Amazing Photostore Special Feature

Interview with Amazing Photostore Client Courtenay Hitchcock
www.courtenayphotographic.co.uk

Amazing Internet: What prompted you to get "Amazing Photostore"?

Courtenay: Initially it was as a selling point - I work all over the UK and many of my clients are ex patriots who come from abroad to get married in the UK or they have family from all over the UK and the rest of the globe! So what better way for all their guests to have instant access to their wedding album without putting their pictures at risk? It also takes away the hassle from the couple of collecting orders from their wedding - they can just give out the passwords and website address and leave it at that.

We also discovered that this tool is not only a selling aid for us for the immediate family but also helps increase revenue from people buying photos for a wedding who would not normally bother. Like it or not, many guests these days (especially with the advancement of the digital age) have suddenly turned into budding David Baileys! So reprint orders are generally on the decline. Getting to see the official pictures is usually a long arduous and sometimes impossible task. So guests are relying on their own snaps instead of buying an official picture or two. Amazing Photostore has helped us reduce this problem and guests are now taking the plunge as it is so easy for them - hence this unexpected sales increase! This response is also fairly instant (dependant on how quickly you upload of course) which means extra revenue popping into your inbox literally days after you have completed a job.

Amazing Internet: How else has Photostore increased the amount of work you are doing?

Courtenay: So many people can now access the albums in full and see the quality of the work for themselves that enquiries for our services in general are on the up! Half the selling has already been done without having to utter a single word – BRILLIANT. Having whole albums on-line for clients to view gives them a real feel for your work style and what a wedding (or any other shoot) looks like in completion. This means they already know what to expect from you in terms of quality, quantity and commitment to their special day (event etc). This of course gives you an upper hand when it comes round to sales time; they already have a feel for what you do.

It also helps to filter out enquiries which have turned out to be a waste of time in the past as no matter what you did, your style was just simply not what they were looking for. As they can see your work in full the leads are now quality leads. Sales are up and we are getting busier all the time.

Amazing Internet: Does one need to be a digital photographer to make Amazing Photostore a worthwhile proposition?

Courtenay: No, definitely not! It works for everyone. Perhaps a good investment would be a decent neg scanner and Photoshop or something similar.

Amazing Internet: Tell me about print ads versus having a website - do you still do print ads?

Courtenay: The website is a real godsend as it reaches (not unlike a famous beer) the parts other advertising simply cannot reach. Most people these days are pushed for time and don't have time to read through magazines and papers etc, they want instant answers in an instant world - In comparison to paper advertising the website is CHEAP, its portable, you can say as little or as much as you want when you want to who you want, its flexible, its trendy but can still show you have traditional values, it shows you have your finger on the pulse and can move with the times, and practically everyone in the entire civilized world can reach you at a touch of a button! WOW, that many people look at my work!

Amazing Internet: How do you find the site in terms of ease of use? How do the clients respond?

Courtenay: The 'Website' is very easy to use, even my four-year-old can navigate his way round it with no problems (he likes to see Daddy's latest pictures). The site is easy to navigate and easy to maintain.

What do my clients think? They love it! Its simplicity, its ease on the eye and its capacity to quickly upload (no time wasting). And they love the fact that we can answer 95% of their questions before they have even spoken to us which gives them confidence and peace of mind.

Amazing Internet: Do you have any comments on the way the punter's methods of finding a photographer have changed since the Internet has become so prevalent?

Courtenay: People generally do not have the time to trawl through mountains of paperwork to find the things they are looking for. Instead they rely on technology that fits into their lifestyle. Often clients will do a quick surf in their working lunch hour or late at night on their home machine. Information is the key: it’s no good getting your site seen if it tells the client absolutely nothing about you and the services you offer. The Internet significantly decreases the size of our world and brings us closer together. Success is based on keeping up with your client's needs and wants and keeping one step ahead of the game.

Amazing Internet: How has it been working with the Amazing Internet team?

Courtenay: Fantastic and excellent service! Proactive, professional and expert. I'm not a computer buff and sometimes I find it all a little baffling. But never once have I felt intimidated or bashed over the head with my own ignorance when asking for help. In fact all I have received is patience over advice given and made to feel confident. My knowledge is growing. And to top it all, an all round bunch of nice guys who are great to do business with.

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