Gallery Building Tips
 

Common misconceptions, strategies, differing opininions.

1. It's not all about the pretty graphics.

True: Many people make a lot of money putting nothing up but 3 rows of 5 pics and 3 text links on a white background.

False: Same can be said for people who make pretty galleries. Sometimes a pretty gallery will cause you to stand out among 1,000 other submitters that day.

2. Text links pull better than banners.

True: Generally this is true in pretty much all cases.

False: However you shouldn't necessarily arrive on just the one. Sometimes a flashing banner/gif grabs their attention follow it with a small line of text underneath to close the sale.

3. PIcture Placement Is Not Important.

True: As said previously there are many peopl who make a ton of money putting up 3 rows of 5 pics.

False: The flow of the gallery can easily determine your chances of increasing or decreasing your CTR's.
Example: If you use a unique layout with sales text being put into tables next to the pics it would be better to finish off with the text on the right hand side.
People read from left to right and scan. Put key text that you want to catch their eyes in highlighted colors on the right hand side and you just may see an increase in ctr.

4. Commanding Text is/is not important.

Example: "click here to get instant access."

True: (is) Start the sell with the nasty talk, or by chatting up the benefits of the site but eventually call them to action. Announce in no uncertain terms that this is a link to gain access to the site.

False: (is not) Click here...Join Now...etc..can get over used. Trick is find new text that calls the surfer to action. You need it on at least 1 of your text links, I feel that it improves your ctrs.

5. Thumbs are not important.

True: As in all cases there is the exception to every rule. There are peope who mass batch thumbs in Arles and still generate mad traffic, mad money.

False: What are you trying to do? You are trying to sell sex, not give it away. Crop the thumbs fand show the interesting parts, or keep the interesting parts just out of view so they have to click to the larger picture.
If a surfer opens up your page and can scan every pic they might not find anything interesting enough to keep them there and move onto the next gallery.
So keep them interested. Keep them clicking back and forth between thumbs and larger images.

Why?

This increases more page views on your gallery by one set of eyes which in turns put the ads in front of that set of eyes more often.

Would you rather they click one thumb see your ad copy once and then move on?

Or bounce back and forth between 10-15 thumbs/pics and see your ad copy that many more times?



To sum it up. This is an ever evolving business. What works today does not work tomorrow, so grow, learn tweak your work in small increments so you can monitor the outcome of those changes.

Good luck.

Great tips! thansk dude!
*bookmarks*

tips from the master himself:thumbsup

Thanks for the info. :thumbsup :thumbsup

Great post :thumbsup

Why bookmark it when you can print it? Good stuff, eros :thumbsup

great post eros, you know your shit!

great tips, thanks eros

I printed it. Thanks.

Nice post! :thumbsup

Actually some nice tips! Thanks :)

Do you want more?
After every 50th response I'll post one more tip.

Its all about the copy. And I mean text not stealing

Yeah and a cake is all about the sugar.

It's a recipe...many elements to take into account to make a good tasting cake.

Great post! Printing now :thumbsup

What gallery builder do you like?

mmmmm..cake..

Nice tips btw :thumbsup

Great post and great galleries too btw :thumbsup

Me?

LOL seriously what do you mean?

My daily tools consist of Photoshop, ACDSee, Dreamweaver, Arles and my brain.

Beautiful post, mang. Gracias. :)

thx and you're welcome.

For some this is basic stuff, for others it's a reminder at how we can't forget the basics :)

1 more tip:

CONTENT - CONTENT - CONTENT

Get good quality content, sharpen your thumbs make it look sweet.

Great post Eros. All you noobs out there better hit the print button on this one. :thumbsup

2. Text links pull better than banners.

that is vital info in general..but espeically if you have a free host. they already have a shit load of banners...it'll be ignored.

Great tips by the way!!!!! :thumbsup

You da man!

Look for eroswebmaster's galleries soon at http://www.howigotrich.com/hosted_galleries.htm

Awesome work!

great post, and great galleries to boot :thumbsup

Nice tips Eros!!!!!! ;)

Whats your opinion of using Flash in galleries?

thats some great tips there:thumbsup