Is Facebook Killing Your Website?

Just a few short years ago, the online world was pretty simple. Design a website, make it pleasing, and you could find success online.

Then things started changing. Social hit and nothing has been the same since. While MySpace gave a first shot at connecting up with like-minded people, it wasn’t until Facebook made waves that we began to see an alternative to building a presence that is both professional and personable.

The best feature of Facebook is it’s free. Where else can you create a presence and market your business – all for the price of FREE? So of course many new start up photography businesses are using it instead of building a website.

But is that the best course of action? Can you really build a strong, successful business with just a free Facebook account?

Yes. And no.

Facebook’s War On Websites

Historically we went online to search out content relative to what we were searching for. If someone typed in a keyword or phrase, they were looking for a website filled with content that could answer their questions, and possible provide them with enough information that would convert them into a customer.

Today, time is short. And our methods of gaining information make the necessity for short information even greater. If we’re standing in line at the post office and do a quick search from a smart phone, we want short tidbits – directions, 140 characters of content, photos, videos, an app to get the details we need. Which makes the Facebook platform perfect for what we need.

We can use a Facebook app to get to our account. See what’s new in our newsfeed. And connect to any messages or requests we’ve received since we logged in the last time. The “like” feature has added tremendous value over the past few months because we can control what we want to see and what we want to share. It helps build your credibility as a company.

Dig Deeper: How To Use The Facebook Like Button

With a few simple steps, you can create a Facebook Page that emulates your brand. And because you can build as many “tabs” into your page as you desire, your Page can be quite complex.

Dig Deeper: How To Make Your Facebook Page Attract Customers

And with many of the apps now available both within Facebook itself, and outside with third party developers, your Facebook Page can do just about anything your traditional website can do. With galleries, shopping carts, and more, a customized Page is just a few clicks away. [Read more…]

Photographer Website – 10 Reasons Why 10 Pages Aren’t Enough

Did you know the standard small business website has 10 pages of content, and will never grow beyond those 10 pages? Yet the number one way to reach your prospects and potential buyers is through content.

A standard 10 page website is a great place to start, but don’t stop there. It’s time to build, and create a site that attracts clients to you. Consider these 10 reasons to continue building on to your website.

1. Depth. People like investigating, and being able to discover more resources. Multiple pages allow people to drill in deeper to your site. Cover a topic in 500 to 1000 words per page; then offer your reader the chance to move to another page for even more information.

2. Resource. What makes your site valuable? People bookmark sites that have a variety of benefits and solutions. Think of how you can generate the desire to have people come back into your site again and again. Then add those pages to your site. Keep people coming back because you offer more than your competition.

3. Power. A powerful site lets people take action. What can you do to direct people to your pages that allow people to take action? Always start with your end in mind. Do you want them to sign up for a free report? Or do you want them to fill out a form for more information?

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