Many photographers are torn about whether or not to post their photos online or have in-person sales. Let’s start by taking a look at the pros and cons of online sales.
Pros of Online-Only Photography Sales
- It’s the easiest way to get images in front of customers.
- It’s a great marketing tool and allows clients to bring their friends and family to your site.
- Your customers can view and order the images anytime and anywhere,
- Your site will get more traffic, which can cut cost on search engines.
- You can show off your images with different products.
- Clients can customize products themselves.
- The hassle of setting up a time for customers to view photos is eliminated.
- Shooting big events, such as sports, is easier and more convenient.
Cons of Online-Only Photography Sales
- You can sometimes sell more with in-person sales.
- You can explain sizes and product choices better in-person.
- Customers miss the added personal touch of meeting with you.
- You can’t give your customers specific options to consider.
After putting this list together, the bottom line as I see it is this – the best choice is a combination of both sales options.
The perfect scenario is being able to meet with your clients so they can view the images and place their order. After the sale, you can post the images online purely for marketing reasons. You may still sell some prints after the fact, even though at this point it is not as important since you made the initial sale.
If you don’t have a website, you need one. Adding a shopping cart feature to your site is very inexpensive, and worth doing! Following these tactics will surely increase your audience and ultimately your sales.
