| Author | Thread |
|
|
07/22/2006 03:40:10 PM · #1 |
I've been trying to get some ordering sites setup over the past week or so, and have been having difficulties with any of them I try.
Candid2000.com had serious turnaround issues, as well as burying the fact that they charge upload fees and send you a COD box of proof prints as soon as you upload. It took 24 hours after the upload to get the thumbnails back, and then you get the event software out (why is it separate? I have no clue) Then, after you upload the event, it's another 24 hours (or whenever someone apparently enters it manually on their end) before the event is available online.
I'm going with Express Digital for now, their free software is okay, but the organizing is a pain, as well as the pricing package setup. I'm not sure I like having to build in 15% on the top to pay them either, but it's better than paying them up front without knowing how much I may make off the prints, and if that will equal my costs to upload with someone else.
I've looked a little into LifePics, but I can't find any info on their site on how their pricing/labs/software/interface or pretty much anything that would make me want to pay them up front works.
Anyone have some better options? Other Comments or experiences on any of these companies?
|
|
|
|
07/22/2006 04:55:36 PM · #2 |
check out //www.imagequix.com - got a decent write up in studio photography.
|
|
|
|
07/22/2006 06:16:04 PM · #3 |
Originally posted by soup:
check out //www.imagequix.com - got a decent write up in studio photography. |
Thanks, Tim. Anyone else?
|
|
|
|
07/22/2006 08:09:51 PM · #4 |
You're looking for a fully hosted option? There are some good packages around if you feel like setting up your own site.
I've got a bunch of links on my PC at work I can dig out if you're interested, I reasearched it last year and decided I couldn't be bothered at all, and now just host the images on my site and take orders offline at the moment..
Cheers, Me.
edit: didn't make sense! :-)
Message edited by author 2006-07-22 20:10:25. |
|
|
|
07/22/2006 08:26:51 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by KiwiChris:
You're looking for a fully hosted option? There are some good packages around if you feel like setting up your own site.
I've got a bunch of links on my PC at work I can dig out if you're interested, I reasearched it last year and decided I couldn't be bothered at all, and now just host the images on my site and take orders offline at the moment.. |
I just need the e-commerce part hosted where people actually go and find their event, choose pics, and place an order. Did you research US companies? And why would you have done that? ::head scratchin::
|
|
|
|
07/22/2006 08:37:16 PM · #6 |
Two of the ones that seem to market the most through the professional wedding/portrait agencies seem to be Collages.net and Pictage.com.
We chose Collages.net because after getting about a half-dozen of my friends (who are all developers) and family (who are much more novice on computers) to navigate through both sites, the clear winner for user interface and workflow was Collages.net. It can get pricey, though, at $70/month or $699/year so you need to be pushing some business through it. It seems like Pictage was going to cost approximately the same given the volume of business we process but I'm not positive about that.
Both have demos you can walk through.
Kev
|
|
|
|
07/22/2006 08:48:29 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by KevinRiggs:
Two of the ones that seem to market the most through the professional wedding/portrait agencies seem to be Collages.net and Pictage.com.
We chose Collages.net because after getting about a half-dozen of my friends (who are all developers) and family (who are much more novice on computers) to navigate through both sites, the clear winner for user interface and workflow was Collages.net. It can get pricey, though, at $70/month or $699/year so you need to be pushing some business through it. It seems like Pictage was going to cost approximately the same given the volume of business we process but I'm not positive about that.
Both have demos you can walk through.
Kev |
Thanks Kev, I need something that doesn't kill the wallet right now, untill I can get more business flowing, but I'll keep those in mind, and take a look at them now.
|
|
|
|
07/23/2006 06:39:49 AM · #8 |
Originally posted by wavelength:
Originally posted by KiwiChris:
You're looking for a fully hosted option? There are some good packages around if you feel like setting up your own site.
I've got a bunch of links on my PC at work I can dig out if you're interested, I reasearched it last year and decided I couldn't be bothered at all, and now just host the images on my site and take orders offline at the moment.. |
I just need the e-commerce part hosted where people actually go and find their event, choose pics, and place an order. Did you research US companies? And why would you have done that? ::head scratchin:: |
Nup, didn't reasearch US companies as such, just software solutions, as I already host a number of sites on a leased server space. (Geek, through and through).
There is one NZ hosted solution but it's really aimed at high-end pros rather than hacks like myself. I'd have to be shooting events/weddings every week to make it work for me. I only do events I need formal proof galleries for about once a month or so, if that.
My main need was for simple, low cost hosting of the public event/sports images. I've got 962 images on there, growing every week, but only sell a few prints every month. It's more of a public service than a business enterprise.
For formal events and portrait sesssions I use a secure part of the same site engine (which I wrote), it's ugly but it works (graphic artist I'm not...)
Cheers, Me. |
|
|
|
07/27/2006 10:36:39 AM · #9 |
How involved do you want to be?
Some sites will do everything - you ulpoad pics and forget about it - they'll take the order, the money, make prints and mail them out.
I don't like that myself. I appreciate the ease of it, but I want to know what's in that box of pictures besides the pictures. Also, if I deliver I get another point of contact and get to see the pics myself, so if there is an error i don't have any third party issues (cropping, color, etc, etc) Some also charge 20% or more and often you have to use them for prints at their prices.
My solution, which may not work for everyone, is I use Breezebrower Pro to create the sales site, host it on my ISP, and use paypal for the cart and payment. I get an email with the file wanted, who bought it w/ address, and the money. Cost is 3%. I have to of course order the pics and whatnot, but that's fine. What I post on the web is usually proofs, minimally edited, so when I get an order I can edit those pics only - saves me time on that end and I only upload small files so that saves time.
|
|
|
|
07/28/2006 03:41:34 PM · #10 |
I have used pictology and collages.net. I like collages.net's setup better...but pictology is cheaper. You can also pay per event with collages.net which is what I do right now. Costs $35 or $50 depending on how you set it up. Pictology is free (just can't host more than two events at once) and they take out %15 of print sales to cover costs. I just increased my print prices by %15 which wasn't a big deal, my prints are pretty reasonalbe anyway. Then I send the order to my lab. Right now I am using Mpix, but I am going to be switching some of my wedding prints and large senior portraits to a more pro level lab, just haven't decided who to use yet.
|
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Prints! -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2024 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 04/19/2024 01:27:48 PM EDT.
