It’s the perennial problem for portrait and event photographers: Once images are captured, how can they be presented to clients in a way that’s both simple and elegant, effective yet inexpensive? Even more importantly, how can the files be displayed to encourage print sales?
On the one hand, you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on a complex platform that only confuses the client. On the other hand, basic solutions like Dropbox and Google Drive, while convenient, are too rough around the edges for professional use.
That’s where client galleries come in. They offer a straightforward platform for sharing photos, but the designs are polished and specifically cater to photography clients. Plus, if you choose the right software, galleries can include print sales and even automatic print fulfillment.
Of course, not all gallery platforms are equally effective, and that’s where this article can help you out. Below, we explore the ins and outs of online photo galleries, with a focus on a favorite platform of ours: Zno. Not only does Zno produce software for photographers, but the company also runs a top-notch print lab. The result? An outstanding client gallery experience that rolls image display, print sales, automatic order fulfillment, and plenty of extra benefits into one low-priced package.
So if you’re ready to discover how Zno’s powerful platform can help you boost customer satisfaction and profits, then let’s dive right in!
What is a client gallery?
A client gallery is a method of displaying images for clients to view following the completion of a photoshoot (e.g., a newborn session, a high-school senior session, or a wedding).
They tend to offer elegant designs that far outclass simple photo-sharing solutions like Dropbox, and they’re designed so clients can appreciate dozens – or even hundreds – of images with minimal hassle.
The goal is to share photos with clients, but these online galleries can be used in a variety of ways: for proofing, to show off finished photos, to allow clients to choose images for printing, and more. Therefore, you can expect most galleries to include certain basic features, such as the option for clients to download files in a variety of sizes, as well as a selection mechanism so clients can pick their favorite shots for further editing or printing.
What is an online store for photographers?
An online store for photographers is a platform that allows photographers to upload images from photoshoots, which are then offered as print and/or digital products for purchase.
A wedding photographer, for instance, might create an online store that allows the married couple to order fine-art prints, acrylic prints, and even photo albums featuring their wedding-day photos.
Note that online stores can offer several order fulfillment methods. Digital images are generally available to download directly from the store, whereas physical prints and other print-type products will need to be processed by labs. These labs may partner directly with the online store, in which case orders are often fulfilled directly by the lab with no work on the part of the photographer; this process is known as automatic fulfillment.
Sometimes, however, the photographer might choose to offer products that don’t come from fully integrated partners. As part of the self-fulfillment process, the photographer would then need to review each new order, (manually) place it with the relevant lab, then ensure the product is successfully shipped to the customer.
How do a client gallery and online store work together?
Some client gallery platforms directly incorporate online stores for a seamless viewing and purchasing experience. The basic process works like this:
First, the photographer uploads their finished photos to a client gallery, then sends an email to the client inviting them to access the gallery via a simple link.
Once the client clicks the link, they can view the gallery and select their favorite photos (for instance, by starring or favoriting different files).
Thanks to the integration between the gallery and the store, the client can see print options and prices when viewing the photos – and can then choose to purchase prints of their favorite shots by placing an online order.
Finally, the photographer collects the payment sent by the client and ensures the order is fulfilled (either automatically or manually). Depending on the integration between the online store and the print lab, the photographer may only receive the profits, or they may receive the entire fee (but then need to use a portion to cover the costs of third-party print products).
What makes Zno’s online photo gallery better than competitors?
If you’re sold on the promise of a client gallery but you’re not sure which platform to pick, I encourage you to consider Zno Gallery. It’s one of the best online photo galleries for photographers, and here are just a few of the reasons why:
25% off select Zno print products
When you subscribe to any of the Zno Gallery paid plans – including the Basic plan at just $5 per month – you get an impressive 25% off an array of Zno products. The discount applies to select standard prints but also extends to wall art, tabletop plaques and blocks, and even print set collections.
Note that the discount works on both personal and customer orders. In other words, you can gain massive savings on your own print orders, and you can also dramatically decrease costs for the prints you sell to customers.
0% commission fee even on the Free Plan
If you’re not quite ready to commit to a paid photo gallery plan, don’t worry; Zno boasts a Free Plan that includes both gallery and store functionality.
In fact, most of the top platforms offer some type of free option. They’ll let you upload photos for both sharing and sales, and you can receive orders and start making real money from your work.
But here’s the critical distinction between Zno and competitor companies like Pixieset, Pic-Time, and CloudSpot: With Zno, you will never pay commissions on your sales, whether you use the free Gallery plan or the most advanced Unlimited plan. Your profits are your own.
The competition, however, is rarely so generous. Create an e-store gallery using a free plan, and expect Pixieset, Pictime, and CloudSpot to take 15% commissions on every sale you make. If you’re a young photographer just breaking into the business, you need all the profits you can get, and 15% can make a huge difference to your bottom line.
You can apply any store credit or promos to orders
Remember how I said that Zno was both a lab and a software company? As it turns out, this dual focus comes with a huge benefit: Lab store credit and promotional discounts on Zno products can be applied, not just to your personal orders, but to customer orders.
Imagine, for example, that Zno is offering a 50% discount on acrylic blocks for Black Friday. If a client then orders an acrylic block from your online photo gallery, Zno will apply a 50% discount to the order. The client will pay the price that you listed in the client gallery, but Zno will take 50% less in fulfillment (i.e., material) costs. And as a result, your profits will increase significantly!
The same is true of credit gained through the Zno Pro plan. As a Pro subscriber, you get up to 25% back – in the form of credit rebates – on your Zno store purchases. The credit can then be applied to orders from your customers; that way, Zno takes less for material costs and you get a profit boost.
Note that both sales and store credit can even be combined with the 25%-off discount you get (on select products) as part of the Zno Gallery paid plans.
