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Microstock Photography Forum - General => General Stock Discussion => Topic started by: Petr Toman on August 22, 2013, 05:00

Title: Anyone selling on Smugmug?
Post by: Petr Toman on August 22, 2013, 05:00
Hi everyone, as there is new rebuild smugmug, it caught my attention....again :)

Is anyone having luck selling pictures there downloads/prints/merch ?

I was thinking about test the eshop there for customers from sports venues I shoot as an very easy way how to get prints without asking photographer etc. + putting there stock photos also.

Any experience good/bad ?

Thank you
Title: Re: Anyone selling on Smugmug?
Post by: Ron on August 22, 2013, 05:06
Go Symbiostock, if you do, please be my referral so I can get the bonus for the premium version. Thanks.  :)
Title: Re: Anyone selling on Smugmug?
Post by: Petr Toman on August 22, 2013, 05:17
Go Symbiostock, if you do, please be my referral so I can get the bonus for the premium version. Thanks.  :)

Did try, but to be honest, the website management is too painful, I had troubles with uploads, publishing, design etc. I figure out most of the problems, but still, I dont want to spend my time on that. That's why I also use squarespace instead of my own programmed page, even though I own a webhosting for 20 domains. I just like to pay some fee for the services and focus on shooting and pictures. It is a good trade of for me.
But I understand it in a long run, having own website, eshop is at the end financially better choice.
Title: Re: Anyone selling on Smugmug?
Post by: Ron on August 22, 2013, 05:49
Fair enough. For me setting up my site was quite painless, but I understand its not the same for everyone.

About smugmug, unfortunately I cant help you as I dont use it. Good luck with whatever direction you choose.
Title: Re: Anyone selling on Smugmug?
Post by: rimglow on August 22, 2013, 07:29
   I get 3 or 4 orders a year. One order last april was for 15 downloads from the same person for $165. The way Smugmug notifies you, by email, is funny. It always starts off with "Cha-ching! Who loves ya, baby?"

   I've never put in much effort to promote the site. Photography is more fun than promotion.

   http://www.dannysmythe.com (http://www.dannysmythe.com)
Title: Re: Anyone selling on Smugmug?
Post by: borg on August 22, 2013, 08:10
I was there for 10 months, without any sale... I think that stock photos are not their niche...
They are more for weddings, happenings, editorial etc.... For target customers exactly...
Title: Re: Anyone selling on Smugmug?
Post by: PixelsAway on August 22, 2013, 11:08
2 years, sales barely cover Smugmug charges without any special promotion.
Uploading pictures is easy through collections in Lightroom.
Title: Re: Anyone selling on Smugmug?
Post by: Xanox on August 22, 2013, 12:55
no matter which site you use, you will not make a single sale if you can't promote your site.
all they do is selling a turn-key portfolio/e-commerce site with all the bells and whistles.

Title: Re: Anyone selling on Smugmug?
Post by: cascoly on August 22, 2013, 13:06
I've used smugmug for years - not enough sales to pay for the cost, but I find it a useful way to manage my images online, and easy to get links I use on other pages, articles, etc.  I've made more from symbio in its short lifetime

sym is muich easier to install and get running, with much better SEO - my smugmug site gets very little.  also, you have immediate access to your images on sym, while they're hidden away on smug and you have to download a gallery to get copies

sym wins easily on every aspect, and i'm planning to phase out my smugmug acct once I replace all the links I currently have using smugmug

steve
Title: Re: Anyone selling on Smugmug?
Post by: MicrostockExp on August 22, 2013, 14:42
got few sales for the first year nothing after just closed my account
Title: Re: Anyone selling on Smugmug?
Post by: ComfortEagle2095 on August 23, 2013, 20:11
I've used smugmug for years.  I don't make enough money to pay for the pro account I have but it's useful for other things.  When I have photo sets I want to deliver to someone (e.g., TF photos for a model or a set from a portrait shoot) it's great.  Every now and then I get someone who finds something from the stock collection and downloads it.  This used to happen more often than it seems to now and I notice things from my smugmug portfolio don't show up as high in Google searches as they used to.