Check out Smugbrowser. It's what I use for all of my uploads now. And resolves several of the issues you described. Here are the reasons I use it:
1) Multi-threaded: it uploads several images at once, maximizing bandwidth.
2) I can add to the queue while it's running (I don't have to wait for one upload to finish and then start a new one).
3) I can upload to multiple galleries at once (I'll have galleries like "First Dance", "Cake Cutting", etc, all going at the same time).
4) Even when it is done, if I leave smugbrowser open, I can *immediately* start another upload without having to first navigate through smugmug and wait for their uploader to start. I just drop a new file on smugbrowser and away it goes.
Basically, smugbrowser saves me a LOT of time.
yes ... just what I've been looking for ... I'll check it out tonight when I get home. Thanks for the info.
Johnny J. Chin ~ J. Chin Photography Facebook ♦ Flickr ♦ SmugMug
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(use this for a discount off your SmugMug subscription)
Digital Download Proofing
I too, would like to have the option of digital download "proof delay". I didn't realize we wouldn't have that option until one of my customers ordered four photos via digital download last week.
The option now is to have a sentence on our gallery information stating that customers should call us for information on downloads. That is the only way I can see that we would have an opportunity to crop or in any way adjust the photo prior to shipment. I also upload un-cropped images.
I belong to a pro photographer's group whose forum lately has been filled with the Smugmug vs other similar provider comparisons. Many have already jumped ship from Smugmug to try the other company. No feedback yet on how happy they are, but I KNOW they aren't getting the same customer service we get here. The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. My customers seem to navigate SM ordering process fine. Not the case from what I've seen of the competitors.
At least I'm glad SmugMug doesn't follow Lulu's lead (I use Lulu.com for my calendars). At Lulu, they give you NO INFORMATION AT ALL all about your customers! I can see that "someone" out there has bought a calendar, but I don't know if it's a friend, family member or total stranger!
I can see where you're coming from with wanting the customer address, but after my experience with Lulu, I'm just glad Smugmug gives us anything at all!
I agree I use Lulu for calendars and Blurb for books and have no idea who is buying them - which is particularly frustrating. If you don't know who is buying you cannot market towards those customers that are not buying.
I agree I use Lulu for calendars and Blurb for books and have no idea who is buying them - which is particularly frustrating. If you don't know who is buying you cannot market towards those customers that are not buying.
Smugbrowser is my uploader too, by the way!!!
I may have to try smugbrowser, I just uploaded 3000+images with send to smugmug and it took a little over 4 days.
On SM's part it would make sense to have smaller images load up..saving on there space. Out of the 5000 hockey photos loaded I have only sold 120 so the rest are taking up space. At work we just went through some questions on levels of jpegs (really important for them since they captured 31 million mages last year ) They were discussing going from jpeg 93 to jpeg 80. The difference was barely percievable yet jpeg 80 is half the memory.
So I think compression is the way to go. I currently was just sending jpegs up but I think I will do a batch convert next time and see how it goes.
With the originals on my computer i can always replace images being sold, but I think it is in everyones interest to not send files that are larger then needed. I know others are in different types of business so different ules may apply, but that is my 2 cents (by the way work had to stick with jpeg 93 because a major contract would not accept less)
I also agree on the digital file delay time. I would like the option. On one hand I kinda like the fact that a customer just bought an unaltered digital file since if he was trying to save money making himself a bunch of prints..at least he has to work for it, on the other hand I like giving the best product.
NEW IDEA - Better customer relations
NEW IDEA! This would help us with customer relations.
I'd like a flag (yes/no) setting in each gallery that says: Customer Login
If set to no, the gallery works like it always has.
If set to yes, when a customer tries to access a gallery, it first asks them for their name and email address. Then it lets them access the gallery like it always has. But in the mean time, it sends me an email telling me their name and email address and the name of the gallery they have accessed.
Now I can better market my services to them (whether that be specials of the photos in that gallery, or follow-up emails for future portrait sessions, etc).
Also, as long as they remain connected, allow them to access any other "Customer Login" galleries (that they have access too) without asking them to log in again, but send me an email for each gallery they access.
