The New Gap in SmugMug Services

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Comments

  • mbellotmbellot Registered Users Posts: 465 Major grins
    edited October 12, 2012
    McQ wrote: »
    When will you let us know?

    SM policy is to not discuss future plans or time lines.

    (Just in case you hadn't heard that often enough)
    McQ wrote: »
    Simply waiting for a reasonably a direct answer to direct questions.

    Don't hold your breath, SM seems exceptionally short on direct answers normally and things are even more bleak when it comes to this particular subject.
  • McQMcQ Registered Users Posts: 165 Major grins
    edited October 13, 2012
    mbellot wrote: »
    SM policy is to not discuss future plans or time lines.

    (Just in case you hadn't heard that often enough)



    Don't hold your breath, SM seems exceptionally short on direct answers normally and things are even more bleak when it comes to this particular subject.

    You're so right. But I figure its worth asking again, until it's answered. (Cue sarcasm font>>>) If it's something that SM would dearly love to do, then they must be hard at work on it. A company that is highly customer focused wouldn't keep those customers in the dark, after all.
    "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio, our nation turns its lonely eyes to you?"

    http://mcq.smugmug.com
  • McQMcQ Registered Users Posts: 165 Major grins
    edited October 22, 2012
    McQ wrote: »
    Three weeks since this post, so I'll come back to the question for Baldy. Since you've stated you'd answer what time and size has to do with this, please go ahead.

    Second question: You've also stated that you'd dearly love to offer a commerce account at the lower, $150/yr price, but you just hadn't figured it out yet. Again, three weeks later, have you figured it out? Have you tried to figure it out? Any meetings, brainstorming sessions, etc., because if you'd dearly love to offer it, it must be a top priority. When will you let us know?

    Simply waiting for a reasonably a direct answer to direct questions. You are the one who said you'd love to offer it, so I'm simply holding you to your statement and waiting for a reply.


    Still waiting. If you'd rather PM me, that's fine too. But A lot of people want to know the answer to the question.
    "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio, our nation turns its lonely eyes to you?"

    http://mcq.smugmug.com
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited October 22, 2012
    McQ wrote: »
    Still waiting. If you'd rather PM me, that's fine too. But A lot of people want to know the answer to the question.

    Everything takes time..... I know they're talking about it, because they asked me a whole bunch of questions and my opinion on some things... we all just have to be patient while they figure it all out.
  • mike_kmike_k Registered Users Posts: 153 Major grins
    edited October 22, 2012
    McQ wrote: »
    Still waiting. If you'd rather PM me, that's fine too. But A lot of people want to know the answer to the question.

    I'm just curious why you think that they are in any hurry to figure this out? Clearly it wasn't important enough to them to figure it out before announcing their new pricing. Their official statement is that they are really, really sad that they don't have an answer for this, but I've not seen anything, besides Andy's note above, that indicates that they are putting any effort into trying to find a solution. Did I miss where they said that they are working on this? I guess at least we know now that they are talking about it - but that's a long way from actually coming up with a solution. As far as I can tell, there's been no official statement beyond "they just don't know how to do it."
  • TalkieTTalkieT Registered Users Posts: 491 Major grins
    edited October 22, 2012
    And further - I don't think they'll get it right this time either. I've said it before and so far I don't believe I've been off-base... Smugmug have lost the ability to execute on any major upgrade or deployment. They have the hallmarks of a company run by engineers, of services designed and built by engineers, before being tested by engineers.

    In over 5 years of observation, the above points have been reinforced many times. The difference now is that for pro customers they have doubled the prices with promises of a huge upgrade and set of improvements.

    History does not suggest this will happen.

    I hope I'm wrong though - but with a company as secretive as Smugmug WHAT ELSE BUT THEIR DEMONSTRATED CAPACITY FOR BAD DELIVERY CAN I BASE MY OPINIONS ON?

    I'm still here, no-one else has customisation options to match - but as soon as someone does, I'm gone. I'm also figuring out a short term solution in case I need to migrate for any reason before I find a proper replacement.

