The coupon feedback thread

1568101124

Comments

  • mleemlee Registered Users Posts: 104 Major grins
    edited May 8, 2009
    arpboy wrote:
    And thanks to you and Mike for the screen shots!

    I'm not responsible for them - they're on Baldy's page and I found them out of shear luck... Just thought I could share the [not so hidden] egg.

    Mike
  • dheindhein Registered Users Posts: 4 Beginner grinner
    edited May 14, 2009
    Help me visualize
    In your screen shots, it looks like you have a $ off % off or at cost.

    Have you taken into consideration (I have suggested through email and posts here) that some of us offer a FREE (not at cost because we would never want people to know our cost) print OR a % off a larger purchase?

    Here is what I do currently...

    For my events, I give everyone a coupon that gives them a free 5x7 print. -This is done specifically to get them into the site to view the photos.
    When they are in the site, I give them the option to take 20% off any larger order.
    -This is to get them to buy more than just the free print.
    So, the same coupon but two different options that the customers can choose from based on their preference, or possibly my ability to get an awesome shot they want to blow up into a poster!

    I understand that the screen shots are just that, not a finished product but wanted to make sure I was clear in my previous posts about how I currently use coupons and have found them to be extremely successful in selling prints. Currently, my average weekend shoot nets $8,000 after coupons (pretty much no-one just buys the 5x7, everyone upgrades)...

    Thanks!
  • termina3termina3 Registered Users Posts: 158 Major grins
    edited May 14, 2009
    dhein wrote:
    Have you taken into consideration (I have suggested through email and posts here) that some of us offer a FREE (not at cost because we would never want people to know our cost) print OR a % off a larger purchase?

    This is a good idea, but please, please, please: I'd much rather see an incomplete, working coupon system than wait any longer!

    Keep up the hard work guys!
    Please don't mistake my blunt, pointed posts as my being "angry," "short," or "rude."

    I'm generally happy, tall, and fuzzy on the inside.www.NickensPhotography.com
  • jehsomjehsom Registered Users Posts: 7 Beginner grinner
    edited May 16, 2009
    Keep it up!
    I'm reeeeeeeeeeeally looking forward to seeing this coupon / package deal finished. It really makes a big difference for my business model!! Thanks for your hard work and I hope it gets finished soon!!
  • Adam SchallauAdam Schallau Registered Users Posts: 45 Big grins
    edited May 21, 2009
    termina3 wrote:
    This is a good idea, but please, please, please: I'd much rather see an incomplete, working coupon system than wait any longer!

    Keep up the hard work guys!

    I have to agree with termina3. I too would rather see an incomplete but yet functional system. Coupons and discount codes have always been a big part of my business. Yes, I was aware that SmugMug did not have this ability when I signed-up, but right now it would be a very welcome addition in just about any form.

    Adam Schallau

    Website | Facebook | Grand Canyon Photography Workshops | In the Bag

    photographing the landscape, culture and spirit of the American West
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited May 21, 2009
    dhein wrote:
    In your screen shots, it looks like you have a $ off % off or at cost.

    Have you taken into consideration (I have suggested through email and posts here) that some of us offer a FREE (not at cost because we would never want people to know our cost) print OR a % off a larger purchase?

    Here is what I do currently...

    For my events, I give everyone a coupon that gives them a free 5x7 print. -This is done specifically to get them into the site to view the photos.
    When they are in the site, I give them the option to take 20% off any larger order.
    -This is to get them to buy more than just the free print.
    So, the same coupon but two different options that the customers can choose from based on their preference, or possibly my ability to get an awesome shot they want to blow up into a poster!

    I understand that the screen shots are just that, not a finished product but wanted to make sure I was clear in my previous posts about how I currently use coupons and have found them to be extremely successful in selling prints. Currently, my average weekend shoot nets $8,000 after coupons (pretty much no-one just buys the 5x7, everyone upgrades)...

    Thanks!
    Thanks for the great info. This is something we can look at in V2 of coupons. Sorry it won't be there in V1 :(
  • termina3termina3 Registered Users Posts: 158 Major grins
    edited May 21, 2009
    Andy wrote:
    Thanks for the great info. This is something we can look at in V2 of coupons. Sorry it won't be there in V1 :(

    I can't say much without seeing what V1 is, but there may be a temporary workaround in distributing coupons with a dollar value equal to a free 5x7. The same sheet could offer a 20% off one-time use coupon. Yes, customers could use both--but they'd have to place two different orders and pay for shipping twice. I don't know how much you charge for a 5x7, but for my sports photos shipping on a single 5x7 makes up about 25% of the final cost.
    Please don't mistake my blunt, pointed posts as my being "angry," "short," or "rude."

