Options
Any way to know SM's priority list?
tomoscott
Registered Users Posts: 92 Big grins
I was going to post this on the footer thread after reading Baldy's posts, but I would just as soon see that one die. Also, this question doesn't really relate to that anyway.
I'm wondering if there's any way for SM to communicate with us their general priority list, and very general time frames. I'm not talking super-specific dates or detailed explanations -- just something from a 10,000 foot level.
For example, one of my most desired features is a fully integrated blog. I know that's one of the most requested features as well. But I'm wondering where this fits on SM's priority list. Is this something that SM wants to do this year? Next Year? Or is it so low on the list that it'll be at least a couple or more years from now?
I'm not asking for a list that DGriner's can vote on. After all, SM has to make the decision where and when to allocate its resources, and none of us have enough knowledge to say much about that. I'm also not asking for promises, either. But it would be nice to know the general direction.
I realize that from SM's point of view, this is probably a very difficult thing to implement, both for internal and competitive reasons. But I thought I'd ask, just in case something can be done.
I'm wondering if there's any way for SM to communicate with us their general priority list, and very general time frames. I'm not talking super-specific dates or detailed explanations -- just something from a 10,000 foot level.
For example, one of my most desired features is a fully integrated blog. I know that's one of the most requested features as well. But I'm wondering where this fits on SM's priority list. Is this something that SM wants to do this year? Next Year? Or is it so low on the list that it'll be at least a couple or more years from now?
I'm not asking for a list that DGriner's can vote on. After all, SM has to make the decision where and when to allocate its resources, and none of us have enough knowledge to say much about that. I'm also not asking for promises, either. But it would be nice to know the general direction.
I realize that from SM's point of view, this is probably a very difficult thing to implement, both for internal and competitive reasons. But I thought I'd ask, just in case something can be done.
0
Comments
Portfolio • Workshops • Facebook • Twitter
Andy - yes, I do have a blog now - http://tomoscott.com/Blog -- but I would like something that's fully integrated with SM, under my domain name, not a separate site.
The real purpose of my post was not the plea for blogging per se; it was more to get a sense of what SM's priorities are.
Instagram Twitter Facebook
No harm in asking and I certainly understand the curiosity. We do get asked about blogs and quite a few other things relating to commerce, commenting, security, etc.
I wish I could give you a picture of the roadmap as we used to try and do, but we learned from hard experience why very few (no?) good tech companies do it much anymore. They usually just say they don't comment on future products.
We wish we weren't like that but business reality set in and we have to. I wish I had a better answer for you.
All the best,
Baldy
I understand, I really do, and I thank you for answering this request. I'm in the apparel industry, and we can't talk about our future plans either. I am heartened by the fact that SM execs read DGrin and don't just leave things up to "minders".
I certainly hope the voting on requested features to some extent guides your decisions.
I have tried Shopify, 500px, and Fine Art America, and so far, SmugMug has the best match of features and value for me. I do wish you had the built in blog of Shopify and the sales outreach efforts of FAA, but those places have other deficiencies that are far more grave. Shopify just isn't made for photographers, though I do miss their integrated blog. FAA has a nice outreach program to interior designers, but the image quality is absolutely horrid, and their "premium website" is nothing much to brag about.
So for now, SmugMug is clearly the best for me.
I do think you need to find a way to "brag" a bit more to your customers. In the course of the footer wars, I found out about 20 or so improvements made to SmugMug. You have all our email addresses. I suspect the vast majority of your customers don't pay attention to DGrin, and they need to be constantly reminded about what a good decision they made going with SmugMug.
As I'm sure you're aware, in the absence of information, people assume the worst, not the best.
OK, sorry for rambling on, and thanks again for considering this request.
Instagram Twitter Facebook
Hi Tom,
We do include many of our product release notes on our blog at http://news.smugmug.com/. You can subscribe to get updates everytime a new post is made.
I also have a product news forum here on DGrin that I post the new features too.
Hope this helps!
Facebook
Google+
Twitter
Photo Blog
Hmmm - I'm getting a 404 for that link.
But this works!!! http://news.smugmug.com/
(Solved the problem halfway through panicking about getting 404!!)
www.acecootephotography.com
Thanks, yes I was aware of that blog, and I've started reading it regularly. What I was referring to in my last post was more of a "push" than a "pull" -- something like an email to all your customers along the lines of "here's what we've done for you this month." These sorts of communications help everyone keep the big picture in mind.
I'm relatively new to SM, as you know, so maybe you do something like that already. If not, you might think about it. A lot of the online companies I deal with do that, and if someone doesn't want that, they can always unsubscribe.
Instagram Twitter Facebook
One thing I like about Smugmug is the relatively low amount of unsolicited email I get from them. I wouldn't say I would hate it, but each new push message is one more interruption, one more thing to search for "is there something in here I need to take action on".
So while not completely disagreeing with you (as I do want more information from Smugmug), I will compliment them over many years on staying discrete.
Unlike some who I could name, in the photo business that once you buy something inundate you, despite requests to stop, with email.
But I would LOVE a good release note site I could go to, and see ALL the changes. They do it for the Lightroom Plugin (ok, it looks like "all"), but they make tons of other changes that never make their "news" site, and we discover the hard way, or read about here.
My Website index | My Blog
Btw, love your western panos, especially this one:
http://www.tomoscott.com/Galleries/Western-Panoramas/i-NcZ3Pvk/A
We have a monthly email newsletter, one for seller accounts, and one for everyone else. We have to be careful with them because if it gets marked as spam it affects deliverability of other emails coming from us.
Here is what January's looked like:
http://smugmug.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/r/4983BFCF4152E3F42540EF23F30FEDED
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2013/11/apples-icloud-iphoto-photo-stream-targeted-in-new-lawsuit.html
Little SmugMug is in it with Apple, Google, Amazon, Shutterfly, facebook, twitter.... Huge suit.
Unbelievable. It's a wonder there isn't a patent on picking your nose.
Instagram Twitter Facebook
A hearty AMEN! to the lack of irrelevant Emails from SmugMug. While evaluating what to do with my old SmugMug site, I created accounts at many photo services, and was appalled by the level of unsolicited Email I received. Seriously, people. it's called a "trial" account for a reason; if the service is "awesome," I ought to be able to determine that myself.
More complete communication about changes would be nice, though. That's dropped off terribly since the new SmugMug was rolled out. I still get a strong sense of the staff being overwhelmed.