Question

Topic: E-Marketing

Converting A Blog Into An E-com Site ? Help!

Posted by Anonymous on 11/23/2010 at 7:24 AM ET 350 Points
Dear MarkProfs Experts

Can i pick your brains to help me convert a photo-blog i have (do check my sample at https://www.squidoo.com/Crowpics) into an e-com site selling photographs?

I have hundreds of lovely photographs particularly on landscapes, birds (crows included) which i plan to monetize. I would also like to encourage site visitors to upload their pet photographs.

What should be my strategies to start the site itself. Do i outsource? Would you recommend me to to any DIY e-com vendors? How do i get traffic despite the facebook's, flickr's etc. al.?

Should i start a free site where i can get traffic to come in and may appreciate the small pixel size photographs for a start? Would you recommend that i start registering my products on popular e-vendors like amazon.com?

Who are the ideal e-com vendors i need to be in touch with?
You would notice that i was a regular in the KHE list of expert contributors, but i'm thrilled to be back here as a student of modern marketing through you.

Regards and Thank you in Advance

Jose
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 11/23/2010 at 8:27 AM Accepted
    Jose, why not register yourself and upload your images to some of the leading stock photography sites (www.corbisimages.com, www.gettyimages.com, etc.)? That's where people looking for images would go, rather than trying to compete against these sites, place your images there. These sites will handle all the e-commerce for you as well.
  • Posted by darcy.moen on 11/25/2010 at 8:12 PM Accepted
    You could use an opensource system like Joomla to build your own web site and try to sell images from your own website.

    Or, you could buy a copy of this script to sell images via your own web site: https://photostore.ktools.net/?aff=9708

    Or, it would make better sense to put your images where people are already going looking for images to buy. Two such companies have already been mentioned, but what you haven't been told is how hard it is to get your images accepted on those web sites. Corbis and Getty are for folks who are dedicated professionals and have extensive (a few thousand) photos for sale, as well you must have an extensive history of professional sales (I think last time I checked Corbis, you had to have sold a thousand images plaus professionally). Forget those web sites. There is an easier way, and its actually designed for folks like you and I.

    Here is a short list of places that are looking for images to expand their inventory, and they are very easy to do business with as well as very reliable in paying out. I've already sold some of my own images on these web sites, and I've earned some cash from it. Not that I'll be putting the kids through University from my sales, but it has bought me a few lunches.

    Check out:

    https://www.bigstock.com/?refid=cG0fu5Qr2D

    https://www.dreamstime.com/register-resi6951

    https://www.123rf.com/?src=richardhertz

    https://www.fotolia.com/partner/105899

    https://www.istockphoto.com/richardhertz2469

    Sign up, upload your images, let the folks review and select your best, and then wait for those sales to roll in.

    Darcy Moen
    Customer Loyalty Network



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