Calendars? What?

VanishingAmerica

I spoke with an online SmugMug "hero" today about calendars. He is quoted as saying, "You can create calendars, but they are not able to be sold through the site. The vendor used for creating the calendar is simply allowed access to the images on your site so the calendar can be created."

Didja catch that? You can create a calendar through SmugMug and MyCanvas, but you can't sell it through SmugMug or MyCanvas.

So, my question is this... "Why offer a product that we can't sell?"

After all, Smugmug is a business-oriented site. And the fact that SmugMug is a business-oriented site has been reiterated by the new annual price increase for SmugMug services (worth the $300 price tag only to people doing business on the site).

(I know there are discussions about the price increase, and I have read through most of them, so I'd like to keep this question limited to calendars) :lust

Does anyone know of a site that produces nice calendars that we can sell online (by sending our clients the link to the storefront)? Has anyone tried Cafe Press, Zazzle, lulu, mypublisher or anything else?

VanishingAmerica

So... nobody has any insight? Or am I the only one who wants to make calendars for my clients?

ian408

Looks like Michael replied to one of your post in another thread about Calendars.

VanishingAmerica

ian408 wrote: »

Looks like Michael replied to one of your post in another thread about Calendars.

do you have that link?

jarboedoggart

VanishingAmerica wrote: »

So... nobody has any insight? Or am I the only one who wants to make calendars for my clients?

There are plenty of other services only available to the website owner. Smugmug has these affiliated vendors and Smugmug site owners usually get some sort of a discount. You cant sell Blurb books or Moo cards, etc, to customers either through the site.

The only products available to your customers are the products that the print labs have available.

However, I agree, having a calender option would be nice.

VanishingAmerica

jarboedoggart wrote: »

There are plenty of other services only available to the website owner. Smugmug has these affiliated vendors and Smugmug site owners usually get some sort of a discount. You cant sell Blurb books or Moo cards, etc, to customers either through the site.

The only products available to your customers are the products that the print labs have available.

However, I agree, having a calender option would be nice.

You're right. The beginnings of the options are there. But they just need to complete the trip.

I have been revamping my Smugmug site over the past two weeks and the changes have already produced a couple of new sales. I like that. But integrating those optional items (books, calendars, etc.) into categories where we can actually sell them would be just what SM needs to rise above the competition (especially after all the flak over their membership price increase).

As a pro, SM is just worth the $300/yr, but it would skyrocket above and beyond if they could integrate book sales, calendar sales, card sales, etc. -- offering the option to sell the things they allow us to create. That's really the bottom line here... setting up the system to allow us to sell the items that we create. I know the cost of such integration is expensive, but I'd pay $500/yr for that kind of service. And, it will increase membership and bring back a lot of the people who left over the price jack.

Smugmug has SO MUCH potential, but for some strange reason, isn't living up to that potential. SM could truly rise to the top, if they wanted to. I wonder if they want to.

Luc De Jaeger

VanishingAmerica wrote: »

Smugmug has SO MUCH potential, but for some strange reason, isn't living up to that potential. SM could truly rise to the top, if they wanted to. I wonder if they want to.

I'm sure they want to... But where to find all these programmers who are able to make this all happen and satisfy US customers and European customers alike? Also, the tools (programming languages among others) to make our dreams and imagination come true may still be lacking in output...

I have seen so many software programs in my life and still feel discontented: it's all so static, not user-friendly, cumbersome, not well-designed, lacking an eye for ergonomics... the simple drag&drop promised by Microsoft in the 80s is just beginning, what about the ergonomic feel, simplicity and cleanness, etc... I have the impression it's only beginning now and it might still take some time for programmers to adapt. Also, good programmers who do have an eye for design and ergonomics are very very rare to find.

I'm convinced SM will do all it can to bring us the best but we're still living on planet earth with all its restrictions and hurdles...
Luc

ian408

VanishingAmerica wrote: »

do you have that link?

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=185909

mbonocore

VanishingAmerica wrote: »

You're right. The beginnings of the options are there. But they just need to complete the trip.

Smugmug has SO MUCH potential, but for some strange reason, isn't living up to that potential. SM could truly rise to the top, if they wanted to. I wonder if they want to.

Thanks for your passion and feedback. We do understand the desire to sell calendars, books, etc through your SmugMug site. I plan on doing a full review of outstanding feature requests early in 2013, so I can provide you and all of our clients more information.

Thank you for your patience!

Michael

P.S. Your homepage is returning a 404 error

VanishingAmerica

mbonocore wrote: »

Thanks for your passion and feedback. We do understand the desire to sell calendars, books, etc through your SmugMug site. I plan on doing a full review of outstanding feature requests early in 2013, so I can provide you and all of our clients more information.

Thank you for your patience!

Michael

P.S. Your homepage is returning a 404 error

Thanks for the heads-up on my page. I just fixed it. (Someone had hacked it and my webmaster hasn't fixed it yet). :

denisegoldberg

VanishingAmerica wrote: »

Thanks for the heads-up on my page. I just fixed it. (Someone had hacked it and my webmaster hasn't fixed it yet).

I'm still getting a 404 on your page (assuming that the link in your signature is correct URL).

--- Denise