    Doubling the price and not delivering a cent of extra value makes me very very nervous.

    Cheers - N
    --
    http://www.nzsnaps.com (talkiet.smugmug.com)
  • McQMcQ Registered Users Posts: 165 Major grins
    edited October 22, 2012
    Baldy wrote: »
    Hey everyone,

    I wish I had more to say than we said in the video, but the honest answer is we'd love to offer a less expensive pro account with commerce, but now that we've been in business as long as we have and reached our size, we just don't know how to do it and make it really good. It kills us to say that, but it's honest.

    You might wonder what time and size has to do with it because I've mentioned mostly storage and engineering costs, and if you want me to answer I can, but I know that what you'd love and we would too is the $150 commerce account back in some form. With the heat we're taking for not having one anymore, we'd dearly love to offer it, it's just at this time we don't know how.

    I'm sorry I don't have a better answer for you.

    Baldy
    mike_k wrote: »
    I'm just curious why you think that they are in any hurry to figure this out? Clearly it wasn't important enough to them to figure it out before announcing their new pricing. Their official statement is that they are really, really sad that they don't have an answer for this, but I've not seen anything, besides Andy's note above, that indicates that they are putting any effort into trying to find a solution. Did I miss where they said that they are working on this? I guess at least we know now that they are talking about it - but that's a long way from actually coming up with a solution. As far as I can tell, there's been no official statement beyond "they just don't know how to do it."

    Hey Mike, glad you asked. My questions to Baldy are direct, and address two different things he wrote in his post (#77 in this thread). I already pointed these out, but here they are again.

    First:

    "You might wonder what time and size has to do with it because I've mentioned mostly storage and engineering costs, and if you want me to answer I can"

    I've simply taken him up on his offer. That's number one. Still waiting for him to answer.

    The second, contained in his same post, was his twice emphasizing that he would both "love to" and "dearly love to" offer a Pro-type commerce account for $150/year.

    The reason I've written my posts is clear as well, as I've stated that since they'd love to do this, then it follows that it must be a priority for SM to get this done, even though they "haven't figured it out yet".

    Which, by the way, if you think about it, shows just how poorly they run their business. If they put so much time into thinking about this and worrying about it as both Baldy and Don said in their videos (making sure they wouldn't make the same mistakes as Netflix), then they clearly should have run through some scenarios for this eventuality. But they didn't. Or wouldn't. Now they face a bigger problem of customers leaving, plus their reputation being in shreds.

    Again, I have to assume that since now Baldy clearly stated he would dearly love to offer a commerce account at $150/year; that he really means it and they're working furiously on it. But the problem is they're staying deafeningly silent on this, despite having been asked directly about their progress and if they're serious about doing it. That way they won't leave customers hanging and not being sure if it will come or not.

    Andy's post is helpful (as they usually are), but he no longer works for the company, therefore isn't in the inner circle any more and the question was addressed directly to Chris MacAskill.

    I have time to wait it out. I don't have to pay up again until April and have already made arrangements if this is just more smoke and mirrors. But other photographers aren't so fortunate and need to know if SM is once again just waving a fake carrot or will really try to do this, and when. They don't have time to wait and must either pay up or find another hosting site.

    Hope that answers your question.
    "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio, our nation turns its lonely eyes to you?"

    http://mcq.smugmug.com
  • David EvertsenDavid Evertsen Registered Users Posts: 524 Major grins
    edited October 22, 2012
    Remember the Big Green Buy button they tested years ago? Where is that? How about the multi-level categories/ folders they posted would be soon.. My favorite still is the pricelists redo that caused so much grief last year but, we are still told to head over to uservoice to vote to be able Print out our Pricelist... I have been on here since 2007 and that has come up all the time... Engineers not Photographers is right. They Keep saying they are talking to Pro's about their needs but I haven't been asked only told to vote on Uservoice... To no avial I might add...

