New, affordable photo contest software on the market - Driving traffic to non-profits’ websites now easier and more affordable.
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, July, 2010: PhotoScramble is a new, affordable photo contest software that enables not-for-profits and other businesses
to create website traffic and buzz for their organization through online photo contests.
Found at photoscramble.com, non-profits can utilize PhotoScramble to integrate a photo contest
into their awareness and fundraising campaigns and as a way to raise additional funds. For example, to build awareness of the many ways it helps animals, a local
animal shelter can conduct a “Funniest Pet” photo contest, where entrants post an image(s) to the organization’s website, and then funnel visitors to the site by telling
all of their friends and family via social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to go to the website and vote for their image. In addition to the increased visits and added exposure
to the site, with PhotoScramble, the non-profit has the option to request a small donation, such as $1, to vote for their favorite image as a way to raise additional funds.
“We’re helping organizations gain awareness and raise money by capitalizing on the popularity of camera phones and the ownership of high-quality digital cameras,
not to mention social media,” says PhotoScramble President and creator, Michael Connors. “Our goal is to harness the addiction people have for taking, sharing and
looking at photographs. The traffic it can bring to a company or non-profit’s website is just phenomenal.”
With PhotoScramble, non-profits can:
- Increase traffic to their website
- Generate revenue via online donations and sales of photo gifts, prints, etc.
- Add interest and flair to an organization’s own social networking sites
- Allow site visitors to vote for their favorite photo within a contest (and thus encourage viral marketing via social marketing networks)
- Avoid complex programming; contests are hosted by PhotoScramble’s secure servers.
Photoscramble charges a one-time account set-up fee of $125 (versus the $495 fee of some competitors), making it more affordable than its competitors. It is available
in three per-contest pricing options, including a custom version that allows contests to blend seamlessly with an organization’s website and branding.
“People will find that our contest software is intuitive and easy to use, both for the company or organization running the contest as well as contest entrants,”
adds Connors. “We offer live support – and the social network sharing feature is amazing.”
PhotoScramble goes the extra mile in bringing additional traffic to a non-profit’s website by providing access to all of their clients’ contests via the PhotoScramble
website (though clients can opt out of this feature), making it a “photo contest portal” for hobby and professional photographers. This added “in link” to clients’ sites
is one way in which it differs from its competitors.
“Imagine what will happen when an individual posts an image on your photo contest,” says Connors. “You not only get his visit to your site, but all of his friends on
Facebook or his LinkedIn contacts he tells to visit your site and vote for his photo – people who have not yet been exposed to your organization’s website.”
PhotoScramble is the brainchild of WD Web, and sister company of MorePhotos, an internet photo sales resource and LabImages, an e-commerce solution for photography labs. WD Web also offers free introductory SEO advice for their photographer customers, as well as more robust paid search engine optimization campaigns to their client base and the general public. For more information, interested parties can go to www.photoscramble.com.
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New, affordable photo contest software on the market - Driving website and promotion traffic now easier and more affordable.
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, July, 2010: PhotoScramble is a new, affordable photo contest software that enables not-for-profits and other businesses
to create website traffic and buzz for their organization through online photo contests.
Found at photoscramble.com, marketers can utilize PhotoScramble to integrate a photo contest
into their marketing or promotional campaigns. For example, a retail company launches a new pet product line and they want to gain product awareness and traffic.
They can do this by funneling interest from social media to bring new site visitors to their website with a “Funniest Pet” contest. Or, in conjunction with the launch
of a new paint formula, an automotive paint manufacturer can host a before-and-after paint job contest amongst car buffs and automotive body shop employees.
“We’re helping companies gain awareness by capitalizing on the popularity of camera phones and the ownership of high-quality digital cameras, not to mention social
media,” says PhotoScramble President and creator, Michael Connors. “Our goal is to harness the addiction people have for taking, sharing and looking at photographs.
The traffic it can bring to a company or non-profit’s website is just phenomenal.”
With PhotoScramble, marketers can:
- Increase traffic to their website
- Add interest and flair to a company’s own social networking sites
- Allow site visitors to vote for their favorite photo within a contest (and thus encourage viral marketing via social marketing networks)
- Engage customers – before and after the sale
- No complex programming; contests are hosted by PhotoScramble’s secure servers
PhotoScramble is also more affordable than its competitors. Photoscramble charges a one-time account set-up fee of $125 (versus the $495 fee of some competitors),
and offers three per-contest pricing options beginning at $100 per contest to suit a variety of budgets, including a customized version where contests can be customized
to blend seamlessly with a company’s website and corporate branding.
“People will find that our contest software is very easy to use and very intuitive, both for the company or organization running the contest as well as contest entrants,”
adds Connors. “We offer live support – and the social network sharing feature is amazing.”
PhotoScramble goes the extra mile in bringing additional traffic to a company’s website by providing access to all of their clients’ contests via the PhotoScramble
website (though clients can opt out of this feature), making it a “photo contest portal” for hobby and professional photographers. This added “in link” to clients’ sites is
one way in which it differs from its competitors.
“Imagine what will happen when an individual posts an image on your company’s photo contest,” says Connors. “You not only get his visit to your site, but all of his friends
on Facebook or his LinkedIn contacts he tells to visit your site and vote for his photo. People who have not yet been exposed to your organization’s website.”
PhotoScramble is the brainchild of WD Web, and sister company of MorePhotos, an internet photo sales resource and LabImages, an e-commerce solution for photography
labs. For more information, interested parties can go to www.photoscramble.com.
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SheKnows Magazine, How-To: "How to make money from your photographs."
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Baby & Child Photography: How social media can be a building block for successful marketing
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, April, 2010: Little Joey is turning one soon and Mom and Dad have decided to capture the moment with professional portraits.
They talk to co-workers, inquire with friends on Facebook, and armed with recommendations, take to their computer to find their photographer.
The Internet plays an immense role in the consumer shopping experience. Moms, especially, spend a lot of time online researching, socializing and obtaining the
advice and recommendations of other moms. One recent study, in fact, reveals that more than eight in 10 moms log on daily to their Facebook page.
What are they doing? Interacting and sharing experiences with other moms as well as to talking about the products and services that play important roles in their
lives.
For the professional photographer, this means a simple website is no longer enough to attract potential customers. Rather, a photographer’s online presence needs
to be engaging. It needs to tell a story. Consumers’ expectations are high, and they want to see unique, clear portfolio images that illustrate a photographer’s style.
But photographers that go beyond that in their online presence are the ones that really stand out – and today’s social media platforms are the perfect means by which
to do this.
Given the online behavior of moms, this is especially true for photographers who specialize in capturing babies and children.
Bill Biandi of biandiarts.com, for example, is a full-service photographer who loves baby, child and family photography
among other things. As the father of a young daughter, Biandi knows what parents want and works hard to capture the personalities of his young subjects.
In addition to an elaborate online portfolio, Biandi engages current and potential customers online via the social media website, Facebook – which in March 2010,
surpassed Google in website traffic.
On his studio’s Facebook page, Biandi posts images from recent sessions to share with his fan-base of nearly 700, often telling the story behind a shoot or particular
shot, giving his fans further insight into his creative vision. He also uses Facebook to announce upcoming specials or features, such as his “Family Day in the Forest,”
to encourage parents to book sessions. By capitalizing on the social networking of Facebook, Biandi is marketing not just to his fans, but to friends, family and
acquaintances of those fans.
Maximizing Revenue Tips
“Facebook has allowed us to display our images to a larger audience on a regular basis,” says Biandi. “It allows us to be more personal with our fans, giving them a
chance to see who they are dealing with and if we fit within their comfort zone.” Biandi makes a point to post new images to his page once or twice a week – enough to
keep things fresh, but not too much as to tire out his fans, he says.
But has it worked? Biandi thinks so. “We’ve had multiple families contact us about a future session, Biandi answers. “Beyond that, there is no better feeling than absolute
strangers commenting on the street on how precious the images are.”
Photographer Steve Lucas of lucasphoto.com is another good example. Lucas is nationally recognized for innovation in photography and marketing. A 22-year master
photographer, Lucas specializes in children, family and senior portraits.
Lucas’ online portfolios speak volumes of his style and personality. He updates the images twice a year to keep it fresh. But Lucas goes one step further through the
creation and use of his blog, which he utilizes to share recent images as well as the stories and inspiration behind his award-winning work. He features “slide show videos”
to keep clients updated with his latest endeavors and to reach out to potential clients.
Another online marketing note: Both photographers allow their clients to proof and order images from their photo sessions online.
“Our clients love the ability to review their images online,” says Lucas. “The online viewing allows them to share with friends and family, and we often will get an order from
the grandparents in addition to the parents.”
Biandi and Lucas utilize MorePhotos to offer their customers the ability to proof session photos online. Clients can go in to their sites and, through a streamlined process,
proof, crop and order directly from the photographer’s website. Family and friends can too. And when tied to social networking and blogging, as both these photographers
have found, it is a way to generate more clients and orders."
“Photographers need to be excited about the viral nature of social media,” says Suzan Moody, a 16-year Internet marketing veteran and operations officer at MorePhotos.
