Zenfolio’s CEO Apologizes for Mistakes, Promises to Do Better
As part of its mission to win back lost customers and keep its current ones, Zenfolio’s CEO, John Loughlin, penned an open letter to the company’s community of photographers.
Update 5/14: This article has been edited to clarify that Zenfolio’s Archive tool was introduced to avoid passing increasing storage costs to customers.
“As the photography industry continues to evolve, so does Zenfolio’s commitment to serving it. This letter marks an important moment in our journey. The company was launched in 2005 with three simple goals:
“1. Give photographers a platform to share their work with the world. 2. Provide the tools and support needed to build and grow a successful business. 3. Assist photographers in their transition from an analog ecosystem to a digital one,” Loughlin’s open letter begins.
The CEO explains that Zenfolio was founded by — and for — photographers. As a result, the company understands the “demands and challenges” that come with pursuing the three objectives above.
“Some twenty years later, those aspirations remain our North Star, and it’s why we are writing this letter today: to voice our commitment to you, and all photographers who chase big dreams and share with us how they see and shape the world,” Loughlin continues.
As PetaPixel wrote last week, Zenfolio has not always successfully met these goals, and the company’s various stumbles have led some long-time users to abandon the platform.
The company admits it has come up short in key areas, especially concerning its controversial handling of Zenfolio Classic.
Zenfolio grew quickly in its first decade, which spurred various technological challenges, including how to adequately handle the platform’s then 20 million galleries and over four billion photos.
“Six years ago, Zenfolio confronted a very difficult set of choices. Zenfolio Classic began to show its age as it strained to keep up with skyrocketing demand and the technical challenges in delivering functionality for members to take advantage of rapidly evolving mobile and social advances,” Loughlin explains.
“We were entrusted with managing more than 5 billion images and tens of thousands of videos created by our members. The platform was approaching the limits of scale and age. We had two choices: keep patching an aging system, or build something new that could serve photographers well into the future.”
As Loughlin alludes to, Zenfolio chose to engineer a new platform, NextZen, which launched in late 2020 amid a global pandemic.
The move was not universally well received. Zenfolio told PetaPixel that the company’s attention and communication with customers using the Classic Zenfolio, which was many, “suffered.” The Classic Archive tool that followed, which was designed to help Zenfolio reduce storage costs and avoid passing these costs to customers, failed to meet expectations and some photographers lost access to their images, had long-time galleries archived, and generally experience a series of headaches when trying to use Zenfolio the way they wanted to, the way they had for years.
NextZen remains a massive focus for Zenfolio, and after ironing out some of the kinks, the modernized Zenfolio platform is used by “tens of thousands of photographers” and includes nearly 25 petabytes of photos and data.
“We’re genuinely proud that it not only meets today’s rigorous standards for performance and security, but more importantly, delivers the experience our photographers deserve and should expect,” Zenfolio’s CEO boasts. The company says that many Classic users who have made the move to NextZen have had a positive experience.
But the path here was rocky.
“We failed to keep our Classic members appropriately informed along the way,” Loughlin admits. “We’ve heard specific concerns around our perceived lack of investment or innovation in the Classic platform, the insufficient communication surrounding our Archiving policy, and the limited information around our decision to invest in the NextZen platform.”
“For those Classic members who have felt frustrated or left in the dark, we apologize. We are committed to being more transparent, more responsive, and more supportive as we move forward together.”
Currently, Zenfolio has no plans to retire its Classic platform, although Loughlin says that users will have the opportunity to transition to NextZen, “if you choose.”
As for NextZen members, Loughlin wants feedback. Photographers are invited to share their thoughts on the platform with customer service or by contacting Loughlin directly ([email protected]).
“Equipped with deep industry insight and guided by your feedback, we’re leading the way in developing cutting-edge applications and workflows tailored to the real needs of photographers,” the open-door policy CEO concludes. “Most importantly, we’ll continue to listen, adapt, and grow alongside you, championing your work and ensuring Zenfolio remains a place where photographers can succeed.”
Zenfolio is one of the oldest photography website platforms in the industry and maintains a strong, passionate user base. While some photographers have left the platform, Loughlin seems confident Zenfolio can win them back. And if that fails, the company at least aims to learn from its missteps and build a stronger relationship with the photographers who have remained and those who join anew in the coming months and years.
Zenfolio Classic will continue, and NextZen remains the primary focus for current and future development. Ultimately, photographers want a stable, smooth platform that appropriately showcases their photography, enables them to run a business with as few hiccups as possible, and offers the support and features they need to succeed. Zenfolio has not always ticked all these boxes, but John Loughlin believes it can now.
Image credits: Zenfolio. Featured image created using an asset licensed via Depositphotos.
