Wedding Web Site Finally Launched

Zhong Cheung · March 31st, 2011, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corey Graham

I'm not sure how it's contradictory (lol), unless you're not reading it very carefully. I'm saying that you don't HAVE to feed me, but I ask that you do so I don't have to leave. Is there a better way to word this maybe?

I think that's a bad way of wording it because the first part makes it seem like you're not asking for a meal, but the second part contradicts it saying provide me a meal so I don't have to leave.

Try:

While you are not required to provide a meal onsite, I do need to eat at some point. If a meal is provided for me onsite, I will be able to avoid missing any important shots during a meal break off site.

Corey Graham · April 1st, 2011, 06:06 AM

I've just decided to remove that all together. From now on, I may mention it quickly while discussing the details with the B&G.

Thanks for the suggestions on this! I want to be thorough, yet not overwhelming and confusing.

In fact, I've been considering a big change in the way I communicate pricing. I started thinking about it when a couple people mentioned some confusion about my Pricing page. Until now, I haven't wanted to give away all the prices online -- I would want them to contact me for specific prices, so I can explain things and basically "sell" it to them.

However, I just talked to the mother of an upcoming bride who contacted me about their July wedding. Even after looking at my detailed price sheet, she was confused about pricing. She just wanted to know how much a wedding video would cost, without being bombarded with tons of options and details.

So, what I'm sensing is that maybe price should be at the forefront. Packages should be simple and quickly understandable. On the pricing page, maybe I should make the prices big and prominent, with the package descriptions simple and clear. That way, a person going to the pricing page gets exactly what they expect . . . and they get it quickly and clearly.

A good idea? I'm not sure. My thinking here is that ease of use and upfront pricing are important.

Jeff Harper · April 1st, 2011, 10:29 AM

Corey, you are on the right track. All customers are different, but generally the bullet points are what they want. On the other hand, some girls/women want details, and you have to develop a kind of standard speech that will come to you over time that helps them learn what they need to know.

When a MOB calls, or even a bride, and they want to know what things cost, you want to try and get a sense of their budget, etc., and you want to know their venues as well.

For example, if they are getting married in a huge church with long aisles, a one camera package is not going to be a safe option. You might not offer a single camera package, I haven't seen your pricing, but you get the idea.

When they call, you first ask them what the date is, where it will be, and ask them what they desire from their video.

The ones that are willing to spend more are different from those that think they just want something simple and inexpensive, and over time you will learn which is which, and how to talk to them.

Bottom, line your job is to help, assist them to decide, and only try to upsell them when it benefits them. Be gentle, patient, and kind to your prospects, and above all honest.

I actually give names of competitors out for them to price and compare, sometimes when they say they are just shopping, and they almost always come back to me.

Imagine the bride is a friend or relative, and try and imagine how you would help them, and you will be on your way.

Also it is important to ask opinions of the right folks, preferably gals, to look over your site, and ask them to imagine they are shopping for video, and ask them to give you feedback. When they give it, just listen and thank them. If you have to overly explain why something is the way it is, then it is probably not clear.

Oren Arieli · April 1st, 2011, 10:59 PM

It's got good 'bones'. I like the structure and layout. There might be a tad too much going on in the menus. For example, do you really want everyone 'friending' you on facebook even if they aren't clients? I reserve that for my good friends/family and booked clients (and even then, I prefer they become fans of my business page. You really will have to watch what you post on FB once your clients are connected. Too much politics, religion or controversy could have you losing clients.
Other than that, I would suggest you emulate some of the photographers websites. They let the images do the talking and keep the Q&A for face-to-face meetings.

Jeff Harper · April 2nd, 2011, 04:48 AM

Well said. Photography websites have been around much longer than videography, and the photographers have been at this a long time. They know what works, and what doesn't.

Corey Graham · April 3rd, 2011, 04:41 AM

Oren - thank you! I keep Facebook under control, and I think it's an important way to connect. One of the brides I met with said to friend her on Facebook so I could get pictures to use on her video.

Jeff and Oren - I absolutely plan on letting the video/images carry the site . . . once I have some to show. I haven't done a wedding in almost a decade, but have four booked for this Spring/Summer. You better believe that a lot more visual content will be on the site once I start shooting again :)

Thank you for your input and help! The web site will be constantly evolving as I figure out the needs of my clients.

Chris Harding · April 3rd, 2011, 05:01 AM

Hi Corey

For me pricing is critical...my sort of brides want just the basics..."what do I get and how much" They can then go a step further provided you have the sort of costing that falls within their budget.