Zno’s Client Gallery is part of an all-in-one platform
Zno doesn’t just offer a powerful gallery platform. The company also boasts a bevy of photo-focused programs, such as Zno Designer (for designing custom albums and other print products), Zno Slideshow (for producing high-quality slideshows), and Zno Retoucher (for quickly and effectively processing your photos).
These programs are certainly useful for professional photographers, but they also come with another significant benefit: Because Zno developed each application in the context of an all-in-one platform, the app suite is extremely well integrated. You can purchase a single subscription to gain access to the entire set of Zno apps, and you also only need to create a single account with one login.
There’s also a dashboard that allows you to launch all of your apps; it’s like a handy toolbox for tackling client galleries, slideshows, album designs, and more. But most importantly, the various Zno programs feature integrated functionality, meaning that the work you do in one app can prove useful when tackling tasks in another app. For instance, photos uploaded to Zno Gallery can then be used to create albums in Zno Designer or client slideshows in Zno Slideshow.
If you do want to take advantage of Zno’s entire set of programs, there is a package subscription that comes with a major discount.
Zno’s Client Gallery allows for seamless printing
I’ve touched on this throughout the article, but it’s so unique that it bears repeating: Zno offers software and in-house printing. Therefore, the integration between the company’s online photo gallery platform and its lab is genuinely seamless; as soon as a client places an order in their gallery, Zno is able to instantly proceed with order fulfillment at no cost to you.
This smooth integration also comes with a couple of other major advantages. For one, certain Zno plans offer discounts on select print products, and you can also increase profits with the help of store rebates and Zno lab sales.
You can also sell albums directly from client galleries, an option not available in online stores created by competitors like Zenfolio and ShootProof.
How does Zno Gallery compare in price to other online photo galleries?
To access the Zno Gallery platform, you’ll need to sign up for a monthly or yearly subscription plan. Fortunately, the options are very reasonably priced, and each of the Zno paid plans offer complete gallery and e-store functionality as well as 0% in commissions.
In addition to its Free Plan, Zno offers:
- A Basic Plan with 10 GB of storage ($5/month with annual billing or $7/month with monthly billing)
- A Standard Plan with 100 GB of storage ($10/month with annual billing or $14/month with monthly billing)
- An Unlimited Plan with unlimited storage ($20/month with annual billing or $28/month with monthly billing)
Below, I run through the pricing offered by competitors. As you’ll see, Zno’s plans are consistently cheaper than the alternatives, whether you look at entry-level options for photographers just entering the business or unlimited-storage options for established professionals.
Pixieset Pricing
Pixieset does offer a Free Plan, though it comes with a 15% commission fee. Here’s a breakdown of the company’s paid plans:
- A Basic Plan with 10 GB of storage ($8/month with annual billing or $10/month with monthly billing)
- A Plus Plan with 100 GB of storage ($16/month with annual billing or $20/month with monthly billing)
- A Pro Plan with 1000 GB of storage ($24/month with annual billing or $30/month with monthly billing)
- An Ultimate Plan with unlimited storage ($40/month with annual billing or $50/month with monthly billing)
ShootProof Pricing
ShootProof offers a 100 Photo Free Plan, as well as:
- A 1500 Photo Plan with 75 GB of storage ($8.33/month with annual billing or $10/month with monthly billing)
- A 5000 Photo Plan with 250 GB of storage ($16.67/month with annual billing or $20/month with monthly billing)
- A 25000 Photo Plan with 1250 GB of storage ($25/month with annual billing or $30/month with monthly billing)
- An Unlimited Photo Plan with unlimited storage ($50/month with annual billing or $60/month with monthly billing)
Zenfolio Pricing
Zenfolio doesn’t offer a free plan. Here are the company’s subscription offers:
- A Portfolio Plan with 15 GB of storage ($7/month with annual billing or $9/month with monthly billing)
- A PortfolioPlus Plan with 150 GB of storage ($19/month with annual billing or $23/month with monthly billing)
- A ProSuite Plan with unlimited storage ($33/month with annual billing or $40/month with monthly billing)
Pic-Time Pricing
Pic-Time offers a Free Plan (with 15% in commission fees). Alternatively, you can purchase:
- A Beginner Plan with 20 GB of storage ($7/month with annual billing or $8/month with monthly billing)
- A Professional Plan with 100 GB of storage ($21/month with annual billing or $25/month with monthly billing)
- An Advanced Plan with unlimited storage ($42/month with annual billing or $50/month with monthly billing)
- A Multi-Brand Plan with unlimited storage ($58/month with annual billing or $67/month with monthly billing)
CloudSpot Pricing
CloudSpot’s Free Plan comes with a 15% commission fee. Paid plans include:
- A Lite Plan with 100 GB of storage ($12/month with annual billing or $15/month with monthly billing)
- A Pro Plan with 350 GB of storage ($24/month with annual billing or $30/month with monthly billing)
- An Unlimited Plan with unlimited storage ($34/month with annual billing or $45/month with monthly billing)
Online photo galleries and Zno review: final words
Online photo galleries are effective, straightforward, and elegant platforms that I recommend every professional event and portrait photographer try – whether you’re looking to share photos with clients or sell high-quality print products.
And out of all the platforms you might pick, Zno stands out. The company offers outstanding integration between its print lab and client galleries, and its prices blow the competition out of the water. That’s not to mention the profit-boosting print discounts, the all-in-one app suite, and the no-commission Free plan!
So head on over to the Zno website and explore the Gallery platform. See some of the discounts for yourself, consider the benefits of each plan, and imagine creating – and sharing – galleries of your own. Will your clients be impressed? I’d bet on it!
Zno is a paid partner of dPS.
