Or maybe simply adding a column that would show the profit %-margin given the price we've set. At least we will know that a certain price would be a loss sale if we gave particular percentage coupon out.

For example, if it show we are making a 20% profit, then we know for this item a 25% off coupon would mean we are taking a loss on the sale of this item. At least we'll know. Could something like this be simply implemented?

Originally Posted by UWsmugger Also, I have a concern that some customers will buy one photo and then get it copied at the local store.

If you switch to Bay Photo, I believe the paper they use says "professional photo do not copy" or something to that effect. Then, I'd invite them to copy it at a store. The minimum you can sue for is $50,000.

Originally Posted by HarrisPhotographicArts That's the answer right there. It would be ideal if the pro pricing screen allowed coupons to be set at the product level (just add another column - as though that is so simple ). Not sure about the logistics of making the pricing screen and the actual coupon design page work together. However, then it would give flexibility AND the ability to go ahead and show what affect the sale would make on profit.

Absolutely agree with this suggestion!

Originally Posted by AnneMcBean Use a print credit! That's what we designed them for. -Anne SmugMug Support Hero

Thank you!

Nice!

Originally Posted by SmugShooter To be really really useful coupons need to be more targetted so that we can do things like: -- offer an incentive so that people can get a discount on a specific gallery or set of galleries without allowing them to use the discount on all galleries (such as the first week of a new gallery to drive sales or for an old gallery to bring in the stragglers before deleting it). -- offer incentives for specific products, to get customers to give more consideration to gifts and other products besides orindary prints. -- to let a specific organization or group get discounts on just their images, without fear of the coupon code leaking out and being used for unintended purchases. -- etc. etc.

I agree. If people buy my note cards directly from me, i offer 10 for the price of 9. I would like to be able to do that kind of discounting through smugmug as well.

Great start, though.

Sandy

Originally Posted by Andy This is the place for pros to discuss the business side of our coupons feature. Want to chat about promotions? Strategy? Marketing? Post away right here! For help or problems with coupons, we have a separate thread here, or you can email our Support Heroes directly.

THANK YOU!!! Many of us have been waiting for this for a long time. There are a lot of people chiming in with faults and what-ifs, but take time to pat yourselves on the backs, treat the staff to a dinner, give them an extra couple days off for the holidays, whatever...they deserve it.
I had been exploring other options for print fulfillment, but this has me here for a while longer : ) Print credits were sorely missed when I came over from printroom. I'm happy now!

Pardon typos, I'm on my droid phone!

Maybe I'm missing something, but the print credit scenario seems ridiculous to me:

If the customer had a $200 print credit, they would only have to pay for the shipping on the order, $4.95. They would have $90 left for future orders. Rather than charge your card $110 and then add $85 to your profits, we charge your card $25.00. That covers the $10 worth of prints and the $15 that is SmugMug's 15% share of the markup.

If essentially you're willing to give your customer something and pay their print cost - you're not making any money. Why should Smugmug get 15% of the "markup" that isn't actually there?

It basically costs you in artificial markup - making the feature absolutely useless, and potentially quite expensive.

I already pay subscription fees to Smugmug - a % commission when I'm making money is fair enough, but a % commission when I'm not is just outrageous.

Launched my first coupon, we'll see what happens,

Originally Posted by unclejon Idea: It would be nice to assign a coupon code to a certain gallery rather then have it valid for all your pictures.

i second this as i only want to offer discounts to a certin group of client galleries. After being featured on Groupon last week - I want to offer 25% to those clients and there will be approx 50 galleries - Any tips on how to do that efficiently without offering 25% to the rest of my images??
Thanks!

Brandi
www.theresidentartist.com

With the ability to now to see all at cost orders (yeah SM) are we now able to proof/edit orders coming in with at cost coupons? This would be great for family (no more fussing with penny markups &/or worrying about confusing it with a clients gallery ;)

Originally Posted by beetle8 Launched my first coupon, we'll see what happens,

Great Job
I noticed your website isn't on it? How are you advertising? E-mailing to customers? Etc.

Originally Posted by Cindy With the ability to now to see all at cost orders (yeah SM) are we now able to proof/edit orders coming in with at cost coupons? This would be great for family (no more fussing with penny markups &/or worrying about confusing it with a clients gallery ;)

yes. :)

Originally Posted by bigwebguy yes. :)

Awesome - You are Z bomb! Love you guys soooooo much!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU http://s3.amazonaws.com/advrider/wings.gif
for your hard work introducing the long waited coupon feature.

I love it and already running my first sale tomorrow. (I just noticed the the coupon start time is not ET).

Few wishes to make this an even better tool for us:

1. Apply this coupon to a specific category/categories or gallery/galleries, (We can use same model that we use to apply pricing to multiple Cat/Gal.).

2. Auto coupons - I set up my portfolio pricing and set up auto coupon of 20% off to a 'Category/Gallery A, B and C', every time I change my 'portfolio' pricing the Categories/Galleries prices changes accordingly. That is another long waited wish feature of introducing virtual pricing. The coupon is applied automatically to this gallery, the client don't need to even know about it. (show/hide).

3. Limit coupon to products. (20% off just on 'original digital download' etc.)

4. I LOVE to sell 'gift cards' but not sure how to use 'Print Credit' in that respect. I can set up a demo gallery with 'virtual gift cards' images and price them at $100, $200 etc. when my client buy them, I pay 15% and when they use the credit I pay 15% again??? any idea.

Originally Posted by holgs If essentially you're willing to give your customer something and pay their print cost - you're not making any money. Why should Smugmug get 15% of the "markup" that isn't actually there?

This part of the system didn't surprise me as it's common in business with partners/affiliates/franchises/etc. But I believe this is actually counter to what was announced in the original coupon discussions thread.

I created a thread over on the Smugmugs Feedback UserVoice titled:

• "Thank you for coupons. What I really need is catagory/gallery/client &/or event specific coupons. "

If this is you, please go add your vote: http://bit.ly/4Lwa4m

Thanks,

Originally Posted by Cindy Great Job I noticed your website isn't on it? How are you advertising? E-mailing to customers? Etc.

FaceBook, Email, and website.

Originally Posted by drmoon Can you explain more on the At Cost coupon? How does it work on Downloads with no cost and no shipping? It appears to be dangerous as it has no value limit. I would like to use it give a person perhaps X dollars of purchase at cost just to give some limit on it. Perhaps that can be in a future update. I am sure you will getting a lot more request for improvements. Will we see the order that is used on the coupon? We normally do not see orders unless the items are above cost. DM

My title says it all "At Cost Plus Dollar amount markup". Simple I can add $1 or $5. just enough to keep making a profit. Let me choose if I want a customer to know what my actual cost is.

Originally Posted by NostalgicDad Absolutely agree with this suggestion!

I also shoot sports MMA/UFC fights and would love to give coupons but as Dudley said, I set my 4x6 prices cheap, now for multiple sales. People are more likely to buy my 4x6's of an event than anything else. I would hate to lose 10-15% on next to nothing because they can use them on anything. I only use Bay Photo for printing, so that is a deep cut!