Selling photos online

[boristhemoggy]

I am thinking of selling some of my work online but I haven't a clue what software to use. Does anyone know what is a good program for displaying images, and allowing people to pay for, then download the files?

[kenwae]

I'm pretty new at this myself and hopefully someone more knowledgeable will chime in; but, I think you don't need software, you need an online gallery which has an avenue to purchase prints. I think one is Smugmug and another is Zenfolio, and I think yet another is Photobucket. There are probably many others too.

[boristhemoggy]

I like Zenfolio. I was hoping for software that would allow me to construct my own site. But I am taking a look at Zen for now. Thanks for that suggestion.

[Mr. Pickles]

I chose SmugMug way back in the days before Zenfolio got legs under them. I still think Zenfolio is playing catch-up in some areas.

SmugMug offers a few simple ways to change the look of your site. They also have a whole section on their forum that deals with the customization of your site. It isn't a simple click here and drag there. I think that is what some want, but it is a hard thing to do, so they try and do it themselves. Some succeed, most fail. I don't think Zenfolio has gotten as far in this regard as SmugMug has, but I could be mistaken.

You can set your own prices for a wide range of print sizes and papers on SmugMug with a professional account. They also offer other things with your images on them like shirts, puzzles, mugs, etc.

If one wants to get a SmugMug subscription and give them a shot you can enter L5xvhn5DEtHqsin the "Referred By" field on the sign-up form and save yourself $5.

[dsp]

Exposure Manager is geared toward sales. Some of the others are more for image sharing and they happen to offer sales/pro accounts.

[bobbyz]

Originally Posted by boristhemoggy

I like Zenfolio. I was hoping for software that would allow me to construct my own site. But I am taking a look at Zen for now. Thanks for that suggestion.

There is software called PhotoCart which will let you do what you looking for. It is under $300. I haven't used it myself as I use Zenfolio for now. Had SmugMug before that. Both are nice. Another nice site is Exposure Manager.

[drkranger]

If you wanted to do it yourself, you could always look at a gallery program like JAlbum. It has a variety of user-made addons with PayPal and cart options.

Honestly, I don't use it myself, but it looks to be a pretty good program. I have played with it some.

JAlbum - the free web photo album software and photo gallery software

[Marc Kurth]

FWIW, I'm happy with Printroom: Web Storefronts, Online Sales, and Digital Printing for Professional Photographers but I would assume that any one of the many similar services would meet your needs.

Yes, I pay them a 16% transaction fee, but it makes me money while I sleep......... I know that I could do it myself cheaper but this requires ZERO involvement from me - they bill them, print them, ship them and even email the customer with a promise of customer satisfaction. I get a monthly check in the mail based on the selling price that I set up. I don't know how other people feel, but my time is the most valuable thing I have.

If you think that the 16% fee is high, just wait until you deal with art galleries...............

Your biggest issue is going to be getting traffic to your site. It took me awhile, but I'm getting 20,000 - 25,000 unique hits per month because the search engines found me. I've been lucky to come up number one on Google for the last 3 years when searching for pictures of my little tourist town. I essentially dominate the search engines when people use terms like these:

Morro Bay photography
Morro Bay photographer
Morro Bay pictures
Morro Bay images
Morro Bay galleries
Pictures of Morro bay
Etc., etc........

In my opinion, THAT is where you need to focus if you want to effectively sell online. The more people that find your images, the more your sales will grow.

Marc

[boristhemoggy]

Some great suggestions here. Thanks a bunch guys.

[Jessica]

Marc,
Do your clients ever complain about the high shipping costs? or have they ever returned a print due to quality? I've been checking out printroom because of all of the work they do for you. I'm concerned about the quality though. Your input is greatly appreciated!

Jess

[Marc Kurth]

Hi Jess,
They have been good so far, with only one return that I know of. It got wet during shipping. There could possibly be others that I didn’t hear about. I have ordered some prints using another email address to check their quality and it has been good. I haven't heard any complaints about high shipping costs, but that doesn't mean that it isn't hurting me - it only means that I don't know!

Printroom sends an email to every customer thanking them for the order, giving them a shipping acknowledgement and offering a satisfaction guarantee. I get a copy of those emails also. I use the Pro account where they waive the annual fee when you reach only $3,000. in sales.


I will say that in my experience, WHCC & Mpix consistently produce the best prints for the money but Printroom makes the process so darn easy for me. If I were starting over, I would explore Zenfolio because they let you use Mpix for fulfillment.


Keep in mind that I’m not selling high end fine art prints. My audience tends to be tourists who want a reminder of their vacation time in my little town. I'm staying with them for now, because I have a machine in place that runs smootthly - and I don't have any time to spend on it. Photography is a hobby that happens to makes money for me, and I make more actual profit selling images for magazine and billboard use. Those tend to go for $750 to $1500 each with no printing or shipping cost.


Marc

[Jessica]

Thanks Marc!
That helps a lot. I'm also looking into Exposure Manager. They seem to be similar. I get a little concerned about not seeing the final product before it reaches my clients hands. But you're right, they make it so easy for you!!

Jess

[Marc Kurth]

Jess,

The right answer for you may be to use a service that provides a self-fulfillment option - most of them do. You print (or have it done) the image and ship it to the customer. That way you can inspect each print prior to delivery. If I were doing this full time, I would invest in a large printer and hand print each order. If you are looking to do some large stuff, I'd suggest you try these guys and see what you think of their qualtity:

El-Co Color Labs Poster Special Don't be afraid of their low pricing, they do a pretty darn good job if you have a good image file to begin with. I think that $24. for TWO 30' prints is close to free.....

Good luck and let us know what direction you decide to go!

Marc

[superdel]

What about one of the big photo libraries like Alamy or Stock. Its hard to join but then you have a big market for your pictures. Just a thought.

[Jessica]

I've decided to go with Picture Cart and fill the orders myself. I would love to hear anyone's feedback if they use it as well!

Jess

[photoxtremist]

is there no one that does something like photo cart where u manage the orders yourself but the cost of the app isnt stupidly expensive

[boristhemoggy]

I'm going to try Zen cart. It allows for downloading of files. I'll let you know how I get on.

[photoxtremist]

i live in the UK so zen wont really help me. plus im looking for a script where i manage the orders an prints myself, not another company who wants part of the takings. people have already suggested some but there too expensive