vBGallery

[feldon23]

After a year, PhotoPost still has not made vBGallery officially available for purchase. Which leads me to believe that at some point in the future they will drop support for it.

http://www.photopost.com/forum/showthread.php?t=121701

vBGallery is $59 for the first year and $39 each additional year for license renewal.

Before it was acquired by PhotoPost, I was able to recommend it without reservation as the best integrated gallery available for vBulletin.

[DanaSoft]

After a year, PhotoPost still has not made vBGallery officially available for purchase. Which leads me to believe that at some point in the future they will drop support for it.

http://www.photopost.com/forum/showthread.php?t=121701

vBGallery is $59 for the first year and $39 each additional year for license renewal.

Before it was acquired by PhotoPost, I was able to recommend it without reservation as the best integrated gallery available for vBulletin.

What are you talking about?

You can buy vBGallery the exact same way you always could at the same price. We've continued to keep vBGallery up to date with all new vBulletin releases (both the 3.5 and 3.6 releases). We have a paid support staff for vBGallery and continue to release updates.

What more could you ask for?

[feldon23]

Can you please tell me where PhotoPost vBGallery is mentioned at PhotoPost.com? Cause I've looked.

The shortest path I know to get there is:
1. Go to PhotoPost.com
2. Click on Forums
3. Click on the Before You Buy forum.
4. Click on the How to order PhotoPost vBGallery topic.
5. Paypal $59 to an e-mail address.

If that's your idea of "officially available for purchase", I'd hate to see the unofficial method of purchasing!

I will consider PhotoPost vBGallery to be one step away from being retired until there is an actual Order page linked from the front page of the site.

[DanaSoft]

Given the choice of keeping vBGallery a low-cost option that isn't placed in such a way as to confuse customers looking to buy PhotoPost Pro or raising the price to equal that of PhotoPost Pro and allowing a user to download either product; which would you prefer?

We don't offer vBGallery in such a way as to interfere with PhotoPost Pro sales which have always been our primary software offering. Updating our website from a layout we've had for five years is a priority for us; how we market our products is very important to avoid confusion.

That we continue to offer vBGallery at the same price, continue to update the product and hired a support staff for it should be an indication that we've tried to do right by the vBGallery community without compromising our existing product line.

[mihai11]

Given the choice of keeping vBGallery a low-cost option that isn't placed in such a way as to confuse customers looking to buy PhotoPost Pro or raising the price to equal that of PhotoPost Pro and allowing a user to download either product; which would you prefer?

We don't offer vBGallery in such a way as to interfere with PhotoPost Pro sales which have always been our primary software offering. Updating our website from a layout we've had for five years is a priority for us; how we market our products is very important to avoid confusion.

That we continue to offer vBGallery at the same price, continue to update the product and hired a support staff for it should be an indication that we've tried to do right by the vBGallery community without compromising our existing product line.

I still don't get it. You have a higher price option - PhotoPost - and a lower price option for people willing to spend less - vBGallery.

There should be no conflict between the two. Lots of companies have options for small pockets and big pockets, but they don't make the order system different.

IMO - and I am not trying to convince you about this, but the users of the forum, you are using the "killing" strategy.

You never cared about VBGallery. You only bought it in order to kill it. The way you are sell it it is almost impossible for new users to find it. I don't think you are stupid: you know very well what you are doing.

Old customers - that know how to search for it can get it. But for all the new users the way you market it is a very strong barrier.

So:
1. you make as much money as possible money from the existing VBGallery customers with a very small risk of getting new customers.
2. All new customers are pushed to buy the premium version. Since there is no competition on this niche, the killing tactic was very successful.

They will truly support VBGallery only if another quality & cheap competitor would appear. And then they will put up a big title on the selling page:

"-We listen to our customers !!"

This tactic works most of the time because buyers don't have very good memories or they don't care.

Bottom line:
If no external event is happening, VBGallery is as good as dead.

