the importance of pictures when shopping for a NEW guitar

[MaurysMusic]

When shopping for a new guitar, how much importance do you place on pictures?

[Rexfordbridge]

To me pictures are very important. On your website, you have generic photos which is cool, but if you were ever able to take the Sweetwater approach where they take pics of the actual guitar, that would be even better.

[crikey]

For dealing with an online purchase, yes I place great importance on pics when it comes down to picking the actual guitar. And just as important are patience and courtesy in handling my questions leading up to the actual guitar purchase.

[MaurysMusic]

thanks guys. Rexfordbridge (and anyone else) do you need to see them on the webpage when browsing or if we e-mail you pics in real-time, is that just as good? We're trying to figure out how to satisfy customer and keep the website accurate & current.

[logan2z]

Originally Posted by Rexfordbridge

...but if you were ever able to take the Sweetwater approach where they take pics of the actual guitar, that would be even better.

Agreed, that really sets Sweetwater apart from its competitors. They publish the weight of the actual guitar as well. Obviously not that important for acoustics, but very handy when shopping for an electric.

[Misty44]

I do not like runout and will not purchase a guitar with it. Therefore photos of the actual guitar for sale (not a surrogate or stock pic) are important to me.

I also prefer minimum clicks, and would therefore like to see the guitar in situ on the home page, not as part of an email response.

To me, the psychological impact of a top quality photo on the site is a very powerful sales tool.

[Rexfordbridge]

"To me, the psychological impact of a top quality photo on the site is a very powerful sales tool. "

I agree with this statement completely. To me, it makes it feel like an actual product. This goes for any item that you are purchasing on the internet. If I was buying a puppy, a guitar, or anything that has slight variation, I would like actual pictures. For example, I like the way CR guitars does their website, and I think Sweetwater's is excellent too. I can't forget Mandolin Brothers too.

http://www.crguitars.com/site/itemsL...tars-acoustics
http://www.mandoweb.com/Instruments/Acoustic

[Side Man]

Originally Posted by MaurysMusic

thanks guys. We're trying to figure out how to satisfy customer and keep the website accurate & current.

Wanna see great actual in-stock guitar pics online? Check out this site: http://www.guitaradoptions.com/

Dave does all his own photography, too...

[williejohnson]

I think that it's very important and I like the way Elderley does it.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by MaurysMusic

When shopping for a new guitar, how much importance do you place on pictures?

Hi M's Music...

Important. If the site doesn't have it, I know I can likely find it elsewhere, which means if I search elsewhere, I may consider getting it elsewhere.

[vic@leftiesonly]

I think pictures are very important, especially on a higher end guitar with exotic woods.

My site (which just launched) is only for lefties (obviously), but I'm putting an emphasis on both photos and video-audio samples of the guitars. It may be more paramount for lefties, who almost always have to order sight unseen, but I think it's worth doing for anyone.

Now I just have to learn how to use the camera.

[drive-south]

In many cases when a dealer shows a "stock" photo of a model, that tells me that they don't actualy have that model in stock and would have to order one if a customer requests it. The store may tell you it's being shipped, but then you experience a delay as the dealers scrambles to find you the instrument you want. I'm not playing that game.

It is my understanding that Gibson will not allow dealers to show photos of actual Gibson instruments they have in inventory. This is a very counter-productive practice in my opinion. Many people will not bother to call and request pictures. They'll just move on to the next dealer's site. Many of the silly policies that Gibson is employing are the result of a few very influencial chains (GC and MF) placing pressure on Gibson to limit the competition.

[Buck62]

Originally Posted by MaurysMusic

When shopping for a new guitar, how much importance do you place on pictures?

If it's Ebay or one of those larger discount websites, the pictures mean a lot. That's because some retailers use Ebay or I-Offer to sell floor models, scratch n' dent guitars or guitars with some other unforseen problem.

If it's on Craigslist, not too much. (Yes, some small, local stores use them to sell their guitars) That's because the picture size is limited and the only sellers I'll call are the ones who live within driving distance. So, I'll usually call them and ask a bunch of questions before deciding to take the drive to check it out.

Retail giants like Musicians Friend will send you another guitar if there's a problem with the first one, so it's less important with them.

Elderly does a wonderful job of showing pictures of their new guitars for sale. They're the best example I can think of (both new and used) as far as pictures go.
.

[cjd-player]

I think good images are extremely important. For example, Wildwood Music does a nice job with photos of their inventory, except that a fair number of the photos are out of focus.

[StringFive]

Maury. In my view you need real pictures on the site in real time. It's not that hard to do if you use something like WordPress...you could maintain it yourself without a webmaster.

(My PR company does WordPress sites among other things...but not a sell-job...just happy to pass tips along. PM me if interested in talking more).