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Every story has an ending - and at the end of every customer’s experience using PhotoDay, we present them with a way to provide us feedback. This allows us to continuously improve our product for every customer with the goal in mind to provide the best experience possible. Happy customers, happy photographers!

We’re sharing the results and feedback we hear with you, so you can also use this information to enhance picture day to be better than ever!

HOW DID YOU ACCESS YOUR PHOTOS?

HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH THE EASE OF FINDING YOUR CHILD'S PHOTOS?

“I had to scroll through 684 photos to find 7 of my daughter, and your prices are ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!!!”

Prevent this by fully utilizing Tags and FaceFind, and turning off view all photos in the group and public galleries.

HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH THE PRODUCT OFFERINGS?

Multi-poses and variation of images make customers happy. It also changes the way you create packages for savings. Don’t try to put your paper form online, it doesn’t make sense. Instead, check out our post here for help.

“I like how we can pick different pictures in our package instead of the same one for the entire package.”

“The photos which were taken are terrible resolution, the background was horrible until photoshopped and that only happened after we complained, the angle of the photos were nearly up the girl’s skirts and completely inappropriate. I am disappointed in this experience. I only ordered the photos because I prepaid for them and we didn’t take any other professional photos this season so they were our only option. I will not participate in the photoshoot next season if it is the same photographer.”

“The hockey poses are ridiculous. Why can't you offer traditional hockey poses? The kids do not hold their sticks like lacrosse sticks, or, upside down normally. It looks ridiculous. I would have preferred an actual hockey pose.”

Lighting, posing, and expressions matter more than ever. Customers view your work before they purchase, even with AdvancePay (PhotoDay’s answer to pre-pay, check it out here) PhotoDay Academy will help make sure you’re set up for success.

“I wish there was an option to order the natural photographs like we have had in years past, though the fancy ones are nice I like the natural look as well and wish there were both to choose from.”

If extracting, offer a little bit of both worlds. You’ll give customers more variety to choose from, and make everyone happy!

HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH THE PURCHASING EXPERIENCE?

“This was an awesome process. 100% honesty - I had NO intention of ordering pics. They normally come out crappy and they require you to purchase a whole huge, expensive package when in reality no one passes out pictures like they used to. So I REALLY loved being able to order just an 8x10!! Will definitely order from you guys in the future if this continues to be the quick, easy, affordable, process!!”

“I thought being able to see the photos beforehand was great.”

"You buy a $50 credit, to then receive 10% off your $49 order. So I have a $3.50 balance but nothing to buy for $3.50. Seems like a scam, where does the money go? Who keeps it or does it get refunded? I’d much rather just pay what I owe."

Be aware of how you’re using AdvancePay. It is not a product, and it will confuse your customer if you try to match it to products or packages. AdvancePay is a gift card - it allows you to qualify your buyers in advance, so you can provide them with the services they want. We’ve got tips and tricks on this webinar to help get you started!

“I will never buy from you again! I take better photos of my kids than what I received w/o the hassle.”

Always create images that are better than what parents can do with their smartphone.

“It was a little difficult to navigate the online order. However, Becky was extremely helpful in actually doing it for me. She was great.”

“It was a little complicated at first to do the order online. But I'm not very good with online things.”

If we could name one positive that happened during the pandemic, it’s that more people used apps and online retailers to have supplies delivered. Most customers won’t need support, but being available to help the ones that do will pay off big time with lots of smiles.

HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH THE NOTIFICATIONS REGARDING YOUR ORDER STATUS?

HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH THE TIME IT TOOK TO RECEIVE YOUR ORDER?

HOW DO YOU PREFER TO ORDER YOUR PICTURE DAY PHOTOS?

HOW LIKELY IS IT THAT YOU WOULD RECOMMEND PHOTODAY TO A FRIEND OR COLLEAGUE?

Once you have the recipe mastered, images + communication… you’ll receive a lot more of these comments.

“Thank you! It was easy!”

“Pretty slick operation”

“I like that I get to see my photos and pick the background I want.”

