PUMP PRODUCTS Q&A: Dave, Web Producer

Dave, Pump Products Web Producer
Dave, Pump Products Web Producer

At Pump Products, we’re a team of individuals working together to provide a premium selection of pumps by Armstrong, Bell & Gossett, Zoeller and other leading manufacturers and to guide our customers through a seamless selection process. Our ability to deliver a perfectly sized pump quickly and affordably hinges on a staff well versed in pumps,  web commerce, and a wide variety of other topics.  Dave, our Web Producer, is an Information Technology (IT) pro who brings a background in photography and marketing to the job of maintaining our website and optimizing our customers’ online experience.

Q. Tell us what you do all day, Dave.

A. There’s a few parts to my job. First, I troubleshoot our computers and maintain them. I also do a certain amount of product marketing to maximize our online presence and take product photos.

Q. IT and photography seem like an unusual combination. Have you always done both?

A. No, I was trained in the IT side of things and shot skateboarding events in my free time.  I used to shoot at competitions where big East Coast skateboard manufacturers like Zoo York and Mustard would compete. Shooting live skaters was my introduction to photography.  Later, I got a job working for an internet retailer that specialized in overstock items.  That’s where I learned the fundamentals of product photography.

Q. Why photograph products?

A. So the customer can see what they’re buying. With certain items like accessories, a lot the time manufacturer photos don’t exist. We feel that providing those will enhance our customers’ experience of our site. This is one of the marketing aspects of my job. The quality of the photos is important. Many retailers will post a small version of a photo in a zoom feature so when you click on it you don’t actually see a larger version of the photo, which basically makes the zoom useless. We try and make the most of that feature.

Q. How does photographing pumps differ from other kinds of photography you’ve done?

A. For pumps and pump parts it’s important to get as much detail in as few photos as possible. At Pump Products we have the capacity to show a product from multiple angles but instead of posting 30-40 photos, we post 3 or 4 that show every part of the item and give the customer a sense of construction and quality. I like to experiment but feel like there’s really only four important angles: 90 degrees, 45 degrees, 20 degrees and 0 degrees — the worm’s view. Along with each item we like to show the customer what’s in the package. So each product photo has to be set up and executed individually.

Q. Your photos look great and they’re very detailed.  

A. Thanks, since I’ve started handling the pumps and accessories we supply, I’ve started to notice the high quality of Zoeller, Liberty, Berkeley and other premium pump brands. They’re cast iron and durable and I try and show that in the photos. I can see why a lot of customers are satisfied with them. And it’s been interesting to notice the regional popularity of certain brands, like Berkeley and Meyers in the Midwest and Bell & Gossett in the East.  I’m looking forward to our continued online growth as customer experience of the site improves.

Visit Pump Products at http://www.pumpproducts.com or speak with one of our Product Experts at 1-800-429-0800.