Name of your website?Photo-ER, the emergency room for damaged photographs
Your name?
Ken
Your Location (city, etc)
Montgomery
What inspired you to launch your own website?
The lack of knowledge by homeowners, renters and businesses that there damaged photographs are covered due to damage from a loss. As personal property this is normally a part of the policy and they can be restored under their policy and not end up a trash.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
Our first web site was "Stcroix-beaches.com" it is site highlighting the USVI of St. Croix where we own our vacation property that we rent. It covers the island from a personal view with many areas not covered in commercial sites. A good way to share our years of experiences and thousands of photographs.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
Photo-ER, "ER" is assocated with the emergency room and as treatment is critical and immediate so is the treatment, quality and service that we address damaged photographs. As we focus on natural and man made disasters, salvaging and restoring precious momentos is time sensitive for the best recovery.
Please give us a short summary of your website?
Emphasis is that photographs from antique to a recent wedding albulm are not a total loss in a disaster. We work directly with the insurance companies to restore the material under their coverage and they need to be aware of that coverage. Numerous examples of the extent of our restoration, pricing, and full services.
What makes it different from other, similar offerings?
40 Years experience covering fine art, photography, airbrush restoration and digital restoration. A full time operation staffed and equiped to react in a major disaster such as the tornado that affected Kansas last spring or those photgraphs damaged in a single house fire.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
To expand the reach of our talents, develop new talents and further educate in new technology and expand to react and salvage precious memories. When I am satisfied I have taken Photo-ER" as far as I can I will look for a visionary to take it further.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
Photo-ER is a spoke on a bigger wheel in progress. The bulk of the time and money was invested in the preparation of the whole picture. As each portion of the plan are implimented the balance tips toward the success side of the scale. The satisfaction alone from a extrodinary restoration is an unmeasurable success.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
I am satisifed on how it is takeing shape now, changes will be necessary as it evolves but not now or previously, unlimited budget or not.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Yes.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
Unexpected deviations from schedules in developement have been frustrating.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Having to learn every aspect within reason working with new servers, networking, PHP, MySGL, Linux, Dreamweaver, Flash and on and on. All of this while developing business and marketing plans. Most people my age are looking at retirement.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
The first segment of "Photo-ER" was just an initial Internet identity. The remainder of our marketing plan is a focused approach that I would not care to reveal on this venue. We will continue to impliment SEO aplications to increase our web site exposure.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
Not at all.
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
As part of our marketing plan Photo-ER is realatively new, our other sites have been running 8 and 3 years respectfully. Photo-ER will continue to grow for years and three other sites we are developing will be coming on line in 2008.
What has given you the most satisfaction from Photo-ER.com
Doing the creativity in developing it and the graphics from scratch. Additionally the ability to use my restoration talent to its fullest and seeing the look on the face of the customers that experience what we can accomplish for them. Priceless!
What is your website address?
Photo-ER, the emergency room for damaged photographs
