I recently finalized one of the Agenceum clients using an existing template, and by coincidence I also used it to make a small subsite for Sid’s upcoming Portrait Photography workshop. With that, I had three websites using the same template, and each of them used Sid’s photography. I talked to Sid about making some kind of package that combined his photography and this website specific template, and presto! Here is our first real package.

I reworked the Agenceum Sell Sheet into something I could show people who come into the studio.

At first, I had thought that I needed to make a custom website for every client; this comes from a desire to really understand the uniquenesses of each individual. However, in terms of business, customization to the nth degree is very time-intensive and hence unprofitable. And for most people, it turns out that that level of customization is not needed. Essentially, people need a website that represents them well and is within their means. This template happens to work pretty well for what it is, though mentally it is something of a stretch to use the same template over and over. The mental shift is from “designer” to “product packager”.

The front side has 6 examples of the layout and a call-to-action at the bottom. Instead of the Agenceum logo I’m using the Collective logo, which is what I use when doing collaborative work. The price is correspondingly higher, at $250 for the web work. It turns out that this is more realistic than $75 once you include all the customization and back-and-forth with people. At a total cost of $500, it’s still a pretty cheap package, especially given that it includes custom photography.

I print the first sheet  on matte photo paper, and second sheet (with all the text) gets printed in black-and-white on the other side of the photo paper. The photo paper I’m using is a little thin and bleeds through; printing in black and white makes the bleedthrough less noticeable on the pretty front side.

For a better look, check out the PDF Download.

I’m having a version of this printed via an online printer I’ve been meaning to try, Digital Lizard, which I came across via a Facebook advertisement. They have a very snazzy online interface, and some interesting product offerings for the solo designer. I however have not seen samples of their print output, despite having requested a sample kit a couple of times. This experience was echoed by another friend of mine who was looking into using them. The prices look great, however, and the phone call I had with their representative was very professional and personable, so I’m willing to chalk this up to “we’re super busy”.