Selling Prints Smugmug

geraldfinnegan · May 26, 2005

I've had a Pro account for a few weeks. Im spite of what seems like heavy traffic to my smugmug site - today about 4800 visits and 1200 hits for galleries totalling about 80 photos - LOW print prices ($5-8x10) and very good feedback about the photos, no sales. How do most do with print sales here? Perhaps offering CDs or downloads through some link, Paypal etc. ?
thanks for any tips.
finnegan.smugmug.com

gus · May 26, 2005

geraldfinnegan wrote:

I've had a Pro account for a few weeks. Im spite of what seems like heavy traffic to my smugmug site - today about 4800 visits and 1200 hits for galleries totalling about 80 photos - LOW print prices ($5-8x10) and very good feedback about the photos, no sales. How do most do with print sales here? Perhaps offering CDs or downloads through some link, Paypal etc. ?
thanks for any tips.
finnegan.smugmug.com

No idea (im watching all these threads though)

But can you tell me where you can see if you have made any sales ?

Thanks Gus

Mongrel · May 26, 2005

Humungus wrote:

No idea (im watching all these threads though)

But can you tell me where you can see if you have made any sales ?

Thanks Gus

Gus,

At the top of your main page, look for a small button that says "control panel". If you have it set up the 'old' way, it should come up automatically. Mine goes right to my galleries.

Click that and you will see a bunch of options and stuff come up. Look for the line that says "pro sales". That will list "sales to date" and "profit to date". There a spot where you can click for details as well.

Anthony

gus · May 26, 2005

Mongrel wrote:

Gus,

At the top of your main page, look for a small button that says "control panel". If you have it set up the 'old' way, it should come up automatically. Mine goes right to my galleries.

Click that and you will see a bunch of options and stuff come up. Look for the line that says "pro sales". That will list "sales to date" and "profit to date". There a spot where you can click for details as well.

Anthony

Sorry for the hi-jack ..GF

Thanks anthony but this is where i stop. I cant see that at all (been looking several times). It used to show up in my old account but not on my pro account. Maybe i need to 'allow' something somewhere.

Mongrel · May 26, 2005

Humungus wrote:

Sorry for the hi-jack ..GF

Thanks anthony but this is where i stop.

ahhh...

Not sure what this means? "This is where I stop". Stop responding to the thread (because of the hi-jack) or something else?

anyway...

When I go to smugmug.com, I click on 'your photos' and it takes me to a page showing my categories. Across the top to the right of the smugmug logo is a link bar and search box. Right below that is a list of buttons that says-

create new gallery
control panel
account settings
order backup

By clicking on 'control panel' I get what I used to get on my main page-all of my account info including the print profit section.

Maybe yours is setup differently? I don't have any custom header or logo up there it's all just stock smugmug. Maybe something is different if you customized you page?

Anthony

gus · May 26, 2005

Mongrel wrote:

ahhh...

Not sure what this means? "This is where I stop". Stop responding to the thread (because of the hi-jack) or something else?

Anthony

No its as far as i can get (open control menu & cant see 'pro . I think my problem is that at the top of my opening page is 'guest photos' & not 'your photos'...could this be my problem ? I cant find where to change that.

Tks Gus

mercphoto · May 26, 2005

geraldfinnegan wrote:

I've had a Pro account for a few weeks. Im spite of what seems like heavy traffic to my smugmug site - today about 4800 visits and 1200 hits for galleries totalling about 80 photos - LOW print prices ($5-8x10) and very good feedback about the photos, no sales.

My first thought is that the people viewing your photos are not interested in the types of photos you have to offer. This becomes an issue of marketing. How are these people finding your site? Are they there by accident? Are they there because you directed them there? Are they looking at your site for a particular reason?

And low prices can back-fire. A low price can give the appearance of low quality. $5 for an 8x10 print is dirt cheap. Really, really dirt cheap. Remember: things are worth what you pay for them. Ask yourself, if your photos are good, why the low price?

Lastly, I browsed your gallery some. Many of the pictures have an original size of under 2 million pixels. A large percentage appear to be under 1 million pixels. This won't even make a decent 8x10 print. And I'm not sure who is going to believe that an image like that, which you sell for $5, will soon move to a stock agency who charges $175 for the same picture. Not trying to be confrontational, just citing my thoughts.

I guess between the small pixel counts, and your opening paragraph, I'd be leary to buy as well. Your mileage may vary.

geraldfinnegan · May 26, 2005

re; sales info

Humungus wrote:

No idea (im watching all these threads though)

But can you tell me where you can see if you have made any sales ?

Thanks Gus

on the conrol page, about mid-way down, it says: Pro Sales and gives a figure.

I should add this addendum to my original post: the hits, conversions etc., were CUMULATIVE for the month as of the date I posted, they were not one day's total
jerry

geraldfinnegan · May 26, 2005

re: sales

mercphoto wrote:

My first thought is that the people viewing your photos are not interested in the types of photos you have to offer. This becomes an issue of marketing. How are these people finding your site? Are they there by accident? Are they there because you directed them there? Are they looking at your site for a particular reason?

