PhotoLynx Flow integration update: Use organization name as parent folder when processing Flow/PLIC uploads

By default, a new top-level folder is created in SimplePhoto for every Flow project uploaded. If you would prefer to have SimplePhoto generated folders with the organization's name (typically the school name), access the Integration Settings screen on the SimplePhoto Dashboard and enable the Flow/PLIC organization folders option. When a Flow project upload occurs, SimplePhoto will check to see if a folder already exists with the school name (the "organization" name). If the school folder already exists, the new project folder will be added to the existing school folder. Otherwise, a new top-level school folder will be created and the project folder will be added as a sub-folder.

New Marketing Automation features and expanded Digital Download products!

Enable SimplePhoto's new abandoned cart email marketing feature in 5 clicks!
On average, 5% of the automated abandoned cart emails SimplePhoto sends are resulting in orders and customers are clicking on 11% of these emails. Visit our help center to find out how to quickly enable abandoned cart email marketing messages for your customers.

SimplePhoto customers are also seeing great results with automated prepay picture day reminder text messages and emails. Learn how to setup automated prepay picture day reminders using our Help Center or  contact our support team today to see how to get started!

Green Screen Digital Downloads

SimplePhoto is now able to deliver instant digital downloads with the customer's selected background applied to knocked out images. If you're interested in using this feature, please visit our help center.

Digital Downloads in Packages and Composites

SimplePhoto now offers new ways to sell Digital Download products! All of these expanded digital download features are available at no additional cost to all SimplePhoto members and each digital download can be delivered direct to customers’ smartphones via text in addition to email. See our help center for documentation on how to set up these expanded digital download products.

Expanded digital download products include:

  • Digital Download Threshold Products: Offer free or discounted digital downloads when customers reach a set cart total.

  • Digital Download products can now be included in print packages.

  • Digital Download products can be offered as package add-on products.

  • Setup Digital Download packages with 1, 2, 3, or more pose selections.

  • Offer a multi-pose composite product to provide a simple way for customers to order a set of digital images.

Do you have any questions about our new features or would you like assistance in using these new features to increase your sales? Please contact our support team today.

Control Panel and Marketing System Updates

"Marketing Settings and Reports" page added

Links have been removed from the "Marketing" pane on the Dashboard and a single "Marketing Settings and Reports" link is now in place to take photographers to the new Marketing Settings and Reports screen. A message has been added to direct photographers to click on the new "Marketing" tab in the top navigation bar.

The email and text message settings and reports have been separated in the Marketing tab. Previously these were mixed together.

The "Schedule Emails" link has now been changed to "Send Emails (new email system)". The old "Send Emails" link has been changed to "Send Emails (older email system)".

Collect mobile phone in Guestbook

A "Collect mobile phone in Guestbook" field has been added to the "Text Message Notification Settings" screen.

Gallery & Prepay Settings link on dashboard has been reworded

The "Gallery & Event Settings" link on the Dashboard has been changed to "Gallery & Prepay Settings".

Import mobile phone numbers into a prepay event or gallery for triggered messaging

When photographers click on the "Manage SMS Notifications" button on a gallery or prepay event, they will now see a field to paste mobile phone numbers separated by a comma or line break.

Unused email templates have been removed for most customers

If a SimplePhoto account does not have any custom "General Purpose Templates" or "Group Notification Templates", those sections will not appear in the Email Templates screen.

New SimplePhoto logo!

The new logo has been released in most accounts. The green link color has also been updated.

Email Marketing Triggers

Send notifications to your customers without missing a beat with our new triggered emails system! Your clients will receive the information you want sent out via automated marketing messages set to send once the appropriate criteria has been met: gallery uploads, picture day, yearbook pose deadline, free shipping cutoff date, etc. Learn more about this feature by reading the Email Marketing Triggers help file or contact our support team for assistance in setting up email triggers in your account.

Text Message Gallery Notifications, Scheduled Emails, and Prepay Order Sorting

Reach your customers where they are.

Today’s consumers are constantly on the go. That’s why SimplePhoto now makes it easy for you to communicate directly to your customers where they are--whether it’s a text message letting them know their images are online or an email about upcoming promotions or sales--all while saving you time with automation and advance scheduling. Keep reading to learn about specific new features that will help you communicate with your customers and save you valuable time.

Send text message gallery notifications when importing
If you have mobile phone numbers for customers and you would like to send them a text message with a gallery link as soon as their images are available online for purchase, SimplePhoto can now make that happen! SimplePhoto has released text message notifications for almost every integration with school photography software systems. Please contact us if you are interested in this feature and one of our support team members will work with you to set up and test this exciting new feature.