“With just a little time investment, maybe 10 minutes a day, photographers can reach young families with this type of marketing in a big way.”
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SEO 101 for Photographers by Suzan Moody
Click the link to skip SEO 101 and proceed to SEO 201.
Suzan Moody is the operations officer at MorePhotos, an Internet photo sales software that provides professional photographers with on-line photo sales, proofing and
hosting solutions, Moody is a 16-year veteran of Internet marketing and recently presented two sessions at the 2010 AAPI conference, SEO 101 and Online Photo Marketing.
With 1.7 billion people online across the world – including 74.2% of North American and 52% of European households – the Internet is one of the most important vehicle
for photographers to build awareness of their services and quality of their work.
While it’s important, especially for a photographer’s image, to have an attractive website. It’s just as important for that website to be found. The following search engine
optimization (SEO) tips will help photographers ensure that their websites are easily found by search engines such as Google and Bing – and more importantly, potential
customers.
Note: While not all of these need to be done concurrently, the more SEO tactics you can implement, the better.
- 1. Domain Name - Begin with a good domain name (URL). If you don’t have a domain name already, pick one that includes keywords
relevant to your services or even location, e.g.: “oldtimephoto.com” or “montrealweddingphotographer.com.” Search engines search domain names just as much as they
do text for relevance in a search.
- 2. Metadata - A site’s “meta data” can be divided up into three key sub-categories, each of which play an important and separate
role in attracting the different search engines to your site. They are: title tag, keyword tag and description tag. Each of these exist within the coding of your site,
so you will need to work with your website designer to ensure these are properly managed. Left blank and search engines will have a difficult time finding you.
- a) Title Tag - The title tag is the text displayed in the blue bar at the very top of a browser window. Although inconspicuous to the user, the title tag is the most important
bit of text on a web page as far as the search engines are concerned. Search engines not only assign the words in the title tag more weight, they also typically display
the title tag in the search results, making the title tag an important potential call-to-action as well. Thus, the wording of each page's title tag should be thought through
carefully.
Good Practice for Title Tags: Accurately describe your site and page’s content. Be brief and to the point, putting more important words to the forefront – keep it to
a few words and phrases.
-
b) Keyword Tag - Keyword tags are used primarily by Yahoo in their ranking formula. Here, you provide a distinct list of keywords that relate to the specific page on your site
– words a potential customer would use in a search engine to find a wedding or baby photographer, for example. Please note: If the keywords or keyword phrases do not
appear anywhere in the text of your web page (e.g., a competitor’s name), then they should not appear in the keywords tag. Search engines do not like that and will rate the
page lower as a result.
Good Practice for Keywords: Search engines only read so far in the split seconds it takes to search your site. That is why it is important to be brief, to the point, and to
put the more important and descriptive keywords to the forefront of the keyword tag.
-
c) Description Tag - These tags provide an overview description of the content found on a website. Google will often use description tags as the “listing” for a business in
search engine results. Search engines typically display 150 characters from the description tag, give or take a few.
Good Practice for Description tag: The goal here is to pique the interest of the web user, and be as informative as possible in one or two sentences. If possible,
specific terms should be used early in the description to help search engines and visitors identify the main subject of the page, and also to avoid getting left out of the
visible area.
- 3. Text vs. Button Navigation - Search engines love text much more so than they do images. They also like links. So, when possible, use text for navigation and
links rather than a fancy button or using the words “click here” to link to another page. Search engines add more weight or value to these words; words represented
graphically are pretty much invisible to search engines.
For example:
1) Photography tips, vs.
2) Click here for photography tips, vs.
3) An image of a button with the words “Photography Tips” on it
The first is the best solution as it uses relevant keywords to navigate customers to the page.
- 4. Page Content - When writing the text for any page on your website, be sure to include your keywords and phrases within the text.
The first 250 words of text are the most important to search engines.
Good Practices for Page Content: Stay Focused on that page’s topic and keep it succinct, again, placing as much keyword and relevant language as you can
(but not overdoing it) within the first 250 words on a page. And, whenever you can, add fresh content and relevant links, either to an internal page or relevant
external page.
- 5. Use of Webmaster Tools: Analytics - Major search engines provide free tools for webmasters that help analyze a site’s ranking factors. These tools help
identify site issues such as what may be not “crawlable,” identify issues with your metadata, identify how customers reached your site (e.g., what keywords they used),
identify dead links, etc. During a down time, photographers should be sure to pull this information (their web designer can help) to understand just how well a site is doing
in marketing a photographer’s business.
- 6. Don’t Give Up - SEO can be intimidating. Though it won’t happen overnight, be assured that small changes will add up to big results.
What’s next? Well, it doesn’t stop there. Once a photographer feels adept at these few tactics, they can advance to the next level of search engine optimization, which
includes tactics such as funneling traffic to your site via in-links, out-links, social marketing and online articles.
SEO 201 for Photographers - working the links by Suzan Moody
NOTE: This is part II in a two-part series on search engine optimization strategies for photographers.
To see the first article, SEO 101 for Photographers, click here.
Now that you have a good handle on keywords and implemented them into your metadata and website text, it’s time to take your search engine optimization
(SEO) tactics one step further by building an inventory of quality “in-links” to your site.
Why in-links? Because the quantity and, even more importantly, the quality of external links that come to your site are yet another important factor that
search engines look at in ranking your website amongst search engine results. Quite simply, the more relevant websites you have linking to your photography studio’s
site, the more credible search engines will consider your site and thus, rank it higher.
Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Link building is vital but at the same time, a very lengthy and extensive task to perform. But don’t let that scare you away from this
important tool for getting your website noticed. Here are some tips:
- 1. Focus on Quality
The quality of the in-links depend on the genuineness and relevancy of the content of the website that is linking to you, and search engines look to this more than the
quantity of links to your site. For example, if you’re a Chicago-based wedding photographer, search engines will rate more highly a link to your site from
mychicagowedding.com than it will a link from yellowpages.com (not that the link from yellowpages.com is a bad link to have; it’s just that it’s not as relevant to search
engine looking for Chicago wedding photographers.)
Moody’s In-links How To
Spend a little time on the Internet searching for websites that are relevant to your area of specialty. For example, in the case of the Chicago-based wedding photographer,
look up Chicago wedding magazines or Chicago wedding planners. Also try to find your own site or those of your competitors by typing in relevant keyword(s), e.g.,
Chicago wedding photographers. See what non-competitors’ sites come up at the top of each the results, and determine each site’s credibility and whether it links to
others. If so, contact the site to see if they will list your photography business on its website.
NOTE: Not all may be “free” listings – but if it’s a very credible site that places highly in search engine results, then you may want to spend the money to be
included on the site.
- 2. Get Social
The social website Facebook currently has over 400 million active users and is the second most popular website in the United States. Facebook is holding on as the
second most popular social site with approximately 120 million users. The fact is, people like to share things – random thoughts, photos, recommendations, complaints,
etc. So much so that in 2009, users spent 82% more time on these and other social website such as Twitter, LinkedIn than in 2008.
Moody’s Social Media How-To
Getting your photography business active on social websites is beneficial in two ways. First, by creating a page for your business – if you haven’t already – and then
sharing it with your customers, friends, etc., you’re gaining free exposure for your services in one of the fastest growing marketing mediums. The second and less
obvious (but equally important) reason is, by having a presence on such sites, you are providing your business with opportunities for more in-links to your website –
and free ones, at that. Whenever you post new images, link back to your site. Adding “pre-shoot tips” for baby photographs to your Facebook page?
Link it back to your site.
- 3. Write an Article
As an expert in your craft, you can provide advice to amateur photographers or tips to photography subjects on preparing for a session, for example, and have it published
online via a number of different sites such as Squidoo or Hubpages – and of course, linked back to your site.
- 4. "Wiki" Yourself
Wikipedia is a web-based encyclopedia that is written collaboratively by largely anonymous users. Anyone with Internet access can write and make changes to Wikipedia
articles.
Moody’s Wikipedia How-To
If you do nothing else on Wikipedia, create a page for your photography business and link it back to your website as well as to the Wiki pages of the photography
associations to which you belong. To take it further, contribute to other relevant Wikipedia pages and link back to your Wiki page or website.
- 5. Get on YouTube
YouTube.com is not just for your vacation video. It’s also another website through which you can gain additional exposure for your business – as well as another
in-bound link.
In conclusion, in-linking is yet another search engine optimization tool that will aid you in getting your website noticed by search engines. And while it may take some
time and perhaps even a little money, it’s a worthy investment.
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How to market your wedding photography services on the web...eight tips for photographers
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, January 7, 2010: With over two million weddings in the U.S. each year – each averaging between $21,000 and $24,000 in total expenditures – it’s no
wonder that the wedding photography industry is as competitive as it is.
So how do you get an ample slice of this multi-billion dollar market? According to the Bridal Association of America, 77% of brides use the Internet when planning their
wedding. “An obvious first step in getting your talent and skills noticed is ensuring your website is as good as it can be,” says Zachary Wessels of MorePhotos, a leader
in photographer website design and online photo proofing and sales software. “Even more so, make sure it is easy to find.”
