Monday, January 11, 2010
Have Camera Will Travel
This morning the crew at Photospherix spent the day loading up a vehicle to go to Chicago to shoot a load of freezers. That's right a load of freezers. These are not your garden variety freezers though. These are BioMedical freezers, the ones that get down to 86 below C. They are not light either. With the average weight topping the scales at over 900 lbs, it should be an interesting day on Tuesday. Wish us luck. This post will be updated on the process.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
5 Musts for better online product displays
1. Good photography - Showing a product online has changed through the years. In the beginning, all you had to do was have a title and the price. There was little compition in selling your one type of product. People noticed the void and started filling it. Wether you are a retailer or a manufacturer, you got into your line of work because you saw a need and you filled it. So did thousands of other people. With the space being filled more and more every day, it is now starting to get crowded. Lets face it, everyone wants a piece of the pie. The million dollar question is how do you get more pie!
The answer that I know is show your product in the best light possible. This is both a visual thing as well as a textual thing.
I am biased, if you have a physical product, the then most important thing is make it look great online. Remember, I am a visual person, I am a photographer, and I am a web monkey. Your web users want to see your product in as good of light and the ones walking down the isles in a store. How much time and energy is put into packaging design? Then why are you just slapping a picture on the internet and hoping it sells.
The mindset that you as a manufacturer needs to remember is that the online buyer is the same as a brick and mortar buyer. They want some of the same things out of their shopping experience. This is not one of those actions where they want a suprise when they open that shipping box in a few days. They want to know what it is that they are getting. Showcase the product, make the user comforatble about their purchase. If you as a retailer do not have good product photography from the manfactuer, either get great photographs or demand them from the manufacturer.
2. Good detail - Remember the devil is in the details. Each and every web customer is getting more and more savie every day. They are sponges that want more and more information. They want to feel that they know everything about your product. Give them more photography, more detail and more copy so that their comfort level is reached. In no way is this instruction to write a dictionary about the product. Tabs and deliniated infromation is always a good idea. Use rollover zooms on images, 360 product views or other methods to show large amounts of visual information on the same page. You do not want a grey page when the customers sees it. Instead, you want all of the information one click a way and well ordered.
3. Easy of Operations - That ties straight into number three. Easy Opteration. The last thing you want to do is have your customer confused about your site. They want to enjoy their shopping experience. Do not go head over heals on the unneeded bells and whistles, KISS. Easier said then done. If you know the information that you want to show, but you do not know the best way to show it, find a great interface designer. That is what they do every day. A good way for me to look at it is the dash of a Shelby Cobra has the same functions as a Mercedes S class, but on has a little better design.
4. User Interaction - Remember that if they do not understand the interface, they can not interact with it. You want your customers to feel like they are in your brands experience. You want the same feeling that they get when they walk into a great brick and mortar store. Mood music aka musax. I remember working at a grocery store while in high school. That was when I learned about Cold and Warm light bulbs. One day I had to get the ladder and change a few bulbs in the store. At the time I never thought about it, but the bulbs are different at different places of the store. Warm bulbs do not make good looking Milk, but cold light bulbs do not make fruit appitizing. This same level of thought needs to go into your whole store.
5. Merchandising - That brings us to the front of the store. In the case of online stores, it is not a sign post, or a tile floating around on the internet, but instead your ranking in search engines, that gets the people to your door. The content that your write about the products is how the search engines find you store. Then on every product because you never know how the customer is going to get to you, is your front door. Always keep in mind that how they got to your little corner of the internet might not be the thing they are looking for. Related products, and other suggestions are always a great way to get the customer circulating through your store. This is not just for an up sale, but to help the customer find the things they are looking for. With this, getting your customer to refer their friends goes farther then any television spot. Think of the budget, use that to get every customer to tell everyone they know about your store. Another offer to give your customers is a limited use coupon. This makes it to where they get to send a "GOOD" coupon to a few of their friends.
The answer that I know is show your product in the best light possible. This is both a visual thing as well as a textual thing.