    I'm generally happy, tall, and fuzzy on the inside.www.NickensPhotography.com
  • jinspinjinspin Registered Users Posts: 182 Major grins
    edited May 26, 2009
    arpboy wrote:
    And thanks to you and Mike for the screen shots! That at least tells me that it's something real, and in progress. There's no way I want to leave Smugmug -- I'm too happy with y'all for that -- But I had been considering another site for event shoots with coupons, just to address the need.

    Think I'll stick around.

    -Richard

    Great screenshots. I passed it along to my friends. Hurry my coupon programming friend clap.gif
  • imagineerimagineer Registered Users Posts: 3 Beginner grinner
    edited May 28, 2009
    My sales model also depends on providing my clients coupons and credits. I am in trial mode right now. So far, everything looks good except for the lack of this feature.
  • takeflightphototakeflightphoto Registered Users Posts: 194 Major grins
    edited May 29, 2009
    Looking at the screen shots on Baldy's site, it seems the coupons there are about business card size.
    It would be nice to be able to cut and paste that image to Word and print out business cards to hand out to potential customers at events. Maybe that's the plan or capabilty. Just me wishing.

    jon

    takeflightphoto.com
    usdgcphotos.com
  • FlowingDesertFlowingDesert Registered Users Posts: 5 Beginner grinner
    edited June 2, 2009
    Well, this is starting to sound hopeful. clap.gif I am up for renewal this fall and would hate to move over this, but can't see sticking around (at least at pro level) without this.

    I'll echo the comment others have made "the sooner V1 is out there for us to start using, the better."

    Thanks guys.
  • SPK64SPK64 Registered Users Posts: 171 Major grins
    edited June 3, 2009
    I as I am sure many others look forward to seeing this show up after a Thursday Night Maintenance Window. I was really hoping it would have taken place by now. :deadhorse

    One of my larger events is this weekend and coupons or packages would have been great.thumb.gif
  • brjphotobrjphoto Registered Users Posts: 168 Major grins
    edited June 3, 2009
    SPK64 wrote:
    One of my larger events is this weekend and coupons or packages would have been great.thumb.gif


    :lol4:lol4:lol4:lol4:lol4:lol4:lol4:lol4:lol4:lol4:lol4

    That's exactly what I said in April.

    April 2008.


    By the way... did you read about the latest updates on coupons?

    ...
    ...
    ...

    Yeah, me neither.
  • DanoDano Registered Users Posts: 125 Major grins
    edited June 3, 2009
    I also got tired of waiting and moved on. I'll still have my Smug until March of next year, but will change my domain to my new site this weekend I hope.
  • mbellotmbellot Registered Users Posts: 465 Major grins
    edited June 3, 2009
    Dano wrote:
    I also got tired of waiting and moved on. I'll still have my Smug until March of next year, but will change my domain to my new site this weekend I hope.

    Where did you end up? I've been debating about Exposure Manager myself...
  • DanoDano Registered Users Posts: 125 Major grins
    edited June 3, 2009
    I went with EM with a Squarespace site on the front end. Squarespace is a bit pricey ($17 month) but it is billed month to month. I plan on getting a site through Go Daddy or similar and build from scratch. I have a bunch of work to do but here is what I have so far. http://dmunsonphoto.squarespace.com/ Hopefully I will have it done and switch my domain this weekend.
  • leightonocleightonoc Registered Users Posts: 49 Big grins
    edited June 6, 2009
    Coupons!!
    When is the coupon feature coming? I could be making a killing with it by offering a coupon to my Facebook and Twitter friends. I need this feature and my increase in sales would only help SM.

    Leighton
    Leighton

    Nautical & Travel Photographer

    http://leightonPHOTO.com
  • PupatorPupator Registered Users Posts: 2,322 Major grins
    edited June 7, 2009
    leightonoc wrote:
    When is the coupon feature coming? I could be making a killing with it by offering a coupon to my Facebook and Twitter friends. I need this feature and my increase in sales would only help SM.

    Leighton

    Go vote: http://smugmug.uservoice.com/pages/17723-smugmug
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited June 7, 2009
    leightonoc wrote:
    When is the coupon feature coming? I could be making a killing with it by offering a coupon to my Facebook and Twitter friends. I need this feature and my increase in sales would only help SM.