    10 days away from 2 months after the Smugpocalypse and not 1 major feature change.
  • mbellotmbellot Registered Users Posts: 465 Major grins
    edited October 23, 2012
    mike_k wrote: »
    Their official statement is that they are really, really sad that they don't have an answer for this, but I've not seen anything, besides Andy's note above, that indicates that they are putting any effort into trying to find a solution.

    Last I heard Andy wasn't a SM employee anymore, so his response means little more than any of ours (not official).


    David - Smugpocalypse, classic. thumb.gif
  • David EvertsenDavid Evertsen Registered Users Posts: 524 Major grins
    edited October 23, 2012
    mbellot wrote: »
    Last I heard Andy wasn't a SM employee anymore, so his response means little more than any of ours (not official).


    David - Smugpocalypse, classic. thumb.gif

    I remember during the Pricelist change issues that it was done (one of the reasons) so they could pass their photolabs specials on to us so we could pass it on to our customers?? Anyone see that yet? I was repeatedly told (over the phone) that was one of the reasons. Someone from Smugmug want to comment on that?

    I have all my emails from Smugmug since I have been a customer (I almost posted "member" like I used to think I was) , support and other wise.. I bet I can reproduce your response if you ever do from one of those old emails..
  • jmphotocraftjmphotocraft Registered Users Posts: 2,987 Major grins
    edited October 23, 2012
    Baldy wrote: »
    I know that what you'd love and we would too is the $150 commerce account back in some form.

    That is it in a nut shell.
    With the heat we're taking for not having one anymore, we'd dearly love to offer it, it's just at this time we don't know how.

    I'm sorry I don't have a better answer for you.

    Baldy

    Easy. Take the Portfolio account, and tick the checkmarks for:
    • Set prices and make profit
    • Create custom coupons for promotions
    • Create custom single and multi-image packages
    • Option to adjust photos after receiving orders
    That is it. The Portfolio account should have this capability anyway. Because a $90 premium over the Power account just for watermarks, printmarking, and backprinting makes no sense. If you're not selling prints through smugmug, you don't need those features on smugmug.

    "But then nobody will upgrade to the Business account," you say? Fine, make your incremental price increase here, and charge $200/yr for this new Portfolio account.

    Done.
    -Jack

    An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
  • mbellotmbellot Registered Users Posts: 465 Major grins
    edited October 23, 2012
    Even easier.
    Take the Portfolio account, and tick the checkmarks for:
    • Set prices and make profit
    Drop support for:
    • Create custom coupons for promotions
    • Create custom single and multi-image packages
    • "Pro" labs.
    And leave it at $150/yr.

    If SM wants to start offering the other features as ala carte options for additional cost great, but being able to set prices (IMHO) is the one thing a basic commerce account needs.

    I'm ignoring watermarks as a feature because I think EVERY account level should provide the ability to apply custom watermarks, not just the commerce level account(s).
  • jmphotocraftjmphotocraft Registered Users Posts: 2,987 Major grins
    edited October 23, 2012
    A la carte features probably makes too much sense. I get what you're saying, but shoot a youth sports team or league and you will quickly wish you had coupons or packages. Including them would allow SM to go to the $200 price point fairly. Maybe they would consider offering a Portfolio level at $150, and a Portfolio Plus at $200.
    -Jack

    An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
  • McQMcQ Registered Users Posts: 165 Major grins
    edited October 23, 2012
    That is it in a nut shell.



    Easy. Take the Portfolio account, and tick the checkmarks for:
    • Set prices and make profit
    • Create custom coupons for promotions
    • Create custom single and multi-image packages
    That is it. The Portfolio account should have this capability anyway. Because a $90 premium over the Power account just for watermarks, printmarking, and backprinting makes no sense. If you're not selling prints through smugmug, you don't need those features on smugmug.

    "But then nobody will upgrade to the Business account," you say? Fine, make your incremental price increase here, and charge $200/yr for this new Portfolio account.

    Done.

    Bingo.
    "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio, our nation turns its lonely eyes to you?"

    http://mcq.smugmug.com
  • jmphotocraftjmphotocraft Registered Users Posts: 2,987 Major grins
    edited October 23, 2012
    McQ wrote: »
    Bingo.