I currently use PhotoReflect for sports images and Smugmug for everything else (weddings, portraits, etc). Today I saw a comparison of ExposureManager to PhotoReflect and Smugmug. It makes me drool. But before I jump ship ... please ... just steal their ideas! :-)
Some of the things I'd really like to see:
1) Self fulfillment (as an option, of course)
2) Package pricing
3) Discount coupons
4) Volume discounts
5) Reprint discounts
I'd also love to see LOWER PRICES on 5x7s. I often sell 300-600 of them at a time (as invitations) and simply can't do it through smugmug. Smugmug's base price is nearly $1 more per print than the company I use for invitations.
This about sums it up for me too with the major desires. I also find $4.95 a pretty steep cost to ship 1 8x10. With the discount options we can comat a lot of problems. Plus, get extra sales! I'd rather sell 3 8x10s and give one for free than only sell 1. It makes the customer feel like they are getting a better deal, I make more profit, and SM makes more profit. Win, win, win in my opinion.
Self-fulfillment: Costco anyone? Great quality for $1.45/8x10. We win, SM wins with processing fee and commission.
Sm's customer service is awesome! The best I have ever seen for any company. But there must be a trade-off at some point. The fact that loyal customers must use other services in addition to SM is really disappointing. A little more walkie, walkie in the talkie, talkie.:D Thanks SM for all the hard work and open ears! (whisper: discounting options would be great)
Comments
Facebook ♦ Flickr ♦ SmugMug
SmugMug referral coupon code: ix3uDyfBU6xXs
(use this for a discount off your SmugMug subscription)
I too, would like to have the option of digital download "proof delay". I didn't realize we wouldn't have that option until one of my customers ordered four photos via digital download last week.
The option now is to have a sentence on our gallery information stating that customers should call us for information on downloads. That is the only way I can see that we would have an opportunity to crop or in any way adjust the photo prior to shipment. I also upload un-cropped images.
I belong to a pro photographer's group whose forum lately has been filled with the Smugmug vs other similar provider comparisons. Many have already jumped ship from Smugmug to try the other company. No feedback yet on how happy they are, but I KNOW they aren't getting the same customer service we get here. The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. My customers seem to navigate SM ordering process fine. Not the case from what I've seen of the competitors.
Justus Photography
www.lindasherrill.com
I agree I use Lulu for calendars and Blurb for books and have no idea who is buying them - which is particularly frustrating. If you don't know who is buying you cannot market towards those customers that are not buying.
Smugbrowser is my uploader too, by the way!!!
Smugmug site
Blog Portfolio
Facebook
I may have to try smugbrowser, I just uploaded 3000+images with send to smugmug and it took a little over 4 days.
On SM's part it would make sense to have smaller images load up..saving on there space. Out of the 5000 hockey photos loaded I have only sold 120 so the rest are taking up space. At work we just went through some questions on levels of jpegs (really important for them since they captured 31 million mages last year
So I think compression is the way to go. I currently was just sending jpegs up but I think I will do a batch convert next time and see how it goes.
With the originals on my computer i can always replace images being sold, but I think it is in everyones interest to not send files that are larger then needed. I know others are in different types of business so different ules may apply, but that is my 2 cents (by the way work had to stick with jpeg 93 because a major contract would not accept less)
I also agree on the digital file delay time. I would like the option. On one hand I kinda like the fact that a customer just bought an unaltered digital file since if he was trying to save money making himself a bunch of prints..at least he has to work for it, on the other hand I like giving the best product.
NEW IDEA! This would help us with customer relations.
I'd like a flag (yes/no) setting in each gallery that says: Customer Login
If set to no, the gallery works like it always has.
If set to yes, when a customer tries to access a gallery, it first asks them for their name and email address. Then it lets them access the gallery like it always has. But in the mean time, it sends me an email telling me their name and email address and the name of the gallery they have accessed.
Now I can better market my services to them (whether that be specials of the photos in that gallery, or follow-up emails for future portrait sessions, etc).
Also, as long as they remain connected, allow them to access any other "Customer Login" galleries (that they have access too) without asking them to log in again, but send me an email for each gallery they access.
Self-fulfillment: Costco anyone? Great quality for $1.45/8x10. We win, SM wins with processing fee and commission.
Sm's customer service is awesome! The best I have ever seen for any company. But there must be a trade-off at some point. The fact that loyal customers must use other services in addition to SM is really disappointing. A little more walkie, walkie in the talkie, talkie.:D Thanks SM for all the hard work and open ears! (whisper: discounting options would be great)
Kevin Helton Photography
www.kevinhelton.com