I also think it's important to specify what you will cover at the reception...I used to say "Reception coverage from 6pm to Midnight" which meant that I'm there for 6 hours. However I made the fatal mistake of doing a Middle Eastern wedding and whenever I put the camera down they yelled at me "Why aren't you filming?" I explained carefully that the prep, ceremony and 6 hours of "CCTV" non-stop footage wouldn't fit on one or even two DVD's ...she didn't care because I said " from 6pm to Midnight" and she expected me to film for 6 hours non stop!!!!

BTW: It seems like these weddings actually require you to cover the reception continuously (which I was unaware of at the time) so I don't do these weddings any longer now!!!

It's critical that the bride knows exactly what she will get so choose your words carefully!! I have always advertised a "2 camera shoot" (that's me with one camera on the tripod and one on my shoulder" A bride last month insisted on 2 cameramen cos "the website says 2 camera shoot"

If you give them a detailed list of what you cover and what it will cost in simple "bride language" you will get better, reliable sales than if you just say "Our Diamond Packages start at $1500.00"

Chris

Corey Graham · April 10th, 2011, 02:53 PM

I've made some drastic changes to the pricing page, based on everyone's advice and some more pondering. I think this is the way to do it. Let me know if I'm off track again :)

Pricing Weddings by Corey Graham

Chris Harding · April 10th, 2011, 06:41 PM

Hi Corey

Just a few questions here.

Firstly I personally give the bride a short list of what I'm going to cover for the price I'm charging ...eg: "we will cover the groom and bride arrival at the Church, the full ceremony and guest congratulations outside the Church" I make sure she knows what she is going to get for the price she is paying and also specify the maximum number of hours that you are prepared to spend in total.

What happens if the ceremony is a full Catholic Mass or is an ethnic wedding ceremony with a meal prior to the ceremony so it ends up taking up an entire morning???? I limit my ceremony shoot only to 3 hours maximum!!!

Your option two and three will be confusing to a bride maybe???? Why do they have to pay $600 more just because you have a second camera that you will use??? You need to also tell the non-technical bride the reason for the extra cost and again (in my opinion) specify the coverage and the maximum time you will spend.

Personally I think you should make your second package a much shorter shoot (like the ceremony and just part of the reception???) I do a "budget package" that goes up to the first dance and that's it. The way you have the wording, a bride might expect you to film her getting ready, ceremony and then reception all the way to midnight .....that's an awesome deal for under $900 but you won't make much money!!! In my early days I have been caught out with brides demanding 12 hours of coverage on a budget package cos I never specified coverage or time!!!

I would make your third package appear very attractive compared to the second one so brides are tempted to go for it and make the second one just a low budget one for brides that just cannot afford a video over $1000.

Hope you are not confused ??? and also don't undersell yourself it can be as bad as charging too much!!!

Chris

Corey Graham · April 10th, 2011, 07:28 PM

Not confused at all Chris, thanks for taking a look!

I'll try to address everything, because there's actually some method to my madness :)

First of all, about the price structure: I've intentionally kept prices low for this year. I'm in a situation where I'm in a new area, and haven't shot weddings in nearly a decade. I have to establish credibility, yet undercut the competition (for the time being) in order to gain clients. Once I get a nice portfolio of work, then I can start raising prices to what they need to be (hopefully next year).

Secondly, package descriptions: I've left them bare-bones and a bit vague so that the B&G will have questions. When I talk to them one-on-one, I'll fill in the gaps, such as exactly what is covered and for how long. I've been finding that potential clients in my area are interested in price primarily, with all the technical details taking a back seat.

I just added a line at the bottom of the third package: "+ more" to stimulate some curiosity.

I guess I don't want to give too much information on the web site -- I want them to have a reason to contact me. Hopefully because they like the pricing and look of the work (when I get some posted).

And the goal of the web site is simplicity and elegance.

Does this make sense?

Thank you for your help sir!

Raji Ahmed · April 24th, 2011, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corey Graham

Now that I'm getting back into wedding videography, I've made it a priority to get the web site up as soon as possible. This morning, I finally launched it. Far from complete, there will be much more content added as we go.

I'm going for elegance, simplicity, and straightforwardness. I'd love to know what you think, good or bad.

Weddings by Corey Graham

Hey Corey, I actually thought the website looked very nice. It has a modern look. I prefer it not be cluttered with information. Instead of big bright colors, I like the simple and elegant feel of your website. My only question would be about the name of your website - are you Only doing weddings? If yes, then cool.