It’s easier than it sounds, maintains Wessels, who provides the following tips:
- 1. First and foremost, be on the web. And not with a poorly designed website. You need a site that reflects your creative vision and mirrors
the quality of your work. Not too keen on spending hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars on a custom website? No problem. Professional “photo storefront website
templates” give you the capability to create an attractive website without enrolling in any HTML classes. And, they’re designed specifically for the needs of photographers.
What’s more, you can tweak the design, color palette, patterns/textures and even music to your style. And if you mess it up, simply call tech support!
- 2. Display your work. Your online portfolio is the biggest tool you have in showcasing your work. Each image you display should be compelling
and something a potential client can relate to emotionally.
TIP: Update, update, update. Never let your portfolio get stale. At least every other month – more often if possible – add new images.
- 3. Get found. A great looking website will do you no good if your site cannot be found by the major search engines. No need to break out
“Search Engine Optimization for Dummies.” Rather, as you search around for a website template company, be sure to look for one that has incorporated some SEO friendly
features. This will ensure that Google, Yahoo and Bing can find you and rank you.
TIP: Insert search words or specific phrases that you know brides will be using when researching photographers online into the text on your site to aid search
engines in finding you. For example, “wedding photographers in Las Vegas,” or “beach wedding photographer.”
- 4. Allow them to get to know you. Create an “About Me/Us” page that boasts of your credentials but also gives insight to your
personality and style. Make it personal. If you have an affinity for Black Labradors, don’t be afraid to mention it on this page. Brides want to feel as if they know the person
with whom they are entrusting capturing the images of their big day.
TIP: While you do want pat yourself on the back, don’t make this page a resume. This is about getting the bride, groom and their mothers comfortable with you.
- 5. Let others do the talking for you. Create a dedicated testimonial page and post thank you notes and images of corresponding
weddings (with permission, of course). Testimonials are as powerful as word of mouth referrals and carry more weight than your bio page. Let the bride know what others
think and say.
- 6. Blog. Have a tip for a bride or thoughts on local photo locations? Put it on your site. Not only does it give the bride more insight
into your personality, but it adds to your site’s “stickiness” – the length of time a person spends on your site. “You don’t have to update your blog every day or even every
week,” says Wessels. “But it is important to keep the content fresh.”
TIP: Don’t have time to write something this week? Simply include a link to one of your favorite websites as your entry, with a little explanation of why you’re
recommending it. Could be wedding related or completely unrelated!
- 7. Make getting in touch with you easy. Include a Contact Us page that is inviting. Encourage the bride to stop by, email with
questions or call. Email submit forms with a “comments” field are a great way for brides to ask questions or inquire about a particular date.
TIP: Include the physical address or even a map to your location. This gives the bride a feeling that you are stable and will not be pulling up stakes.
- 8. After the wedding… Word-of-mouth referrals also play an enormous role in getting potential clients to your door. Your job in
marketing yourself does not stop at the wedding. Keep your name and display your work by creating a miniature online wedding album for the bride within a week or two of
the wedding as a value-added bonus. Not only will you be viewed as a hero, but rest assured, she will be passing this album onto her 526 Facebook friends and emailing it to
her family. With over 2 million weddings in the U.S. each year, one of her friend will inevitably be looking for a wedding photographer in the not too distant future. And the cost
to you? A wee bit of your time.
“As a creative professional, you’re likely more interested and, lets face it, more talented in your craft. But if you’re not taking the advantage of the Internet as the
marketing force, you’re likely missing out on a lot of business,” says Wessels.
For more information on MorePhotos’ line of website templates, go to www.morephotos.com or call (888) 968-5565.
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MorePhotos maintenant capable de dire "Bon Jour"!
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, November, 2009: MorePhotos, un logiciel de ventes de photo à base de web le fournit le mariage professionnel, l'événement et les photographes sportifs
avec des ventes en ligne, proofing et une solution accueillante, sont contents d'annoncer la disponibilité de son logiciel à la clientèle parlante français.
MorePhotos a récemment lancé la version française de son logiciel, en le faisant la cinquième langue dans laquelle c'est disponible. MorePhotos est aussi disponible dans
l'espagnol, l'allemand, portugais et tchécoslovaque.
“Nous sommes excités de cette adjonction récente comme il nous permet d'entrer dans ces pays parlants français où auparavant la langue était une barrière,”
dit Suzan Moody, l'officier d'opérations pour la maison mère MorePhotos, le Web de WD.
MorePhotos est un logiciel de ventes de photo Internet qui fournit aux photographes professionnels des ventes en ligne, proofing et une solution accueillante. Une division
de Web WD, un marketing Internet et société de design basée dans Traverse la Ville, Michigan, les services de MorePhotos plus de 3,600 photographes dans 30 pays.
Le Web de WD est aussi la maison mère à LabImages, une solution d'e-commerce pour les laboratoires de photographie.
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MorePhotos now able to say Bon Jour!
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, November 22, 2009: MorePhotos, a web-based photo sales software the provides professional wedding, event and sports photographers with an
on-line sales, proofing and hosting solution, is pleased to announce the availability of its software to French-speaking clientele.
MorePhotos recently launched the French version of its software, making it the fifth language in which it is available. MorePhotos is also available in Spanish, German,
Portuguese and Czechoslovakian.
“We’re excited about this recent addition as it allows us to enter into those French-speaking countries where previously language was a barrier,” says Suzan Moody,
operations officer for MorePhotos parent company, WD Web.
MorePhotos is an Internet photo sales software that provides professional photographers with an on-line sales, proofing and hosting solution. A division of WD Web,
an Internet marketing and design firm based in Traverse City, Michigan, MorePhotos services over 3,600 photographers in 30 countries. WD Web is also the parent
company to LabImages, an e-commerce solution for photography labs.
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Maximizing revenue from your online photo management software - it’s easier than you think
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, October 26, 2009: There are two ways to grow your photography sales. The first is to find new clients – easy enough to do with a general
understanding of the principles of marketing and a bit of cabbage. The second way in which to grow sales is to maximize your revenues from current clients –
get more from those who are already at your door.
One of the easiest ways in which to do this is by taking advantage of the features and bells and whistles of your online photo management program.
MorePhotos, a leader in online photos proofing and sales software, offers the following tips:
- 1. Limit the timeline - Post images for a maximum of 14-30 days for portraits and sporting events, and 30-60 days for weddings and senior
portraits. A sense of urgency will encourage fast action and decision-making. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, when a photographer is not seeing the level of sales he or she
would like, it’s because they have not set any sort of time limit,” says Zachary Wessels, sales and marketing manager for MorePhotos. “Time limits get customers off
the fence and spending money.”
- 2. Post a teaser - After an event or wedding, post even a few images immediately (within three or four days) as a teaser while the ambiance
of the event is still fresh in everyone’s mind. This is minimal work for you, yet the bride or event planner, still basking in the afterglow, is likely to share this sneak preview
(a.k.a. your website) with a multitude of friends and family (and her 346 Facebook friends). Your website gets instant traffic and you are viewed as a hero.
- 3. Let them sell for you - Tell the lucky bride and groom that, for every $100 their guests order online from you, you will give them an
additional page in their wedding album. Most online photo management sales solutions should offer the capability to track this easily. “One of our clients reported earning
$700 - $1800 more per wedding with this tactic,” says Wessels.
- 4. Never forget the potential for future sales - When preparing the order for pick-up or delivery, be sure to include a brochure or insert about
your family portrait, baby or other photography services. Cultivate relationships whenever you can. A couple’s wedding is only the beginning of their needs for a quality
photographer.
- 5. Add some specialty items - Undoubtedly, Zoey would be thrilled to see her soccer picture on a mock magazine cover, while Mom would
be remiss if she didn’t have the latest Christmas pictures of the kids on her digital photo keychain. These types of ancillary products are a great source for additional revenue,
and your clients will be thrilled that they can order these easily through your site.
- 6. Stay in touch - If you’re not using an online photo management and sales program that allows you to email your customers, then you’re
missing out on potential sales. If your program has it, but you’re not utilizing it, you’re missing out as well. This is an inexpensive way to reach people who know your work by
sending them reminders to make their holiday orders or an announcement of your upcoming Mother’s Day family portrait sale, for example. But do be careful to avoid being
labeled as SPAM, says Wessels. “Keep in mind that you can only email to individuals who have agreed in writing to be on your email list or who have been a customer of yours
(including purchased a print online) within the last three years.”
- 7. Include testimonials - Potential customers rely heavily on the input of others when searching for a photographer – even total strangers.
Be sure to include on your site testimonials from current and previous clients, as well as vendors, again letting them work for you. This kind of third party endorsement is
priceless and the price tag – very small.
- 8. Recognize good customers - Take care of those that provide you regular business. Periodically follow up and reward them by giving them a special coupon code,
within your website, that entitles them to a special discount or value-added package. These customers are your best promoters and a “just for them” special will ensure they
stay this way. Keep feeding these kitties.
