MyDigitalProductsOnline.com is an “unbranded” website hosted by JD that displays all the press-printed graphic layouts available in ROES.

Since JD is never mentioned anywhere on the site, you can show the My Digital Products Online website to clients at your studio, or you can call a client and have them pick a card style while you’re on the phone

Use it to quickly view all our card styles at a single place:

• Graduations, Weddings, Holidays, Announcements
• Dozens of horizontal and vertical card styles
• Folding cards include optional sentiments
• Always adding more

If you use ROES, bookmark MyDigitalProductsOnline.com and check back often. New card designs are constantly being added.

Betsy Finn, one of our young and talented clients, will give a talk entitled “Getting Technology to Work for You” at the Mid-Michigan Professional Photographer’s Association meeting on Monday, November 14, 2011 at 7pm. For more information, visit their website or contact Tina Timmons at tina@mich1.net.

Betsy is known locally and nationally as both a gifted speaker and a photographer who has combined her love of photography with her business and marketing sense, especially as it relates to technology and online marketing. She generously shares this information with other photographers on her LearnWithBetsy.com blog.

Prior to founding Betsy’s Photography, Betsy studied at Michigan State University and Hope College, where she earned a B.A. in Business Management and Photography. She has continued to further her knowledge through attending continuing education seminars and conferences offered by the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) and the Detroit Professional Photographers Association (DPPA). In 2010, she received a Photographic Craftsman degree from PPA.

Google Places lets potential clients find you based on what they are searching for in Google. For example, if you’re a photographer in Fenton, and someone searches for “photographer fenton mi” they should see you on the first page of Google.

By default, every business in America has a Google Place linked to Google Maps. However, only those businesses that take the time to create a Google Places account, update the information, and encourage reviews will rise to the top of the list.

In addition, if you have a studio or business location, it is more important than ever that you monitor your Google Places account. Google now lets strangers “update” your account information that potential clients would see on Google Places page or Google Maps when searching for your studio.

For example, someone could post on your places account something as useful as “closes at 5pm” to something as evil as “business closed.” If you’re not monitoring your account, you’d never see this.

This is even worse if you haven’t yet claimed your Google Places account. By default, Google lists every business in the United States in Google maps, typically using information gleamed from the Yellow Pages. If your contact information is missing or outdated, potential clients won’t be able to find your business.

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Searching the web with a cell phone is growing. Experts say that by 2013, more people will use their mobile phones than PCs to get online. By 2015, their will be one mobile device for every person on earth.

If you haven’t yet updated your website to make it easy to use for mobile devices, you’re not alone. Most photographers and studios have not. But for the ones who do, this will be a unique competitive differentiator in 2012.

What you can do today: Google has put up a new website called howtogomo.com that lets you type in your current website and see what it would look like to a mobile phone user. Better yet, if you or one of your staff has a smart mobile device like an iPhone or a Droid, take a minute to search for your studio, then walk through your own website the way a potential customer might. You should look for things like:

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As a small business owner, you are regularly forced to make a quick decision about your studio’s marketing. “Should I put an ad in this program?” or “Which postcard is better?” While big companies can afford marketing research to answer these questions, chances are you cannot.

That’s why the 10-Second Market Research can help. Simply ask yourself – and honestly answer – these two questions:

1. Would I recommend this to my mother?
2. Would anyone tell their friends about this?

If the answer to either question is “NO”, then move on. Your gut feeling is probably right.

If you think video isn’t important to photographers, consider this: YouTube is owned by Google, so YouTube videos surrounded by your keywords will rank well in Google search results. This means that not only are potential clients more likely to find you online, but that the more clients who watch your YouTube videos, the more your website will rise in Google.

But there are other reasons for you to make a YouTube video. If you’re a senior photographer, a short video showing a senior shoot will put the student’s mind to rest – they will know what to expect at your studio. The same goes for child photography. If you’re an event photographer, show your potential clients how the process will work if you are hired. If you’re a wedding photographer, show how you work before, during and after the ceremony. Or make a video that shows a couple at your studio selecting images for their wedding album.

The fact is, the average customer would rather watch a video than read your website. And once they are watching the video, they will remember you, stick around your website longer, and be more likely to call.

How to Create a YouTube Video:

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In a recent article about differentiating yourself as a photographer, I mentioned panorama prints, and how JD can print panoramas up to 30×72″ on regular or metallic paper.  What I didn’t mention was the process for creating panorama prints. Actually, the process is pretty easy, and you can create them for free.

So why should you create a panorama if you aren’t going to print it?

Although panorama-sized portraits can be an incredibly profitable sale, printing and framing a large studio sample is an investment. Instead of printing one to start, use the instructions below to create a panorama, then layer it on a wall image (like on the right) and feature it on your website and in your marketing materials. If you can show potential clients what you’re capable of producing, you’re more likely to make the sale.

How to Create a Panorama:

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You’ve probably seen the new changes in Facebook’s Wall feed over the last two weeks. Basically, Facebook has changed the wall so that the most recent, most clicked or most commented-on posts are on top, then the rest of the posts are underneath it.

These same changes are being seen by your customers too. After two weeks, research is coming out that shows individual post impressions are down by 25% In other words 1 out of 4 folks are reading the top posts and ignoring the lower ones.

If you want your FB posts to be seen, focus on these 3 strategies:

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With holiday season fast approaching, here are 5 things you can do today to get ready.

1. Turn Products into Gifts. What promotions will you offer? Christmas cards are easy. But how about mini albums as gifts for newlyweds to give their parents? Think of ways you can repackage your existing products as gifts, then decide today how you’ll promote them.

2. Plan your Holiday Promotions. Planning works backwards. Want to have a Christmas card promotion? Customers need their cards by the end of November, which means they will need to order by mid-November, so your promotion needs to be running by November 1st. You need to plan the promotion today, order advertising space, or get marketing materials to the printer today.

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Click for larger version.

If you’ve ever paid a bill like this one, chances are you’re a victim of an Internet scam designed to take advantage of small business owners who have websites.

I know, because it happened to us. Fortunately, we didn’t pay the bill.

Here’s how it works.

Unscrupulous companies will look up your website’s domain name expiration date, and just before it expires, send you an official-looking “bill” via first-class US mail. They hope you will pay it without reading it first.

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