Send single text message notifications in Gallery Control Panel
Need to send a gallery link to a customer directly? SimplePhoto members can now easily send a gallery or prepay event link directly to any smartphone using an SMS text message. Please contact our support team for assistance with this feature or visit our help center to learn about enabling text message notifications for single galleries.

Send scheduled emails
Communicate easily and effectively with your customers by using SimplePhoto’s new Schedule Emails feature. You can now schedule emails to be sent according to folder, prepay event, price list, order status, yearbook pose selection, and more! Learn more about scheduling emails by reading our How to Schedule Emails help page.

New sorting features for printing order receipts
No more sorting order receipts by hand! SimplePhoto has now released a solution that allows prepay receipts to be sorted by multiple student information fields before being printed. Learn more about this feature by visiting our help center.

Text message sent for digital download orders

Customers who place an order containing digital download products will now receive a text message in addition to an email notification. When a shopping cart contains one or more digital download products, customers will see the message "Links to download your digital files will be sent to your phone and email" on the shipping information or customer information form.

When a shopping cart contains one or more digital download products, customers will see the message "Links to download your digital files will be sent to your phone and email" below the shipping information or customer information form.

Customers will see a checkbox on the checkout screen to receive their digital download via text message. If this box is unchecked, the digital download will only be sent via email.

Streamline checkout flow with the "Save Payment Information" feature

SimplePhoto can allow customers to save their card information on the checkout screen. This makes the checkout process easier when parents place an order for their second and third child. The customer's payment information is stored by Authorize.net when this feature is enabled. Click here to view documentation for this feature. This feature is available to SimplePhoto members who use the Authorize.net payment gateway.

 

New Product Types for Variable Packages

Variable packages can now have two new product types:

Fixed No Pose Product
When you add a product to a variable package, you'll now see a "Fixed No Pose Product" selection. This can be used to add a fixed product to a variable package that does not need a pose, like an "all images cd" or "retouching" product.

Fixed Composite Product
When you add a composite product to a variable package, set the "Item Unit Value" to 0 to make the composite a fixed composite product that does not affect the package's unit count.

Yearbook Advisor Links

SimplePhoto photographers can send a special link and password to a school's yearbook advisor. This yearbook advisor link allows the yearbook advisor to view a list of galleries in a school folder that have and have not submitted a yearbook pose. Also the yearbook advisor can submit yearbook pose orders on behalf of students. Click here to learn more about our new Yearbook Advisor Link feature.

New reporting feature: Orders by Folder summary

The “Orders by Folder” report screen now has buttons that allow you to view or download a report summarizing orders grouped by folder.

In the SimplePhoto Photographer Control Panel, click on the Reports tab. Click on the Order by Folder link. Select the desired date range and click Change Dates. Click the Summary Report Links link, then click either the Download CSV Data or View Printable Summary button.

 

Compact Order Receipt style available for Prepay Orders

SimplePhoto photographers have a compact receipt style option for prepay receipts. If you enable the "Compact" prepay receipt style option, customers will see a more compact version of the receipt. The compact receipt style takes up less room on a printed page. To enable the compact receipt for prepay orders, click on the Checkout Settings link on the SimplePhoto Dashboard and select the Compact option for the Prepay Receipt Style setting.

SimplePhoto Help Center

Check out our redesigned and improved help center! These documents are designed to assist you, the photographer, in setting up your account, making the most of all that SimplePhoto has to offer and to provide you with a complete self-service support option. If you can’t find an answer, you can submit a ticket with your questions to our knowledgeable support team. Click the Help tab in your SimplePhoto account, or Click Here.

Usability improvements to multi-pose packages

Customers will now see an "Add to Cart" button when all package products have been populated.  When this button is clicked, the package will immediately be added to the customer's cart.  If package add-ons are present, the customer will then see the add-ons screen.  If the customer then clicks on either the "Checkout" button or the cart link in the upper right hand corner or the "Proceed to Checkout" button in the center of the screen, they will be directed to shopping cart review screen.

These updates will help reduce confusion that currently occurs if a customer completes their package, clicks the "Proceed to Addons" button, then ignores the “Proceed to Checkout” button and clicks the "Checkout" button or the cart link in the upper right hand corner.

Usability improvements

  • When a customer adds a product to their cart, customer will see a temporary flash message (such as "Added: (1) 8x10 Color Portrait") to indicate that the product was added successfully. The "In Your Cart" section will no longer appear.
  • Photographers who use the "Guestbook" feature and price lists with yearbook poses will notice that the guestbook email form now appears before the yearbook pose selection screen.  Also, the message that appears above the guestbook email address form is now customizable in the "Email Marketing Settings" screen.