- 9. Let your customers upload their own hi-res images for ordering through your site - Even with the plethora of “photo printers” available at every box store
mentionable, nothing compares in quality or durability to the print quality achieved from a professional print lab. Offer this as an option to your current customers for an
additional revenue and site traffic source.
As the adage goes, it costs a great deal more to attract new customers than it does to keep current ones. “With just a little extra effort, your online photo management
software can work harder for you and bring you more revenue from your best and most profitable customers - your current clients,” says Wessels.
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WD Web/MorePhotos promotes Tomas Bucco
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, OCTOBER 15, 2009: WD Web, a Traverse City-based Internet marketing and design firm and parent company to LabImages,
an e-commerce solution for photography labs, is pleased to announce the recent promotion of Tomás Bucco as manager of its LabImages division.
As LabImages Manager, Bucco oversees all training, education and troubleshooting for LabImages’ 50 photo laboratory customers and 23 vendors. Bucco is also responsible for
the development and coordination of website and software enhancements to the LabImages system.
“Tomás’ extensive experience in technical support made him the natural choice for this newly created position,” says Suzan Moody, operations officer for WD Web. “WD Web’s
continued growth is attributable to associates like Tomás.”
Prior to his new position, Bucco was a Customer Support Technician with WD Web.
WD Web is an Internet marketing and design firm based in Traverse City, Michigan. It is the parent company of MorePhotos, an internet photo sales software that provides
professional photographers with an on-line sales, proofing and hosting solution for their photos, and LabImages, an e-commerce solution for photography labs. WD Web
services clients in over 30 countries around the world and hosts over 2,800 websites.
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WD Web Adds New Personnel
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, September 19, 2009: WD Web, an Internet software company since 1998, announced today that it has added new personnel.
WD Web, an Internet marketing and design firm in Traverse City, hired Suzan Moody as operations officer. She has 15 years of Internet marketing and management experience,
and previously worked as a sales and marketing manager for the company.
Krystal Comber also was hired as a technical support specialist. She's studying visual communications and Web site development at Northwestern Michigan College, and is a
2005 graduate of Charlevoix High School.
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New Full Screen Flash Templates
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, March, 2009: MorePhotos.com, an online image proofing and e-commerce service for professional photographers, is releasing a new series of modern
and sophisticated full screen flash templates.
In an unprecedented campaign, MorePhotos is adding more than a dozen Flash templates to its arsenal of website layouts for professional photographers. Morephotos.com
will celebrate their 12 years promoting and supporting professional photographers with their online propitiatory software and website applications.
New portfolio options allow photographers to make their site stand out from the competition. The full screen Flash layouts also incorporate SEO features including an
HTML splash page with unique metadata fields, social networking links and Google Analytics for improved search options for MorePhotos users.
Suzan Moody, Operations Officer, commented on these new designs, "As the development team worked on the full screen flash templates we kept four things in mind.
- 1. Photography is visual. The new designs had to be stunning, fresh and highlight the photographer’s work.
- 2. Facilitate the growing number of mobile device users.
- 3. Website use ability must remain simple and intuitive for consumer.
- 4. Provide valuable SEO tools for marketing.
The company believes in watching our customer’s bottom line and giving them the tools to maximize their revenue. We do this by providing fresh designs that put their
photos center stage and intuitive features to enhance the consumer shopping experience. MorePhotos is a Business Solution for Photographers to create and manage their
professional website, email, photo proofing and sales solutions with proprietary software and online application. MorePhotos is a division of Traverse City, Michigan,
based WDWeb.com, an Internet marketing and design firm that specializes in website design and development provides services to over 31,000 photographers in 30
countries. It is WD Web hosts over 2800 sites, and is also the parent company to LabImages.com, an e-commerce solution for photography labs.
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MorePhotos.com Expands Reach into Photography Software with Acquisition of Pictology
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, February 4, 2009: MorePhotos, an Internet software company since 1998, announced today that it has acquired Pictology, a former competitor, and its
technology.
Based in San Diego, California, Pictology was established in 2004, with a client base of 2,600 photographers.
"This acquisition aligns with our dedication to helping our clients solve critical business challenges at a time when the business of photography is constantly changing," said
Mike Connors, President and CEO of MorePhotos. "As our clients' needs evolve, we are strengthening our ability to fulfill them."
With the acquisition of Pictology services, we can now provide additional tiers of services. The simple, easy to use, software for photographers allows the display of their
images online, and provides their clients with a way to view and purchase images in a secure and efficient manner. MorePhotos’ software was developed for photographers,
to display and offer images for sale from events they have photographed.
Currently, MorePhotos provides services for clients in 25 countries, and in four languages.
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Tech 12 - Traverse City Business News - Local Technology (click to read article)
WD Web
President: Michael Connors, CEO
Founded: 1996
Employees: 22
1. What does your company do?
We are a total web-based business that started in 1996 with our first site, www.WeddingDetails.com. WDWeb.com designs sites for small businesses such as newspapers or
magazine web sites. And www.MorePhotos.com helps our photographers stand above the competition by offering a marketing, selling, and workflow solution in one service.
With thousands of photographers in over 25 countries and five languages, we are a worldwide industry leading software company. Other owned properties are
www.partydetails.com, www.professionalphotographysupply.com and www.labimages.com.
2. Please share your latest company successes/news.
We just released a fantastic new array of flash templates, which gives our photographers some of the most appealing sites on the market. We also launched our print service
with Adobe Photoshop CS-2 and CS-3, giving their users over 15 labs to choose from for their printing needs. This is our second venture with Adobe. We are working on a third.
3. What is the technology trend you’re riding/hoping to ride?
Digital imaging has brought many new opportunities to the marketplace for new companies like MorePhotos, and it is changing at a rapid speed – from cameras to the web.
We’re looking forward to coming up with new ways to head the next big idea.
4. What was the 'a-ha' moment, when your company's vision became clear?
Two big moments come to mind: The first is when we started to make a profit; photo-graphers were succeeding with MorePhotos. The second was when Adobe Photoshop picked
us from all of our competition as being the best and made us a partner.
5. What will be one of the most significant technological or scientific breakthroughs for consumers in 2025?
Everything we use will be reused or recycled and I hope that Michigan will become the leader in this for two reasons. We have huge buildings from our car manufacturing heydays,
and we have an abundance of talented people ready for the next wave. We need our leaders to give companies like us a little push and great things will happen.
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WD Web / MorePhotos hires east coast sales representative
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, JUNE 12, 2007: Clearly focused on expanding its reach into the U.S. photography business, WDWeb/MorePhotos has hired an East Coast sales
representative, Harry Markel.
With over 25 years experience in producing sales and marketing for Fuji Professional Products, Mr. Markel has been recognized for spearheading new product sales
strategy conceptualization-to-launch initiatives that surpassed competition and dominated major markets. Over the last year, he was Director of Operations and Sales at
one of the nations leading professional digital imaging labs, and now brings his wealth of experience to MorePhotos to advance the e-commerce sales business model.
Formal education was centered at R.I.T. in Bio-Medical Photography and Communications.
Since its launch in January of 2000, MorePhotos has become a lead innovator in the online photo proofing and sales market. The concept behind the product is a turnkey web
presence for professional photographers to easily upload and sell their photographs to anyone with an Internet connection, anywhere in the world.
The company has designed and consulted on thousands of websites. Currently WDWeb hosts over 3000 sites in 14 countries. Its MorePhotos software is available in four
languages.
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WD Web survives the dot com bust and celebrates 10th anniversary
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, JUNE 5, 2007: Few can imagine the business rollercoaster ride of the Internet during the past ten years, but WDWeb is very pleased to celebrate its
10th anniversary. WD Web is an Internet hosting and software development company based in Traverse City, Michigan. Since 1997, we at WDWeb have helped thousands of
businesses in many countries market their products and services to the world.
Our company started out as a catering firm looking for an effective way to market our specialized service. In 1989 we founded Michigan Wedding Guides, a wedding
directory and guidebook that grew from a local publication to statewide distribution.
In 1996 we went national with WD Web Company by putting our guides on the Internet in the form of Wedding Details. That original site, www.weddingdetails.com, has since
grown into one of the most comprehensive wedding planning resources on the Internet. Wedding Details was quickly followed by Party Details (www.partydetails.com), and
HoneymoonDetails (www.honeymoondetails.com), online planning guides for their respective categories.
With this concept of creating specialized "mall style" homes for our clients and advertisers we have increased the exposure of sites to visitors and search engines.
To further our creative endeavors, as well as to add additional support to our growing number of professional photography clients, WDWeb created the MorePhotos system.
Since its launch in January of 2000, MorePhotos has become a lead innovator in the online photo proofing and sales market. The concept behind the product is a turnkey web
presence for professional photographers to easily upload and sell their photographs to anyone with an Internet connection, anywhere in the world.
LabImages was launched in 2002; it is also a turnkey web presence and software for photo labs to manage their photographer clients, upload high resolution images and fulfill
the order process.
