RocketCowboy
Senior Member
Zenfolio provides the same. I'm not convinced they're (Zenfolio in this case) worth 7% of the sale, based on sale price, not the lab's cost ... in addition to the monthly subscription fee already charged.
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Zenfolio provides the same. I'm not convinced they're (Zenfolio in this case) worth 7% of the sale, based on sale price, not the lab's cost ... in addition to the monthly subscription fee already charged.
Don Kuykendall_RIP
RIP :(
The profit margin with SmugMug looks pretty good. It is spelled out up front so you can see what you are going to actually make.
[MENTION=6277]Don Kuykendall[/MENTION] and @RocketCowboy thanks for the discussion. It helps me understand some of the things these sites offer.
RocketCowboy
Senior Member
In interesting paradox ... this time last year I was headed down the Smugmug or Zenfolio route while Don had excellent information on how to self host with Wordpress, and a year later we've both reversed.
I still wish I had Don's Wordpress skills!Don Kuykendall_RIP
RIP :(
In interesting paradox ... this time last year I was headed down the Smugmug or Zenfolio route while Don had excellent information on how to self host with Wordpress, and a year later we've both reversed.
I just never got a look and functionality with sales that I liked. HAving the ectra upload and setup each time I added a photo was more than I wanted to deal with. With SmugMug I can upload a full size tiff directly from Lightroom. Make is easy for me. I do not do this for a living and really don't try to make any money with it so ease of use was important. People keep telling me they want to buy prints so I though it might be time to do something.
RocketCowboy
Senior Member
I hear ya! It's the perspective and what each of us is trying to accomplish that makes the differences interesting.
In interesting paradox ... this time last year I was headed down the Smugmug or Zenfolio route while Don had excellent information on how to self host with Wordpress, and a year later we've both reversed.
Does Wordpress allow an outside company to print photos for sales, or is it more of a way to show off portfolios without sales?
Don Kuykendall_RIP
RIP :(
There are plugins that give that functionality. Some are free and some are expensive. If I am going to pay then I had rather go with a all in one solution like Zenfolio or SmugMug
RocketCowboy
Senior Member
I'm going with NextGen Pro Gallery, which includes the eCommerce functionality that I think I was using with Zenfolio. I can create proofing galleries, add a price list, provide digital downloads, password protected galleries, etc. It also has the payment integrations with Paypal, which is what I was using through Zenfolio. With Zenfolio, I didn't have orders go straight to the lab for processing, because I wanted to remove my watermark from prints, but leave it on digital downloads. With NextGen Pro, it looks like I can have the gallery add the watermark to downloads, so all I need to do to print is export from Lightroom to the lab and ship from there. I don't see it being any more work than what I had to put in with Zenfolio, but it costs me less and I don't have Zenfolio trying to market their own products to my customers.
Don Kuykendall_RIP
RIP :(
Can't wait to see it. Be sure to send me the link
Am I reading this right--it allows customers to privately view their galleries so those photos aren't public?
Scott Murray
Senior Member
Yes
That would be the password protected galleries, I have the same in Fotomerchant.
RocketCowboy
Senior Member
Exactly. You can set whether a gallery is public or private. Zenfolio provides an option to expire a gallery as well, regardless of whether it's public or private, so that I can automate things like a gallery will only be available 30-60 days after the event. I haven't seen whether NextGen Pro will do that as well, but it's a nice feature to have in addition to the other two.
RocketCowboy
Senior Member
Will do! I've got some work being done to finish up the backend integrations so that I can go live and switch over from Zenfolio at the end of December.