My new business: JSP professional headshots

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Forums › Startups › My new business: JSP professional headshots

macuser

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#179205 31-Aug-2015 10:40

Hi Folks,

I've started a new business that offers professional head shots / portrait photography in the Auckland area (I've been shooting head shots for about 5 years now but decided to start a business dedicated to it)

If you or your team need a head shot / portrait for your 'about me' pages on your website or Linkedin page, I'd love to help fellow Geekzoners with that.

I'd be keen to offer a 20% discount for anyone who is a member, just let me know your Geekzone user name.

To get in touch, use the contact us page on our website!

http://jsp.co.nz

Cheers!

timmmay

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#1376955 31-Aug-2015 11:05

A better URL would have been better for SEO - eg http://www.aucklandheadshots.co.nz . Change your title tags to include "Auckland Headshots and Portrait Photography". Not having pricing online means many will abandon your website and go elsewhere - if it's not a secret you could list it. It will reduce your email load of people wanting $10 photos.

JSP stands for Java Server Pages, and other things. Ambiguous.

macuser

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#1376960 31-Aug-2015 11:13

timmmay: A better URL would have been better for SEO - eg http://www.aucklandheadshots.co.nz . Change your title tags to include "Auckland Headshots and Portrait Photography". Not having pricing online means many will abandon your website and go elsewhere - if it's not a secret you could list it. It will reduce your email load of people wanting $10 photos.

JSP stands for Java Server Pages, and other things. Ambiguous.

Yea I purchased that URL a while back, and have realised that it doesn't suit the job so much because it is ambiguous. That JSP is coming up for renewal so I think it is time to abandon that and change to a domain like you suggested.

I think advertising the pricing is a good idea, I have a pricing table that I will add that gives pricing based on organisation size (aka number of headshots needed) so just need to get that on there. I do think I will be often more expensive than other headshots though, especially the bargain bin prices you see some people offering, so just need to do a good job of showing why they will be more expensive.

timmmay

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#1376976 31-Aug-2015 11:33

Change the URL now before people start using it, if it's new. Either way you should probably set up 301 redirects, which means keeping the old domain registration. Domains are cheap, $30 or something. Hosting is cheap.

Do you want people to contact you for prices then not get back to you, wasting your time? Gives you the opportunity to sell, but you'll get fewer opportunities as many people expect prices online.

macuser

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#1377040 31-Aug-2015 13:14

timmmay: Change the URL now before people start using it, if it's new. Either way you should probably set up 301 redirects, which means keeping the old domain registration. Domains are cheap, $30 or something. Hosting is cheap.

Do you want people to contact you for prices then not get back to you, wasting your time? Gives you the opportunity to sell, but you'll get fewer opportunities as many people expect prices online.

URL you suggested I purchased and is now a 302 redirect until I get hosting moved over

bazzer

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#1377196 31-Aug-2015 16:20

What's your stance on squinching?

macuser

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#1377198 31-Aug-2015 16:22

bazzer: What's your stance on squinching?

I'm squinching a lot now that JSP.co.nz that JSP is not responding after being told to forward to the new URL http://aucklandheadshots.co.nz nice one godaddy.

AliExpress

Shop now on AliExpress (affiliate link).

RUKI

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#1377587 1-Sep-2015 10:27

When I first arrived to NZ in 2003 I visited in person almost each and every photo / video studio in Auckland.
The reason being - among other things I've done in life - I was running successful video studio (adds/events) back home.

I knew all top level photographers back home and wanted to see first-hand what the local market looked like and how hard it would be to compete.
Crunched some numbers from NZ Stats and attended to exhibitions featuring photo/video studios - e.g. Wedding Expo.

I was amazed by the number of professionals, the level of quality of their work. The ratio of Professionals vs Events in New Zealand was not promising at a time.
I also got an impression then by talking to professionals directly that the market was tough, competition was huge and if you were not running few other things in parallel - it was hard to make ends meet.

Nowadays when everyone can afford non-expensive camera and lighting kit - many consider themselves being a pro and offer service for hugely discounted prices making that video/photo business even less appealing to the one who wish to enter it now.