The company has designed and consulted on thousands of websites. Currently WDWeb hosts over 3000 sites in 14 countries. Its MorePhotos software is available in four
languages.
All of WD Web's design and programming are done in-house by highly-qualified professionals in the industry. Services offered by WDWeb include custom site design and
graphics, domain name registration, email management, site maintenance, e-commerce/shopping carts, secure servers, hosting, database technology, and more.
Websites owned and operated by WDWeb include: wdweb.com, morephotos.com, labimages.com, professionalphotographysupply.com, weddingdetails.com, partydetails.com
and honeymoondetails.com.
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WD Web adds new personnel
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, MAY 21, 2007: WDWeb and MorePhotos are pleased to announce new staff for their hosting and software development company:
Shelly Murphy joins WD Web as a member of the development team. Shelly has a degree in Visual Communication from The Art Institute of Atlanta and more than eight years
of experience in Design and Development.
NMC graduate Adrian Maule has returned to Traverse City and joined WD Web as Assistant Network Manager. He was previously employed with Electronic Data Systems
of Lansing, and has been a lifelong computer enthusiast. Adrian is also a professional musician.
Leo Mauk joins WD Web as a member of the software development team. Graduating from TC Senior High School in 1973, Leo has 30 years experience in computer program
development. He was the creator of "Barbie PC Fashion Design and Color" and "Creature Maker" programs, and also was Lead Developer of the RealTour Vision 360 degree
Web tour system and "TourBuilder" tour creator program.
WD Web has hired James Perreault, as part of the Technical Support team, and Sales and Marketing team. His studies at Western Michigan included political science, business
management, and real estate appraisal. James is from lower Michigan although he spent many summers in the northern Michigan region.
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WD Web adds new personnel
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, MAY 11, 2007: Wd Web and MorePhotos are pleased to announce new staff for their hosting and software development company:
Zachary Wessels joins his father, Michael Connors, as part of the Sales and Marketing team. Graduating from the University of Iowa in 2006, Zachary holds a degree in Business
Management with a Spanish Minor, and an Entrepreneurial certificate.
Steven Berst of Torch Lake joins Wd Web as Lead Program Developer for their software development team. He has studied at Jackson Community College and NMC. Since 1996
he has been writing software programs, training people on computers, building and maintaining web sites. Steven is also a musician and has performed in Detroit and in San
Francisco.
Joseph Derrigan, a northern Michigan native, has joined the Program Development team of Wd Web. He has a degree in Computer Information Systems from NMC, and has
over seven years experience with Internet and web technologies including: client/server scripting, database design, e-commerce and end user support. Before Wd Web,
Joseph designed and programmed an electronic print advertising system with ForeWord Magazine.
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Great Output magazine: "How to Use Your Website to Bring in More Business - Mike Connors of MorePhotos offers dozens of proven ideas.
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Article in the STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE April 2007 Issue
www.MorePhotos.com - Internet shopping cart retains your logo, clients, profits
by Brian Geraths
When I established Prints Charming Photography & Framing in 1995, I was still riding the digital learning curve from my then-basement portrait studio. Then a relative created a
Web page for me as a class project, putting me at the forefront of photography marketing in Oregon. I loved this tool, and I welcomed the move toward online shopping.
As copyright chairperson for Oregon's PPA affiliate, I knew well the importance of protecting my images, so I eagerly sought a system that prevented me from
"donating my work."
Arriving at a client's home for a shoot a few years ago, I discovered screen prints of our prior shoot on their refrigerator. I had two choices: I could feel victimized, or I could
increase image security to create more, investigate less, and maintain peaceful relationships.
I chose the latter. I started out with a "film-branded" shopping cart, but relinquished my independence—the process grouped me with all other Brand X photographers. I wanted
my clients to remain on my site, or at least to feel as though they'd never left. The concept of diminishing my logo to my hard-earned clients, only to show them I used
"Brand X"—which skimmed a percentage of my profits—had little appeal to me.
Early on, I shot many affluent, black-tie events. I wanted the people there to remember that Prints Charming was their photographer. I didn't want to just send a thank-you
letter with my shopping cart's logo. Then, after one of my clients suggested paying by check, I knew I required more control to meet my clients' needs.
The Search Begins
My wish list began to grow. The service I was looking for would need to be Macintosh-friendly and feature an aesthetic and intuitive layout for Web newbies; custom controls
to make my Web page unique; top security for images and payment processing; ease of use, with little need for client instruction; the freedom to select a lab without being
required to "buy in" to its framework; cutting-edge offerings without having to raise my retail to compensate for giving the service a percentage of sales; and free, unlimited
technical support.
I began by researching boxed software, finding everything I needed except for the simplicity. And losing my remaining five hours of sleep was not an option. Extensive searches
led me to my answer in January 2003: www.MorePhotos.com.
I scrutinized MorePhotos.com's pricing page before calling them. After numerous questions, I was directed to owner Mike Connors. I knew right away that I'd met my equal in
entrepreneurial enthusiasm. I kept my guard up, though, as I questioned the base price ($49 per month, including Web hosting, with no commission fees). I kept probing for
hidden provisos, only to find that every one of my needs were met—and then some. "It's your money, keep it," Connors said. "My job is to provide you with the tools to make
more." He told me the best ways to attract more customers to my site. I would have paid a higher setup fee for these ideas alone (shhh!).
It's All Good
Four years later, the base price is still $49, with a host of added features. An incredible Zoom tool has generated more self-serve sales, allowing a virtual loupe to see
closeup details that used to fall between the lines of screen resolution. The Slideshow function is great for big events; additional languages have impressed our global clientele.
Last year MorePhotos was integrated with Adobe Photoshop CS2 via Bridge, making their partnership a 100 percent workflow solution, aided only by Apple's Automator to
script my unvaried tasks.
Friendly tech support got me through my "training wheel" period, and new features are adding as quickly as I can think of them. With the easy-to-use Online Manager, I see
hundreds of dollars per month being earned after I've gone home for the day. That, to me, is priceless!
Brian Geraths (www.yourprints.com) is owner of Prints Charming Photography & Framing, in Portland, Oregon. Winner of the Kodak Gallery and Fuji Masterpiece awards,
among others, he is official photographer of the Portland Rose Festival Court and an Adobe Bridge beta tester.
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Photoshop User Magazine: Adobe has expanded its Adobe Photoshop Services through new partnerships with companies such as Iron Mountain, MorePhotos.com, Kodak, and PhotoStamps.com.
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MorePhotos Announces Integration with Adobe Photoshop Services
MorePhotos and Adobe to deliver new options for photographers
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, FEBRUARY 27, 2006 – MorePhotos.com, a leading e-commerce provider for professional photographers, announced today a partnership with Adobe
Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq: ADBE) that will integrate MorePhotos' services into Adobe® Photoshop® Services to allow professional photographers to seamlessly
manipulate images and transfer them to the Internet for sale. Automatically enabled in Adobe Bridge CS2, the MorePhotos system makes it simple to upload photos to any
website, making them instantly available for purchase with custom pricesheets, shipping options, and other features.
The web and e-commerce have really become critical in the professional photography market, and this partnership will bring two leaders together to benefit the end user,"
said Michael Connors, president and CEO of MorePhotos. "By combining the power of Adobe Photoshop CS2 software with the MorePhotos system, we are giving professional
photographers the tools to enhance their business and make their jobs easier in the process, thus giving them more time to do what they do best – shoot pictures."
The partnership between MorePhotos and Adobe will be announced and promoted at this week's Photo Marketing Association International's PMA 2006 International
Convention and Trade Show in Orlando.
"The integration of MorePhotos and Adobe Photoshop Services helps bring our customers a single source of support for their businesses," said Deborah Whitman, vice president
of product management for Digital Imaging at Adobe. "We want to help photographers spend less time controlling and managing their digital assets, so they will have more
time to create compelling imagery."
MorePhotos customers and Photoshop users are eagerly awaiting the integration, including Pat Cubel of SoCalPhotos in Ocean Side, Calif., who said, "With the new integration
of MorePhotos and Adobe Bridge, several steps are saved in how we will be processing our events in the future. When we save steps, it equals saved time and money."
Don Farquhar of The Associates Photography & Frame Studio in Overland Park, Kan., said, "We are excited about working with Adobe with the onset of interactions between
Photoshop CS2 and MorePhotos. We have been digital for several years and constantly looking for improvements in our work flow to make things easier for my staff."
About MorePhotos
MorePhotos.com and sister company LabImages.com are the leaders in online sales and proofing solutions for professional photographers and labs. Utilizing MorePhotos.com's
proprietary technology, professional photographers can upload, proof and sell their images and personalized photo products all seamlessly integrated into their existing or
customized website. Founded in 2000, MorePhotos.com has grown to serve 2,500 photographers and labs in the U.S. and fourteen countries.
MorePhotos.com and LabImages.com are wholly owned subsidiaries of WD Web, a web design and hosting company founded in 1996. Further information about WD Web can
be found at www.wdweb.com. For more information, visit www.morephotos.com
and www.labimages.com.
