Overview
Olinger Photography, a solo volume studio led by Nicole Olinger, struggled with paper-based ordering, scattered communications, and time-consuming proofing. By adopting GotPhoto’s end-to-end platform, she centralized online proofing, automated customer messaging, and simplified order management. The payoff: hours saved every week, a smoother client experience, and a breakout season:
“I tripled my sales this spring.”
Introduction
Olinger Photography is a one-woman volume shop serving schools, seniors, and sports programs (school, league, and travel), plus dance. With 10 years in business and only one full-time employee (Nicole), efficiency isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s survival. Nicole heard about GotPhoto from fellow volume photographers: “They were happy with the system, so I gave it a try and fell in love.”
The Challenges
High-volume portrait work comes with moving parts:
- Paper order forms created errors, rework, and delays.
- Proofing was manual and clunky, making it hard for families to see and select favorites quickly.
- Client communication took too much time between chasing deadlines, sending reminders, and answering repetitive questions.
The cost? Lost time, missed revenue from unclaimed orders, and a disjointed experience for schools and parents.
The Solution
Nicole implemented GotPhoto to unify proofing, sales, and communication.
- Online Proofing & Sales: Parents preview images, choose what they love, and order online. No paper, no guesswork.
- Automated Communication Profiles: Deadline reminders and updates run on autopilot; Nicole sets the cadence once and lets it work.
- Upselling & AOV Boosters: Built-in upsell options lift cart value without feeling pushy, and price profiles created with GotPhoto’s customer success team push parents to higher-value items.
- Data & Business Insights: Nicole reviews performance at a glance—what’s selling, what’s not, and where to optimize.
- Brandable Storefront: Customized galleries reflect Olinger Photography’s look and feel, reinforcing brand recognition.
- Organized Orders: Centralized order tracking and fulfillment reduce errors and help hit school delivery timelines.
Implementation was straightforward. Nicole configured communication profiles by job type (school picture day vs. sports), set product mixes with targeted upsells, and launched branded online galleries. She moved from paper to digital without friction:
“Going from paper order forms to online was definitely a big change. But my clients love that they can see the images and order what they love.”
The Results
- Hours of time saved each week through automated reminders and streamlined proofing.
- Increased average order value by $20 via built-in upsells and deadline-driven communications.
- Sales growth: “I have only been full time for 1.5 years, and this spring I tripled my sales!”
- Stronger client satisfaction: Parents appreciated visual proofing and convenient online checkout.
- Better decision-making: “I love all the data management tools and statistics. They help me to review my business at a glance to make changes when needed.”
- Brand consistency: “It’s great to have the ability to customize the online site to reflect my brand. It helps to build brand recognition for my clients.”
- Partner confidence and community: “Definitely [I’d recommend GotPhoto]! It is very user friendly, the customer service team is wonderful, and I love how the company is always working to improve for their clients (the photographers) and our clients.” Nicole also cites GotPhoto’s Summer Camp as a valuable source of knowledge and relationships.
Conclusion
For high-volume portrait operations, time is inventory. Olinger Photography’s move to GotPhoto turned slow, manual processes into an efficient, integrated workflow, freeing Nicole to shoot more, sell more, and deliver faster. The combination of online proofing, automated communication, upsell tools, and business insights created a consistent, reliable system that scales with busy school and sports seasons.
Ready to streamline your volume workflow and boost sales?
Try a free trial of GotPhoto and see how bulk processing, automated reminders, and integrated online proofing can transform your next school or sports job.