Outside the chain album website industry gradually by it enterprises and wind investment attention

Absrtact: If you are not a net shopkeeper, or photography lover, maybe you are unfamiliar with the noun of the foreign chain album. In fact, with the growing Consumer-to-consumer industry, as well as the advent of a digital photography era, the birth of the external chain album website industry has gradually been

If you are not a net owner or photographer, maybe you are unfamiliar with the term "chain album". In fact, as the consumer-to-consumer industry continues to grow, and "hand in hand," the advent of digital photography era, the birth of the external chain album website industry is also gradually by IT companies and wind investment concerns.

According to statistics, the chain album market in the near future will be as high as 1 billion yuan, at the same time, more and more outside the chain album Web site to join the market, to carve out this 1 billion yuan "big cake." A few days ago, the external chain album website Ihompy announced the venture capital injection, and said to become the first market this year.

The "Money" scene is bright, but how to win in the market, whether it occupies a certain market share of the external chain album "Predecessors", or new entrants into the field of the "new" to achieve the goal, and many of the chain album sites have launched their own features, such as bulk reprint, no compression, baby description automatically fill in, etc. To maximize the attraction of shop sellers, photography enthusiasts and other users. At the same time, with the development of the chain album, as well as users of this type of site space, stability requirements to gradually upgrade, the chain site charges or free competition, also surfaced. text, picture finishing/journalist quiet

1 billion yuan market

With the rise of the consumer-to-consumer industry and constantly huge, personal shop mainly display a large number of merchandise photos, the need for a large number of network storage space upload photos, and gradually gave birth to a specialized external chain album site.

It is understood that the current domestic main external chain album site includes Ihompy, Baba, Bobby Beans, Amoy small treasure, 51 albums and so on. According to statistics, more than 40% of Taobao 80 million online users are willing to pay for the picture chain, an average of about 40 yuan per person per year, so the calculation, in the near future, the entire market will reach 1 billion yuan.

However, the 1 billion yuan market is not readily available. At present, the picture chain has three ways, one, the photos uploaded to the professional network album/online photo album service website; second, the photos uploaded to the purchase of virtual host, server space, and the corresponding software built albums to organize and present; Third, put photos in each bsp/portal storage space, such as Sina, NetEase albums and so on.

In other words, professional outside the chain album site competitors, not only the door site, there are virtual host, service space and portal sites. Some industry analysts pointed out that from the current three ways of service, freedom, flexibility and cost, and other aspects of comparison, for ordinary users, professional photo album site is the best choice. Although some professional photo album site to collect fees, but can guarantee the amount of space and speed.

Ihompy.com operations Director Shanna on the professional outside the chain album's prospects also lack of confidence, in contrast, the professional chain album space will be the user's first choice, the purchase of server sellers pay too high cost.

Free and charge dispute

With the user on the album site Space storage, and related functions of the continuous promotion of the external chain album site industry in recent years to face free and charge of the dispute, and some of the site from free to fee conversion.

The industry diverging about whether the network album should be charged. However, the previous occurrence of the Yahoo Free album closed, Pat albums closed, and so on, it seems that some album site more adhere to the "charge" mode. It is understood that Ihompy, Baba, Bobby Beans, etc. is the implementation of monthly rental or long-term purchase fees and other models, the past free chain albums, such as 51 albums, recently launched the chain "VIP system", its essence is also charged.

Ihompy said, take reasonable fee, can make album website more stable. From the data of the Enterprise survey, the stability of the album is the most concern of users, followed by the price.

Looking abroad, the most users of Flickr, is the use of Free + charging mode, free users on their website can only display the latest 200 pictures (has been referenced to the blog/forum can still be displayed in the blog/forum page), and can only build three albums, can not provide the original size image download , the charge user 24.95 dollars a year, can obtain unlimited upload, storage space, unlimited album set, rich statistical functions.

Industry analysts said that the external chain album on a free basis to achieve the charging business, to protect the convenience of users and security, reduce the site is closed and the risk of loss of pictures. All free Although can gather popularity, but the server upgrades lead to rising costs, when the site burned wind and can not profit and closed, this is all users do not want to see. Of course, the premise is that consumption is reasonable.

Challenges from the Consumer-to-consumer platform

According to Alex ranking, domestic and foreign chain album site first is Baba, the second is Free8, at present, Iphompy ranked third. In the market this year, Ihompy, who vowed to take the first place, said the biggest competitor is not the top two, but Taobao's own picture space.

It is understood that with some of the free chain album site closed, and the original free site conversion fees, many Taobao sellers return to Taobao space. Taobao on the platform, if the shop can be sent to enjoy free 30M picture space, if you buy shop store owner can send 30M picture space. A few days ago, Taobao to speed up the development of picture space, also introduced a preferential strategy, through the price and image browsing speed and other advantages to attract sellers to adopt.

In the face of the challenges from Taobao, outside the chain of the site in addition to playing price cards, while using a variety of special services "scramble" users. It is understood that iphompy aimed at sellers demand, photo albums provide image editing, support mobile WAP version, and the user's personal home page set up a shop link display bit. Baba is providing free template support customization, baby description automatic filling and baby quick copy functions.

Ihompy related responsible person said, "is because the user returns or the choice, has the certain market Foundation the outside Chain album website to borrow the stability and the multiple type characteristic service can attract the new user more greatly."