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Adobe Photoshop Services Expands Offering to Help Pro Photographers Protect Digital Images and Boost Profits.
Iron Mountain and MorePhotos.com to Provide Online Backup, Proofing and Photo Sales Help to Photography Community.
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LabImages Announces Integration with ROES Software
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, FEBRUARY 20, 2006 – LabImages Software, a leading e-commerce provider serving more than 2,500 professional photographers and photo labs,
announced its system will be integrated with SoftWorks System Inc.'s Remote Order Entry System (ROES). ROES is the most popular and seamless method for professional
photo labs to receive professional photographer and/or consumer orders over the Internet. LabImages is a division of MorePhotos.
Combined with LabImages, ROES will provide professional photo labs a fully transactional, branded Internet storefront from which to accept online orders directly from
photographers and consumers with no apparent middlemen. Photo labs using the new LabImages/ROES system enjoy complete control over all aspects of the online
operation, including proofing options, uploading, maintenance and pricing. The end result is that photo labs provide greater convenience and faster service to their valuable
customers.
"Digital became a leap forward in streamlining the photography process," said Michael Connor, president and CEO of LabImages and MorePhotos. "However, many
photographers still waste valuable time traveling to and from photo labs for image manipulations and printing. It's our job at LabImages to offer options such as ROES to
streamline the progression from snap to print."
With LabImages and ROES behind the scenes, photo lab customers begin with online proofing of their photos, crop and edit if needed, select size and quantities of prints, and
submit print orders with payment via the Internet. The software is designed so that the entire process is quick and easy, and customers experience high satisfaction rates
with the photo lab.
To meet the needs of varying types of photo lab businesses, LabImages offers three types of software. Two types of software are offered to photo labs as add-ons to
existing web sites. A third type is proprietary software developed by SoftWorks System, Inc. for photo labs with more unique requirements. The system operates on both
Windows and Macs.
SoftWorks Systems Inc. has found remarkable success with ROES' ability to reduce the amount of effort needed to fulfill photography orders. In 2004, ROES was voted
favorite online ordering system in a poll of readers of Photographic Processing Magazine.
About LabImages and MorePhotos
MorePhotos.com and sister company LabImages.com are the leaders in online sales and proofing solutions for professional photographers and labs. Utilizing
MorePhotos.com's proprietary technology, professional photographers can upload, proof and sell their images and personalized photo products all seamlessly integrated
into their existing or customized website. Founded in 1998, MorePhotos.com has grown to serve 2,500 photographers and labs in the U.S. and fourteen countries.
MorePhotos.com and LabImages.com are wholly owned subsidiaries of WD Web, a web design and hosting company founded in 1996. Further information about WD Web can
be found at www.wdweb.com. For more information, visit www.morephotos.com
and www.labimages.com.
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MorePhotos Expands Photography Technology Offerings and Staff
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, NOVEMBER 6, 2003 - MorePhotos.com, a leading e-commerce provider for professional photographers, announced today the hiring of six staff members,
adding to its growing team of photography technology experts. The expansion comes following a year of record growth for the company, including the acquisition of former
competitor, WorldAtMyDoor.com.
The recent growth has also spurred MorePhotos.com to expand technical support hours. A representative can be reached for assistance from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. EST.
With customers now implementing MorePhotos software worldwide, the date stamp has been optimized for international use. Clients can now select from the following
formats: MM/DD/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY.
"Our client tally continues to increase at a remarkable pace," said Mike Connors, founder and president of MorePhotos.com. "We are excited about the direction MorePhotos
is heading and feel confident that the additions to our staff will meet the growing technological needs of professional photographers, as well as secure a strong future for
our company."
The MorePhotos new hires include:
Joanne Franco
Joanne Franco has joined MorePhotos.com as assistant network administrator and will provide system and technical support. She has relocated from Syracuse, New York
where she was network security administrator for the MONY Group. Ms. Franco has nearly 20 years of tech experience and is certified in Novell Administration and has
received training in Microsoft NT and 2000 Servers.
Eric Freed
Eric Freed has been added to the MorePhotos technical support team. He previously served at the Traverse Area District Library Computing Center. Mr. Freed holds a B.S.
in Computer Information Systems from Northern Michigan University and an M.S. in Information Systems Management from Ferris State University.
Kelly Hradek
Kelly Hradek has been added to the MorePhotos.com technical support team. With more than 19 years of programming and technical experience, she will educate new
clients on how to utilize MorePhotos software within their business. She formerly served as senior software developer at Pitney Bowes and contract instructor for the
Extended Education Services at NMC's University Center. Ms. Hradek holds a B.S. in Computer Information Systems from DeVry Institute of Technology.
Tim Kauffold
MorePhotos.com has named Tim Kauffold as strategic partnership manager. With more than four years of online operations and marketing experience, Kauffold will
assist the company in business development and design. He was previously employed by Deerfield.com and holds a Bachelor's Degree from Michigan State University.
Spencer McKee
Spencer McKee will serve as accounting assistant for MorePhotos.com. His duties include management of customer accounts, including set-up and maintenance.
Mr. McKee has previous experience in retail management.
MorePhotos.com and sister company LabImages.com are the leaders in online sales and proofing solutions for professional photographers and labs. Utilizing MorePhotos.com's
proprietary technology, professional photographers can upload, proof and sell their images and personalized photo products all seamlessly integrated into their existing or
customized website. Founded in 2000, MorePhotos.com has grown to serve 1,300 photographers and labs in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Australia.
MorePhotos.com and LabImages.com are wholly owned subsidiaries of WD Web, a web design and hosting company founded in 1996. Further information about WD Web
can be found at www.wdweb.com. Further information on MorePhotos.com and LabImages.com can be found at
www.morephotos.com and www.labimages.com.
Photos available upon request. Contact Marika Struik at 231.932.0400.
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WD Web Survives, Expands Staff
Program lets photographers build own sites
By Bill Echlin
Record-Eagle staff writer
TRAVERSE CITY - Lots of web-based companies flamed out with the crash of the Internet boom, but W.D. Web Co. of Traverse City survived.
WD Web has bought out a competing company, added staff and customers, is profitable and may break $1 million in sales in 2004.
Owners Michael Connors, Kitty Karr and partner Kevin Kelly nearly saw W.D. Web become another casualty. They expected to receive a $1 million investment and ramped
up operations and hired people while rolling out a major new Internet product for professional photographers in 2000.
Late 2000, however, the investor backed out.
"I had to walk through the office and tell people that was their last day," Karr said. "We had 20 people and had to cut back to six. We also had to shut our Acme office
and move everything to where our servers were located here at the Grandview Plaza building. We were operating out of closet-sized offices."
Just recalling that is painful for Karr. Still, she said, the company is probably better off now. The photographer software and services have turned out to be a huge hit
and she and Connors don't have to consult with someone in New York, she said.
Their software and services, sold under the MorePhotos brand, lets professional photographers build their own Web sites, display photos from weddings, family reunions,
sports or other events and take credit card-paid orders from customers online.
Photographers pay MorePhotos a flat monthly fee for the software and net hosting services, starting at $49 a month plus a $100 startup fee.
In 1989 Connors and Karr founded the Michigan Wedding Guides, a pair of free-distribution, ad-supported annual publications that gave wedding planners how-to tips.
One edition covers northwest Lower Michigan and another the Flint and Tri-Cities region. The publications spawned companion Web sites, which gave the company some
experience with Web marketing.
"We fought and scratched and held on like a dog with a bone and went through a number of developers," Karr said about the process of getting MorePhotos launched.
Now the company is rebuilding with 11 staffers. It hosts sites for more than 1,300 photographers and photo labs, up from 600 in April.
"Our main thing is to focus on MorePhotos," Connors said. "I think this is going to be huge. We're still at the very bottom of the market. If you put all online photographer
sites together using all the systems on the market, you may have 20 percent of the photographers in the United States."
Karr adds, "Then there's the whole rest of the world."
The company already has clients in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia and is working on a version for photographers in Brazil.
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October 2003
Connecting Photographers and Labs
In January 2000, MorePhotos a division of WD Web Company, launched its Internet photos sales solution, MorePhotos.com (
www.morephotos.com) to enable photographers and labs using LabImages to post low-resolution images, proof the images, and receive orders online. WD Web Company
is a website design and Internet marketing company in Traverse City, Michigan. It is also the parent company of MorePhotos and LabImages.
LabImages uses the MorePhotos online posting technology, allowing labs to provide online image posting that the photographers' clients can order from directly. LabImages
provides every benefit of the MorePhotos technology, says President and Co-Founder Michael Conners, but labs don't have to develop their own systems or manage the images.
There are currently about 30 labs participating with LabImages.
MorePhotos and LabImages allow photographers or labs to co-brand the technology under their own names. In turn, photographers and labs create their own websites with
the software or integrate the software into existing websites, Connors said. All this provided for a monthly fee to the photographer or the lab.
"It's very important for a lab to be as competitive as possible without spending a lot of money," he explains. "We're not a lab and we never will be, so it's no threat to them."