Alec Moreno · April 24th, 2011, 01:58 PM

Corey,

Here's how I believe most couples will interpret your pricing.

"1 camera wedding coverage" = coverage of the whole wedding day

Change this to "1 camera ceremony coverage" and this should be cleared up...mostly. Have you considered multiple-ceremony cultures? Will all of the ceremonies be included in the coverage? Even if they're uncommon in your area (I don't know) you need to consider them if you're ever to expand your region.
____________________

Also, many wedding filmmakers go through a routine of first describing their packages in too much detail on their site, making them incomprehensible to couples. After communicating with a lot of couples though, they learn what types of questions come up over and over again, and are then able to trim down their web descriptions to better fit what people are most interested in. This move however requires you to be a better communicator, as the sparse package descriptions online will invite more questions. How you handle these questions and describe your packages when discussing it one-on-one is a big part of our wedding film world these days.

It looks like you're at this end point already, so tread carefully when accepting bookings. It's easy to promise one thing when a couple interprets your words to mean something else. The best way to avoid this is get a full rundown of the wedding day(s) and then explain what will NOT be covered. I've not found a more effective way to communicate the limits of a service. Don't gloss over the editing either. This requires as much explanation as the coverage in order to be fair to both you and your couples.

Alec Moreno
Wedding Art Films - Southern California - Los Angeles - Orange County - Video

Chris Harding · April 24th, 2011, 06:12 PM

Hi Corey

Hmmm I see Alec's point there. You need to be extra careful with wording so it portrays just exactly what they get for their money. I did a wedding last month where the bride interpreted my phrase "2 camera shoot" as being 2 operators each with a camera (I shoot alone but use two cameras) and yes, she insisted on two people too!!!!

The last thing you need to a bride paying you your minimum ceremony price and then demanding you cover the entire wedding cos your website says you do.

Maybe also get someone who is no familiar with weddings/video/photos and ask them to read over your text and tell you what they would expect.

Chris

Chip Thome · April 24th, 2011, 08:08 PM

Corey I will agree, there could be some confusion with the bride assuming one thing and you resuming something else.

What I saw is you use the word "wedding" where I am assuming you mean the "marriage ceremony". I perceive the word "wedding" to be something that encompass the entire event. If you think about it, when you receive a "wedding invitation" it is an invitation to attend all of it...well except the makeup and getting dressed parts that is. :-)

Just my two cents, YMMV.

April 1st, 2011, 06:06 AM	#17
Corey Graham Major Player Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Erie, PA Posts: 390	Re: Wedding Web Site Finally Launched I've just decided to remove that all together. From now on, I may mention it quickly while discussing the details with the B&G. Thanks for the suggestions on this! I want to be thorough, yet not overwhelming and confusing. In fact, I've been considering a big change in the way I communicate pricing. I started thinking about it when a couple people mentioned some confusion about my Pricing page. Until now, I haven't wanted to give away all the prices online -- I would want them to contact me for specific prices, so I can explain things and basically "sell" it to them. However, I just talked to the mother of an upcoming bride who contacted me about their July wedding. Even after looking at my detailed price sheet, she was confused about pricing. She just wanted to know how much a wedding video would cost, without being bombarded with tons of options and details. So, what I'm sensing is that maybe price should be at the forefront. Packages should be simple and quickly understandable. On the pricing page, maybe I should make the prices big and prominent, with the package descriptions simple and clear. That way, a person going to the pricing page gets exactly what they expect . . . and they get it quickly and clearly. A good idea? I'm not sure. My thinking here is that ease of use and upfront pricing are important.

April 1st, 2011, 10:29 AM	#18
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Re: Wedding Web Site Finally Launched Corey, you are on the right track. All customers are different, but generally the bullet points are what they want. On the other hand, some girls/women want details, and you have to develop a kind of standard speech that will come to you over time that helps them learn what they need to know. When a MOB calls, or even a bride, and they want to know what things cost, you want to try and get a sense of their budget, etc., and you want to know their venues as well. For example, if they are getting married in a huge church with long aisles, a one camera package is not going to be a safe option. You might not offer a single camera package, I haven't seen your pricing, but you get the idea. When they call, you first ask them what the date is, where it will be, and ask them what they desire from their video. The ones that are willing to spend more are different from those that think they just want something simple and inexpensive, and over time you will learn which is which, and how to talk to them. Bottom, line your job is to help, assist them to decide, and only try to upsell them when it benefits them. Be gentle, patient, and kind to your prospects, and above all honest. I actually give names of competitors out for them to price and compare, sometimes when they say they are just shopping, and they almost always come back to me. Imagine the bride is a friend or relative, and try and imagine how you would help them, and you will be on your way. Also it is important to ask opinions of the right folks, preferably gals, to look over your site, and ask them to imagine they are shopping for video, and ask them to give you feedback. When they give it, just listen and thank them. If you have to overly explain why something is the way it is, then it is probably not clear. __________________ "The horror of what I saw on the timeline cannot be described."

