any photographer sell CD only have a Pro account?o

Therese Marie

I have been using Smug Mug for over a year as a way of storing my clients digital files from their session and LOVE it. Can't put a price on "Peace of Mind".

Well I have been in photography business for almost 6 yrs and just decided to sell the "CD only Collection" from clients session. They can still order a Collection with the CD and prints but suspect most will just order the CD now.

SO I figured I now have their album uploaded anyways for storage, I could upgrade to the Pro account and
1. "have a place for clients to order quality prints ( I use Bayphoto anyways)
2. "make a bit extra money since they have to order prints anyways right?

AH I am scared to do this. I don't want to spend 150.00 and find out it is just not for me.
I would love to hear from others who do what I am planning on doing and get any feedback I can. I already have a website, no plans on changing that. I just need the print fulfillment.
Help me push the buy now button LOL


Therese
ThereseMariePhotography.com

Cygnus Studios

We have a pro account and 99.99% of our stuff is delivered directly to the client in digital format. The ease of using smugmug for our clients to view images is perfect for us. It also allows us to create galleries for that .01% of clients who want prints. We don't charge our clients any extra for the prints (set at our cost). The cost for the smugmug account is one of the cheapest yearly business expenses that we have. I spend more than $150 on filters, so that isn't a factor.

For a website that we can customize to our hearts content, the storage, the customer service, and all the rest of the things that smugmug throws in makes the choice a no brainer for us. Even though we don't use all the features it is nice to know that they are there when or if we choose to take advantage of them.

Therese Marie

Thanks Steve;

I give the client a CD of their images on a Custom CD and Image Tin. (client image on CD and Tin)
So I won't sell them the "download image" since they have them on the CD already.
I am considering upgrading to Pro so I can offer them a professional print and make a tiny bit more money in sales of the photos. Not to much over the default price.
Currently I have a la carte pricing on my website and was going to take that down.
I am just wondering if anyone does this and how it is working out.
Don't get me wrong. I LOVE Smugmug, been using it over a year. Just wondering if I should upgrade to Pro and do the "print fulfillment" .

Cygnus Studios

Play to your clients needs. The vast majority of people today use images for email, facebook and other digital sharing. If you charge for your time, don't worry about the print prices. It is always easier to justify your price in capturing the shot than it is justifying why you want X amount extra for the cost of a print.

What you will end up doing is force the client to buy a cd and get their printing done at the local Walmart where you cannot rely on the quality. A great marketing tactic is telling your clients, that they get all the prints at your cost.

SamirD

Digital originals allow the client to get a print anywhere. You'll be competing with every way a client can print images and trying to recover your $150/yr for the pro account.

Setting prices at cost would be a good way to get sales, but only when you're cheaper if your customer is just price shopping. Building value in a superior end product would be the way to encourage them to buy from you.

I have a book where I printed the same images from Target and SM. It cost me a bit to make the book, but the difference is obvious. It's a really easy way to convince clients that my printing partner is superior to theirs.

Quinn55

What I do, like with Senior Portraits I charge 200.00 for the Session and give them a Print credit in the form of a digital coupon for 75.00 dollars. and have print packages starting at 75.00 dollars and up (my cost is 10.00 or 12.00 on the $75.00 package) they save over individual prints, or they can order individual prints with it. This way with the $75.00 print credit they always order prints. I have my prints marked up 700% up to 8x10 and 100% on everything else, after the customers 1st order I send them a 20- 30% off additional print coupon. Some customers I will even give them @cost coupons but only close friends.

Quintin.

SamirD

Good stuff Quintin! How does the additional coupon help with residual sales?

Quinn55

SamirD,

It works pretty good, whats nice about it is if thay have Grand parents or like the last shoot I did, the father lives out of state so they can pass the coupon code to relatives if thay want to order prints. The only CD I give my customers is a low res. for web with watermarks. thay can buy downloads if they like off the site.

SamirD

Hmm...I wonder if that would work in my genre--car enthusiast events. Most of the time, the only one that orders anything is the owner of the vehicle. I guess the repeat sale would be when that vehicle is at another event, which does happen quite often.