What your customers want you to know…

“You were awesome!!!!! I said, "LET'S GO SEE POPEE". You said, "that's the smile I want". You retook my daughter’s pic and got the best smile!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!”

“Lots of mishaps, And not much communication from the owner.”

There will always be a balance between good and bad. We just have to do our very best to listen, learn, and improve.And there you have it! We hope you find this information useful. If you’re wondering where this survey appears, we send a link to each customer via text after an order has been placed. The survey is completely anonymous and only meant to be used to help us improve picture day with PhotoDay.

Showcase Your Images!

What is a better way to promote your studio than to let your images speak for themselves? You can set up a demo gallery within PhotoDay to both show off your skills, and to get people familiar with the PhotoDay ordering process! Display your work from many different kinds of jobs - sports, composites, school, dance…the more variety, the more you can show how versatile you can be to prospective clients!

Interactive Shopping Cart

Exhibit your product lineup by creating a demo price sheet with sample packages and products. Let your potential clients drive the cart and explore all of the different items they can purchase from your studio and partner lab.

Show the PhotoDay Process

Provide them with your demo gallery access code, and have them text it to the PhotoDay shortcode (90738). Try and make the code something fun, yet recognizable - like your studio name! By opting in, prospective clients can see the experience for themselves.

Sell It

By asking prospects to opt-in to your demo gallery, you know have their phone number, as well as the date they opted in. Add these numbers to a follow-up lead campaign, and reach out to book the job!

What is Customer Success?

Customer success is proactively providing solutions to your customers and helping them achieve their goals. This in turn will drive customer value from the product, create customer retention, and generate more revenue. Customer success is achieved through a cross-team effort between Sales, Support, Service, and the Product.

Did you know?

80% OF CUSTOMERS

feel that the experience of using a product is as important as the product or service itself. - Salesforce

84% OF COMPANIES

feel that work to improve their customer experience report an increase in their revenue. - Forbes

Building loyalty and customer success

The first step is to begin a discussion internally of what makes your brand unique, creating your core values, making your workflow efficient and making your customers happy. The next important step is to demonstrate those values to your customers.

Let’s start by identifying what makes you, you.

Taking a great photo can be replicated. YOU CANNOT. To identify what makes you, you, you need to ask yourself a few questions.

       
• What are things you value in life and in business?
       
• Look backwards. What is your background?
       
• What are your goals for the future? How are you going to adapt those goals to your business and customers?

By searching within first, you can bring these attributes to your business and set your brand apart from others.

Core values & how you can use these effectively

Core values are the fundamental beliefs of your brand and can help you stand out amongst your competition. These help guide you to fulfill your goals and ensure you don't waver off on the wrong path. It also helps ensures that everyone within the organization are on the same objective and maintain the brand identity.This projects a level of customer service that satisfies you, your business, and your customers. The core values that we found to be successful in customer success are Empathy, Solidarity, Quality, and Craftsmanship

Empathy

Empathy is the tone you set. Put yourself in their shoes, listen to their wants and needs, and deliver above and beyond. This in turn helps you build connections and encourages longterm business with them.

Solidarity

Solidarity is the protocol you set for your customer service. Ensure everyone on the team has strong communication skills and maintain the level of service that you set. When customer issues arise, ensure that it's tracked from beginning to end.

Quality

Quality is obtained by providing quick & accurate solutions, following up with the customer, creating a personal relationship with them, and listening to their feedback. Elevate their wants and needs to improve your studio.

Craftsmanship

Craftsmanship is the service you provide. Every customer is a priority and should be created equal. Ensure accuracy, always ask engaging questions, and adapt to their uniques situation and needs.

Company Efficiency and Happiness

Efficiency

Customers care about service but don't always know what happens behind the scenes. What they see is your response, and the time they put into the service and whether or not it has been wasted. To prevent this, your team needs to be efficient by having the proper tools. Streamline some customer interactions through automated responses, create a structure that follows conversations from start to finish, include multiple methods for contact (especially chat) and collect metrics of your performance.