And low prices can back-fire. A low price can give the appearance of low quality. $5 for an 8x10 print is dirt cheap. Really, really dirt cheap. Remember: things are worth what you pay for them. Ask yourself, if your photos are good, why the low price?

Lastly, I browsed your gallery some. Many of the pictures have an original size of under 2 million pixels. A large percentage appear to be under 1 million pixels. This won't even make a decent 8x10 print. And I'm not sure who is going to believe that an image like that, which you sell for $5, will soon move to a stock agency who charges $175 for the same picture. Not trying to be confrontational, just citing my thoughts.

I guess between the small pixel counts, and your opening paragraph, I'd be leary to buy as well. Your mileage may vary.

Thanks for the feedback. I ahd them up for $15 but nothing was happening. The size of some are smaller but the rest are, and will be larger, some also were put on - per Smugmug's suggestion somewhere on the site - that sizes beyond a good online viewing-size were unnecessary. IE, for some of the smaller files I can substitute ones I currently have on my HD. But I asked Smugmug about this and they said people don't pay attention to file size. Lastly, the note about Stock Visuals is accurate but was recently put on my site. After seeing it for a day's trial, I don't think it gives the right impression so.... Stock Visuals has an interesting approach. I hope they do sell tehm for $175, but it's hard to believe they will. Lastly, I'm putting up the photos I have, and if they're not to the tastes of buyers well, then that's the way 'tis. I know a lot enjoy viewing them. I think downloads though in general are appealing to buyers, as long as you can do it without giving up the originals, screen-size downloads I guess would be the way to go. However, that's a moot point since you can't offer that here.
best
jerry

mercphoto · May 26, 2005

geraldfinnegan wrote:

Thanks for the feedback. I ahd them up for $15 but nothing was happening.

Then its quite possibly you simply are not getting the type of traffic that is willing to buy your photos. It becomes a marketing issue. Do you know how people are finding your site in the first place? How are you making yourself known?

The size of some are smaller but the rest are, and will be larger, some also were put on - per Smugmug's suggestion somewhere on the site - that sizes beyond a good online viewing-size were unnecessary.

Quite strange. Please point out where you saw that. I cannot believe it, personally. Your original file is what the print is made from. You want that file to have as many pixels as possible.

geraldfinnegan · May 26, 2005

size

mercphoto wrote:

Then its quite possibly you simply are not getting the type of traffic that is willing to buy your photos. It becomes a marketing issue. Do you know how people are finding your site in the first place? How are you making yourself known?

Quite strange. Please point out where you saw that. I cannot believe it, personally. Your original file is what the print is made from. You want that file to have as many pixels as possible.

no, you're right; the Smugmug advice is for viewing, not priniting size.

ginger_55 · May 27, 2005

mercphoto wrote:

Quite strange. Please point out where you saw that. I cannot believe it, personally. Your original file is what the print is made from. You want that file to have as many pixels as possible.

What he said, I saw, too. In the thread discussing raising prices, it was stated that uploading a bunch of "12" images to smugmug makes no difference in print quality, as opposed to uploading "10" images. That is as in jpg maximum and choices as to quality.

That is the second time I saw it, so I lowered my upload size BACK to "10". I don't want to tax smugmug's cost, or mine.

ginger

I don't sell anything either, so I raised my prices sky high. Figured at least I could be happy looking at what I "would" make. No one seems to think they are high, but then they are friends, not buyers.

Also, I had not seriously priced them, in fact, they were at cost for my family for months. I was not checking, did not think anyone was looking at my site as why would they. I was googling a location and discovered my site listed on the first page of google for that location, for a photograph.

All those keywords, haha, they go to google. That is when I raised my prices.
Big time.

ginger_55 · May 27, 2005

Hey, it was stated that it made no difference in the print!

not that one could tell, see, whatever. I am not going to dig up the post, but it is there........two different times. The most recent is where prices of accts is being discussed. That is a long thread to peruse for a specific post, and I would not know how to "search" for it easily.

g

mercphoto · May 27, 2005

ginger_55 wrote:

What he said, I saw, too. In the thread discussing raising prices, it was stated that uploading a bunch of "12" images to smugmug makes no difference in print quality, as opposed to uploading "10" images. That is as in jpg maximum and choices as to quality.

I'm not talking the quality of JPG compression. I'm talking about the number of pixels. Many of his images had less than one million pixels in them.

gus · May 27, 2005

Mongrel wrote:

ahhh...

Not sure what this means? "This is where I stop". Stop responding to the thread (because of the hi-jack) or something else?

anyway...

When I go to smugmug.com, I click on 'your photos' and it takes me to a page showing my categories. Across the top to the right of the smugmug logo is a link bar and search box. Right below that is a list of buttons that says-

create new gallery
control panel
account settings
order backup

By clicking on 'control panel' I get what I used to get on my main page-all of my account info including the print profit section.

