Nearly 40% of those who upload photos to the Internet do so on MySpace or Facebook, according to a new report by InfoTrends. The same sites were named as favourites by nearly half of the respondents who view others’ photos online. Online printing is still big business, with a shift towards ordering on the net but collecting at a retail store, so they could get their prints faster and avoid paying for shipping. The Infotrends study was conducted in April 2008.

InfoTrends Press Release

Online Photo Services Market Characterized by Shifting Dynamics

According to a new research report from InfoTrends entitled Online Photo Services End-User Research: 2008, social networks are dominating the photo viewing and uploading space. Among survey respondents, nearly 40% of those who upload photos to the Internet do so most often on MySpace or Facebook. Those same sites were named as favorites by nearly half of the respondents who view others’ photos online.

Not surprisingly, online photo printing remains the domain of traditional online services such as Snapfish, Shutterfly, and Kodak Gallery, and retailers such as Wal-Mart and Walgreens. Net-to-retail printing continues to rise in popularity, particularly among younger users. Respondents that had used both net-to-mail and net-to-retail printing stated that they tried net-to-retail so they could get their prints faster and avoid paying for shipping.

InfoTrends Associate Director Alan Bullock commented, “While many respondents see benefits to both delivery methods, net-to-retail is clearly taking some business away from net-to-mail services, and some 60% of survey respondents indicated that they expect their online printing to shift even more toward net-to-retail in the coming year. Online photo services should continue to differentiate their products and services from those available at retail, focusing on items that cannot be easily produced at retail locations.”

Online Photo Services End-User Research: 2008 provides an in-depth analysis of the results from InfoTrends’ 2008 Online Photo Service End-User Study, which was conducted in April. This survey questioned consumers about the primary activities of uploading, viewing, and printing photos online. Uploading video clips and the purchase of custom photo gifts and merchandise were also covered, but in less detail. Where appropriate, the report also considers how this study compares to results obtained from our previous study on the same topic.

InfoTrends has also released a special edition of this report called Spotlight on Moms: Online Photo Services. This report takes a closer look at the results of the 2008 InfoTrends Online Photo Services survey, focusing on mothers and their online photo uploading, viewing, and printing activity. Where appropriate, mothers’ behavior is compared to the total survey population.

This is the first in a new series of InfoTrends reports that will provide insight into this important consumer segment, as mothers are more active than the general population in terms of all photographic activity. Future reports in the Spotlight on Moms series will cover topics such as digital cameras, video, home photo printing, and retail photo printing.

For more information on either report or to make a purchase, visit our online store or contact Michelle Boczanowski at 781-616-2100 ext. 109 or via e-mail at [email protected].

InfoTrends, a Questex company, is the leading worldwide market research and strategic consulting firm for the digital imaging and document solutions industry. We provide research, analysis, forecasts, and advice to help clients understand market trends, identify opportunities, and develop strategies to grow their businesses. Additional information about InfoTrends is available on the Web at www.infotrends.com.

Your Comments