    Sorry, I just added
    • Option to adjust photos after receiving orders
    Because of a few thousand prints sold, I think maybe 5% of my customers ever do their own cropping.
    -Jack

    An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
  • mbellotmbellot Registered Users Posts: 465 Major grins
    edited October 23, 2012
    A la carte features probably makes too much sense. I get what you're saying, but shoot a youth sports team or league and you will quickly wish you had coupons or packages. Including them would allow SM to go to the $200 price point fairly. Maybe they would consider offering a Portfolio level at $150, and a Portfolio Plus at $200.

    I shoot thousands of dance pictures as well as other school performance stuff and coupons have been a HUGE BUST for me. I tried for a year after they came out and not one single customer ever used one.

    As for ala carte, of course it makes too much sense for SM to implement. They are much more interested in giving us WHAT THEY THINK WE NEED, regardless of what any of us might actually ask for in a feature.

    If they wanted to, they could make an entry level commerce account (for profit pricing, watermarks, standard labs and proof delay) for $150 and then start charging for add-ons. Structure it so that it costs more to have all the extra features ala carte than if you just go for a full Business account, but allow users to decide if they want coupons, packages, pro labs, print marks, etc.
    Sorry, I just added
    • Option to adjust photos after receiving orders
    Because of a few thousand prints sold, I think maybe 5% of my customers ever do their own cropping.

    Agreed. Proof delay is a must for selling prints, but it's really in SM's best interest to provide it since it prevents them from having to replace photos under their total satisfaction guarantee.
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited October 23, 2012
    What are you guys calling PRO labs???
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • mike_kmike_k Registered Users Posts: 153 Major grins
    edited October 23, 2012
    McQ wrote: »
    Hey Mike, glad you asked. My questions to Baldy are direct, and address two different things he wrote in his post (#77 in this thread). I already pointed these out, but here they are again.

    First:

    "You might wonder what time and size has to do with it because I've mentioned mostly storage and engineering costs, and if you want me to answer I can"

    I've simply taken him up on his offer. That's number one. Still waiting for him to answer.

    The second, contained in his same post, was his twice emphasizing that he would both "love to" and "dearly love to" offer a Pro-type commerce account for $150/year.

    The reason I've written my posts is clear as well, as I've stated that since they'd love to do this, then it follows that it must be a priority for SM to get this done, even though they "haven't figured it out yet".


    Hope that answers your question.

    It does. Thanks. I definitely get the first part. Maybe this is one of those "just because I can, doesn't mean I will..." types of deals. ne_nau.gif

    But this part:
    ... as I've stated that since they'd love to do this, then it follows that it must be a priority for SM to get this done, even though they "haven't figured it out yet".
    is where you and I have very different take-aways from their "we'd love to and it kills us that we can't" statements. You see it as if they'd love to do it then it must be a priority to do it. I see it as, even though they would love to do it, and even though it kills them inside not to, it's not happening.

    It's good to know that they are at least talking about it, but...

    For the record, I've cancelled my SM account and have moved to ZF. It kills me inside that this was the path that I had to take. I've been a customer here for 6 years, but they have made it very, very clear that my demographic (semi-pro/hobbyist) is not one that they are interested in supporting (or at least not interested enough to actually do it).

    I joke with the "kills me inside" comment, but it really is true. I feel like they have turned their backs on customers like me, and that's the reason that I keep coming back to this thread - with hopes of reading that I was wrong. With hopes of seeing answers to questions like yours. I want them to care that a (maybe large?) group of us feel like they have turned their backs on us. I want something more than "we are sad that it has to be this way". But I guess that's not going to happen and it's time to move on for good.
  • mike_kmike_k Registered Users Posts: 153 Major grins
    edited October 23, 2012
    mbellot wrote: »
    Last I heard Andy wasn't a SM employee anymore, so his response means little more than any of ours (not official).