Happiness

Happy customers and employees drive sales. You are in a service industry in which customers pick up easily on your emotions. Depending on how you portray yourself, it can alter their experience, communicate the wrong message, and hurt you professionally. According to HBR, customers that had the best experiences spend 140% more compared to those who had the poorest experience.

Applying all of these together creates customer retention and loyalty. According to Forbes, "96% of customers say customer service is important in their choice of loyalty to a brand."

How do we know this all actually works?

Not only have we found success ourselves, but we've seen it done time and time again by many other successful companies. Our favorite example to mention is what we call the "Nordstrom success story". Nordstrom has continued to survive over 100 years and continuously appeals not only to their older generation of loyal customers but also with young adults that they are building new relationships with.

This story takes place in 1975 where a man tried to return four tires at Nordstrom, a luxury department store. He had bought them at a tire store that closed and was replaced by Nordstrom. Although they don't sell tires, they took them in and refunded the amount he paid. Why do this? As a result of customer happiness, and above & beyond service, this story has been told millions of times. It has given free publicity to Nordstrom, increased customer loyalty and retention, opened them up to new customers, and has made them stand out from other competitors.

How will you improve your customer service and ensure success?

For more information on transitioning to online sales, watch this webinar replay‍

Today, we’re going to let you in on something - we’re sharing PhotoDay’s secret recipe for a successful marketing strategy for both urgency, as well as maximum sales!

The good news? You only need these two main ingredients: images and opt-ins!‍

Instructions

Before our official first step, be sure to prepare your marketing materials - we have plenty of templates available in the Marketing Kit in your Resources section!

Step 1: AdvancePay

Customers who purchase AdvancePay credits will get the best deal. Simply create an offer for Free Shipping on orders of $35 or more*, and set your AdvancePay credit amount to $35. This will ensure your customers have enough credit to apply to their final orders, and they get to take full advantage of the best deal possible!

‍* To prevent customer confusion, we suggest setting your AdvancePay credit and offer minimum to the same amount.

Step 2: Best Pricing

Get your info to your customers well in advance, just so they know to order as soon as possible to get the best price. We recommend expiring your best pricing 2-3 weeks after publishing - this gives you the leeway you need for that last push to close sales without expiring the gallery.

Step 3: Social Sharing Downloads

Use this lower-resolution download product as a time-sensitive offer to build up excitement. Customers can only receive social sharing downloads by purchasing a package within the first 48 hours the gallery has been published. First, you’ll need to duplicate your “Best Price” price sheet from Step Two.

Then, add a social sharing download to each package.

Make sure to update the description of your package to include the text “FREE Social Download included with this package - 48 hours only!”

Finally, send us a request in the orange support bubble to deploy a promotional text when you’re ready to publish the gallery. If you’re using PhotoDay’s Publish Later feature, make sure you allow enough time to coordinate with our team.

Step 4: Publish + Sell

Expect around half of your sales to happen within the first two weeks after publishing. In addition, you should expect a few customer questions - but don’t stress! We’re here to help you if any of them stump you. If at any time you need us, feel free to reach out in the orange support bubble, or forward an email to support@photoday.io.

Step 5: Expire Your Best Pricing

By now you’ve got sales rolling in, though they may be starting to stall. You can give your gallery a boost by requesting PhotoDay’s “Best Price” text series from the support bubble!

Step 6: PD100

Wondering what #pd100 is all about? You might have earned one by this point! If you get a sale over $100, don’t be shy - share your success in our Facebook Users Group! When you combine special offers, multiple poses, and a slick customer experience, #pd100 happens quite often!

Step 7: Review the buy rates checklist.

If you haven’t already, read this comprehensive guide to everything you need to do to succeed with online sales!

Step 8: Demo Gallery

Make sure your staff (and YOU!) are knowledgeable and comfortable with the entire process. You can do this by creating a demo gallery, or by using one of our existing demo galleries here. Check this post out to read all the reasons why you should be promoting your studio with a demo gallery!

The Result

In about 30 days time, you’ll have successfully transitioned your first job completely online. And one of the best parts about this? You’ll be able to adapt and tweak any of these steps until you find that perfect online success strategy that suits your studio’s unique needs. Happy selling!

