articles/Websites/theimagefile-page2

Your own website built from just £50 - part 2 of 1 2 3

Published 01/10/2015

Ahead in The Cloud
The other big news is that Chertsey-based theimagefile is moving storage from its own servers on to The Cloud. "We're actually going to Amazon in Ireland, which means that we've got huge storage facilities and we're going to pass these on to our members. By November we should have phase one completed, which will put everyone's websites and all the shopping cart options, image storage and automated ordering on The Cloud. Then, in early 2016, phase two will implement something we always get requests for, which is cheap off-site back up - so members can store old shoots, and easily recall them."

Above and beyond, theimagefile.com is starting a domain-name service too - Double Shot Domains - which will be integrated into theimagefile, albeit run as a separate business. "When it comes to domain-name services (DNS), swapping providers can be as much of a pain as swapping banks. So our developers have built this system - mainly for photographers - to enable you to just select theimagefile in a drop-down menu, or whichever site you want, so the DNS points to your domain name. Our developers are saying it's going to be the easiest domain-name service for any photography web service. We're doing final testing now. As soon as it's ready, theimagefile customers will be able to transfer any existing domain names into it, or purchase new domain names."

Other major improvements since we spoke last include making its users' sites mobile friendly. "Google had this massive algorithm change whereby they were going to knock your site down the rankings if it wasn't mobile friendly. So we made a huge commitment in coding so that any website built on theimagefile system is automatically mobile friendly. That's all been completed. Whether their main website is external to us, the sales area is still completely mobile-friendly, as well as the shopping cart and payment options."

Theimagefile has also added new discount options to their sales areas - which helps events photographers, in particular, increase sales - they have improved email deliverability, so that photographers don't get marked out as sending spam. Emails have additionally been reformatted to save paper and ink, and it has added sliding and fading transitions into various pages. Social sharing has been revamped too, plus theimagefile has introduced a 'shop price plan' - another way of photographers being able to sell anything at all through their sites - including old camera gear or even an old bike - it doesn't need to be just purely image related.

"We've added this different type of price list, which works in the way that a shop would, rather than the way a photographer usually would. They can have everything going through their Paypal account and won't have to pay anything to theimagefile. So we've been busy! I would think we're the biggest UK-based service provider for photographers and we have no intention of putting up our prices at all."

Over the next 'coding period' Duncan adds that theimagefile will be concentrating on two aspects: photographers' sales and anything that can increase their ability to 'close' a sale; including tracking abandoned shopping carts, eg where users have got to the payment page and for whatever reason the transaction hasn't been completed. "We're devising ways whereby the photographer can make direct contact with that customer verbally over the phone," he reveals. "Since the customer has already loaded the items into their shopping cart, the photographer will be able to make it live again and complete the transaction - including sending the order to a print partner such as Loxley to fulfill. That's another area which we want to excel in."

Please Note:
There is more than one page for this Article.
You are currently on page 2

• Your own website built from just £50 page 1
  
• Your own website built from just £50 page 2
  
• Your own website built from just £50 page 3
  

1st Published 01/10/2015
last update 21/07/2022 08:46:26

More Websites Articles

There are 0 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