April 1st, 2011, 10:59 PM	#19
Oren Arieli Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Jose, California Posts: 919	Re: Wedding Web Site Finally Launched It's got good 'bones'. I like the structure and layout. There might be a tad too much going on in the menus. For example, do you really want everyone 'friending' you on facebook even if they aren't clients? I reserve that for my good friends/family and booked clients (and even then, I prefer they become fans of my business page. You really will have to watch what you post on FB once your clients are connected. Too much politics, religion or controversy could have you losing clients. Other than that, I would suggest you emulate some of the photographers websites. They let the images do the talking and keep the Q&A for face-to-face meetings.

April 2nd, 2011, 04:48 AM	#20
Jeff Harper Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 8,425	Re: Wedding Web Site Finally Launched Well said. Photography websites have been around much longer than videography, and the photographers have been at this a long time. They know what works, and what doesn't. __________________ "The horror of what I saw on the timeline cannot be described."

April 3rd, 2011, 04:41 AM	#21
Corey Graham Major Player Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Erie, PA Posts: 390	Re: Wedding Web Site Finally Launched Oren - thank you! I keep Facebook under control, and I think it's an important way to connect. One of the brides I met with said to friend her on Facebook so I could get pictures to use on her video. Jeff and Oren - I absolutely plan on letting the video/images carry the site . . . once I have some to show. I haven't done a wedding in almost a decade, but have four booked for this Spring/Summer. You better believe that a lot more visual content will be on the site once I start shooting again :) Thank you for your input and help! The web site will be constantly evolving as I figure out the needs of my clients.

April 3rd, 2011, 05:01 AM	#22
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: Wedding Web Site Finally Launched Hi Corey For me pricing is critical...my sort of brides want just the basics..."what do I get and how much" They can then go a step further provided you have the sort of costing that falls within their budget. I also think it's important to specify what you will cover at the reception...I used to say "Reception coverage from 6pm to Midnight" which meant that I'm there for 6 hours. However I made the fatal mistake of doing a Middle Eastern wedding and whenever I put the camera down they yelled at me "Why aren't you filming?" I explained carefully that the prep, ceremony and 6 hours of "CCTV" non-stop footage wouldn't fit on one or even two DVD's ...she didn't care because I said " from 6pm to Midnight" and she expected me to film for 6 hours non stop!!!! BTW: It seems like these weddings actually require you to cover the reception continuously (which I was unaware of at the time) so I don't do these weddings any longer now!!! It's critical that the bride knows exactly what she will get so choose your words carefully!! I have always advertised a "2 camera shoot" (that's me with one camera on the tripod and one on my shoulder" A bride last month insisted on 2 cameramen cos "the website says 2 camera shoot" If you give them a detailed list of what you cover and what it will cost in simple "bride language" you will get better, reliable sales than if you just say "Our Diamond Packages start at $1500.00" Chris

April 10th, 2011, 02:53 PM	#23
Corey Graham Major Player Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Erie, PA Posts: 390	Re: Wedding Web Site Finally Launched I've made some drastic changes to the pricing page, based on everyone's advice and some more pondering. I think this is the way to do it. Let me know if I'm off track again :) Pricing Weddings by Corey Graham

April 10th, 2011, 06:41 PM	#24
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: Wedding Web Site Finally Launched Hi Corey Just a few questions here. Firstly I personally give the bride a short list of what I'm going to cover for the price I'm charging ...eg: "we will cover the groom and bride arrival at the Church, the full ceremony and guest congratulations outside the Church" I make sure she knows what she is going to get for the price she is paying and also specify the maximum number of hours that you are prepared to spend in total. What happens if the ceremony is a full Catholic Mass or is an ethnic wedding ceremony with a meal prior to the ceremony so it ends up taking up an entire morning???? I limit my ceremony shoot only to 3 hours maximum!!! Your option two and three will be confusing to a bride maybe???? Why do they have to pay $600 more just because you have a second camera that you will use??? You need to also tell the non-technical bride the reason for the extra cost and again (in my opinion) specify the coverage and the maximum time you will spend. Personally I think you should make your second package a much shorter shoot (like the ceremony and just part of the reception???) I do a "budget package" that goes up to the first dance and that's it. The way you have the wording, a bride might expect you to film her getting ready, ceremony and then reception all the way to midnight .....that's an awesome deal for under $900 but you won't make much money!!! In my early days I have been caught out with brides demanding 12 hours of coverage on a budget package cos I never specified coverage or time!!! I would make your third package appear very attractive compared to the second one so brides are tempted to go for it and make the second one just a low budget one for brides that just cannot afford a video over $1000. Hope you are not confused ??? and also don't undersell yourself it can be as bad as charging too much!!! Chris