I am biased, if you have a physical product, the then most important thing is make it look great online. Remember, I am a visual person, I am a photographer, and I am a web monkey. Your web users want to see your product in as good of light and the ones walking down the isles in a store. How much time and energy is put into packaging design? Then why are you just slapping a picture on the internet and hoping it sells.
The mindset that you as a manufacturer needs to remember is that the online buyer is the same as a brick and mortar buyer. They want some of the same things out of their shopping experience. This is not one of those actions where they want a suprise when they open that shipping box in a few days. They want to know what it is that they are getting. Showcase the product, make the user comforatble about their purchase. If you as a retailer do not have good product photography from the manfactuer, either get great photographs or demand them from the manufacturer.
2. Good detail - Remember the devil is in the details. Each and every web customer is getting more and more savie every day. They are sponges that want more and more information. They want to feel that they know everything about your product. Give them more photography, more detail and more copy so that their comfort level is reached. In no way is this instruction to write a dictionary about the product. Tabs and deliniated infromation is always a good idea. Use rollover zooms on images, 360 product views or other methods to show large amounts of visual information on the same page. You do not want a grey page when the customers sees it. Instead, you want all of the information one click a way and well ordered.
3. Easy of Operations - That ties straight into number three. Easy Opteration. The last thing you want to do is have your customer confused about your site. They want to enjoy their shopping experience. Do not go head over heals on the unneeded bells and whistles, KISS. Easier said then done. If you know the information that you want to show, but you do not know the best way to show it, find a great interface designer. That is what they do every day. A good way for me to look at it is the dash of a Shelby Cobra has the same functions as a Mercedes S class, but on has a little better design.
4. User Interaction - Remember that if they do not understand the interface, they can not interact with it. You want your customers to feel like they are in your brands experience. You want the same feeling that they get when they walk into a great brick and mortar store. Mood music aka musax. I remember working at a grocery store while in high school. That was when I learned about Cold and Warm light bulbs. One day I had to get the ladder and change a few bulbs in the store. At the time I never thought about it, but the bulbs are different at different places of the store. Warm bulbs do not make good looking Milk, but cold light bulbs do not make fruit appitizing. This same level of thought needs to go into your whole store.
5. Merchandising - That brings us to the front of the store. In the case of online stores, it is not a sign post, or a tile floating around on the internet, but instead your ranking in search engines, that gets the people to your door. The content that your write about the products is how the search engines find you store. Then on every product because you never know how the customer is going to get to you, is your front door. Always keep in mind that how they got to your little corner of the internet might not be the thing they are looking for. Related products, and other suggestions are always a great way to get the customer circulating through your store. This is not just for an up sale, but to help the customer find the things they are looking for. With this, getting your customer to refer their friends goes farther then any television spot. Think of the budget, use that to get every customer to tell everyone they know about your store. Another offer to give your customers is a limited use coupon. This makes it to where they get to send a "GOOD" coupon to a few of their friends.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
eye-fi wireless card
I got around to getting a new camera the other day. I am sure that I will write about in in the not to distant future, but one thing I splerged on was an Eye-fi card for the camera. I had this idea that I would have a wireless card in the camera and I would not need to have a laptop or a machine next to the camera in the studio. I though hey a couple extra bucks I will try it. THis is a report on the process and the result.
I got the camera, I brought it home. I was disipointed that the battery on the d90 did not work with the barrery on the d100. I guess it was my fault. I had to charge the battery. During that time, I opened the eye-fi package. In the package was my new 4 gig sd card and a card reader, a small fold out book with instructions and that was it. I started up the trusty netbook, plugged in the card reader and followed the instructions. Within minutes the card was read. I had set up my wireless network in the house and told the card to ship my pictures up to my facebook page. It was easy. Not just easy for me, someone that spends all day working on a computer, but easy for my 3 yr old to do it. I mead easy.
SO for now. every time I take a picture, the camera saves the file to the netbook or my workstation at the office and then loads the image to facebook. http://www.facebook.com/photospherix
Next I need to find a way to get better control of the images with action scripts.
