Wednesday 14 July 2010

Updated my website




Added another set to my website tonight. The Glenbuchat and Strathdon pictures continue my project on abandoned communities in Aberdeenshire. The picture above forms part of the set. Check it out.

It is coming up to a year since I decided to pay Photium to have this website. It cost me £80 for the year and I did sell a couple of pictures through the site which just about covered that outlay. But overall, I don't feel the site does much to promote me as a photographer. If you Google JamesDyasDavidson, this FREE blog seems to come up first, not the website. I suppose it adds to the 'social networking'/Web2.0 idea of promoting your work, but I think my money could be better spent. Anyway, 24 days left to decide if I will continue using Photium. Any thoughts?

1 comment:

Suzanne Edge (Edge Photography) said...

Well, since you caught me on-line again....
A website is perfect for me with portraiture, I'm looking for commissions, people can look at examples of my work. As far as selling prints is concerned I understand what you mean, it feels like website, facebook, blog, flickr etc are overkill, but I am convinced that these are adjuncts not substitutes because your website is your home, flying your standard. Here's why - I have never had anyone ask me "what's a website" and have had lots of "what's a blog" - "I don't bother with facebook" - "I can't stand all this twitter stuff" - or worse a blank stare. You have to understand your audience - we spend our time FBing, Tweeting blogging etc but our buyers, our clients (our ways to pay the mortgage) may only get as far as a website. Think how many people who have filed past your exhibition this month are regularly using internet2.0 the way we are. I am not trying to put down the audience, nor underestimate them, just trying to understand what's important to them. Not everyone gets the thousands of followers Chase or Zach get. We are at grass roots, we are looking to sell images in the real world and not to fellow photographers who may be following our blog.
Yes websites cost, so maybe if this is the main cause for ditching then you could try redbubble - might even sell a few there too - but you still need to market yourself.
In my humble opinion.....