Can any lab use the Lab Module?
Yes, we have a complete Lab Module kit for the labs. It requires no software or downloads. The lab must be able to receive email, hold your high res images for printing, and be able to ship (mail) your images to your customer. (See the Lab Module page for more details.)
Are there any costs associated with the lab module?
No. The PHOTOtool takes NO fees from any transaction. It is your vehicle to do business with whatever lab you want. The PHOTOtool is not a lab. We build software and web sites.
How do the galleries tie into an existing web site? Does one place a link or nav button on the home page or can you actually create a sort of home page using the tool?
On most Photographers site there is a link to "portfolios" or "galleries" etc... This link would go to the tool gallery home page. There is a link back to the home page. Photographers may choose to host their personal sites on a different server, this solution works for them as well.
thePHOTOtool may not be a total website answer, but we do have some semi-custom 'web sites' that are inexpensive and easy for our customers to customize and add their own content to.
How do descriptions of galleries and individual photos appear on the site? If you look at my current site you will see that I like to have descriptions of my photo collections as well as individual photos. Not only is that part of my style, but I think they are important for search engines in finding and ranking the site.
You can have a short descriptions next to the links (which you can have representational thumbnails or text) then when you go to, say, "Grand Canyon Photos", the home page can contain a descriptive area that you manage.
How do you handle Credit Cards and shipping? Taxes?
As the tool is installed it contains the function to allow you to take credit card information, on a Secured Page (this is why we ask that the site be hosted with SSL). The information is used to display your "order page". An e-mail is sent to you informing you that you have an order - or you can check your orders from the administration any time. You have the ability to supply the tax rate for your state (which is automatically added to any purchaser with your state in their address), and note shipping in flat rates (0 - $100 = $12, $101 - $250 = $24 ... for example.) You create your own parameters.
Sales Tax tool included as well as Sales Tax Tool for Canadian Photographers.
With the supplied solution you can run the CC at your studio manually, or create a PayPal account manually and enter the information (which you must inform the customer of - no simple solution there).
If you currently have Bank Transaction privileges and want to integrate the tool into your own bank, please call us for a quote. Some of these transaction hook-ups are simple - and some are not.
Are there any additional charges for thePHOTOtool?
No additional fees are required.
Do I need any special software to run thePHOTOtool?
No. It is a browser-based tool.
We include an FTP component, but recommend you get a more robust ftp client as you will need it for other things as well. We have several ones that we like and the prices start at $10.
We also recommend users to download a free copy of FireFox (Mac and PC). It is a very good, compact browser and is a bit faster than the IE or Safari Browsers.
Do my clients need any special browser to see the images?
No. The pages will display perfectly on most popular browsers (IE 5.5 +, Netscape 7, Safari, Opera, FireFox and Mozilla.)
What about protecting my images?
We have provided a solution that gives you the ability to add "Proof", Copyright Symbol " ® " or default and have nothing over your images. Even in the default mode, there is no right click and save on PC, No Click and hold on Mac. When the visible protection is applied, even screen capture will not work. We think this is a very elegant solution.
So the tool does work on Macintosh?
Yes. Any browser and OS can be used to view the site.
To administer the site you must be using OSX and running a Mozilla (Firefox) browser if you are using a Macintosh. Windows PC with IE5.5 and above is excellent. We recommend all administrators use FireFox for speed, however, and it is a free browser.
Are there any limits to how many galleries I can create?
No. Create as many as you want.
Do I need any additional software to work with the tool?
Well... You should have Photoshop or Photoshop Elements to prepare the images for upload. It makes the workflow very much faster, and the images look great.
What if I have more than one domain?
The tool has an encrypted protection device that allows it to run only on one domain. It is part of our set-up and keeps the software protected from unauthorized copying / sharing. If you have multiple domains, I am sure we can work out special arrangements -or you can drive visitors from one site to the galleries on the domain it runs on. Some of our clients are using the private galleries linked form one site and the public galleries linked from another.
I am a stock shooter. Will this tool work for me?
Yes. We have a "Stock Shooter Module" that allows for keyword management, site-wide searching, lightboxes and project collaboration. It is included.
 Does the tool have a shopping cart?
Yes. A very nice one. And it can be configured to work with most transaction systems. As it is, the order is passed straight to your PayPal account. If you currently take Credit Card sand you want us to link to your current bank online transaction software, contact Daniel (Daniel@steelid.com) for an estimate. Please have all of the information from your bank at hand when you call. Some companies are simple and some are, well, not.
But I don't have a Merchant Number so I can't take Credit Cards. How can the tool work for me?
Two words... PayPal. The shopping cart goes straight to your PayPal account. Then you can take CC online and fulfill the order. Go to www.paypal.com if you are not familiar with this service.
Will there be updates to the tool?
Yes. We have great plans for this tool.
What is the "news and information" part of the tool?
We have added this as a cool little add on. You can add news items, or links, or "What's New" stuff to your current site. You simply build a page for news and we do the rest. Or you can have the news display on your home page, or in the gallery area. Very powerful for keeping your clients aware of all the stuff you are doing... |