Laying the Foundation

Justin Grafton of Justin Grafton studios was in the middle of attending WPPI in early 2019, along with his girlfriend and business partner Emily. On a whim, after passing by White House Custom Colour’s booth, Emily picked up a brochure that included information about WHCC’s recent partnership with PhotoDay. Thinking it might be exactly what they needed to cut down on their back-end operations, Emily tried to convince Justin to consider giving PhotoDay a shot. At that time, however, he was not convinced online sales worked - past attempts were met with disappointing results.

After WPPI, Justin and Emily went back to work at their Oregon-based studio. However, the possibility of transitioning to an online business model did not entirely disappear…

Justin was always a sports fanatic. His passion filtered down to his two young daughters, who he was raising on his own before his reinvention as a photographer. At that time, he was working construction and doing his best to provide a good home for his family. It was only on a whim while at Costco did he purchase a camera kit, spending nearly an entire paycheck to take photos of his children at sporting events.

Up, and Up, and Up

His initial attempts proved unsatisfying for Justin - he just wasn’t capturing the images he wanted of his kids in action. But after receiving some helpful advice from the professional photographer at these sporting events, his images became better and better. “Naturally”, says Justin, “I’m competitive so I had to figure out how to make [my images] better - and it went from there”. Over time, Justin began attracting business with his newfound photography skills. “Getting better and competing against myself is what drives me every day. I figured out that I could actually make money at this. I loved seeing the other parent’s reaction”.

As his business grew, so did the workload. Justin brought in his mother to handle much of the back-end work, processing forms, orders, and billing. Even with the extra help, though, the stress of juggling both the artistic aspect of his craft and the intricacies of running a business were taking a toll. When Justin’s mother became ill and had to take a step back in mid-2019, he remembered the pamphlet Emily had brought to him at WPPI. This was the push Justin Grafton Studios needed to once again attempt online sales.

The results showed promised right from the start. The first two high school jobs using PhotoDay saw a 100% increase in sales from previous years. Not only did Justin see more sales, but he found more time. “It blew my mind”, says Justin, “all I had to do was capture, edit, and post and then just sit back and watch sales”. He was able to use this time to focus on once again improving his skills - his focus shifted away from the business, and realigned with taking better photos.

The View from the Top

[Emily gained similar satisfaction watching him zero-in on what he loves most. “[Justin’s] talent is so under-appreciated and under-recognized. Having PhotoDay has been able to make us have the security and time to do the things he loves and thrive at [them]”.

Justin’s customers have also appreciated his turn towards online sales. With PhotoDay, there is an opportunity for sales at any time. When faced with parents who could not afford to pay for their photos right away, he was able to assure them that their photos will still be there when they are able to purchase. He was even able to use FaceFind to quickly locate a family’s photos after they had recently been lost in a house fire, and replace them at no charge to the family.

These experiences proved to be a revelation to Justin, who is now convinced the future of photography sales truly is digital. “If you don’t start learning this, you will get left behind”, warns Justin, who stresses the importance of developing trust and communication with leagues and organizations. “It’s hard to get people to buy online if you haven’t built the trust. Stay the course, and keep pushing ahead and learn”.

Innovators, game-changers, movers, shakers… trailblazers. Meet more trailblazing photographers who have tried PhotoDay and are seeing results.

Part of the excitement when taking your business online is using data to help better understand customers and their journeys. We’re able to collect feedback in ways paper-based studios could only dream about. Having an online marketing strategy is important to your success. When executed properly, you can get more creative and offer more image options to your customers - all the while simplifying your backend workflow!

Combining PhotoDay’s text marketing with a fully mobile experience, you are able to continuously bring your customers back to your galleries. This can help mitigate diverted attention spans, and bring eyes continuously to your photos. Here’s a few interesting facts that may help answer some questions you may have had along the way.

When do customers typically purchase?