    Leighton
    They are in active, aggressive development right now. Stay tuned.
  • timganglofftimgangloff Registered Users Posts: 60 Big grins
    edited June 10, 2009
    About 2 weeks to go
    And this thread will be 1 year old. headscratch.gif
    Andy wrote:
    They are in active, aggressive development right now. Stay tuned.
  • Uncommon DepthUncommon Depth Registered Users Posts: 13 Big grins
    edited June 10, 2009
    leightonoc wrote:
    When is the coupon feature coming? I could be making a killing with it by offering a coupon to my Facebook and Twitter friends. I need this feature and my increase in sales would only help SM.

    Leighton

    100% agree. As a new Smugmug Pro account it is imperative that I be able to offer some specials to entice new buyers into my shop. I can't understand why this wasn't implement yesterday. Please, please......can you rush this feature.
  • DanoDano Registered Users Posts: 125 Major grins
    edited June 10, 2009
    And this thread will be 1 year old.

    They still have 17 days. I'm sure it will be done by then. rolleyes1.gif
  • Adam SchallauAdam Schallau Registered Users Posts: 45 Big grins
    edited June 10, 2009
    leightonoc wrote:
    When is the coupon feature coming? I could be making a killing with it by offering a coupon to my Facebook and Twitter friends. I need this feature and my increase in sales would only help SM.

    Leighton

    I would love to have offered coupons for Mother's Day.

    Adam Schallau

    Website | Facebook | Grand Canyon Photography Workshops | In the Bag

    photographing the landscape, culture and spirit of the American West
  • dwterrydwterry Registered Users Posts: 209 Major grins
    edited June 11, 2009
    Dano wrote:
    They still have 17 days. I'm sure it will be done by then. rolleyes1.gif

    The earliest occurrence of the word Coupons on dgrin.com dates back to April of 2004.

    http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=989&highlight=coupons

    I've been waiting for much of that time. Sadly, I'm not holding my breath. :(
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited June 11, 2009
    dwterry wrote:
    Sadly, I'm not holding my breath. :(

    Really? Because I'm telling you and everyone that they are in active, aggressive development.
  • mbellotmbellot Registered Users Posts: 465 Major grins
    edited June 11, 2009
    Andy wrote:
    Not gonna give you a date but we're working on it right now and this is very important to us
    That was July 1st, 2008.

    I stopped holding my breath around October 2008. It will get here when it gets here.

    What remains to be seen is if I'll still be here.
  • xchangxxchangx Registered Users Posts: 47 Big grins
    edited June 12, 2009
    While my sales with Smugmug is almost non-existant, I am a little disturbed that this has been going on for over a year.

    As an IT guy, I work on many projects and periodically have meetings to update were we are on development, implementation, etc.

    Andy, I know you guys are working on it, but can you give us actual progress updates? Like, % off is being tested, but is calculating wrong, or interface is causing IE to crash.

    I think Smugmug does a good job identifying their customers, but you guys need to realize that we pay your paychecks (stake-holders) and that there are quite a few people very close to leaving taking profits away from you guys.

    I really hope you guys are getting updates from your developers, if you aren't then I'd highly advise that you do.
  • MadisonPhotographyMadisonPhotography Registered Users Posts: 56 Big grins
    edited June 13, 2009
    You really can't work as you want
    unless you get the support needed. Seems that this coupon thing is a dead horse and no one is listening....wondering how many pros that have real sales have moved on for this one feature..
  • brjphotobrjphoto Registered Users Posts: 168 Major grins
    edited June 13, 2009
    unless you get the support needed. Seems that this coupon thing is a dead horse and no one is listening....wondering how many pros that have real sales have moved on for this one feature..

    Look, let's not be overly dramatic here. I whine about coupons as much as anyone (and more than most). Smugmug is listening. They listen better than any company out there. The real issue is that this is taking longer than most people expected. For whatever reason, this coupon thing is dragging out longer than it should have.

    Smugmug knows that. I know that. They have allocated their resources in the manner that they think best suits the business. That doesn't always align with my needs, and it will never align with ALL of their customer's needs. That's just the facts of running a business. It's the old "can't please all the people all the time". In the meantime, I do what I can, and when coupons do show up, I'll make good use of them.
  • davisphotosdavisphotos Registered Users Posts: 21 Big grins
    edited June 15, 2009
    I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but I really, really hope coupons are coming soon. I opened a Pictage account recently to make it easier on my end to sell print packages, and I already hate it. Smugmug looks nicer, is faster, much better customization, way faster shipping (Pictage takes up to 2 weeks to print and ship, which is ridiculous), better print prices (Pictage charges $2 for a 4x6), and the support is much better, but without coupons and package, I end up spending hours fufilling print orders for clients that pre-pay for print packages. I want and need to be able to give them a coupon code.
    Pretty, pretty please-my next big wedding is in August, and I want to be able to post the photos to SmugMug instead of Pictage.
This discussion has been closed.