Client:

When the phone rings and the number on the display isn’t one you recognise the thought always flashes through my mind “Is this going to be a time waster wanting to sell me something?”  I always answer regardless and this time I was pleasantly surprised to find it was Andrew Homer from Studio 72 Photography in Telford. After a long chat about his current website, what he wanted to achieve and the timescale it needed to be done in, I was able to give a Andrew a ball-park figure for a new logo and new website development. I followed up as I always do with a proposal and a firm quote, the price fitted into his budgeted figure and so he instructed me to start designing.

Logo Design

The first thing on the agenda was the logo. Andrew had said he was thinking of a re-brand and so I presented him with 4 new logos each a development on from his existing logo. As you can see there is a developmental theme running through the logos, starting with the 7 and 2 in a typeface close to his existing logo and similarly fused together, the fused numbers continuing till they break apart in logo 4 which emulates a stylised lense and the focusing split that you see through the viewfinder.

I was able to give a Andrew a ball-park figure for a new logo and new website development. I followed up as I always do with a proposal and a firm quote, the price fitted into his budgeted figure and so he instructed me to start designing

Re-brand Corporate ID

Re-branding a company can have strange effects on your existing client base, sometimes it can even be perceived as a negative thing. Sometimes your existing clients can loose faith in you because they mistakenly believe your attempts at furthering your business with new graphics is sign of a take over – or worse. All changes to a business need to be taken step by step and only executed when you are 100% happy. Andrew liked the new logo designs but with all things considered he decided that sticking with his existing logo would be safer.

You might not think it but when a client turns down a design it’s still a positive thing, because even though the design has been rejected, a decision has been made and a starting point has been agreed which means you can move forward knowing that you are heading in the right direction.

WordPress Website Design

Andrew produced excellent quality graphics which I combined with the page code to produce a website that I can say is now one of the best photographic studio websites in the Shropshire region

Once we had the direction and some idea of the kind of style that Andrew wanted, I was able to present a first draft website. Andrew, being a creative professional, knows exactly what he wants and between us we were able to craft the layout, colour ways and navigation of the site until it was just right. Having superb photoshop skills which he has perfected in his photography day job, Andrew was able to supply me with a header graphic which was exactly to his liking. Once I told him the size, shape and pixel resolution Andrew produced excellent quality graphics which I combined with the page code to produce a website that I can say is now one of the best photographic studio websites in the Shropshire region. I was able to give the website the tools needed to create the features that Andrew wanted, such as photo galleries that can be grouped as Albums, and a paypal shopping cart, but it is Andrews talent as a photographer and his stunning images that really bring the site to life.

It was a joy to work with Andrew on this project because he wasn’t afraid to push the development that little bit further, he knew what he wanted and pushed until he got it. Andrew understands the importance of grabbing attention with an image and then holding the attention with good copy. Studio 72 was built on a web platform that gives Andrew full control over the content, and while many of my clients say they want to be able to update or admin their site, very few of them actually do, Andrew on the other hand has seen the relevancy of keeping the content fresh and up-to-date. All of the content on Studio 72 is now produced by Andrew, that means he writes his own copy, uploads his own photos and makes his own pages to suit his needs.

SEO – WordPress and Google

Andrew and I talk regularly on the phone and he has taken on board many of the website marketing principles I recommend. This has resulted in over 40 pages of his site being absorbed into the Google index and rising search engine positions all the time. For instance a UK search in Google for ‘model photography telford’ sees the Studio 72 site positioned 5th and 6th on the first page. This proves that being prepared to focus on your website will bring home the results.

Before I started the website development on Studio 72 Andrew had never had much success with his website or had been involved in making it grow. My solution for him which is a custom designed theme powered by WordPress and a carefully selected set of plugins allows Andrew all the control over his site that he could possibly want. Andrew has expressed his delight with his website to me many times, to the point where he was more than happy to write a review at WWDC. As you can see this isn’t a one off and many of my clients who I have converted to this method of website creation are very happy with the results.

There is no reason why you can’t benefit from this successful website development too, just email or call Ian Blackford on 0845 370 3459 and discuss your requirements. You will be surprised at how cost effective it can be and very pleased with the results.