Customers will typically purchase around the late morning and early afternoon, centering around 12pm. There is also a spike in sales to be found in the mid to late evenings on weekdays. Keep in mind that the auto-SMS reminder series will deploy to galleries all over PhotoDay according to when the gallery was first published. The initial publish text will deploy the minute you first change your gallery status to Published, and will mark the beginning of the automated SMS series. So we definitely recommend publishing your galleries when sales tend to peak! Additionally, if you need an extra push, our customer success team works Monday through Friday to help plan custom text messages that target specific needs for each job. This means we’re working individually with each and every PhotoDay user to ensure 100% success!

Are they using their phone, computer, or tablet?

Clearly, mobile is king with nearly 87% of all PhotoDay visitors accessing the platform from their smartphone. Focusing on staying in front of customers and implementing mobile marketing strategies is what’s going to be most important in this case. The experience should be simple and straight-forward, driving customers to check out in as few steps as possible.

Apple vs. Android

This one is just for fun. PhotoDay has worked to provide the same great experience on any device your customer might be using, but Apple has shown to be the clear winner among mobile-using parents of school-aged children. 82% of all mobile PhotoDay users are using an Apple device!

GIVE EACH CUSTOMER THEIR VERY OWN PRIVATE GALLERY, ALL WITHIN THE SAME JOB

Adhere to these policies by working in tandem with our private galleries - which give each individual their own sub-galleries and exclusive access codes. These codes can still be texted to our PhotoDay short code (90738) for immediate access to their photos. Check out a demo here.

PUT THAT FALL DATA TO WORK ON SPRING PICTURE DAY

Did you use another software option to capture data and images last season? You can import that information right into PhotoDay, and along with FaceFind, it will group your photos exactly where they need to go. Your featured photos become this year’s reference photo. With PhotoDay Capture, you are only required to check individuals in who were not present in the fall. Spring picture day just got a lot easier!

PROOFING JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT EASIER

Sorting images and data can be a tiresome process with other software. Add to that attempting to direct families to your online galleries, only to have to process individual orders once again, and you have a recipe for stress. PhotoDay eliminates all of that with its private galleries. As a studio, you can use your private galleries as an online proof sheet, with printable flyers that can be used to direct your customers right to your photos.

CAPTURE DATA FOR CREATING PERSONALIZED COMPOSITES ON THE FLY

Don’t have rosters or data in advance? You can still put the barcode scanners aside. Simply use PhotoDay Capture during your event to add the individual’s name and other relevant information to your PhotoDay job. Then, export the data and images later! The generated CSV file can be easily modified and used alongside Pixnub’s Sports Photo Automation, or Next Gen Photo Solution’s system to create and personalize your custom graphics.

SIMPLIFY AND EXPEDITE THE ENTIRE "LEAGUE BUY" PROCESS

Much like managing data for custom composites, PhotoDay Capture is your go-to solution for creating all of your bulk pre-purchased packages. Set up a group or public gallery, and sell AdvancePay credits for multiple poses, buddy photos, and more. Then, set up a private gallery to manage league-buy packages, and then export to your lab for easy processing. It couldn’t possibly get any more simple! Chat with us and get setup today

!Stop putting in extra work, and utilize the latest in technology to make your picture day workflow a whole lot better. We promise you’ll love it!

Update: Live Preview is now available with all of our partner labs

Ever since we first conceptualized PhotoDay, we envisioned a product that included several key items we wanted to bring our potential studios and their customers. While quite a few of those items were quickly introduced in the months after our initial launch, there was one key feature that acted as our “white whale”, of sorts - a feature that had been requested many times over from our studios since the very beginning.

Today, PhotoDay is proud to announce the first phase in rolling out Live Preview - a long-awaited addition to our product that allows your customers to preview how their final customizable items will look before they’re added to the cart!

NOT ALL ITEMS ARE THE SAME

Customizable products such as memory mates, magnets, and buttons are offered by all of our partner labs as part of an effort to give their studios options that will satisfy customers. Options can include theming options, colored backgrounds, swappable photos, and even text - providing a product that is truly personalized for the buyer.

