How to Grow Photography Business on Internet Introductory Guide for Indian Photographers and Enthusiasts www.mumbaipav.com
AUTHOR: Vipul Mekhya Hi! This is Vipul Mekhya, founder of MumbaiPav.com MumbaiPav is a Community website bringing together Photographers from different parts of India. I work for one BPO service company in Mumbai suburbs and MumbaiPav.com is my side project. Get in touch cell# 9833710832 or vipul@mumbaipav.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS: Introduction.4 How much to spend on website?..5 I have website. What's next?...9 Free Internet Tools for Branding.12
Introduction: www.mumbaipav.com MumbaiPav.com was started in May 2011 and within short period it has shared stories and experiences of 100s of Photographers. It was my dream to meet and learn from 100s of photographers, MumbaiPav has helped me do it. I work for one BPO service company in Mumbai suburbs. MumbaiPav.com has helped me get in touch with lot of Photographers, many of them have become good friends. It has given me opportunities to assist professional photographers and learn from their experience. Internet is unbelievable. MumbaiPav.com is still my side project but it has made me Confident and humble. Now my mission is to reach 1000s of photographers and create a platform to share ideas and love for Photography. In last few months, many have asked me about how to make a Photography website. Many have asked me about how to use facebook twitter for growing your brand. After listening to all such questions, I decided to write this EBook. Please read it and if you have suggestions drop me an email or call me. I would love to hear your feedback. // Page 4
CHAPTER 1: How much to spend on website? Want to take your Photography on Internet? But confused about how much does it cost to develop website. This chapter will talk about common scenarios which will help you make decision. There are 3 ways 1) Go Cheap, 2) Spend a lot, 3) Balanced way Lets Explore these // Page 5
How to Grow Business on Internet Get Website for Free or Cheap. Not Really! Have you recently seen ads on Television about Website for Rs. 999. One of them also offers it Free for first year. My friend who is part-time Fashion Photographer asked me why to spend money when some companies are offering websites for free. This question crosses the mind of almost every new website owner. Free or cheap Websites are not as beneficial as they appear. You really need to research a lot before you decide to give to work with any such company. If you want your website to be extension of services you provide, if you want your website to become 24 x 7 brand manager of your Portfolio or Business, then Free or Cheap options may not give results. So before you signup, get all the details. Keep at-least 3 years of timeframe in mind to see some real results out of your website. // Page 6
How to Grow Business on Internet my favourite restaurant is a 'Grade C' Rice plate place. Every-time I get great food. Spend a fortune on website. Not Really! One of the MumbaiPav follower who is Professional Photographers and runs business successfully, recently sent me a Quotation he received from a web Development company. They were charging him about Rs.50,000 for first year and then consequent years Rs.10,000. This web company was not really offering anything exceptional. Their service was overpriced. All they were offering was good looks. When was the last time you went inside a Restaurant just because they had very good Ambience. One of my favourite restaurant is a very small-time 'Grade C' and they serve Rice plate. Every time I go - I get great food. Same way Visitors to your website do not care about how your website looks. All they want is something that can help to solve their problems. Something that is informative and useful to them. // Page 7
How to Grow Business on Internet Right way to get website done! Find a friend who knows web development. Or find a web development company and work with them : 60% of web hosting usage is by small business. Source: Bluehost hosting data, 2012 1) Register domain on your name. Do not let company buy or register domain name on their company name. GoDaddy.com is my recommendation. Cost is ~Rs.700 per year 2) MumbaiPav.com heavily uses Open source projects and code. This way I don't have to spend time and money in hiring someone to develop website. 3) Team up with your Photographer friend or someone who also wants to host a website. This way you can share cost. Hosting usually costs Rs.4000 - Rs.5000 per year. If you are a Photographer and looking to make website, feel free to call me or write to me for advice. // Page 8
CHAPTER 2: I have Website. What s Next? You have website? Yes? Congratulations! But I have a bad news for you. Just having a website is good beginning but it means nothing. I have met so many Photographers who get their website done. Print website name on their card. And that s about it! A good website is extension to your brand on Internet. A good website works for you 24 x 7. Not only gets new business but helps in keeping in touch with old Clients. // Page 9
How to Grow Business on Internet Instead of spending money and time at wrong places, here we will talk about simple things that can put life in to your Internet branding. Keep away from spamming everyone about your website, lets do right things that automatically brings relevant visitors. With Internet power has shifted in hands of Customers or Visitors. Irrespective of how much you have spent on your website, it takes 5 10 seconds for some visitor to disqualify your website and jump to next. // Page 10
How to Grow Business on Internet Want to make sure you re keeping your website exciting? Here are some areas to keep in mind: Use Social Media in addition to your website. Allow people to keep in touch with your progress. Write Blog it not only brings new visitors but gives a Face and Voice on internet Use Viral marketing. Interesting video or picture. Something people feel like sharing and in return spread your brand name. Use Networking. Go to relevant communities ( like MumbaiPav.com ) share your ideas and spread the word. Keep Marketing simple and stupid. Does your Email signature carry website name? Simple things like that will help you spread your website s brand name. // Page 11
CHAPTER 3: Free Internet Tools for Branding // Page 12 More and more people in India are making Internet as everyday part of their life. Many have started buying products and looking for service company that they can hire. Irrespective of how big or small is your Photography business, keeping a Internet Strategy for your business is very important. Many Photographers I have met have gone in two wrong directions. - First group of people think they don t need Internet. - Second group, have tried to use Internet, but have failed and wrongly concluded that it does not work.
How to Grow Business on Internet Here are 5 Free Internet services which will help you take your brand further. Use them today, it will take a few minutes to get started. 1) Google places get listed on Google Places. You can do this even if you don t have a website 2) Blog you can create free blog on wordpress, blogger and several other free blogging websites. 3) Email list create and grow an email chain. Send email to people with news, information and special offers // Page 13
How to Grow Business on Internet 4) Facebook page There is lot you can do with facebook fan page. Infact this can become more powerful then your business website 5) Post articles heard of MumbaiPav.com?! Yes! This is a community website, send me an article or a note on Photography related Idea. I will publish it under your name. Link it to your website. // Page 14
Get in touch http://www.mumbaipav.com/about If you re interested in improving your Photography business presence on Internet, talk to me for free advice. Cell# 9833710832 vipul@mumbaipav.com