I created this slideshow for a client that was a friend. I always feel weird doing business with friends, but they didn't balk at all at my sitting fee. So, as a gift I made this show. I had the best reaction from the mom, her email said that "tears are falling in my coffee cup". I am wondering how others are incorporating the slide shows into their business model. So far for me, it has been a great marketing tool since the mom has already forwarded the link to many of her friends.
Cobbs Girls

jason

Hey Jason,
Saw the site and the pictures of the kids, and think that it is awesome. Nicely done!
-Angel

Laptop reception slideshows
Website slideshows
'Best of' web slideshows
Slideshows sold to clients on CD
'Best of' show given on CD with biz cards and 8x10 promos to potential clients
Website slideshow gifts for people or events that I happen to shoot freely
Web slideshow for rock concerts that I shoot
Web slideshows to keep family and friends in touch

Get used to those great client emails, you'll get plenty when you send out a Showit web slideshow link. Make sure you check out your website bandwidth allowances and overage fees. I am burning through a whole lot more bandwidth than before, this is especially true if you use your own song as background music.

Angel and Brady,
thanks for the reply.

I guess I wasn't so clear in my question. Are you charging for the web site in any way? Or are you just raising your prices and adding the slideshow as a "gift"? And, do you do it for every client?

I have had several people ask after they saw the show, "Is that included in my sitting?" Right now my answer is, I don't know!

I am new to it and I was just doing it for fun. I guess I will blame DJ for having such a cool program created!
jason

I give the web slideshows away for free to every single client (wedding, portrait, sports, concert, event or anything else). I include anywhere 20-50 highlight images and set it to music. The little time it takes is offset by potential clients seeing it.

If they want it on CD then I charge a little.

I give the web slideshow with all my packages. I use the slideshow at the reception as an upsell within my packages though. For use on CD, I would charge a little bit as well.

I have one couple who live in Australia that I am doing the CD for at no charge, as I had such a good time dealing with them. I can't wait to get their feedback on it.

I'd love to be able to burn slideshows onto CD. I haven't yet found a way to do it that won't require more software or hardware. People really love the slideshows, though. A couple baby shows I've done were very well received.

We have done the shows at weddings and they're great. Still haven't booked any from them, though.

there are some cool autorun freeware proggies out there. I am using one now, and I'll be burning it into my CD's to run the slideshow from the get go.

If you use PC then open the ShowIt folder and make all of the files hidden except for the HTML file (You do this by selecting the files and right clicking, then choose Properties and check hidden). This ensures that the client only sees the HTML page and not the photos, music and other things if they open the CD from My Computer (unless they have configured their PC to show hidden files). From there you can download and use an Autorun utility from online. Burn the CD and it should automatically run, if they open it from My Computer then they should only see the HTML page.