How to Get Images Avalible to Potential Customers.

[BaseballPhotographer]

Hello Everyone,

I need some really good advice.

I will be shooting both JV and Varsity football games, basketball, track & field, etc. for my High School starting this week. I've been given permission by the appropriate authorities to sell some of my work to the parents, friends,etc. of the athlete's as soon as possible after each competition.

What is the "primo" website that offers a very professional "feel" where I can sell buttons, magnets, 5x7s, 8x10's, etc.

Thanks for reading, and for any advice you may offer.

Stephen

[Mike30D]

I use Collages for all my events. You can customize your price lists, use your logo on the site, and you can also choose to use either their lab or your current lab.

There's a list here of different places for this sort of thing:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=561110

[tim]

I would suggest photographers shopping cart (picturespro.com) on your own website, if you want control. Otherwise a hosted service that does the printing for you would save you a bunch of time.

[bwolford]

What is the "primo" website that offers a very professional "feel" where I can sell buttons, magnets, 5x7s, 8x10's, etc.
Stephen

Stephen,

I use Exposure Manager (http://www.exposuremanager.com/aff/newtampaconcierge). Premiere customer service and great products. You have control of how your web site looks and pricing. One of the most cost effective solutions available.

[FotoGenes]

SmugMug is really nice too. Total customization, set prices for prints as well as digital downloads, etc. Not sure if they do the magnets and stuff though.

[amfoto1]

For three years I've used Printroom.com

It's great, especially since it's local to me so my customers get the equivalent of overnight delivery for no additional cost. They have a few dozen printable "specialty" items, like you mention (mugs, mouse pads, calendars, greeting cards, coasters, etc.), as well as probably 100 print sizes and finishes that customers can choose among. They also provide the software to manage your galleries, ample storage space for the thumbnails that are produced and uploaded by the software (I probably have over 10,000 image thumbnails online right now, but I haven't really added it up). You can purchase additional storage if needed. Cost is reasonable at $99 a year plus about 15 or 16% of sales. They provide several pricing "models", but you can customize those and offer the items you wish. You can customize your "storefront" several ways.

I agree that it's good to have a website of your own, but I'd never host and handle sales and fulfillment through my own site. It's way too time consuming making the prints and running back and forth to the post office. Plus, at least in my area, you need to collect sales taxes, keep accounts and make payments to the state and local gov'ts, plus would need a means of taking credit cards online. It's very much worth it to me to sell through a service like Printroom (plus it can be incorporated seamlessly into your own website, if you wish).

Cafepress.com is another good place for specialty items, in particular. I'm not on it now, but I seem to recall it's about $25 to set up a storefront there.

[Dennis_Hammer]

I use Exopusermanager myself. They do a great job with the prints offer a large variety of products. You can also customize their site to match yours and people will never know they left your site. Also TOP NOTCH customer service fast and responsive. They take credit cards and they ship using your return address, will also allow you to have a 'thank you note' or other kind of marketing inserted into every order.

Here's a link check them they give a free trial and a discount form referrals.

http://www.exposuremanager.com/aff/hammerphotos