Client Experience

Most photography businesses are built on word of mouth referrals, and mine is no exception.   

You can’t afford to get the client experience wrong. Research shows that for 80% of customers, the experience is as important as the goods and services you’re selling. This is especially true of luxury services, like photography.  

It’s all well and good taking beautiful photos, but if your client experience is lacking then you won’t see repeat business. Nor will your clients recommend you. In fact, dissatisfied customers tell twice as many people as happy clients do.  

That’s not the only reason to focus on your CX. Great customer experience builds trust with your clients before you even meet them. They arrive excited, full of anticipation, and brimming with trust. And that leads to a much easier session for you…which in turn means you’ll turn out your best work. It's a win win.

Finally, clients who have a great experience will spend more. Dolla, dolla bills, baby. It will directly and immediately impact your bottom line. A professional experience commands a higher price point. A happy client is more likely to upgrade. And if they feel that connection to their images, they are more likely to purchase products.

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The hallmarks of a great CX are Efficiency, Convenience, Friendliness, and Knowledgeable Service. In the photography world, this breaks down into a few key areas that you should be focussing on:
  • A smooth onboarding process. You need to make it easy for people to book you. A great client management platform, and minimal back-and-forth. The easier the process, the more likely you are to hook that lead.
  • Clear communication. Make sure your clients understand you, your service and what to expect. Show up on your socials and be yourself. Hire a copywriter to really get your brand voice across, and it’ll pay dividends when you find yourself attracting your ideal clients in spades. 
  • Prepare your clients. A great welcome guide, useful blogs, or a phone call a few days before their shoot can all help to put their minds at ease and have them arrive at their session as calm and prepared as possible. It also establishes you as an expert, and builds that all-important trust.
  • Under-promise and over-deliver. Think about what value you can add to your clients’ experience. Access to a great print store, bringing an extra dress from your client wardrobe, a mobile app, a gorgeous reel, prints included in your packages…whatever it is, go above and beyond because those little touches are what your client will remember and tell their friends about.
  • And of course, amazing images. But you already have that under control!

Most of all, though, you need to make your client experience sustainable. Consistency is key. Make use of the technology at your fingertips. Invest in a CRM like StudioNinja or Dubsado. Purchase a scheduler such as Calendly or Acuity. Leverage your mailing list in MailerLite or MailChimp and market yourself to your client base regularly. Invest the time in setting up these systems and they will repay you tenfold by saving you time, and increasing your conversion rate.