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PhotoShelter releases survey of more than 550 global image buyers
PhotoShelter, an online storage and archiving business for photographers, has released a survey entitled ‘Photographer Websites: What Buyers Want Now’ detailing the results of a recent survey of including 550+ commercial and editorial image buyers from around the world. The survey features insights about what image buyers love and hate about photographers’ websites.
“Photographers and designers generally build websites based on their artists’ intuition and a desire for uniqueness, yet leave sound business reasoning aside,” said Allen Murabayashi, PhotoShelter CEO. “With this report, we’re helping photographers access tangible business intelligence to support their website design efforts. We all work really hard to bring new customers to our websites – it’s a shame that many photographers’ websites will ultimately betray them when image buyers do visit. Now, photographers have precise guidance on what buyers like and dislike. Our report will help reconcile the desire for standout design with must-have basic features that will help generate more business.”
Sample data from the report includes:
• 94% of buyers hate textured backgrounds. Buyers strongly preferred clean black and white backgrounds that help the photography stand out, while textured backgrounds distract from the images.
• 82% of buyers preferred online downloads from a photographers’ website as their desired delivery method, above FTP, email, and DVD/CD.
• 87% of buyers expect to generate an image price and have the option to complete the purchase online.
• Major pet peeves included music on the website, disappearing next/previous arrows, and lengthy flash introductions that delay buyers from seeing the photography.
In addition, PhotoShelter stated that it has used the data collected in the buyer survey to implement a series of new designs and features for its own website templates (http://www.photoshelter.com/tour/photography-websites).
Web: The report can be requested here: http://www.photoshelter.com/survey
Posted in: News, Photographers, Stock Art Buyers, Stock Photo Companies
