7 Things We Didn’t Know About Pixieset That Surprised Us
As a photographer interested in running a sustainable business that speaks to the core of my personality, I noticed firsthand how Pixieset continues to level up its game. Plenty of new features have been introduced in the past months, making any photographer’s life easier.
I was using the Client Gallery tool for years already but took the opportunity to explore and test all the other tools inside my dashboard – since they are already there and available for free. So anyone can get started right away without any charge or time-consuming onboarding.
After going through every corner of the platform, I created a list of things and features that caught my attention due to how much value they provide. Some photographers might not be aware of them, but here 7 of my favorite Pixieset features based on my experience.
All my invoices are stored in the same dashboard, and I can easily find any in the blink of an eye. I enjoy the auto-reminders feature, as well as knowing that I can give the invoices a personal touch by adjusting them to my branding style. There are many payment methods available, both online — credit card, PayPal, bank transfer, and manual — a client can pay cash or with a cheque, and I can mark the invoice as paid inside Studio Manager. Pixieset also released price quotes recently. I haven’t tried them yet, but I am curious to give them a go in the upcoming weeks.
As a creative soul, I don’t find joy in paperwork, so having ready-made contract samples for various photography services is excellent. I don’t have to create them from scratch but rather build them on top of the example and adapt it to my needs. I can also save any contract as a template and reuse it later with other clients. And my favorite feature is the eSignature — the client nor I have to print or scan anything. We sign the contract online, from a computer or phone, and send it. It takes only a minute.
It’s fun to play around with Pixieset’s predefined pages and block layouts, but it’s even better to test the good-looking themes, as I can switch between with one click. There are numerous options for colors and fonts that come pre-packed with the theme. All I had to do was try them out and find the one that works best for my brand. I was excited to discover that the builder also supports gifs and includes blocks where you can share videos (embedded from YouTube or Vimeo). You can spot Flothemes‘ touch in some of the latest themes, such as Seville, Montreal, and Milo. They look pretty neat and come with lots of options that can help photographers of all types quickly build a site that looks elegant.
Questionnaires help me create an entire experience for my clients, rather than just taking and delivering photos. I’m genuinely interested in understanding their needs and what they care about, and questionnaires are the perfect tool. In addition, there are pre-made samples for various sessions to get some inspiration if I’m unsure about what questions to include or what information to request from clients.
Embedding videos inside the gallery is available with a free plan. However, with the paid version, I can upload and have clients download them straight from their gallery. Having the videos appear at the top of the photo gallery allows me to create a more impactful cinematic experience for each client from the moment they open their gallery. In addition, I can include gifs, pngs, and jpegs, along with videos, all inside the same collection.
Proofing is possible through the “Favorites” feature. It gives my clients the freedom to add their beloved photos to a list that I can further retouch, print, or include in an album. The Lightroom integration allows me to have a faster process of retouching and delivering images. I can also create a favorites list in advance and put a limit on it. Clients who want more photos on top of their original package can purchase them directly through the gallery. You do need to have the store option activated. It comes integrated into the client gallery.
#7 Online Booking & Scheduling
#Bonus – Free plan forever
This is not a marketing gimmick. It’s reality. You don’t need a credit card and can use the free plan for as long as you want. Once signed up, you get access to all the tools – Client Gallery, Store, Website, and Studio Manager (some features need upgrade, though, but there’s plenty of space to experiment).
Though not a feature, I would like to mention the convenience of having most of my business tools inside one dashboard. To be honest, it’s liberating. I don’t have to learn to use multiple software and dashboards or dive into all the intricacies and terminology for each. It’s only one, and Pixieset tried to make it as straightforward as possible. I could find my way around most things without consulting their tutorials. So did my clients. Some even complimented how easy it is to work with me because things are always crystal clear and look professional.
Let’s sum up
To sum up, these are my current personal favorites from Pixieset, but there’s more to discover behind the curtains. And it seems that they will not stop here.
Knowing that both Flothemes and Pixieset, two teams entirely devoted to the photography industry, have joined forces makes me even more excited about the new possibilities. I’m keen to see how they will keep pushing the limits within this ecosystem, making it even better — because, let’s agree, there’s still so much untapped potential.
Now, enough reading, sign up for a free account, and take the time to discover everything at your own pace. There are no time or financial commitments. It’s free forever. And if you want to learn more about what’s included, you can also check out this article on their blog.