MorePhotos and LabImages offer password protection, watermark photo protection, storage for thousands of photos, free upgrades, site hosting, technical support, group
classification by event, and photo and pricing control. The system also allows photographers and labs to offer their own photo products including puzzles, key chains, mouse
pads, etc.
NC TriColor Imaging Inc., Raleigh, N.C., uses the MorePhotos technology through LabImages to offer its photographers the option of posting their film or digital images online.
Operations Manager Khris Kramer said NC TriColor uploads the iimagesand creates a website for pphotographersusing MorePhotos. The photographer's clients can go online
and order from the photographers using a credit card. The photographer then sends negatives or high-resolutions images CDs to the lab for pprinting A high-resolution piece
for the software that would make it simple for photographers to transfer their orders back to the lab is currently in development.
Kramer said the online system is providing NC TriColor with a different set of photographers who are looking for these types of Internet services. "It's another product we
offer that the photographers are asking for," he explains. "It allowed us to cater to a lot of photographers and their needs."
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MorePhotos News E-Newsletter Launches
Free publication delivers tips to professional photographers
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, OCTOBER 16, 2003 - MorePhotos.com, the leading e-commerce provider for professional photographers, announced it will offer a free monthly email
newsletter, MorePhotos News. The newsletter is loaded with technology news, marketing tips and profiles that pinpoint the interests of professional photographers.
"I have been working with professional photographers for many years," explained Mike Connors, founder of MorePhotos.com. "I've met many fascinating photographers and
acquired a bounty of valuable tips, as well as heard their requests for information. This newsletter will be a great resource for new and established professionals alike."
Those interested in a free subscription can do so by signing up on the MorePhotos.com website, www.morephotos.com.
MorePhotos.com and sister company LabImages.com are the leaders in online sales and proofing solutions for professional photographers and labs. Utilizing MorePhotos.com's
proprietary technology, professional photographers can upload, proof and sell their images and personalized photo products all seamlessly integrated into their existing or
customized website. Founded in 2000, MorePhotos.com has grown to serve 1,300 photographers and labs in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Australia.
MorePhotos.com and LabImages.com are wholly owned subsidiaries of WD Web, a web design and hosting company founded in 1996. Further information about WD Web can
be found at www.wdweb.com. Further information on MorePhotos.com and LabImages.com can be found at www.morephotos.com
and www.labimages.com.
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MorePhotos Upgrades Shopping Cart to Meet Client Requests
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, SEPTEMBER 23, 2003 - MorePhotos.com, the leading e-commerce provider for professional photographers, has upgraded its current online photo shopping
cart to allow photographers to offer customers photo products such as mouse pads, puzzles, mugs and trading cards.
"We are in constant communication with our clients and found that many of them have been receiving requests from customers for personalized photo products,"
explained Mike Connors, founder of MorePhotos.com. "Although the MorePhotos shopping cart has always been customized to photographers' specifications, we only
recently added a new concept option which offers trading cards, mouse pads, mugs and other products featuring the chosen image. We are proud to be the only e-commerce
software providers with such capability."
Photographers can further customize the shopping cart to include a pop-up window with a sample of the selected product.
Professional photographers enjoy the functionality MorePhotos.com offers including uploading images from both film and digital prints, online proofing, enhanced interaction
with customers and an opportunity to introduce their services to friends and family of current clients.
MorePhotos.com and sister company LabImages.com are the leaders in online sales and proofing solutions for professional photographers and labs. Utilizing MorePhotos.com's
proprietary technology, professional photographers can upload, proof and sell their images all seamlessly integrated into their existing or customized website. Founded in 2000,
MorePhotos.com has grown to serve 1,300 photographers and labs in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Australia.
MorePhotos.com and LabImages.com are wholly owned subsidiaries of WD Web, a web design and hosting company founded in 1996. Further information about WD Web can
be found at www.wdweb.com. Further information on MorePhotos.com and LabImages.com can be found at www.morephotos.com
and www.labimages.com.
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MorePhotos Expands Leadership Position with Acquisistion of WorldAtMyDoor
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, AUGUST 21, 2003 - MorePhotos.com, the leading e-commerce provider for professional photographers, today announced it has acquired WorldAtMyDoor,
parent company of former competitor PhotosAtMyDoor. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"We are delighted to bring PhotosAtMyDoor customers into the MorePhotos family," said MorePhotos.com President and Co-Founder Michael Connors. "MorePhotos is proud
to offer all of our customers total control over their business, from seamless incorporation of the software into photographers' own websites, to multiple printing choices and
payment collection. We look forward to further growth and expanded functionality."
Since its launch in January 2000, MorePhotos.com has demonstrated steady growth, despite the rash of folding technology ventures that followed the Internet boom.
The company's customer tally is now nearly 1,100 worldwide.
Professional photographers enjoy the functionality MorePhotos.com offers including uploading images from both film and digital prints, online proofing, enhanced interaction
with customers and an opportunity to introduce their services to friends and family of current clients.
Features include:
- Storage for thousands of photos
- Site hosting
- Technical support
- Password protection
- Watermark photo protection
- Pricing control
- Group classification by event
- Capability to offer photo products to customers (mugs, puzzles, etc.)
MorePhotos.com and sister company LabImages.com are the leaders in online sales and proofing solutions for professional photographers and labs. Utilizing MorePhotos.com's
proprietary technology, professional photographers can upload, proof and sell their images all seamlessly integrated into their existing or customized website.
Founded in 2000, MorePhotos.com has grown to serve 1,100 photographers and labs in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Australia.
MorePhotos.com and LabImages.com are wholly owned subsidiaries of WD Web, a web design and hosting company founded in 1996. Further information about WD Web
can be found at www.wdweb.com. Further information on MorePhotos.com and LabImages.com can be found at www.morephotos.com
and www.labimages.com.
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Retail & E-commerce: How to get customers to your site and keep them there
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More Photos Partners with Denny Manufacturing Company
TRAVERSE CITY, MI --- More Photos (www.morephotos.com), a division of WD Web Company, has partnered with The Denny
Manufacturing Company (www.dennymfg.com), the world's largest provider of props and backgrounds and a leading supplier of
digital software systems for professional and event photographers. The partnership will involve integration of online and offline marketing plans to inform a world-wide imaging
audience about the services offered providing state-of-the-art e-commerce solutions for the professional and event photographer. More Photos (booth #2118) and Denny
Manufacturing Company (booth #2116 and #1926) will be at the Photo Expo East 2000 show November 2-4, 2000 in New York City featuring demos on how easily the products
integrate.
The More Photos Internet photo sales solution is the most efficient and cost effective system for photographers and photo labs to have their client's photo images on the
Internet where they can be viewed and ordered electronically by anyone in the world with Internet access. For one low monthly rate, More Photos offers the photographer
software for easy uploading of images, event password protection, automatic photo watermark, free upgrades, web site hosting, technical support, and total control of the
images, pricing and payments. Introduced in January, MorePhotos.com is currently being utilized by hundreds of professional photographers for weddings, portraits,
graduations, sports and school photography and other events. The system integrates seamlessly with the unique Denny ElectraVision system every photographer-amateur
and pro alike-will realize the unique advantages of the More Photos online system. MorePhotos.com is a wholly owned subsidiary of the WD Web Company, a web site design
and Internet marketing company. Michael Connors and Kitty Karr, whose earlier web development accomplishments include www.weddingdetails.com and
www.partydetails.com, founded the company.
The Denny Manufacturing Company, Inc. of Mobile, AL has been in business for 28 years and the digital software sister company, Denny ElectraVision, is in its tenth year.
Denny Variali, President and CEO of Denny Manufacturing Company, Inc. has 30 years of experience in the photography industry. Variali is widely recognized as an innovator
and is credited with initiating new trends in the photographic industry. Hamp Johnston, President of Denny Electra Vision, has 35 years of industry experience including
President of Professional School Photographers of America, Trustee and National Chairperson of Photo Marketing Association, and President/CEO of Olan Mills Studio.
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MorePhotos Markets to the United Kingdom
TRAVERSE CITY, MI ---- MorePhotos, a division of WD Web Company, has chosen Phil Flowers LMPA, LBIPP of Phil Flowers Photography and Graphic Design Studio as the
United Kingdom sales agent for their Internet online photo sales solution, www.morephotos.co.uk. This low cost system provides
the busy image-maker with the opportunity to reach a wider market for their work. With half the UK now able to access the Internet, the opportunity for image-makers to
increase sales in addition to conventional methods is an exciting development. Phil Flowers says, "Having seen the demand from my clients rise substantially for a way to view
and purchase their images online, this system provides the simplest and safest interactive marketing method to achieve that goal."
The MorePhotos photography site manager is the most efficient way for photographers and photo labs to get their client's photos on the Internet where they can be viewed
and ordered electronically by anyone in the world with Internet access. MorePhotos also offers the photographer a free Website Creator (if needed), software to easily upload
images, client password protection, watermark image protection, free upgrades, web site hosting, technical support, and total control of the images, pricing and orders.
This program can be utilized for weddings, portraits, sports, or any other image generating events.