I got the camera, I brought it home. I was disipointed that the battery on the d90 did not work with the barrery on the d100. I guess it was my fault. I had to charge the battery. During that time, I opened the eye-fi package. In the package was my new 4 gig sd card and a card reader, a small fold out book with instructions and that was it. I started up the trusty netbook, plugged in the card reader and followed the instructions. Within minutes the card was read. I had set up my wireless network in the house and told the card to ship my pictures up to my facebook page. It was easy. Not just easy for me, someone that spends all day working on a computer, but easy for my 3 yr old to do it. I mead easy.
SO for now. every time I take a picture, the camera saves the file to the netbook or my workstation at the office and then loads the image to facebook. http://www.facebook.com/photospherix
Next I need to find a way to get better control of the images with action scripts.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Better Pictures for Better Online Sales
In the current days of online sales, every retailer is looking for a way to stand out in their market. Search Engine Optimization is the first thing. Online store Optimization is the second. Social Networking sites should be put up on the list. BUT.. The one that always gets dropped to the bottom of the list, is strong product photography. How many sites have you noticed that just use the "poor" stock photography from the manufacturer? Today you as retailers have many options built into your online stores. You can have zoom images, Detail Shots, 360 product views and product videos on must new builds of e-commerce sites. Why not use them?
How do you get a hold of the imagery?
The first option is start requesting the imagery from the manufacturer. Don't just settle for a simple product shot. Get everything the manufacturer has. Spend the time while setting up new products, so that your site stands above the competitor. If they don't have good photography, suggest what you are looking for. Remember, they want you to sell more of their product:) It never hurts to ask if they have 360-degree spins
The second is learn how to produce the images in-house. Remember that you either have a time or money investment, but no matter what, great images are not free.
The third option is to use a company that specializes in your type of photography.
If you need video, find a good video house near you or near your products. The shipping and admin costs on larger number jobs can sometimes be larger than the photography production cost.
The last note, make sure that you can get the usage for the photographs that you have shot. You never know, you might want to use them on youTube or in an email campaign.
How do you get a hold of the imagery?
The first option is start requesting the imagery from the manufacturer. Don't just settle for a simple product shot. Get everything the manufacturer has. Spend the time while setting up new products, so that your site stands above the competitor. If they don't have good photography, suggest what you are looking for. Remember, they want you to sell more of their product:) It never hurts to ask if they have 360-degree spins
The second is learn how to produce the images in-house. Remember that you either have a time or money investment, but no matter what, great images are not free.
The third option is to use a company that specializes in your type of photography.
If you need video, find a good video house near you or near your products. The shipping and admin costs on larger number jobs can sometimes be larger than the photography production cost.
The last note, make sure that you can get the usage for the photographs that you have shot. You never know, you might want to use them on youTube or in an email campaign.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Aqua Systems in Indianapolis
We are an Indianapolis-based, independent water treatment company that specializes in water softeners, drinking water systems, water purification, problem water solutions, large scale water solutions for business and industry and bottled water. We have convenient superstore retail locations throughout Indiana along with locations in Florida, Illinois, Montana and Nebraska. With a knowledgeable staff of water experts and multiple store locations, Aqua Systems has been helping people improve their water since 1959.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Home Building in Indianapolis
A new report from CNN states that Indianapolis is the most affordable city in the United States to buy a home. Davis Building Group is finding a way to connect to this market situation. They are building homes.
For 14 consecutive quarters, Indianapolis has had the honor of being at the top of the list. While demand is still not at the place that it was in 2006, there is a need for homes, and Davis Building Group has a wide offering of homes available to be built where you want them. It looks like this may be the future model for home builders. If you have land, and you want a home built, stop by Davis Building Group for a look at their New Home Collections.
Topping the list of most affordable U.S. metro areas, which ranks areas with more than 500,000 in population, was Indianapolis. This is the city's 14th consecutive quarter in first place; it boasts a full 93% of all homes sold being affordable to median family households.from Money.Cnn.Com
For 14 consecutive quarters, Indianapolis has had the honor of being at the top of the list. While demand is still not at the place that it was in 2006, there is a need for homes, and Davis Building Group has a wide offering of homes available to be built where you want them. It looks like this may be the future model for home builders. If you have land, and you want a home built, stop by Davis Building Group for a look at their New Home Collections.
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