I do not want to discourage you at all.
Try to figure out what makes you standing out in the crowd and offer that particular value for non-discounted prices.
Low price is not the best tactic to attract your customers, try to find your value proposition and consider those who are prepared to pay for that unique value...

The old story goes like that:
- the man set up a business and put the sign out "The best studio in the World".
- another one decided to open his studio nearby and put the sign out "The best studio in town"
- late arrival saw those two, opened his shop on the same street and put his own sign: "The best studio on this street" :-)

IMO - and empty white background on your page here http://aucklandheadshots.co.nz/portrait-photography-studio/
gives no clue to non-specialist what this is all about.
Put an appealing subjet inside to give your customers an idea of how their product will look like on that white backgound.

If I were you I would ask businessman - famous in your local community or a sports star known to your local community or a member of parliament you perhaps voted as a local electorate - to have a sit there and ask for their permission for the photo to be published on your site.

Good luck!

macuser

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#1377601 1-Sep-2015 10:45

RUKI: When I first arrived to NZ in 2003 I visited in person almost each and every photo / video studio in Auckland.
The reason being - among other things I've done in life - I was running successful video studio (adds/events) back home.

I knew all top level photographers back home and wanted to see first-hand what the local market looked like and how hard it would be to compete.
Crunched some numbers from NZ Stats and attended to exhibitions featuring photo/video studios - e.g. Wedding Expo.

I was amazed by the number of professionals, the level of quality of their work. The ratio of Professionals vs Events in New Zealand was not promising at a time.
I also got an impression then by talking to professionals directly that the market was tough, competition was huge and if you were not running few other things in parallel - it was hard to make ends meet.

Nowadays when everyone can afford non-expensive camera and lighting kit - many consider themselves being a pro and offer service for hugely discounted prices making that video/photo business even less appealing to the one who wish to enter it now.

I do not want to discourage you at all.
Try to figure out what makes you standing out in the crowd and offer that particular value for non-discounted prices.
Low price is not the best tactic to attract your customers, try to find your value proposition and consider those who are prepared to pay for that unique value...

The old story goes like that:
- the man set up a business and put the sign out "The best studio in the World".
- another one decided to open his studio nearby and put the sign out "The best studio in town"
- late arrival saw those two, opened his shop on the same street and put his own sign: "The best studio on this street" :-)

IMO - and empty white background on your page here http://aucklandheadshots.co.nz/portrait-photography-studio/
gives no clue to non-specialist what this is all about.
Put an appealing subjet inside to give your customers an idea of how their product will look like on that white backgound.

If I were you I would ask businessman - famous in your local community or a sports star known to your local community or a member of parliament you perhaps voted as a local electorate - to have a sit there and ask for their permission for the photo to be published on your site.

Good luck!

Thanks for your feedback, I've got a few celebrities on my commercial photography portfolio, but they wouldn't fit this website. I think you're right about getting some politician / influential business people on there.

I think you mean you'd like to see what a portrait would look like on a white cyclorama? Unless you can't see the image of the studio...

RUKI

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#1377793 1-Sep-2015 15:19

macuser:

Thanks for your feedback, I've got a few celebrities on my commercial photography portfolio, but they wouldn't fit this website. I think you're right about getting some politician / influential business people on there.

I think you mean you'd like to see what a portrait would look like on a white cyclorama? Unless you can't see the image of the studio...

No, not a portrait. The idea is:
You can put the person (could be local Butcher or Breadmaker - with a character face) in that studio. Page will show the overal view of the studio where the process takes place and show the end result - e.g. portret of the same person (angles to be different).

Oblivian

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#1377822 1-Sep-2015 16:47

Commonly known, as a BTS/Behind the Scene

bluedisk

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#1377826 1-Sep-2015 16:54

I think in this field you are selling yourself as the photographer, as much as anything else.

From your site we know nothing about you, or much about your experience. Its such a personality kind of business, and as such I want to know more about your story as a photographer.

If you are going to be up close and personal with staff then I need to know more about you. (I work in video production, a related field).

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