    I agree 100%.
  • mbellotmbellot Registered Users Posts: 465 Major grins
    edited October 23, 2012
    Art Scott wrote: »
    What are you guys calling PRO labs???

    I assumed it was Bay and WHCC, with EZ prints being the "consumer" print lab (in the US).

    Guess I was wroing. From the features page:
    Print from our pro labs: Bay Photo, WHCC and EZ Prints.
    So apparently all labs are "pro" labs. rolleyes1.gif


    I am curious though... If printing from these Pro labs is only a Portfolio/Business level feature, where on earth do the Power and Basic prints come from? eek7.gif
  • AceCo55AceCo55 Registered Users Posts: 950 Major grins
    edited October 24, 2012
    If any of those changes were to happen - then anyone living in the USA could take advantage of it. Living the Australia, it means zip/zero/nothing/not-applicable. The only thing I get for a Portfolio account is custom watermarking. If I could get digital downloads, it would be at least SOMETHING we Australians could use. I have just renewed my account for one more year (Portfolio). By the end of the year, I will have deleted my current galleries and all this year's uploads will be pre-watermarked. I will see what Smugmug come up with over the next year. Then it will be 1) stay at Portfolio if value for money is increased for Australians 2) downgrade to Power and save $90 3) Leave and go somewhere else
    My opinion does not necessarily make it true. What you do with my opinion is entirely up to you.
    www.acecootephotography.com
  • TalkieTTalkieT Registered Users Posts: 491 Major grins
    edited October 24, 2012
    AceCo55 wrote: »
    [snip] By the end of the year, I will have deleted my current galleries and all this year's uploads will be pre-watermarked.[snip]

    No, for added hilarity, and because it ABSOLUTELY is what Smugmug is driving people to do... LEAVE your fullsize unwatermarked images up and just hide the galleries... Even password them as well if people have links already.

    Then just upload another copy of the photos with a watermark to a different gallery...

    That way...

    - You have a backup of your images
    - You can display watermarked images
    - It only takes up twice the storage space on Smugmug (NO PROBLEM, it's unlimited remember!)
    - It's only incredibly annoying and frustrating to manage

    Cheers - N
    --
    http://www.nzsnaps.com (talkiet.smugmug.com)
  • zacHer0zacHer0 Registered Users Posts: 655 Major grins
    edited October 24, 2012
    mbellot wrote: »
    I assumed it was Bay and WHCC, with EZ prints being the "consumer" print lab (in the US).

    Guess I was wroing. From the features page:

    So apparently all labs are "pro" labs. rolleyes1.gif


    I am curious though... If printing from these Pro labs is only a Portfolio/Business level feature, where on earth do the Power and Basic prints come from? eek7.gif

    Right from the features page you quoted...

    i-msnZpPC-L.png

    Basic and Power accounts use EZPrints only, Pros (Business & Portfolio) can use all the labs we offer. The one exception is that Loxley is only available on the Business account level at the moment but we are working on that.

    Edit: I see what you mean now, we show that EZPrints is a Pro lab. We will fix the wording on that - thanks for pointing it out.
    Zac Williams
    Support Hero
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited October 24, 2012
    mbellot wrote: »
    I assumed it was Bay and WHCC, with EZ prints being the "consumer" print lab (in the US).

    Guess I was wroing. From the features page:

    So apparently all labs are "pro" labs. rolleyes1.gif


    I am curious though... If printing from these Pro labs is only a Portfolio/Business level feature, where on earth do the Power and Basic prints come from? eek7.gif

    Well I agree EZ prints is not PRO...I get better prints from walmart than I ever got from EZ...headscratch.gif

    Well with the POWER level and basic...YOU have to SELF FULFILL with any lab you want to use...It could be MPIX, Bay, WHCC, Black River, or even DPI here in Wichita ....
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • jmphotocraftjmphotocraft Registered Users Posts: 2,987 Major grins
    edited October 24, 2012
    Art Scott wrote: »
    Well I agree EZ prints is not PRO...I get better prints from walmart than I ever got from EZ...headscratch.gif

