Shutterfly Adds Social-Networking Features

By Greg Scoblete -- TWICE, 2/22/2008

Redwood City, Calif. — Online photo site Shutterfly announced this week that it would incorporate social-networking features onto its photo print-oriented Web site.

The announcement follows a similar move made by Kodak earlier this month to allow Gallery users to post slideshows on social-networking sites like MySpace.

The Shutterfly Gallery platform lets users post photo books they’ve created, as well as establish personal profiles, comment on the photo books of others and create “favorite” lists. Shutterfly Gallery photo books can be embedded into blogs or personal Web sites, the company said.

If a user is bereft of photo book inspiration, the company is adding a “make one like this” feature that lets consumers copy design templates from other users.

Traditional photo print Web sites will need to break down their walls if they wish to survive in the new community-oriented Web world, said Alan Bullock, Internet imaging trends associate director during a conference at PMA.