that idea.

5. Photo Tutorials That Run The Gamut

Rob and Lauren Lim run a beautiful website called Photography Concentrate. They are photographers who simply know how to teach and they teach quite simply!

All their tutorials are 50% off from November 20th through December 4th. So, you can jump in and check out their site now. While you are there, do be sure to scroll down and enroll in their free 14 day course called, “How To Photograph Life: 14 Days To Better Photos.”

Total bonus, you don't have to buy anything at all, but you can enter to win a $500 gift certificate that you can use on Amazon. Again, scroll all the way down on this page!

6. Pampering Your Clients

Jamie Swanson's The Moden Tog gives you all the tools to really cater to your clients. Everything is $50 off during the sale – November 26th through November 30th. Personally, I would recommend buying the bundle deal where you receive her Photography Pricing Guide and the popular Easy Client & Money Manager applications. Thinking about the benefits, or what's in it for you? You'll get organized fast and your stress level will drop, especially during the holiday season. And who doesn't want that?

7. When Words Matter … Go Psych!

One of my favorite blogs is called Psychology for Photographers.

It's a smart, useful and timely resource and I highly recommend it. Jenika McDavitt who publishes the blog has two amazing resources – Irresistible Website (regularly $159, sale price is $109) and Irresistible Words (regularly $249, sale price is $199).

So, if my math is right, you will save $50 off of each. But if you buy them together as a bundle, instead of paying $408, you would only have to pay $299 (yes, a savings of $109).

If you have struggled to write your “about me” page or even a simple blog post that doesn't sound like all your other blog posts, I would say jump in now and get the bundle now.

Jenika's information is solid and her intent is to elevate everyone's web presence so that you are more customer oriented. I go back to my notes and the coursework often.

8. Keepin' It Real … Like Film

It's time for film emulation that actually looks like real film: clean, with a beautiful color palette and perfect tones.

If a preset is made with care, you don't need a separate toolkit of tweaks to get it right. It just looks right the moment you use it, with minimal fuss and a simple workflow so you can focus on your art and not on hours of post-processing.

Mastin Labs film presets are crafted from real film scans from a Fuji Frontier SP3000. This is the same scanner sought-after all over the world for its special 3D look and clean colors and tones.

If you haven't already tried these presets now is the time to do so. With our Black Friday Sale from Nov 23 to November 30, 2015 you can save 40% on the Fuji and Portra Preset Packs, and 50% on the Ilford B&W Preset Pack.

Mastin Labs rarely has sales, so don't miss out!

9. Look Slick, When You Click

Click Gear Clothing based in Carmel, Indiana is all about giving photographers like you an easy way to look great while you work your magic.

On Thanksgiving Night from 8pm-12am you get 50% off all tees and hats. Use the code: “thankyou”. On Black Friday you'll get up to 40% off everything store wide plus free US shipping and 5 different flash sales and extras during the day. So, watch for these! If you visit their site on Cyber Monday, the discount is 30% off everything store wide plus free US shipping and random 50% off flash sales.

How cool is that?

10. Twalk Like A Human Being

Do you find it tough to come up with the right words when a client emails you? Do you struggle with workflow – don't know what comes first and what comes next when working on your photo sessions or weddings?

Pencil & Lens is here to help ya! Black Friday through Cyber Monday, take 35% off all the templates you can find in the shop. Use the code – tiffinbox35 to get that special discount.

We create professionally written tools and templates for your photography business. Tools that give you a framework to create clear, courteous and prompt correspondence with clients and vendors. Tools that make you and your business look good, and provide you with a system of getting it done, done well and done on time.

11. In Business, Or In Front Of A Camera … Confidence Is Key

Mimika Cooney's Crushing On Camera Confidence course is now available to those of us who have to get in front of the camera and not behind it. Now, if you are thinking … “I'll never be that person that needs to get in front of the camera.” You are dead wrong. Here's why – do you want to be on your local TV station talking about your business in a way that inspires clients to sign up with you? Or, have you ever been interviewed by bloggers (check out TiffinboxTV)? Or, how about when you need present in front of your clients (sure they don't have a camera pointed at you but imagine if they did). You get the picture?

Crushing On Camera Confidence is available now through November 27th at 50% off. Used the code: THANKX15.

12. Be Seen & Heard Online … Standing Out Has Never Been Easier (you still need the elbow grease)

The truth is, you have so many things to focus on in your business, the idea of writing blog posts or planning out your social media is one of those things that goes by the wayside – and you know it is hurting you.

You believe in the power of storytelling marketing, but you just don’t know where to begin – and you’re not sure anyone is going to be reading your site anyways.

You are frustrated because it seems like everyone just cares about what you charge for your work, and they don’t understand how passionate you are about why you do what you do.

You wish that you had a plan to make marketing easy.

That plan? It's called Business Brilliantly and it is being taught by Christine Tremoulet. Read all about it here. If there is anything you need to rock 2016, it is Business Brilliantly.

13. Selling Your Photography In Person

Selling doesn't have to be scary at all. In fact, here's a quick mindset shift that I force myself to make every time I schedule a sales session. I tell myself it isn't “selling,” but “helping.”

Here are two courses that you can consider. One is definitely more in-depth than the other.

First up is called Salesographer. Chris Scott who developed the Preveal app now owns this course and so his deal is this – the sale starts on November 27th. The first 20 people to enroll will get a free copy of the Preveal app and $50 off their first year of his other product called Swift Galleries.

Rosie Suerdleck of Reflections by Rosie has a short ebook for sale right now for only $25 that goes over her Show & Tell Selling System. She swears it is “kindergarten-easy” to master. Give it a shot!

14. Got Photographs, Now What?

Look, I'm there right with you. You have a short stack of photographs that you are proud of and feel like these might be your jam. Then you start thinking if only other people could see them. You know hobbyists do? They drop those bad boys into Flickr and call it a day. Now, if you are a hobbyist, that's a great way to go, but if you want your clients to take you seriously, you need a WordPress based blog or website to show of your wares.

Allow me to introduce you to Imagely. Imagely is the WordPress photography company. It is offering 40% off it's powerful NextGEN Pro WordPress gallery plugin and the epic Photocrati WordPress theme for photographers. To celebrate the upcoming launch of their turnkey WordPress websites for photographers, they're also offering 3 months free website hosting to anyone who signs up pre-launch.

NextGEN Pro with Ecommerce – 40% off, Regularly $99, Now $59
NextGEN Plus – 40% Off, Regularly $49, Now $29
Photocrati WordPress Theme – 40% Off, Regularly $79, Now $47

15. Jonathan Canlas Has Portrait Photographers Covered

Quick, what comes first? Your business or your photography? My answer: your photography. Gotta learn craft first. And Jonathan Canlas, who shoots using film, is one of the best to teach you. His FIND: Ohana Family Guide is top class. If you are a family portrait photographer like me, you'll want this guide. At 50% off for the Black Friday through Small Business Saturday, this is a STEAL at only $125!

So, you have your craft figured out but your business is tanking? No fear. Canlas has a business guide that tons of photographers swear by. Canlas walks you through his successful system and gives you useful and executable tips on setting up yours. This too is 50% off. Buy it now for only $174.

Buy them both as a bundle for $290 and you will be all set.

I'll add more offers as I hear about them here, so please bookmark this post and share it with your photographer friends and family enthusiasts!

There is something here for everyone this holiday season. I am truly honored that you are supporting this website by buying what you need for your photography business from the links you see on this site.