The personalized photo product market is expanding rapidly. If you were thinking of jumping into the field, having a business partner who delivers software tailored to your needs and can handle everything from online editing to e-commerce and hosting would be helpful. But what factors determine if the software provider is top-notch? As a solutions provider, we focus mainly on three aspects: conversion, efficiency, and flexibility. Read on to see why we think these aspects are so vital.
Conversion: An online business requires great usability
To sell more online, a business should deliver the most enjoyable buying experience. We all know that the buying experience is important in e-commerce, but in the photo product market, it is probably a hundred times more important. This is because users don’t just buy the product; they have to create the product before they can buy it. The product may be very simple (like a t-shirt with a photo) or very complicated (like a photo album). You have to make the task of creating the product as easy as possible for the customer.
The editor and its features should be tailored to the customer’s needs; when they want a simple photo print, they should not be overwhelmed with tons of features. The best way is to deliver a product quickly and without hassles using a simple editor. However, it can be hard to reduce the time needed for creating complex products like photo books. Choosing the best pictures from a thousand and then creating a whole project takes time, and as we know, it is hard to hold the customer’s attention these days. That is why photo product stores are jumping into Smart solutions that significantly reduce the time and work required for both photo selection and book creation processes.
When you evaluate the photo products software, don’t forget to jump into demo and try out the editors you want your customers to use. Ask your employees and even your family members to help and really test it well. Your store performance will depend on it.
Learn more about Printbox conversion.
Efficiency: Dealing with the complexity of product administration
The second factor is whether the e-commerce platform is suitable for dealing with the complexity of photo products. What does this mean? Photo products are much more complex than typical e-commerce products. For example, you can sell boots in just a few colors and sizes (assuming you are not selling custom-made boots), but photo books come in different shapes and sizes and can be printed on different types of papers, with a variety of book covers to choose from. And when you set up the product, you have to price it, which will depend (in addition to the factors mentioned above) on the number of pages.
So when looking for photo products software, don’t forget to evaluate the administration panel. Check if the software will allow you to configure each product type separately (which will minimize the margin of error), if you can add complex price combinations, and if you can easily add new themes or design assets. If you are not limiting yourself to one store, it would be useful to have all these options in one place and the multistore would be an important addition.
Learn more about Printbox efficiency.
Flexibility: Remove business limitations
No two businesses are the same. That is why one solution can never fulfill all expectations unless it has hassle-free customization.
A large part of customization is buying paths. Every photo product needs a different approach, which means adjusting every component to deliver a delightful user journey. The ease of modifying the buying path for each product type you want to sell should be an important factor when evaluating the photo products software.
Last but not least, always evaluate the technology behind the product, including the openness and ease of adjusting the architecture. It is not only about the ease of integration but also about your store’s future. Choose the products that are as future-proof as possible and a provider who knows that in the technology field one can never stop growing.
Learn more about Printbox flexibility
We hope you have enjoyed our advice and wish you luck in your search for the perfect solution for your photo products store. If you have any questions regarding Printbox Enterprise Photo Products Software, you can reach us at info[at]getprintbox.com
Krzysztof Szczepańczyk
Student of the University of Economics in Cracow. Photo products business is something new for him, but he's already making a name for himself at Printbox with his curiosity and desire to learn. Loves sports, travel, playing guitar, and scrambled eggs for breakfast.
