Most of us will agree that when we want information about a topic or a service provider we will look them up on the internet. It’s our number one source for information. So ask yourself; what can I do to make myself more findable?

There are thousands of books, articles, workshops etc. all teaching about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Each with lots of information about what you can do to make your website more findable. We know the volume of information out there can be overwheming.  

So here is a recommendation for a source we use and have found very helpful www.hubspot.com.  A great way to start is using their free “website grader”.  Just type in your website address and they will send you a report of how your website grades for SEO. This report is a great way to learn about your website and how to make yourself more findable by Google and other web browsers... even more importantly Customers !

So find out your grade and learn what you can do to make it better.

                                                                                 Happy Blogging

A little research shows us what  other countries say! In Bulgaria they say a word meaning “cabbage”. In Germany they say “cheesecake”, which sounds much more appetizing then cabbage to me! And in most Latin American countries they say “Whisky”. But in Thailand they say “Pepsi”.  And my personal favorite, In most French speaking countries they say “marmoset” . In this case I think the word just makes people laugh.

As photographers you may have your own word that you have people say. Regardless of how you go about it, your job is to get a good photograph of them. People love to smile.

So how do you get your smiles ?

 As we ponder what “we are most thankful for”, time and again we come back to the same answer…You our customers.

 It is our sincere hope that we have provided you with nothing less than the highest quality products and customer service and that your business was able to flourish this past year. 

We have many new and exciting products and promotions coming this year… and we can’t wait to tell you about them!

Until then … we wish you all the very best.

Here is the List of Winners :

We will contact you all soon via E-mail with your personal redemption code to use .

Thanks to everyone who entered . Keep on the watch for our next giveaway happening soon !

This week my friend Jen from college had invited me over to see her new house (where there was electricity). Her husband greeted me at the door along with her 3 year old son Luke. He was so excited to show me his “big boy room”. So, after a very quick hello, Luke dragged me upstairs, Tonka truck in hand, straight to the bedroom on the left. “See Emmie! My room”.

After about 10 minutes of making “vroom vroom” Tonka noises and being his personal horse, Jen came and snagged me to show me the rest of the house. As we walked around I kept telling her that it really didn’t feel like they just moved in. It felt so homey. We walked through the house looking at pictures, in the living room a photo of their wedding, their sons first birthday, in the office a photo of last Christmas with the family together, and a picture of our graduation. I felt surrounded by memories of good times and family members. We all do this in similar ways. Showing off our favorite photos in our homes, showcasing our families; it makes a house feel like home. So how do we preserve our favorite photos? A traditional frame is often used or album. But for the more creative, we see scrap books and collages. Then came printed albums, which melded the idea of scrap booking into a modern and organized book. The components people love about scrap booking and these new albums is that you can have a theme for a page, a photo as a background of a fun design, one or more photos, and words! You can write where you were the date the name of the people in the photo. For your wedding you can write down your favorite section of your vows next to your photo. It personalizes the photo even further! But you can’t hang a scrap book page on the wall…..or can you?

Century Color is now offering Gallery Blocks. This new product takes all the elements of a scrap book page and turns it into gorgeous wall art. You can add whatever words you like, and drag and drop photos into prepared designs. There are colorful backgrounds and your photos are elevated on another block to highlight them. Or you can even design your own! It’s such a personal way to display your photos. Its great for any occasion, any photo and any room! Make your house a home with pictures of the ones you love. Explore the options on the Century Color website.

It’s become common for people to Google one another. We Google the people we may work with like the woman on the radio did, or before a date with that new guy we just met, or that strange neighbor who never waves back at us. Even employers will check on someone before a job interview. It’s human nature to be curious.

I decided to challenge Google. I didn’t think there was much information out there about me.  I timed myself and within about 7 minutes I found a site called Spokeo that told my age, type of car I drive, town I live in and street name, and there is a photo of my house! It tells how long I have lived there and how many people live in the house. It also makes an approximation of your household income every year. On this same website, for fewer than 3 dollars, they would give me a full phone number, email address, property information, links to all my social networking sites, and my occupation.  On another website there are pictures of me on vacation that I didn’t know existed! There is a website for nannies (I used to be a nanny) where parents can find out who is in their area for child care. I had never used this site. But when I Googled my name I found information on myself as a nanny and families who I previously worked for who rated my services. I found things I posted online from my phone, and I didn’t notice that it also gave my location at the time of that post.

So here is the big question; Do you Google yourself? Do you know what information is out there about you? Have you Googled your kids? Sadly sometimes kids do not understand the risk of putting personal information on the internet.  Be aware of not only what you think is out there, but what others can find if they look for you.

As I’m writing this, John our Head of Marketing  decided to Google me. He quickly found two videos of me singing in my car a few years back and sent them in an e-mail . I guess it’s not as private as I thought. This is a light ending to a serious article. But who doesn’t need a good laugh. So, my advice to all you readers is, Google yourself. Quick! Before your co-worker emails you a video of yourself singing in the car.

Happy Blogging

Can I see your portfolio? Before you as a photographer even get a call, the bride has already extensively Googled you. All reviews of your work can be found online, and she has read them. Anyone that she knows who has used you in the past or for their wedding has been thoroughly interviewed. Any and all photographs posted as samples on your website have been viewed. They want to know what kind of experience you have and how others feel about your service. But then when they meet with you, they love to look at your sample albums or portfolios while you chat about particulars. So, we like photographers who will bring materials when they meet with us.