April 10th, 2011, 07:28 PM	#25
Corey Graham Major Player Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Erie, PA Posts: 390	Re: Wedding Web Site Finally Launched Not confused at all Chris, thanks for taking a look! I'll try to address everything, because there's actually some method to my madness :) First of all, about the price structure: I've intentionally kept prices low for this year. I'm in a situation where I'm in a new area, and haven't shot weddings in nearly a decade. I have to establish credibility, yet undercut the competition (for the time being) in order to gain clients. Once I get a nice portfolio of work, then I can start raising prices to what they need to be (hopefully next year). Secondly, package descriptions: I've left them bare-bones and a bit vague so that the B&G will have questions. When I talk to them one-on-one, I'll fill in the gaps, such as exactly what is covered and for how long. I've been finding that potential clients in my area are interested in price primarily, with all the technical details taking a back seat. I just added a line at the bottom of the third package: "+ more" to stimulate some curiosity. I guess I don't want to give too much information on the web site -- I want them to have a reason to contact me. Hopefully because they like the pricing and look of the work (when I get some posted). And the goal of the web site is simplicity and elegance. Does this make sense? Thank you for your help sir!

April 24th, 2011, 01:58 PM	#27
Alec Moreno Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Glendora, CA Posts: 184	Re: Wedding Web Site Finally Launched Corey, Here's how I believe most couples will interpret your pricing. "1 camera wedding coverage" = coverage of the whole wedding day Change this to "1 camera ceremony coverage" and this should be cleared up...mostly. Have you considered multiple-ceremony cultures? Will all of the ceremonies be included in the coverage? Even if they're uncommon in your area (I don't know) you need to consider them if you're ever to expand your region. ____________________ Also, many wedding filmmakers go through a routine of first describing their packages in too much detail on their site, making them incomprehensible to couples. After communicating with a lot of couples though, they learn what types of questions come up over and over again, and are then able to trim down their web descriptions to better fit what people are most interested in. This move however requires you to be a better communicator, as the sparse package descriptions online will invite more questions. How you handle these questions and describe your packages when discussing it one-on-one is a big part of our wedding film world these days. It looks like you're at this end point already, so tread carefully when accepting bookings. It's easy to promise one thing when a couple interprets your words to mean something else. The best way to avoid this is get a full rundown of the wedding day(s) and then explain what will NOT be covered. I've not found a more effective way to communicate the limits of a service. Don't gloss over the editing either. This requires as much explanation as the coverage in order to be fair to both you and your couples. Alec Moreno Wedding Art Films - Southern California - Los Angeles - Orange County - Video

April 24th, 2011, 06:12 PM	#28
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: Wedding Web Site Finally Launched Hi Corey Hmmm I see Alec's point there. You need to be extra careful with wording so it portrays just exactly what they get for their money. I did a wedding last month where the bride interpreted my phrase "2 camera shoot" as being 2 operators each with a camera (I shoot alone but use two cameras) and yes, she insisted on two people too!!!! The last thing you need to a bride paying you your minimum ceremony price and then demanding you cover the entire wedding cos your website says you do. Maybe also get someone who is no familiar with weddings/video/photos and ask them to read over your text and tell you what they would expect. Chris

April 24th, 2011, 08:08 PM	#29
Chip Thome Major Player Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Green Bay Wisconsin Posts: 553	Re: Wedding Web Site Finally Launched Corey I will agree, there could be some confusion with the bride assuming one thing and you resuming something else. What I saw is you use the word "wedding" where I am assuming you mean the "marriage ceremony". I perceive the word "wedding" to be something that encompass the entire event. If you think about it, when you receive a "wedding invitation" it is an invitation to attend all of it...well except the makeup and getting dressed parts that is. :-) Just my two cents, YMMV.