Website vs Facebook

Anyone considering dropping their expensive websites and just going with Facebook for internet? Face Book is free and ever changing. Websites can be expensive and can become boring over time if not updated often at an additional charge. A Google search still produces a FB link if Public.

Just an idea.

Keep the web site. It is your primary interface with the public. It is worth the cost and the effort to keep it fresh if you are a professional photographer.

For the professional photographer the social sites are sales media. Use social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Gplus, etc. to draw potential customers to your web site. Post teaser photos, helpful hints, etc. and always link to your web site.

1. There are lots of people who aren't on Facebook.

2. Your own website gives you greater control over how your images are presented.

3. Why would you need to pay an "extra charge" to update your website. Systems like Wordpress allow for easy updating whenever you want.

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Dan
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I love my girlfriend, my dog and my canon 7D 5DIII - even though none of them ever do what I tell them

I am learning photo graphee - see the results at http://www.danmarchant.com

Taddy said:

Anyone considering dropping their expensive websites

Click to expand...

Websites are expensive??

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JOE FEDERER
Websites:
http://www.joefederer.com
http://www.federerphotography.com/blog
http://www.theprofessionalphotographyforum.com/

Taddy said:

Face Book is free..........

Click to expand...

To use Facebook at it's maximum potential it is not free.

It takes a lot of time and you have to pay Facebook if you want your post to have maximum exposure. On business fan pages you have to pay if your want all the people that "Like" your page it see your posts... It is called
Promoted Posts"

I am over the photography and marketing for my wife's fashions business. We have a Facebook Fan page with 8900 Likes... It I post something to my wall I have an option to "Promote" it.. The price currently ranges from $5 for an estimated fan/friends of fans reach of 420 to $750 for an estimated fan/friends of fans reach of 107,000..

So depending of what you are posting and how many people you want to see what you posted , this can get really expensive...

Fan page is at http://www.facebook.com/TawniHaynesCustomApparel

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Brook

Face Book seems so interactive and always current. Websites just another billboard at a cost.

In site
needed on this idea

Here's a great example.

https://www.facebook.com/KVoclain

Taddy said:

Anyone considering dropping their expensive websites and just going with Facebook for internet? Face Book is free and ever changing. Websites can be expensive and can become boring over time if not updated often at an additional charge. A Google search still produces a FB link if Public.

Click to expand...

If your website is too expensive - that is if it doesn't bring in enough sales to justify the cost - then you need to do something. However, in my opinion Facebook alone is not an answer. You need to either cut the cost on your site or improve the effectiveness.

Facebook offers an easy and low-cost way to interact with your customers - at least the ones who spend time on FB - but a real website gives you more options and control to display your work at it's best.

You do need to find ways to update your site regularly. If it costs too much maybe you need to learn to do it yourself. If you are too busy to do it yourself and you don't have the money for an upgrade your business could be in trouble anyway.

Gato

Portrait, figure and fantasy photography at:
Silver Mirage Gallery:
http://www.silvermirage.com

and 50$ a year for hosting.

I must be so out of touch because this is a tank of gas. And it is deductible.

Create a mini web in fb make help lead them to your website.

Here is mine

http://www.facebook.com/kentamphotography/app_4949752878

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http://www.hkphoto.com

If youre having someone/a company do all your web work for you, yes, it can become expensive. However, if you do it yourself its pretty cheap...like under $50 a year. Facebook is free. Therefore Facebook is cheaper.

Even though not everyone has Facebook, everyone who has internet access has access to a Facebook site as well. You dont have to be a member of Facebook to view a Facebook business/artist page. Therefore Facebook is as convenient as a conventional web site.

So far, slight advantage to Facebook.

The ONLY downside is you cant customize it or protect your images as well as you can with a conventional site. But we all know that anyone can take pics from the most protected conventional sites if they want to, so thats a wash. Making your site look the way you want is nice, but I dont think its as important as it used to be since Facebook has become the Giant it is. So Facebook vs. conventional sites is about equal in my opinion so far.

HOWEVER, here is biggest difference: You cant really "connect" with people on a conventional web site. Ive been building sites since the mid/late 90's and getting your site found by people in your area isnt easy AND spreading the word takes much longer than Facebook as well due to the fact that MANY people do have Facebook today and when they "Like" a page every one of their friends sees it. They can also "Share" your page on their wall and every single one of their friends will see it and can do the same. When you put up any site/page on Facebook and have people start talking about it, sharing it, etc., youre going to reach a LOT more people right off the bat than you would with a conventional web site. Especially in your area and especially if you have 1 good contact.

Update your status, pics, etc., daily and your reach goes up and up and up. Very few business can get the kind of exposure with a conventional web site that you can with Facebook. Random photographers and conventional sites have no way of sharing LOCALLY with people in their communities really. Facebook is THE place to be if you want to be noticed, especially by potential customers. But it IS work and you DO have to be on there daily pushing your site if you want exposure.

Facebook, in my opinion, far surpasses conventional sites today because of its ability to reach your client base immediately.
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http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/3317198770/albums