    :bigbs
    -Jack

    An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
  • Art ScottArt Scott Registered Users Posts: 8,959 Major grins
    edited October 24, 2012
    :bigbs

    so you don't agree that is your right ... well my walmart does better than any I have gotten from EZ....doesn't mean I would use them for anything other than test prints though....that was the 1st thing that upset me with SM....as when I first signed up EZ was the only choice and to me they sucked big time.... jmho ...
    "Genuine Fractals was, is and will always be the best solution for enlarging digital photos." ....Vincent Versace ... ... COPYRIGHT YOUR WORK ONLINE ... ... My Website

  • mbellotmbellot Registered Users Posts: 465 Major grins
    edited October 24, 2012
    :bigbs
    Art Scott wrote: »
    so you don't agree that is your right ... well my walmart does better than any I have gotten from EZ....doesn't mean I would use them for anything other than test prints though....that was the 1st thing that upset me with SM....as when I first signed up EZ was the only choice and to me they sucked big time.... jmho ...

    EZ may not be Pro, but they are good enough for the majority of what my customers order.

    I've only had one customer complain that the prints she ordered were too dark (it was an effing H.S. Orchesis performance, teenagers think dancing in the dark is moody and deep). I ended up re-printing 75% of the order at Costco locally so I could check them before turning over replacements.

    But this is all completely beside the point. SM continues to ignore the problem at hand, and in so doing drives more customers away each and every month.
  • TalkieTTalkieT Registered Users Posts: 491 Major grins
    edited October 25, 2012
    mbellot wrote: »
    [snip]
    But this is all completely beside the point. SM continues to ignore the problem at hand, and in so doing drives more customers away each and every month.

    Every company has customers that aren't profitable, or aren't as profitable as they like - so often losing customers is GOOD for business...

    It's just unfortunate that Smugmug has identified the hobbyist Pro as their least valuable customer segment and has chosen to reign in increasing costs by making the proposition for those customers very unattractive.

    Good business move if you don't care about reputation.

    Cheers - N
    --
    http://www.nzsnaps.com (talkiet.smugmug.com)
  • McQMcQ Registered Users Posts: 165 Major grins
    edited October 26, 2012
    Baldy wrote: »
    Hey everyone,

    I wish I had more to say than we said in the video, but the honest answer is we'd love to offer a less expensive pro account with commerce, but now that we've been in business as long as we have and reached our size, we just don't know how to do it and make it really good. It kills us to say that, but it's honest.

    You might wonder what time and size has to do with it because I've mentioned mostly storage and engineering costs, and if you want me to answer I can, but I know that what you'd love and we would too is the $150 commerce account back in some form. With the heat we're taking for not having one anymore, we'd dearly love to offer it, it's just at this time we don't know how.

    I'm sorry I don't have a better answer for you.

    Baldy

    Bump. Still waiting, and you've not replied to any posts in the interim. Remember, you offered, as your quoted post indicates.
    "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio, our nation turns its lonely eyes to you?"

    http://mcq.smugmug.com
  • jmphotocraftjmphotocraft Registered Users Posts: 2,987 Major grins
    edited October 31, 2012
    Easy. Take the Portfolio account, and tick the checkmarks for:
    • Set prices and make profit
    • Create custom coupons for promotions
    • Create custom single and multi-image packages
    • Option to adjust photos after receiving orders
    That is it. The Portfolio account should have this capability anyway. Because a $90 premium over the Power account just for watermarks, printmarking, and backprinting makes no sense. If you're not selling prints through smugmug, you don't need those features on smugmug.

    "But then nobody will upgrade to the Business account," you say? Fine, make your incremental price increase here, and charge $200/yr for this new Portfolio account.

    Done.

    Still waiting for a reply to this too. If coupons and packages are too pro-ish, fine, leave them out, but I really can't see how you can't offer a $150-200 level with the ability to set prices and make a profit, and to adjust photos after receiving orders.

    Seems like your public image is really taking a major hit here, and you seem to be sitting on your hands.
    -Jack

    An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
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