Digital download sales smaller than 1M

HCP

Hello all,

We have been SmugMug pro users for several years, dating to before digital downloads were offered.

We have been selling two versions of digital images for local cycling events via email and PayPal, so we have only used SmugMug as a way to show Medium-sized watermarked versions of rider images. The two digital sale options are 1200x800 and full resolution, approximately 3888x2592, depending on cropping.

Here is a sample gallery:
http://hcphoto.smugmug.com/DBC-and-NorCal/Davis-Wednesday-Night-TTs/PutahCreekTT-25August2010/13495461_fW4UR

Occasionally, we would receive feedback from customers that they really wanted to just be able to buy via a SmugMug shopping cart process, so finally after reading through all the digital download information we could find on SmugMug and on Digital Grin, we opted to test selling the 1200x800 files via SmugMug as well.

Here is a sample gallery:
http://hcphoto.smugmug.com/DBC-and-NorCal/Folsom-Cyclebration-SCTT/2010-Men-Cat-3/13747840_UXFot

So here is the biggest issue. And I recall from other threads that others have had this similar issues.

If we want to use SmugMug's watermarking, the images need to be 801 pixels or larger on their longest side, right?

If we want to use the 1M download, we need to have images slightly larger than 1200x800 so that they add up to over 1M. The SmugMug Help Desk says we can offer 1200x800s in the 1M option, but take a look at this small gallery and try to use the Buy Photos in this Gallery option. It tells us that the images are too small and grays out the ability to buy:

http://hcphoto.smugmug.com/DBC-and-NorCal/Folsom-Cyclebration-SCTT/2010-Juniors-15-18/13748311_9Zeav

So reading through the advice, we opted to use the "original" version for 1200x800 sales. But our very first sale went to someone who interpreted "original" as meaning original full resolution and despite all the info we had on the page, was extremely disappointed to receive a 1200x800 image file.

The SmugMug Help Desk has been involved with us in dealing with the unhappy customer, but they don't seem to appreciate that this could have been avoided if there was a way for the dimensions of the "original" to be inserted on the shopping cart page inside the parentheses the field where it says "original".

I think it is kind of crazy that in the current era of small image appropriation, that SmugMug doesn't have the ability to watermark smaller than 801 pixels, and that it isn't easy to sell smaller than 1M images. Selling smaller image sizes by using "originals" is clunky at best.

If other pros have found better workaround, I would really appreciate hearing them.

Thank you for taking the time to read this! -PK of HCP

angevin1

HCP wrote: »

Hello all,

We have been SmugMug pro users for several years, dating to before digital downloads were offered.

We have been selling two versions of digital images for local cycling events via email and PayPal, so we have only used SmugMug as a way to show Medium-sized watermarked versions of rider images. The two digital sale options are 1200x800 and full resolution, approximately 3888x2592, depending on cropping.

Here is a sample gallery:
http://hcphoto.smugmug.com/DBC-and-NorCal/Davis-Wednesday-Night-TTs/PutahCreekTT-25August2010/13495461_fW4UR

Occasionally, we would receive feedback from customers that they really wanted to just be able to buy via a SmugMug shopping cart process, so finally after reading through all the digital download information we could find on SmugMug and on Digital Grin, we opted to test selling the 1200x800 files via SmugMug as well.

Here is a sample gallery:
http://hcphoto.smugmug.com/DBC-and-NorCal/Folsom-Cyclebration-SCTT/2010-Men-Cat-3/13747840_UXFot

So here is the biggest issue. And I recall from other threads that others have had this similar issues.

If we want to use SmugMug's watermarking, the images need to be 801 pixels or larger on their longest side, right?

If we want to use the 1M download, we need to have images slightly larger than 1200x800 so that they add up to over 1M. The SmugMug Help Desk says we can offer 1200x800s in the 1M option, but take a look at this small gallery and try to use the Buy Photos in this Gallery option. It tells us that the images are too small and grays out the ability to buy:

http://hcphoto.smugmug.com/DBC-and-NorCal/Folsom-Cyclebration-SCTT/2010-Juniors-15-18/13748311_9Zeav

So reading through the advice, we opted to use the "original" version for 1200x800 sales. But our very first sale went to someone who interpreted "original" as meaning original full resolution and despite all the info we had on the page, was extremely disappointed to receive a 1200x800 image file.

The SmugMug Help Desk has been involved with us in dealing with the unhappy customer, but they don't seem to appreciate that this could have been avoided if there was a way for the dimensions of the "original" to be inserted on the shopping cart page inside the parentheses the field where it says "original".

I think it is kind of crazy that in the current era of small image appropriation, that SmugMug doesn't have the ability to watermark smaller than 801 pixels, and that it isn't easy to sell smaller than 1M images. Selling smaller image sizes by using "originals" is clunky at best.

If other pros have found better workaround, I would really appreciate hearing them.

Thank you for taking the time to read this! -PK of HCP

I imagine someone else will come in and help you regarding the image size offered itself.

As for the Wm. Why not make your own.

HCP

angevin1 wrote: »

I imagine someone else will come in and help you regarding the image size offered itself.

As for the Wm. Why not make your own.

We used to apply our own watermark. However, if one wishes to sell unwatermarked digital downloads via SmugMug's shopping cart, and yet still display watermarked images, then one must use the SmugMug watermark process.

Or is there a way around this?

HCP

Any chance of new digital download file size options?
After reading today's post about New Album Download Pricing for Pros, I eagerly read through the post hoping there would be some reference to more flexibility in the sizes of digital image files offered for sale. But no.

After seeing the comments on this post from a month ago, I was happy to see that we weren't the only business finding the current digital download options problematic.
http://news.smugmug.com/2011/02/25/how-digital-downloads-can-and-should-work-for-you/#comments

I'm thinking more seriously about making a switch (sadly). I've taken a quick look at zenfolio. Are there any other digital download service providers I should check out that offer more customizable options for digital download sales?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions, or please add your voice to mine if you feel the lack of digital options is hurting your sales. -PK

HCP

No comments? No one else needs smaller digital image sizes to sell to customers for Facebook, twitter, etc?

HCP

Please vote for low-res file downloads if they matter to your business
If any one else does care about this issue enough to vote on it, please do so here.

http://feedback.smugmug.com/forums/17723-smugmug/suggestions/309807-add-sale-of-smaller-digital-files

Thank you!