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET

For select products, customers will be able to see how their personalizations will appear before they click the checkout button. Alterations can be made and typos can be fixed right from the customization screen!

THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING

Right now, this first phase rollout of Live Preview is only for select products from Reedy Photo. Studios using those labs will immediately have these options available to their customers when purchasing memory mates, magnets, buttons, and trading cards. We are currently working to expand the reach of this feature to our remaining labs and a larger product range, so be sure to stay tuned - we don’t plan on slowing down!

For a more in-depth view on how Live Preview works, check out this article here. And for more information on Live Preview updates, be sure to bookmark our Version Updates page to keep up to date!

Update: Live Preview is now available with all of our partner labs

Leaping into the Future

“The best way to predict the future is to create it” – Peter Drucker

Stella Crase of MiniPros Sports Photos and Onsite Photography happened to be in Nashville in January 2018, where she attended PhotoDay’s official announcement to the professional photography industry.

“When I first learned of PhotoDay, I thought it was a great tool for photographers new to volume photography, but I felt it was too risky to take my business online hoping they would order later.”

Stella initially earned her degree in business, and ended up working in catering sales. After having two small children, she switched gears to teach seventh grade science, due to the more family-friendly work hours. Still though, her career path didn’t feel right. In search of an opportunity that would accommodate all of her needs as a wife, mother, and businesswoman, Stella parted ways with teaching. During this time, she began working with a friend in need of help with her photography business. Within a couple of months, this friend offered to sell the business to Stella. After reviewing the numbers from one of the large fall leagues that were shot, her answer was a resounding YES!

“The previous owner was still film-based in 2005. I bought an entire company in a box - backdrops, cameras, supplies and all. I knew nothing about photography, but I knew business. I did a Google search looking for photo templates and stumbled upon Group Photographer’s Association. We had a great call, and I ended up at GPA’s annual conference. The education and networking that happened were the finishing touches I needed to really take off. The rest is history!

”Today, Stella captures milestone memories of over twelve-thousand athletes, dancers, and students per year.

“Now that my kids are grown and college has been paid for - I’m looking into the future. I want to make my business more efficient and free up even more of my time so I can enjoy more of life outside of work.”

In the Spring of 2019, Stella’s office manager left the company. After gazing at the stacks of paper forms that were piling up due to the increased workload, she hoped for a better solution.

“I went to Lake Tahoe for a few weeks over the summer. I took some time to think about how I was going to leap into fall without falling on my face. My revelation was PhotoDay! PhotoDay was how I would conquer this fall.”

Stella first tried PhotoDay that spring when AdvancePay was introduced. She admits she didn’t market it as well as she could have initially, but the experience gave her more ideas on how PhotoDay could eventually fit into her business. As fall quickly approached, Stella made the decision to move all of her smaller and medium-sized leagues over, utilizing PhotoDay’s AdvancePay feature to prevent any potential loss of sales. All in all, she's pleased with the results!

*PhotoDay orders can contain multiple siblings per order.

By offering multiple poses, she was able to give parents more options from which to choose - which resulted in higher sales! With both the football and soccer leagues, Stella offered three poses per athlete, as opposed to only one pose in 2018.

“PhotoDay has been an incredible asset to my business. Workflow wise, I no longer have to pick the best image, jot it down on a form, scan, and submit to the lab. I already feel like I am ahead in sales this fall, and I cannot wait to tally it up and dive into my full results. I don’t feel like I need to replace my office assistant position. I’m now looking into streamlining my editing process so I can continue to create and expand my image inventory. I cannot wait to try it with my dance schools this spring!”

Advice from Stella:

The ability to capture and sell multiple poses is a huge benefit. PhotoDay’s FaceFind and tagging allow parents to easily find their own images. Be sure to take full advantage of this!

If you are new to volume photography, just go all in. Start with PhotoDay and skip the forms altogether.

‍Communicate AdvancePay. It guarantees participation and sales.

‍

Innovators, game-changers, movers, shakers… trailblazers. Meet more trailblazing photographers who have tried PhotoDay and are seeing results.