How to transfer pictures with my customers?

[AshNZ]

Hi,

I've been thinking about opening a image retouch/restoration business. I need your suggestions on how to transfer pictures with my customers. Basically, what I am looking for is:

- Customers upload and send me their pictures - ideally through my own website.
- I edit/restore/whatever and host their pictures in a password protected gallery on my website
- They select which ones they want and then I send them those pictures after they have paid.

Now the question is, how can I achieve this with maximum professionalism? Are there any online services that I can use?

Thanks

[Jim Poor]

You can create an FTP account for your client on your site and have them upload that way.

You can use yousendit.com.

Then find a shopping cart solution for the finished work.


Why on earth would you do the restoration work BEFORE getting paid? That's a recipe for disaster.

Originally Posted by AshNZ

Hi,

I've been thinking about opening a image retouch/restoration business. I need your suggestions on how to transfer pictures with my customers. Basically, what I am looking for is:

- Customers upload and send me their pictures - ideally through my own website.
- I edit/restore/whatever and host their pictures in a password protected gallery on my website
- They select which ones they want and then I send them those pictures after they have paid.

Now the question is, how can I achieve this with maximum professionalism? Are there any online services that I can use?

Thanks

[AshNZ]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for your concern, what I shared here is a very rough draft and isn't set in stone. I'm still brainstorming on how to do things and offering to do small scale restoration before getting paid is just one option.

[Jim Poor]

No worries. The suggestions still stand though.

[klausson]

Take a look at Drupal - it's an open source content management system that will support the workflow described. You can use image galleries tie them to a web shopping solution (Drupal has some built-in functionality via a module called "ubercart").

[AshNZ]

Thanks, I will try Drupal. Joomla also has few different image gallery options.

[klausson]

Yes, I've worked with both Drupal and Joomla. My view is a bit tainted by the fact that I like having a layered architecture where I can plug into the API at multiple levels. Joomla does not have that, but in all fairness it has a nicer, more finished feel to it and you might not have as steep a learning curve as with Drupal. If you go with Joomla, take a look at Virtuemart, which is their shopping cart solution and very well done, IMHO.

[AshNZ]

Thanks pal. I've used Joomla in past so I knew few little things about it. But I have also heard a lot about Drupal so I will try that initially too.