Can you recommend a site for e-commerce?

[Morris Taub]

Wondering if anyone can give some advice or maybe user experience about trying to sell photos online...I'm looking for something set up so all I have to do is upload my images...I don't want to have to deal with the whole business of taking care of a site, the shopping cart/e commerce, and shipping, packing, etc...

Two sites I've already looked at : Zenfolio and SmugMug...and despite what seems to be a pretty complete package and not too expensive I have my doubts...

Also...these two are US based...I live in France...not sure if it matters but there might be some downside I'm not aware of...I did check two or three sites here in France but they are all over 300 euros per year and don't seem to offer more than say Zenfolio...

Of course I'm not sure I'll sell anything but I thought beginning in March I'd give it a shot for a year...create some categories, put up some images and see how it goes...

I guess my main concern is a customer ordering a print and them being happy with the quality of the printing, the paper it's on, and also the frame if they order the print with one...

alright, that's all I got...any help appreciated...thanks...

M

[DarkPenguin]

Check the Zenfolio forums to see if the European members are happy.  They weren't when I was there.

Zenfolio is a PITA when you're setting up prints for sale.  You either have to really control your print sizes OR allow the customer to crop their images with a really odd crop tool.  For some things that's fine.  For things you really want control over it sucks.

The Mpix prints were fine for what I was selling.  (Order one to see what you think.)  Never bought a frame.

Oh, I should mention that Zenfolio's order processing is very nice and easy.

[Morris Taub]

Check the Zenfolio forums to see if the European members are happy.  They weren't when I was there.

Zenfolio is a PITA when you're setting up prints for sale.  You either have to really control your print sizes OR allow the customer to crop their images with a really odd crop tool.  For some things that's fine.  For things you really want control over it sucks.

The Mpix prints were fine for what I was selling.  (Order one to see what you think.)  Never bought a frame.

Oh, I should mention that Zenfolio's order processing is very nice and easy.

ok thanks...i'll check out the forums and also look into the cropping tool...that's something i didn't see...

M

[Rob C]

momo2

I sympathise with your predicament. I am interested in almost the same thing as you seem to be, in that I don´t want the hassle of doing any selling myself.

I have looked at several different options lately, but though the products are very pretty, it all comes down to much hard work creating one´s own site, an exercise well worth it for a photographer still working, but not as delightful for one that´s retired from commercial life and just wants some pocket money. Trouble with that attitude is that it means one will never know if there had been great growth potential there or not...

The only solution I can see as being workable, and which offers any real control, is finding a gallery that is interested in the work. I have no faith at all in internet money. My bank recently e-mailed me a notice saying the same thing: internet transactions are not considered secure, and that´s after offering me internet accounts which I have politely refused! I have no faith in internet security, period! Of my two computers, the one for photography is not connected to the web and this one is.

Let somebody else do the selling if you can - keeps you free for things other than searching for sales every day, sales which might or might never come through!

Rob C

[Morris Taub]

You either have to really control your print sizes OR allow the customer to crop their images with a really odd crop tool.  For some things that's fine.  For things you really want control over it sucks.

thanks again...this is something I'd definitely want control over...size of image on a specific size of paper and position, border, etc...I'll have to verify if that can be done via zenfolio or wherever...

[Morris Taub]

momo2

I sympathise with your predicament. I am interested in almost the same thing as you seem to be, in that I don´t want the hassle of doing any selling myself.

I have looked at several different options lately, but though the products are very pretty, it all comes down to much hard work creating one´s own site, an exercise well worth it for a photographer still working, but not as delightful for one that´s retired from commercial life and just wants some pocket money. Trouble with that attitude is that it means one will never know if there had been great growth potential there or not...

The only solution I can see as being workable, and which offers any real control, is finding a gallery that is interested in the work. I have no faith at all in internet money. My bank recently e-mailed me a notice saying the same thing: internet transactions are not considered secure, and that´s after offering me internet accounts which I have politely refused! I have no faith in internet security, period! Of my two computers, the one for photography is not connected to the web and this one is.

Let somebody else do the selling if you can - keeps you free for things other than searching for sales every day, sales which might or might never come through!

Rob C

Hi Rob...hope you're feelin' fine...for me I don't have the knowledge and don't want to spend the time to learn to set up a site of my own...I want to take photos...

also, I'm totally not a salesman and know it so the internet is one avenue and galleries will be another...it'll be a few months before I'm ready to show galleries work but I plan to do that too...that said, I know the world of galleries isn't gonna be easy...

you sound like my father in law about the banks and internet...and i agree with you both...they are totally not safe but say they are and accept a certain amount of loss each year to do their business...but you don't have to have an account on the internet to be at risk...all you need is for some bozo in a bank, insurance company, etc. to slip out the door with thousands of names and info on a disc and bam there goes any security an institution might talk up...it's happened before, it'll happen again...

that's my plan Rob, let someone else do the selling...thanks for your thoughts...

M