Maybe yours is setup differently? I don't have any custom header or logo up there it's all just stock smugmug. Maybe something is different if you customized you page?

Anthony

SM were back to me fast with my question...i simply had to re-set my password. All fixed...thanks for the time you guys spent trying to sort me out though.

Gus

ginger_55 · May 27, 2005

mercphoto wrote:

I'm not talking the quality of JPG compression. I'm talking about the number of pixels. Many of his images had less than one million pixels in them.

I wish I had some idea of what you are talking about re pixels. Mine don't look like the numbers are anywhere near a million, not anywhere. Not when I download them.

I don't understand compression, I never have, don't think I will, but I wish I knew where to read what.

ginger

GREAPER · May 27, 2005

Ginger.

I just took a look in your galleries. In the "Spring Baby Birds" gallery the first image is 2336 pixels wide and 3504 pixels high.

3504
x 2336

8185344

Thats the number of pixels in your image. Over 8 Million, thats why your camera is 8 megapixels.

Compression is a different thing. I dont know how you are with math, but I look at compression like rounding off in math.

If you save at 12, you might be rounding it off to 8 million., saving it at 10 might round it off to 6 million, Saving it at 8 might round it off to 4 million.

This rounding off will cause some degradation of the image. What Baldy is saying is that at 12, the loss is minimal and will not appear in a print, but the file is still VERY large. At 10, the loss is STILL minimal and will not appear in a print, but the file is MUCH smaller and therefore faster for you to upload and takes up less of smugmug space to store.

Onrey · June 10, 2005

Hello everone, I've been lurking around now for about a month and this is my first post. I realize Im bumping a rather old thread but I need some clarification concearning this topic.

Here goes,
While I understand (or think I do) the Pixel size of images and the quality of a print degrades after reducing the image file size ( for smugmug uploads) what is the optimum file size you use for great prints on smugmug?

Note: I have dialup ( Live in the sticks) and large file uploads really arent a good idea, yet I do have access to highspeed at work, but that still isn't the best becouse I do most my photo editing/uploading from home at night.

Example: most of my images on my smugmug site are 200 kb (originals are from 1.5mb to 3.5 mb) or greater but still 3072 X 2048, am I ok with this or should I take the time uploading a larger file size image ? Use less compression?

Thank you for your time and answers, I hope this isnt redundant or I overlooked my answers elsewhere.

BTW, I really like this site, alot of great info and people.

Shay Stephens · June 10, 2005

If I have to make a choice between the pixel count of an image and the compression, I alter the compression. You are better off from a quality perspective to keep as many pixels as you can. This of course assumes you want to be able to print at sizes larger than 4x6. If you only intend to print 4x6 or 5x7, then you can get away with less pixels. However, if you ever change your mind...

You can get away with a Photoshop jpg compression of less than 10, but I find 10 to be the practical upper ceiling for quality. Any more than that and you won't see a difference. My preference would be for about 1mb (or higher) files for a full size image, if you get down to the jpg level 4 (about 200k) the image gets very blocky. That blockiness doesn't really start to go away until you hit level 8 and is gone at level 10.

Have you considered burning a CD-RW with your images so you can upload them from a faster connection?

Onrey wrote:

Note: I have dialup ( Live in the sticks) and large file uploads really arent a good idea, yet I do have access to highspeed at work, but that still isn't the best becouse I do most my photo editing/uploading from home at night.

Example: most of my images on my smugmug site are 200 kb (originals are from 1.5mb to 3.5 mb) or greater but still 3072 X 2048, am I ok with this or should I take the time uploading a larger file size image ? Use less compression?

Thank you for your time and answers, I hope this isnt redundant or I overlooked my answers elsewhere.

BTW, I really like this site, alot of great info and people.

Onrey · June 10, 2005

Hi Shay,

Thanks for the prompt response.

Yes, I have access to highspeed at work, and I live 20 miles from work and town. I suppose I could upload from work but that has its downfalls, such as not being able to upload on weekends, limtited ect. I could go to the local circuit city in town and leach off their wireless cable hehe (Have done that to update my system) with their permission of course

Your response was in line with what I was thinking myself but wanted to be sure. Thanks for all you do in this community. Guess If I cant upload from work, I"ll have to bite the 10 min upload bullet per image (Yikes)

Thanks again,
Brad

Malaxos1 · June 10, 2005

I think the problem is that your web adress is .smugmug.com. I have been building my site and have a ton of photos there and I have had over 2,000 views this week, but I believe all are from smugmug users. I did a search for my self on line and came up with zero results, except for questions I posted here and on other sites. I think you need to get a domain name and select some good keywords and I bet you will get some buyers. I saw youre albums and there is some good work, but this site is filled with people who want to either post photos for viewing or like you and I, post them for sale. As soon as my site is complete I will have a domain. Yoou can get one for $8.95 a year at www.godaddy.com .
Oh, how did you get your link to paypal there. I want to offer paypal as a payment option for my weddings...Dean

Selling Prints Smugmug

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