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Published 01/04/2014
theimagefile...
A name - and service - that will be already familiar to members of The Societies,
theimagefile... provides photographers of all levels with the ability to display, proof and sell their pictures online. In fact it claims to be the number one UK-based solution for doing so, and takes 0% commission on sales. Using theimagefile... website builder, those signing up to the service will be able to construct a site from scratch without any prior knowledge of coding - and, if wished, customise it to the nth degree. Alternatively, photographers with their own site already can use theimagefile... to bolt on an online sales facility, which, it is claimed, seamlessly integrates with your existing set-up.
The full package includes a professional, search-engine-optimised site, with a Wordpress blog, shopping cart, order processing and management system. Users can also link up with eight partnered labs: Loxley Colour, One Vision Imaging, Sim2000, Eye Candy, DS Colour Labs, Mega Labs, GMS in Dublin, plus Photobox. To help your business get set up from scratch, theimagefile... also offers free email and telephone support, in addition to regular 'webinars'.
Included in the package are tools to increase your marketing reach, from sharing and social media through to visitor and customer email details being collected to enable more efficient email marketing. Tiered pricing and special discounts can be included in price lists in order to increase customer shopping cart spend. Other key features include easy image upload with the automatic creation of thumbnail-sized images and automatic bespoke watermarking. Private galleries can be password protected, music added to slideshows, invoices automatically generated with your branding in up to 16 currencies, and there is no limit on how long images stay online. Integration with Light Blue software is additionally offered. Phew!
As stated at the outset, the beauty of theimagefile... is that it offers packages to suit whatever stage of business development you're at. The core package is the same for each of its three price offerings; it's just the storage space that changes. That said, you can adjust your account level in either direction at any time to best suit your needs. There is a £5 monthly discount on a Pro package for members of The Societies, which means you pay just £24.99 for 50GB of images displayed in your sales area, with includes unlimited images in your stock library. The mid-range option is paying £14.99 per month for up to 2,500 images in your sales areas and unlimited stock library imagery, whilst the third and most basic option is a £4.99 monthly charge for up to 500 shots in your sales areas and once again unlimited story library images. It should be noted that all prices are plus VAT and hosting charges are included. A loyalty bonus for Pro membership is an additional 10GB storage space for each year that you stay with theimagefile.... All you need to get started is a domain name.
One satisfied customer is Suffolk-based Tony Pick of Tony Pick Photography, who tells us: "Yet again, I'm absolutely delighted with the whole imagefile experience and its professional, personal and friendly service. It has been great to see my ideas become reality.
The dedicated team were always there to offer support and assistance and I'm delighted with the final result."
You're not tied into a fixed contract term with theimagefile... either. In fact you can get started with a no-commitment, extended 60-day trial for £1 plus VAT. Enter GS2014 in the promo code box when creating your trial account at theimagefile.com/try
www.theimagefile.com
There are 21 days to get ready for The Society of Photographers Convention and Trade Show at The Novotel London West, Hammersmith ...
which starts on Wednesday 15th January 2025