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01/02/2007 06:33:05 PM · #1 |
I'm looking for the good, the bad, and the ugly, at least as far as online services go. Right now I have a website with Click Image/My Photographer. While I like the website portion well enough, I have set up a proof gallery for the first time, so that people who participated in a photo essay can order prints if they want.
Therein lies the problem: there are elements of the print service that I'm not crazy about (they have a minimum order amount, creating a package somehow set the site so that ONLY the package could be ordered, etc.)
Is it better to have a service that takes orders, prints them, and ships them for me, and then takes their commission for that? Or is it better to have a site that lets people make an order and notify me, then I can have it printed and shipped myself?
I went with ClickImage in the first place because they did it all for me, but now I'm wondering...
Any insight or suggestion at all would be greatly appreciated!
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01/02/2007 07:04:17 PM · #2 |
Hey Brent. Was just thinking about you yesterday. :-) We need some snow so we can shoot!
I think it's a personal thing. I personally would rather see the images before they are sent to the customer. Images will frequently be slightly different if they aren't printed in the same batch. I'd rather catch the errors before the customer sees it and is unhappy.
However, if the customer can order and receive the merchandise without you, the "middle man", it saves you time and shipping costs.
Many have said they are happy with Smugmug's service and quality. If you choose to go that way, my referral is in my sig.
Another option, maybe, is to set up a store like Cafe Press (haven't seen their printing quality so can't tell you for sure) and offer other items as well.
Good luck! :-)
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01/02/2007 07:13:57 PM · #3 |
UGLY = networksolutions.com
A company I support uses them, and their website and email are down for more than, I'd estimate, about 7% of the time. And that's during business hours. When you call, you get people who cannot do anything about it who are just there to make a ticket number and tell you it will be escalated to their engineers. You NEVER hear anything back from them except to get a useless email survey sometime after they manage to get their servers back up again.
They're cheap though. Not hard to guess why.
Message edited by author 2007-01-02 19:14:54.
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01/02/2007 07:20:12 PM · #4 |
I use SmugMug. I still haven't figured out all the details of it. I made my Smugmug site using the forums to customize it a little, but it looks pretty weak.
I am just starting out and I had about 20 customers place orders. I only had a few complaits on how confusing it is.
Here are the things I don't like about it:
1. There is a link to SmugMug's main page from the order page, and some of my customers hit it causing them to leave me site.
2. You can't (or I don't know how to) limit the options for printing. If I format the customers pictures for 8x10, all print sizes are available. It doesn't seem to have a way to default it. Plus, there are so many sizes available it's hard for a customer to find the one's they want. Another example, 8x10s are on one dropdown list, and 4x5s are on another.
The print quality is excellent. Everyone is extremely happy with Luster print.
I have used MPix before, and if they had a 'professional option' I would use them.
I don't know of any other place that has all the services SmugMug offers.
My site is: summitmeadowstudio.smugmug.com
Sales to date are low, but I am building a decent size client list and they are all promising to come back.
TonyT
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01/02/2007 08:03:12 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by TonyT:
2. You can't (or I don't know how to) limit the options for printing. If I format the customers pictures for 8x10, all print sizes are available. It doesn't seem to have a way to default it. Plus, there are so many sizes available it's hard for a customer to find the one's they want. Another example, 8x10s are on one dropdown list, and 4x5s are on another.
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Actually, you can do this in when you set your print prices. For any size that you don't wish to be made available, set the print price to $0.00. Go to the image in question while you are logged in, and choose "Custom Pro Pricing" from your Photo Tools drop-down box. At the top of the next screen, you can apply the custom pricing to that image, that gallery, multiple galleries, or your entire portfolio.
I have my default portfolio pricing set up to exclude glossy prints in any size, and to exclude all those specialty/odd sizes and gift items. This way, customers never even see those options; therefore, they can't get confused.
HTH
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01/02/2007 08:24:44 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by TonyT:
I use SmugMug. I still haven't figured out all the details of it. I made my Smugmug site using the forums to customize it a little, but it looks pretty weak.
I am just starting out and I had about 20 customers place orders. I only had a few complaits on how confusing it is.
TonyT |
If you need help I will be on tonight after 11 p.m. My user name in yahoo is rex07734
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01/02/2007 08:54:21 PM · #7 |
I really like your setup. I can't figure out a few things like how you made your home page. I would be interested in that.
Plus, I can't figure out the pages part, like in your galleries.
I don't know if I can be on tonight, and I don't think I have a yahoo (I have AOL and MSN) and Skype.
I will try tonight.
Thank you!
TonyT
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01/02/2007 09:01:58 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by TonyT:
I really like your setup. I can't figure out a few things like how you made your home page. I would be interested in that.
Plus, I can't figure out the pages part, like in your galleries.
I don't know if I can be on tonight, and I don't think I have a yahoo (I have AOL and MSN) and Skype.
I will try tonight.
Thank you!
TonyT |
You are talking about my menu bars. The "Home" "Family" "Kids"...... and all that. Here is the code for that.
Just change the web address to reflect your website and the address of each gallery. Paste this into your Header section.
I am on now as well. I also have MSN jstanton0808
Message edited by author 2007-01-02 21:05:53.
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01/03/2007 07:58:50 AM · #9 |
Thank you for the input guys! Now I know a few to avoid like the plague, and I'm going to take a look at SmugMug and see how they work.
@TonyT - I've used Mpix for some printing too, and if they had any way to post proofs, I'd probably jump right up and use them too - never had any problems.
This whole thing would be so much easier if DPC offered some kind of deal for a website, and DPCPrints could be used for orders like on all these other sites ;-)
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01/03/2007 08:29:59 AM · #10 |
I agree. DCPrints should make a professional version so photographers could use them. They have the printing and ordering already.
We should ban together and ask for it.
TonyT
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01/03/2007 09:14:05 AM · #11 |
Originally posted by TonyT:
I agree. DCPrints should make a professional version so photographers could use them. They have the printing and ordering already.
We should ban together and ask for it.
TonyT |
It's been suggested several times before :-( DPCPrints needs a total overhaul to make it more efficient, with bulk uploads and an easier sizing/selection scheme. But it has real potential, and the quality is always great. I know that I for one would pay an extra membership fee to have a professional version with a website and all with them - I'd much rather give DPC any business I could.
Maybe if we raise the point again?
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01/03/2007 09:38:47 AM · #12 |
I also use smugmug... very happy with it, I get to customize my site the way I want and it only cost me 99 for a whole year. I designed/customized my site from reading the dgrin forums and asking questions. Also looked at other peoples sites and how they did them.
Its confusing and gets frustrating if you dont know CSS or webdesign at all like me..... lol but keep playing around with it and you'll figure it out. Selling prints is cool and password protected galleries for clients is cool also you can even hide some of your galleries. Also you can put a link to use paypal which is cool.
Message edited by author 2007-01-03 09:40:29.
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