[KW802]

... I will consider PhotoPost vBGallery to be one step away from being retired until there is an actual Order page linked from the front page of the site. ...

... IMO - and I am not trying to convince you about this, but the users of the forum, you are using the "killing" strategy.

You never cared about VBGallery. You only bought it in order to kill it. The way you are sell it it is almost impossible for new users to find it. I don't think you are stupid: you know very well what you are doing. ...

Being a recent former PP staff member I can say the owner of the company is indeed committed to vBGallery and it's community. I had several private conversations with him where I noted some of my own observations, including the 'Why isn't it on the front page?' question, and his responses at the time definitely gave me the impression that vBGallery will be around for a long time yet.

If he had wanted to kill the product then he could've a long time ago. Heck, if he really wanted to kill it then he could've made the decision to convert the customer base over to the PP Pro product line. Instead they brought on additional staff members, updated some of their systems (like the customer area to download your products) to make it easier for everybody (eg: prior to vBGallery being offered at PP there was no way of consolidating your PP licenses into one account) and expanded & re-organized the support forums. Since then vBGallery has seen several updates to it and the latest version also introduced new features that people were asking for (not necessarily some that I agree with, mind you, but still were generally requested).

Will it ever by pushed with the same hype & marketing as PP Pro? I doubt it. PP Pro is the PhotoPost brand name flagship product. Will vBGallery ever appear on the same ordering page as the rest of the products? Most likely but when is unknown. In the mean time it's a nice solution for people who are either looking for a lower cost alternative to PP Pro or want tighter integration with vB itself.

Those of you who know me, you know darn well that if I thought the product was going to be killed that I wouldn't still be an active participant over in the PP forums & that I would be working on converting to a different product.

On a strictly personal note... threads like this are always interesting to read because it's funny how the people who complain the loudest don't seem to be people that actively give feedback or participate in the PP support forums. Playing 'Devils Advocate' must be a hobby for some.

[mihai11]

Being a recent former PP staff member I can say the owner of the company is indeed committed to vBGallery and it's community. I had several private conversations with him where I noted some of my own observations, including the 'Why isn't it on the front page?' question, and his responses at the time definitely gave me the impression that vBGallery will be around for a long time yet.

Gave you the impression ? Good. Words have affect on you. On me they have a lesser effect. I trust facts. All I said is based on fact. There is an anti-marketing push by the company that owns the product. No company that wants to sell something behaves like this, UNLESS .. they have another agenda.

If he had wanted to kill the product then he could've a long time ago.

You are really clueless, or so you try to be. The purpose of a business is not to get revenge on some other successful product. The purpose of a business is to make MONEY. Killing the product would kill an immediate source of income. There are still old customers that are developing new sites and require new VBGallery licenses. This is the target that the company is chasing – nothing else.

You want to sell a product and not even make some decent payment methods ?! In how many ways can you buy VBulletin itself ? Just with PayPal ?

In how many ways can you buy the main product ? Just with PayPal ? The answer is NO.

Having limited buying options is a DIRECT blow to the product. It is clearly not a technical issue since the main product can be bought in other ways (including PayPal).

Why would a company do that ? Why would a company do that for more than 1 YEAR ? Are you a beach turtle ? If so, you may live 300 years, but most people don't. 1 year is a very long period of time.

Heck, if he really wanted to kill it then he could've made the decision to convert the customer base over to the PP Pro product line.

Another quick judgment, completely baseless. I have news for you: people are not robots. Many may choose not to convert. Customer choice …. Is that ringing a bell ?

Your whole theory is based on 1 fact ! Yes, one single fact : you know the owner. The owner seems like a nice guy. Admirable logic.

Instead they brought on additional staff members, updated some of their systems (like the customer area to download your products) to make it easier for everybody (eg: prior to vBGallery being offered at PP there was no way of consolidating your PP licenses into one account) and expanded & re-organized the support forums. Since then vBGallery has seen several updates to it and the latest version also introduced new features that people were asking for (not necessarily some that I agree with, mind you, but still were generally requested).

