The PhotoDeck blog

Google have launched a new version of Google Analytics, called "Google Analytics 4", which over time will replace their current "Universal Analytics" product.

It is a significantly different product, that focuses on tracking people accross devices instead of simple "visits", and on their behaviour. It relies on machine learning both to provide insights and to fill the gaps in user behaviour data when missing.

The information it provides is also quite different from the Universal Analytics tool. For example the Bounce Rate, which used to be considered as very important, has been removed and replaced by a new "Engagement" metrics.

We've now added the capability to connect PhotoDeck websites to GA4, along with the legacy Universal Analytics tracking (yes, you can keep both). All you need to do is provide your new Google Analytics 4 "property" code and we take care of the rest!

This feature can be found in the PhotoDeck admin space under My Website / Setup / Analytics & site verification.

This is our third update in less than a month, and today it is about design!

We've built a new feature to add animations to elements in your free content (custom pages, banners, gallery introductions, pricing profile descriptions, etc...)

Each content element can be made to fade in, slide or zoom when appearing in the visible part of the page. The effects are subtle so that they enhance the page but don't distract from the content itself, except for the zoom-out effect which is a powerful way to draw attention to a call to action, for example.

You will now find a new "magic wand" button for each element in the free content editor to choose an effect.

It's update day again! Today, we're bringing an updated look to the checkout pages on PhotoDeck websites.

What has changed?

• Cleaner and more robust design on pricing pages;
• Simpler and more modern cart, orders and quotations pages;
• Uncluttered payment page to further reduce checkout friction;
• Fully responsive content to better align mobile and desktop pages.

To benefit from this update already today, please simply accept the prompt to update your rendering engine (for both your mobile and desktop sites) in your admin space!

PhotoDeck turns ten today: as we initially mainly focused on stock photography, what better way to celebrate than bringing our members a little new feature to help license images?

A few days ago, Google's initiative to indicate licensable images in their images search results went out of Beta.

To benefit most from this "Licensable" badge, the best is to make sure the new images you upload and distribute have the proper metadata embedded. This way, when they are distributed and indexed by Google on another website, they can still be linked to your PhotoDeck website for licensing.

For images already on your PhotoDeck website, and to allow linking images directly to their own pricing page, we've added a new feature that lets you tell Google that your images are indeed licensable, without modifying the metadata embedded into your images.

So here you go, a simple switch to turn on (under My Website / Setup / SEO), and when Google crawls your website again, they'll list your images as being licensable -- by default with a link to the purchase page to make it easy for potential buyers!

We've just rolled out a new version of the section in the member admin space dedicated to the managing and customizing your website (the My website panel).

Now, the navigation is organized around the website's menu, making your workflow much more intuitive and efficient.

In addition, switching between the desktop and the mobile sites is also much easier, it's now a single click.

Similarly, for each gallery you'll find buttons to quickly switch between the gallery preview under My site and its management panel under My images.

The actual settings and the interface to customize the design of the desktop and mobile themes haven't changed, so we're confident you'll easily find your way around -- your feedback is always welcome!

To fully benefit from the new interface, please accept the prompt in your interface to update the website rendering engine.