How long will you be at my wedding? How many hours will you be shooting, and what type of shots? Now all brides know that depending on price this can change, but they want the most out of their photographer for that day. They don’t want you to miss a thing! When grandma decides to “Get Jiggy Wit It” on the dance floor, she wants you there capturing that. Because really, we all wish we had a photo of our grandmother getting down on the dance floor! But they also need some nice family shots and friend shots too, and getting ready with all the girls is important. These are the types of things that brides want you to assure them, will not be missed.

 What is your price? Brides have budgets, and have to respect them. So they need to know exactly what they will be paying, out the door and down the road, for your service. Putting this on paper at the first meeting is beneficial for both you and the bride. Brides will put that paper into their “bride planner” (which during engagement becomes her bible) this way when they call you back there will be no communication error between what you had originally set as a price.

I love my friends and I love all the weddings. When it’s all over and the girls get their photo album from the wedding, I always have to see it. Even though I was there, the memories always make us smile.

Happy Blogging

1. Listen - It’s important to your customer to be heard
2. Acknowledge - Even if you don’t agree, acknowledge that you understand their feelings and are actively listening to their complaint
3. Don’t take it personally - When someone is calling customer service in an upset, they need to vent. It’s not about what we did; it’s about their emotions on the matter. 
4. Respect yourself - You don’t have to be subject to rude comments or name calling! If a customer becomes abusive, it’s ok, even beneficial, to let the customer know that you are willing to continue the conversation when they are calm.
5. Respond with kindness - When a situation becomes heated, responding kindly can defuse a situation greatly. The customer relaxes and becomes less defensive.
6. Forgive - These may be customers that we interact with regularly. But, even if they are not, we must let go on the situation emotionally and move on.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

We all know that these 6 tips are easier said than done. When a heated situation arises, responding in a calm, collected, and kind manner isn’t our inclination. One book titled “Dealing with the customer from hell; a survival guide” shares some good information about dealing with the difficult customer. One reader says that the book reminded them of the fact that “In most cases customers from hell did not start the day in that mode (or mood), but circumstances have led to the behavior we are seeing as service providers.” The author also reminds us that at one time or another we have all been on the other end of that line, being the difficult one. Recognizing these things also helps us to maintain a calm manner; wanting to defuse the situation rather than fuel the fire.

                So I hope these tips help those in customer service keep their cool!

                                                    Happy Blogging

My mom’s biggest annoyance is bad customer service. It’s almost hard to watch. One time I was watching her make a phone call for my father to a company that has awful customer service. As I watched her, I saw the effect it had on her and I thought to myself “how many of us have made those phone calls?” And so I started analyzing things that make people happy with customer service vs. unhappy.  So here is a list of things that we can all do to improve our customer service.

1)      Answer the phone – The worst feeling is when we are already frustrated and have to leave a message. So during business hours, do your best to answer.

2)      Keep your word – If we are promised something, we expect it to happen. So don’t make promises you can’t keep. Reliability is key to any business alliance. If you say my product will be in on Friday, I want it on Friday, but if you say you will call me when it’s in, I expect a call.

3)      Be honest – We all respect honesty, rather than getting misinformation, if you don’t know the answer to my question, tell us you don’t know and get a supervisor or call us back. There is no shame in that.

4)      Listen to your customers – We can tell when you have tuned us out, and we don’t like it.

5)      Deal with complaints – We all know things happen and customers aren’t happy because we have made a mistake, but we have to take initiative as a business to fix the problem. A miscommunication or confusing information can make “dealing with the complaint” difficult, but try to iron it out as soon as the problem is found. And make the customer aware that you are doing your best.

We have the privilege here at Century Color to witness great customer service first hand! Many of you know our wonderful customer service staff. Doreen, Shari, Shannon, and Rae-Ann all strive to make your experiences with Century Color easy and enjoyable. They know many of you by name and are always available to help our customers. They are the personalities that make Century Color Not Just Your Professional Lab, Your Personal Lab, as our byline states. So today, we applaud all those in customer service making life a little easier for the rest of us!

Happy Blogging

As many of you are aware, Century Color and Ashe Design are now marketing partners! What this means for you is that the options for your card designs has been hugely expanded. Previously we had more traditional folded cards with lots of design options and in various sizes, and then came our off centered cards. These cards are still available to be ordered! But now we are introducing additional options; including 

These are a nice option to break the tradition of “typical” square cards. Now there’s nothing to dislike about folded cards, but sometimes you would like to have a fresh look on the typical card. The sharp edge along with the new designs makes these cards appealing for any occasion. 

The way to get these new designs is through the Ashe Design website itself. Ashe Design sells these designer templates, then you can order your press printed cards through us! Make sure you look for the Century Color name when choosing a design. 

We are so excited about these new options and are glad to be able to share our excitement with you! What a chance to wow your customers! So check out the latest additions to our card offering, and gear up for the holidays early. Be proactive; ahead of the rush!

Questions? Just contact us; we're here to help!

Happy Blogging