Wd web.company is a web site design and Internet marketing company in northern Michigan. Michael Connors and Kitty Karr, whose earlier Web development accomplishments
include www.weddingdetails.com and www.partydetails.com, founded the
company.
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WD Web/MorePhotos in the April 2000 issue of the Traverse City Business News
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March 2000
MorePhotos.com's Distributed Web Photo Application
by Mike D. Jones
If you've ever been married, then you know that it can be next to impossible for relatives and friends to purchase photos of the wedding. Usual SWOP (standard wedding
operating procedure) involves the newlyweds and their immediate family viewing the photographer's proofs and choosing those they wish to purchase. And if they live in,
say, Mazoola, Montana, and Aunt Agneis lives in Gnome, Alaska, Aunt Agneis is entirely reliant on her relatives when it comes to getting photos. Chances are, the closest
Aunt Agneis, or any other guest, will get to the photos is when the photographer tells her to say cheese at the reception.
This SWOP not only results in a pictureless Aunt Agneis, but it also reduces the potential revenue for the hard-working photographer. Remember him? He's the one that
made Aunt Agneis look good to begin with!
Enter the Web site MorePhotos.com and the development group at WD Web. Originally, they set out to provide a simple way for wedding photographers to upload pictures
to a Web site, so that anyone, anywhere could view and purchase them. Instead, they wound up with a full-blown, distributed application that combines installed client
software with Web connectivity, storage, and dynamic pages. In this article, we'll take a look at what went in to this site's development, and what you can learn from
WD Web's hard work.
The origins of MorePhotos.com
When Inside Web Development spoke with Mike Connors, the owner of WD Web, he told us that his company has been in the wedding planning business
for over 10 years. They had provided marketing for photographers for 10 years as well, and had two other Web sites already well established on the Internet
(www.weddingdetails.com and www.partydetails.com). Through this work in
the event-planning business, WD Web eventually recognized the need for photographers to display wedding photos to more than just the bride/groom and immediate
family members. They quickly realized the Web was a key to that service. However, WD Web also needed a simple way for photographers—many of whom rarely, if at all,
used computers—to manipulate and upload their photos to WD Web's servers.
In the end, they decided upon a distributed Web application. The software portion (dubbed Photo Manager) would let photographers manipulate the photos (for example,
add a watermark, crop, etc.), and at the same time condense photos to a manageable file size without sacrificing the image's quality. In addition to handling user passwords
and storage, WD Web's servers would need to farm out the appropriate photos to the site's many visitors. As you can imagine, this was a tall order.
Developing a useful and usable Web application
In fact, the application took 1½ years to complete, and Greg Sawin, the Webmaster for WD Web, had a key role in the development. During the course of our discussion,
Mr. Sawin mentioned that from the start WD Web knew they had to do more than just build a useful application. They had to build a usable one too.
Before MorePhotos.com, other software existed in which photographers could manipulate their photos and upload them to the Web. But a common complaint WD Web
frequently heard was that these programs were too complicated and not very user-friendly. As a result, the WD Web development team was determined to create a
simple, user-friendly interface to their application.
Now, 1½ years later, Mr. Sawin stated that not only was this simple, yet powerful GUI a key factor in the application's success, but also his proudest achievement in the
development process.
Going under the hood
So, what exactly does WD Web use to run their application? WD Web uses Dell PowerEdge servers running Windows NT and IIS 4.0 power the MorePhotos.com site. VB 6.0
drives the application's installed client portion, and SQL Server 7.0 houses the collective data.
Mr. Sawin states they used these products for the WD Web platform because they wanted to develop their Web application with Microsoft's Active Server Pages. The rest
were natural extensions of this tool.
In Photo Manager, the app uses an ActiveX control to allow the program to sample an image and control its chrominance and luminance qualities independently. The
development team further refined the process to yield the best quality images at reasonable scaling for Web publishing.
Of course, as you can imagine, handling such a large number of photos could easily put undo strain on their servers. To help balance the load, WD Web placed the server
and the database on one machine and housed the photos in another. The database contains a filespec that points to the appropriate photo, along with specific photographer
information.
Some gotchas to grow on
Of course, in addition to its successes, the application's development process had a few difficulties as well. Mr. Sawin mentioned that the biggest lesson he learned was the
importance of advance planning, planning, and yes, more planning. ASP showed particular resistance to frequent updates due to changing specifications. Not only does
painstakingly detailed planning help alleviate growing pains, but it also helps manage user expectations—in Mr. Sawin's opinion, the much more important aspect of the
two.
"Not only does painstakingly detailed planning help alleviate growing pains, but it also helps manage user expectations."
One other technical quirk involved the Visual Basic application's communication component. When WD Web tested it in AOL 4.0, it worked like a charm. However, later when
AOL released version 5.0, the program bombed. Go figure.
Taking on a life of its own
Of course, as is the case in most applications, now that WD Web has created MorePhotos.com, the market for their service has become broader than they expected. Many
sports clubs and schools also want to put their pictures on the Web. Of course, we could all be happy with this type of unforeseen consequence.
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Photo Industry Sells MorePhotos
WILLIAMSBURG, MI ---- MorePhotos, a division of wd web.company, is now launching the Internet photo sales solution, www.morephotos.com. This photography site
manager is the most efficient way for photographers and photo labs to get their client's photos on the Internet. Unlike the competition, More Photos has custom programs
that allow for easier photo loading and graphical interface at no additional cost. Once on the site, the photos can be viewed and ordered electronically by anyone in the
world with Internet access and the correct password. All this is provided for one low monthly fee to the photographer and amounts to more consumers viewing the event
photos. Therefore, More Photos will increase the photo industry sales by increasing the customer base.
MorePhotos also offers the photographer password protection, watermark photo protection, storage for thousands of photos, free upgrades, site hosting, technical support,
group classification by event, and total photo and pricing control. This program can be utilized for wedding photographs, portraits, aerial views, family reunions, artwork,
fan clubs, and other events.
Wd Web.company is a web site design and Internet marketing company in northern Michigan. Michael Connors and Kitty Karr, whose earlier Web development
accomplishments include www.weddingdetails.com and www.partydetails.com,
founded the company.
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Traverse City Firm Gets National Exposure
WILLIAMSBURG, MI ---- MorePhotos, a division of wd web.company, will be launching an Internet photo sales program for professional photographers on January 3, 2000.
The program will be highlighted in January articles within the magazines Rangefinder: The Magazine For Professional Photographers and Photo Processing (photo lab
audience). MorePhotos will be featured February 3-6, 2000 at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) International Convention and Trade Show at island booth H-190 in the
Las Vegas Convention Center. Also represented in this booth will be industry leaders APAC, JVC and Status Pro. The PMA 2000 show is expected to have 30,000 attendees.
MorePhotos will also be exhibited at several other photography trade shows early next year.
This photography software is the most efficient way for photographers and photo labs to get their client's photos on the Internet to be viewed and ordered electronically
by anyone with Internet access and the correct password.
Wd web.company is a web site design and Internet marketing company in northern Michigan. Michael Connors and Kitty Karr, whose earlier Web development accomplishments
include www.weddingdetails.com and www.partydetails.com, founded the company.
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MorePhotos Adds New Programmer
WILLIAMSBURG, MI ---- More Photos, a division of wd web.company, has hired a new programmer to enhance www.morephotos.com, an Internet photography program
that is being launched nationally in January 2000. Daniel Mauk brings 16 years of computer system management and software development experience to his position
as Head Programmer for Morephotos.com. He received an associate's of Applied Science from Northwestern Michigan College and a bachelor's of Mechanical Engineering
from Michigan Technological University.
MorePhotos is the most efficient way for photographers and photo labs to get their client's photos on the Internet. The photos can be viewed and ordered electronically
by anyone in the world with Internet access and the correct password. More Photos also offers the photographer password and watermark protection, storage for thousands
of electronic photos, free upgrades, site hosting, technical support, group classification by event, and total photo and pricing control. This program can be utilized for
wedding photographs, portraits, aerial views, family reunions, artwork, fan clubs, and other events.
Wd Web company is a web site design and Internet marketing company in northern Michigan. Michael Connors and Kitty Karr, whose earlier Web development
accomplishments include www.weddingdetails.com and www.partydetails.com,
founded the company.
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Get Ready to Sell MorePhotos
WILLIAMSBURG, MI ---- WD Web Company, a web site design and Internet marketing company in northern Michigan is beginning to develop an Internet photo sales solution
to be named More Photos. This photography site manager is planning on being the most efficient way for photographers and photo labs to get their client's photos on the
Internet to be viewed and ordered by consumers.
MorePhotos will offer the photographer password protection, watermark photo protection, storage for thousands of electronic photos, free upgrades, a web site and hosting,
technical support, group classification by event, and total photo and pricing control. This program will be utilized for wedding photographs, portraits, aerial views, family
reunions, artwork, fan clubs, and other events.
Wd Web company is a web site design and Internet marketing company in northern Michigan. Michael Connors and Kitty Karr, whose earlier Web development accomplishments
include www.weddingdetails.com and www.partydetails.com, founded the
company.
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