SmugMug - does it work?

[anne_kerr]

Hello,

 

I was just wondering if anyone has used websites like SmugMug to sell their work before.

 

Would you recommend it?

 

Do you profit on it at all?

 

What does your success depend on? Quality of work? Making yourself known?

 

...or is it generally just a sucky idea?

 

Thanks!

[allenahale]

<p>I use Smugmug.<br>

I do not profit from it.<br>

Absolutely - success depends upon Quality of work, as well as making yourself known. I would also add the success is also having a market for the type of photos that you take - wedding photographer has a greater market than a documentary/editorial photographer.<br>

Bottom line - I am satisfied with SmugMug as a platform to showcase and marketplace for my work - despite a lack of success ... so far.</p>

[Ian Taylor]

<p>If you are a busy photographer with a decent career and reasonably high profile, it might help to earn some extra income.<br>

If you are a part time photographer without any public profile, it probably won't.</p>

[parttimephoto]

<p>Hey Anne, congrats on working to get your work out there into the world and for sale!<br>

As a senior portrait photographer, I'm not very familiar with the art print niche of photography. Let me ask: what's your business model? Who are your clients? Do you want to do your own photography projects then sell prints as art, or shoot for magazines, or some other kind of buyer? Who you want to sell to and how they like to buy are your biggest factors in whether SmugMug or another site would best serve you.<br>

I use SmugMug for my portfolio (banderaoutlaw.com), but I do in-person selling so I don't sell through it; it's purely a marketing and conversion tool. I love the design, the backend, the ease, the price, the responsive design, and the attitude and personality of the company.<br>

Depending on your goals, you may be better served by having a portfolio online that reinforces your local sales rather than an online ecommerce site to try to sell prints across the globe.<br>

Congratulations again on taking these big steps!</p>