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Archive 2012 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?

  
 
mulder32
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p.3 #1 · p.3 #1 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?


chris78cpr wrote:
No offense is intended here, but the way the galleries are presented make me more inclined to stay away from Zen. The equivalent smugmug galleries seem to be a lot slicker and better presented.

Not trying to offend, just offering my opinion.


No offense taken--just a matter of taste. I find Zen cleaner, plus I also realized for what I need to do I can use their Premium plan, not Premium Business. Premium is $120 year, so I'm actually saving $130 year.



Sep 12, 2012 at 07:49 PM
sskoutas
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p.3 #2 · p.3 #2 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?


mulder32 wrote:
...plus I also realized for what I need to do I can use their Premium plan, not Premium Business. Premium is $120 year, so I'm actually saving $130 year.


Yes, you are saving $130/year vs. SmugMug Pro Business, but you're not getting the same features. For a comparable look at pricing vs. features, I think you need to compare Zenfolio Premium ($120) vs. SmugMug Pro Portfolio ($150).


Edited on Sep 13, 2012 at 10:54 AM · View previous versions



Sep 13, 2012 at 08:20 AM
mulder32
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p.3 #3 · p.3 #3 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?


sskoutas wrote:
Yes, you are saving $130/year vs. SmugMug Pro Business, but you're not getting the same features. For a comparable looking at pricing vs. features, I think you need to compare Zenfolio Premium ($120) vs. SmugMug Pro Portfolio ($150).


Ahhh...good point. So actually I'm only saving $30...which to me is still saving money, and again, as I mentioned earlier, I prefer Zen's look.



Sep 13, 2012 at 09:38 AM
sskoutas
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p.3 #4 · p.3 #4 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?


miccullen wrote:
Anything meaningful, given your entire post is based on your guess, because although you had time to type a response, you didn't have the time to bother to check any of the info the post is about.


I do have time to write back and thank you for the rude reply. The big selling point at the top tier is commerce, and I did look at that. Both Smug and Zen offer it at their premium level. If you care about the additional granular detail, feel free to go read it. I would not qualify my post as a "guess," though I would qualify your reply as unnecessarily argumentative.



Sep 13, 2012 at 11:01 AM
Kory Lidstrom
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p.3 #5 · p.3 #5 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?


thomashammer78 wrote:
I am on Smugmug but I just got an email that they are raising their prices to $300 a month for a business account thats $150 more a year than it was.... I AM OUT.

Is there any portfolio sites like smugmug that have access to print studios and fair prices?

as a struggling photographer 300 a year is too much for me to pay, It was hard enough to cough up the $150.

Thomas


Why don't you calm down and stop spouting misinformation?

First of all, the increase for returning customers like yourself is to $250, not $300. So, you're wrong there. Also, it's $300 per year, not per month.

Secondly, since you're a "struggling photographer" why don't you work on perfecting your skills and getting better so that a paltry extra $100 a year won't send you into a tizzy? I mean, really, in this day and age $100 a year is a drop in the bucket if you have even a trickle of sales coming in. It's just the cost of doing business. Getting all worked up and smearing Sumgmug with false statements isn't constructive, nor is it helpful to anyone on this forum. Furthermore, you could also just get the "portfolio" option which is only $150 per year. Sure, you can't sell prints with that option, but, by your own comments, it doesn't appear you're doing much of that anyway.

sskoutas wrote:
I've been with Smugmug for years. When I got the price increase notice, I read it. I watched Baldy's video. I looked at what they give you for the money, and how long it's been since there's been a price increase. I looked at how much storage costs with alternatives. I looked at my website and the tools that they give me to customize it and keep commerce going on it. I looked at the quality of my website's presentation, the exposure it gives me, the rave reviews I get from clients when they get their prints, and the huge
...Show more

Now here is someone thinking calmly and rationally about the situation. Couldn't have said it better.



Sep 13, 2012 at 07:24 PM
anthonysemone
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p.3 #6 · p.3 #6 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?


C'mon guys, SmugMug didn't build it


Sep 13, 2012 at 07:53 PM
Utahlefty
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p.3 #7 · p.3 #7 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?


sskoutas wrote:
Yes, you are saving $130/year vs. SmugMug Pro Business, but you're not getting the same features. For a comparable look at pricing vs. features, I think you need to compare Zenfolio Premium ($120) vs. SmugMug Pro Portfolio ($150).



Absolutely not. Based on the vast majority of SmugMug complaints, the primary feature people want / need in a pro plan is to be able to set prices for e-commerce (and have them fulfilled by a lab). Smugmug eliminated that feature from "Portfolio" while Zen's "Premium" has it enabled.

Currently there's essentially NO meaningful difference between Smugmug's Power and Premium service. Who's willing to pay an extra $90 a year just to have a custom watermark

You can pay $120 a year to Zen to set prices & fulfill orders it but have to pay $250-$300 a year to Smugmug for it.

Oh, and Zen charges a 12% commission versus a 15% commission for Smugmug.

Oh, and Zen's comes with a blog for those who want one...



Sep 14, 2012 at 09:00 AM
DigMeTX
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p.3 #8 · p.3 #8 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?


I don't renew until May so I have a while but I'm looking at gopixit.com.

I heard about them on This Week in Photo and their prices are closer to Smug's old prices ($139 for pro account). You can have any printer pull your purchases and fulfill or you can self fulfill. I would probably continue using Bay Photo because they always nail it.

brad



Sep 14, 2012 at 07:41 PM
HubbardJA
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p.3 #9 · p.3 #9 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?


I've been a Zenfolio Premium user for almost a year now and it's simply wonderful. I use my account as a client proofing and downloading site, but the examples of websites ran off the platform look really nice too. I've experienced no "down" time and find the user dashboard very easy to setup and use. It's also a very reliable backup of sorts but, I would not recommend relying on it as your only backup.

