SmugMug Development Lab

Whether you’re offering keepsakes to holiday portrait clients, or specialty items to art fans, we’ve taken the guesswork out of choosing which items to offer in your store beyond those gorgeous prints. How, you ask? With DATA. 

We’ve taken the most commonly searched-for items and terms to help you pick and choose just what you’d like to feature this holiday season. Beef up your photography packages, list these items front and center in your shop, and feature them in customer gift guides or newsletters for a gift that will delight your customers and their families.

Photo gift #1: Magnets.

We know that photo magnets are always a big seller for portrait clients. But just how popular are they? By using Google data we can find out, down to the sizes people commonly search for.  Here’s how many people search for photo magnets by month:

• 8x10 photo magnet - 6,600 monthly searches
• photo magnets - 4,400 monthly searches
• photo fridge magnets - 720 monthly searches

There are over 6,000 people every month searching for 8x10 photo magnets, so that’s an easy win right there. Try using a smaller size in your photo packages, and offer the more in-demand size to your clients as an upsell! Or you could offer discounts on orders including multiple sizes to capitalize on a diverse range of magnet options.

Photo gift #2: Mugs.

Another holiday classic, photo mugs are a popular search term. Here’s what they look like by the numbers: 

• photo mugs - 3,600 monthly searches
• photo coffee mugs - 1,000 monthly searches
• custom photo mug - 880 monthly searches

The word "custom" here is sneaky: It could mean someone is looking to upload their own image to the coffee mug. As a photographer that’s not going to build your business. But if you primarily do retouching work, it could be an ideal offering!

Like magnets, mugs are a popular item you can benefit from featuring front-and-center in your store. They work nicely as upsell items in your photo packages, too.

Photo gift #3: Stocking stuffers and wrappable wonders.

The numbers don’t lie: People love their keepsakes. Here are a couple other options that came up in our research:

• photo mouse pad - 1,000 monthly searches
• photo puzzle gift - 880 monthly searches
• photo collage gifts - 720 monthly searches

While these may seem like small potatoes in comparison with your first two options, we included the word “photo” in each of these for specificity. If we take that away, you get a bigger picture of the kinds of demand you can tailor your offerings toward:

• jigsaw puzzle - 165,000 monthly searches
• playing cards - 49,500 monthly searches
• mouse pad - 40,500 monthly searches
• coasters - 33,100 monthly searches
• coffee mug - 27,100 monthly searches
• postcards - 18,100 monthly searches
• keepsake frames - 18,100 monthly searches
• keepsake box - 8,100 monthly searches
• refrigerator magnet - 5,400 monthly searches

Each of these photo gifts offers an opportunity to sell your photos, you’ve just gotta get creative with your messaging: “A photo mousepad is a great way to make sure your favorite vacation memories are always with you at the office.” “Playing cards featuring your photos make great stocking stuffers, and will always spark conversation around the card table!” etc.

By including some of these popular items in your store, or featuring them as add-ons during the checkout process, you can inspire your customers to go the extra mile—and make an extra sale in the process.

Happy selling!