One more try to reach you: I am speaking about marketing & selling algorithm. This is not how you market a product that you want to succeed. This is not how you sell a product that you want to succeed.

Will vBGallery ever appear on the same ordering page as the rest of the products? Most likely but when is unknown.

Yes, I agree with you. Writing the web page for the product …. is very difficult. This is why the delivery date is unknown. The complexities involved are overwhelming….

I know why. I am also an insider. They want to write the whole page directly in binary – just with zeroes and ones. So, expect to wait a bit more.

Those of you who know me, you know darn well that if I thought the product was going to be killed that I wouldn't still be an active participant over in the PP forums & that I would be working on converting to a different product.

Again, you are overwhelming the forum with facts. Sure, "KW802" you are on the celebrities list. Next to G.W.Bush. I feel so honored to speak to you.

Playing 'Devils Advocate' must be a hobby for some.

Hmm… self critique?



Regards,
Razvan

[KW802]

{blah, blah, blah ... bunch of sniveling drivel ... blah, blah, blah}

As I said...

On a strictly personal note... threads like this are always interesting to read because it's funny how the people who complain the loudest don't seem to be people that actively give feedback or participate in the PP support forums. Playing 'Devils Advocate' must be a hobby for some.

[mihai11]

As I said...

If you don't know what to answer, don't try it so hard.

[DanaSoft]

At the end of the day, all that matters is that we've made a commitment to the owners of vBGallery; we've improved our systems to accommodate them and we've continued to upgrade the product. We've kept the product at the same price and available in the same manner as it was in the past - certainly there would be better ways to "kill" a product if we wanted to (like raising the price).

Where the product sits on a marketing page has no bearing on our continued support and development of this product.

[mihai11]

At the end of the day, all that matters is that we've made a commitment to the owners of vBGallery; we've improved our systems to accommodate them and we've continued to upgrade the product.

Yep. All you care are the current owners. Nothing about the future.

Where the product sits on a marketing page has no bearing on our continued support and development of this product.

This is not true nowadays. Marketing is important. You are well aware of that when you promote your flagship product.

[Wayne Luke]

Please keep this thread civil or it will have to be closed.

[DanaSoft]

Yep. All you care are the current owners. Nothing about the future.

Our commitment to vBGallery applies equally to current and future owners; we do not distinguish between the two.

[ManagerJosh]

Dana, it's my opinion that you guys are trying your best to integrate and support vBGallery since acquiring it. Moreso, it's honorable that you guy sat AEI are committed to maintaining and further developing the product.

That being said, I think the general impression is that vBGallery will be killed simply because the impression is there that AEI will discontinue vBGallery the second it wants to. There will not be any evidence vBGallery existed.

Being a vBGallery owner myself, I'm rather unsettled at the direction things are going as well. Even some some attempts to make vBGallery part of the AEI product line would be appreciated as this shows much better goodwill towards support and further development of the product. If this continues the same as as how some ignored requests I've made on my part to make myself a more integrated part of the AEI community, vBGallery owners may be very even more suspicious than the cloud of supicion that's been drawn to AEI already. While we don't want to see costs increase, I think even merely adding a small link under the products section on the homepage that leads to the forums to discuss about vBGallery may help alleviate the some fears there is an intention to keep vBGallery around.

[DanaSoft]

I think even merely adding a small link under the products section on the homepage that leads to the forums to discuss about vBGallery may help alleviate the some fears there is an intention to keep vBGallery around.

I would think that the past year of what I would consider "good will" in regards to support, upgrades, pricing and availability would be as good of an indication as any other.

Anyone who has been to the PhotoPost.Com website can tell you the main page for the site hasn't changed hardly at all in five years (although we expect to update the look very soon).