If you're thinking of joining, feel free to use my coupon code for a nice 10% discount: HZ9-HSH-T4R

-Jayson



Sep 26, 2012 at 10:06 AM
nard416
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p.3 #10 · p.3 #10 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?


I would consider pictures Pro. http://www.picturespro.com/ Awesome cart, easy to use, 1 time charge. You have to do the printing.

I've used it for 5 years not one issue.



Sep 26, 2012 at 05:41 PM
shawngilson
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p.3 #11 · p.3 #11 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?


trenchmonkey wrote:
+1 count me in too, Steve It's the cost of doing business right. I finally raised MY prices this Spring,
for prints/downloads by about 40%...having left them untouched for ~3 yrs. Sales are up...go figure.


Another loyal Smugmug user as well.. and I'll be staying with them. I have to admit when I watch the video, there was a tiny twinge of guilt, realizing that I could be part of the reason that they have to charge more. I store hundreds of thousands of photos on there. I take most of these photos for the love of it, and some for profit, but because this is my hobby/2nd job, I do a poor job of selling. I let alot of my photos go for free, as they are for my kids' or friends' teams. I have over 300,000 full res images out there being stored, and most of my sales come from my very small senior business and a few sports. I look at this as a time for me to be more diligent on charging for my work, and making the money that I should be making for the work I do. I'm going to cough up the $250 in a month because their support and their products are extraordinary. You rarely find the type of service that they provide.

So, I will pay the extra $100, and I'll make make myself do what I should have done a long time ago... get to task on pricing my photos to make a profit, and not just be a nice friend with a camera.



Oct 11, 2012 at 06:23 PM
blackshadow
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p.3 #12 · p.3 #12 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?


The Smugmug price increase has made me reconsider my online photo hosting presence.

I was generally happy with SM this pricing puts them into the price of Photoshelter and I am very keen on the RM sales and their presentation of images - I did some research and was offered a very good deal from them and am in the process of transferring my archive from SM to Photoshelter

It's also prompted a new logo, I'm redoing the front end of my website with a Graph Paper Press Wordpress theme and am making sure that all images are properly meta-tagged for SEO purposes.

I'm going to end up with a more professional looking and oriented website - for that thanks Smugmug for raising your prices and prompting me to re-examine my web presence and go with another alternative.

New site and photo archive goes live over the weekend.



Oct 12, 2012 at 03:10 AM
Light_pilgrim
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p.3 #13 · p.3 #13 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?


I used to have SmugMug long time ago - expensive and boring.
Now I am using Wordpress and I am much happier:-)
www.dylikowski.com
Cost is very-very-very affordable and it only for hosting and a template. That's it.



Oct 12, 2012 at 03:23 AM
miccullen
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p.3 #14 · p.3 #14 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?


shawngilson wrote:
I have over 300,000 full res images out there being stored

Yes, that's completely insane. Although I guess it serves SM right for not realising that some people can't self-edit.

Light_pilgrim wrote:
I used to have SmugMug long time ago - expensive and boring.
Now I am using Wordpress and I am much happier:-)
www.dylikowski.com
Cost is very-very-very affordable and it only for hosting and a template. That's it.


But your not set up to sell, which is a whole new level of complexity. (And how is Smugmug 'boring'? It is what you make it.)



Oct 12, 2012 at 03:55 AM
Light_pilgrim
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p.3 #15 · p.3 #15 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?


miccullen wrote:
But your not set up to sell, which is a whole new level of complexity. (And how is Smugmug 'boring'? It is what you make it.)


There are some eCommerce templates as well. I tried to customize SMugMug, but I was never able to achieve what I have with Wordpress. Maybe just me.




Oct 12, 2012 at 04:13 AM
miccullen
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p.3 #16 · p.3 #16 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?


Light_pilgrim wrote:
There are some eCommerce templates as well.


Yeah, I'm looking at them now, as I try to decide what to do.



Oct 12, 2012 at 04:30 AM
skasol
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p.3 #17 · p.3 #17 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?


I am too in the same boat right now. Trying to
Decide what to do. Smugmug was easy to use but the price increase has prompt me into looking at other options.



Oct 12, 2012 at 09:01 AM
RRRoger
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p.3 #18 · p.3 #18 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?


cogard wrote:
What is the best shopping cart site that has the ability to sell portrait packages? quote<<<

I have been using PhotoCart since 2008 and am very happy with Tim at picturespro.
I like control of my product and always thought SmugMug was overpriced.
I also prefer to process and print my own pictures, but many of the guys use Print Labs for that.



Oct 13, 2012 at 01:22 AM
markd61
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p.3 #19 · p.3 #19 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?


ken.vs.ryu wrote:
What were the reasons for the rise in cost?


More than likely they realized that they were actually undercharging for their services. Much as photographers realize that fact when they can't make their car payments.

If enough people leave and they fold then the business of trying to sell to hobbyist photographers is much thinner than they realized.
Or, if they succeed, they will be keeping those that feel they are getting fair value for money and the cheapskates will roam the 'net looking for the next wide-eyed dreamer willing to offer services below cost in hopes of "growing his market".

Either way, the vaunted market is at work.



Oct 13, 2012 at 12:02 PM
miccullen
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p.3 #20 · p.3 #20 · SMUGMUG crazy rise in price... alternatives?


markd61 wrote:
More than likely they realized that they were actually undercharging for their services.


Which is one of the reasons I'm departing - if their business nous is so lacking that they can't work that out earlier and build it into a few smaller increases rather than one massive rise, I wonder if their other systems are similarly poor. I have no idea if that's correct or not, but that's what it looks like to me.



Oct 13, 2012 at 03:17 PM
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