Miscommunication or lack of communication in general can make or break a deal with your client. We've stressed the importance of clear and concise communication with clients in the first installment of our Wedding Workshop series, but what can be done after your shoots finish to make sure your client is taken care of?
picu – the ultimate client proofing plugin
Most photo websites operate through WordPress simply because of it's ease of operation and photographer friendly templates. Long time WordPress theme and plugin creators Claudio Rimann and Florian Ziegler developed Picu to resolve a necessary gap for photographers using WordPress. Even though WordPress has outstanding themes for photo portfolios and galleries, they felt as though it lacked a strong proofing system for clients.
How to use the Picu Plugin
The first and most crucial benefit is that picu is free to download. A plugin this aesthetically pleasing and this easy to use being free is hard to believe. WP users can download the free plugin in their WP backend and it will show up on their Dashboard menu on the left hand side. There are three simple steps after download to best utilize the plugin:
The free plugin has no quantitative restrictions on how many collections, images or the file size that can be uploaded. This doesn't mean you should be using the plugin to send thousands of images to clients, but to each their own. This is client proofing made extremely easy for those that are in dire need of client approval, input, and consideration.
picu add-ons
The foundation of picu allows for a great start for freelance photographers to create client proofing galleries and album favorites but the icing on the cake are the add-ons. Picu currently offers three add-ons (click here for more info):
Download ($26): enables you to allow clients to download the collection images as a .zip file. Alternatively you can specify an external link.
Import ($26): Dealing with large collections that contain lots of images? This add-on enables you to import images directly from a folder on your web server. Just upload images via ftp and save precious time.
Selection Options ($26): enables you to set specific selection goals: Define an exact, minimum, maximum or a range of numbers of images your client needs to approve.
With these add-ons picu acts like a third party client gallery site, displacing the need for cloud-based image delivery. It's strongest feature for additional revenue is definitely the Selection Options add-on, great for creating albums or having clients choose which images they need printed.
[REWIND: RECOMMENDED WORDPRESS PLUGINS FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS] future add-on features coming soon
Brand & Customize: enables you to customize the overall appearance of your collections. Add your logo, adjust the color scheme and select a font that fits your brand and corporate identity.
"Mark & Comment" is the next add-on that picu wants to get out the door which actually was derived from photographers that used the plugin and felt as though this feature was missing. This will allow commenting on individual images. Apart from that, picu is developing new features for the free version of the plugin such as automatic watermarks and various performance improvements.
WordPress is easily the most commonly used photographer website domain simply due to its digestible interface and customizable templates. Picu can facilitate your client experience with easy to comprehend directions and professional proofing services. Check out the free WP plugin here and kick your client experience up a notch!
Confused on where to start with your WordPress photography site? See why we recommend WordPress and get a rundown of our favorite plugins in our Photography SEO & Web Marketing Book in SLRL Premium!
Source: Picu WordPress Plugin Review | Client Proofing Made Easy
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