How Outsourcing Photo Editing Could Save You More Than You Think (With a Free ROI Calculator)

Do overflowing photo editing queues and missed deadlines sound all too familiar?

With the growing demand for e-commerce and social media content, businesses are struggling to keep up with the creation of high-quality product imagery.

Studies by McKinsey & Company suggest businesses can achieve cost savings of 10-30% by outsourcing certain functions such as photo editing services.

We know you can save even more.

In this article, we'll explore how outsourcing pre-press and retouching with Rhapsody can alleviate your pain points, unlocking a new level of efficiency and growth for your business.

53% of businesses outsource photo editing. [source: Clutch]

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The True Cost of In-House Photo Editing

Let's delve deeper and explore the true cost of maintaining an in-house professional photo retouching team.

Salary: According to Indeed, the average annual salary for a photo editor in the UK is around £32,000, and around $52,000 in the US. This translates to roughly £2,667 or $4,333 per month, depending on the location.

Software: Professional editing software like Adobe Photoshop can cost around £15-25 (or $20-30) per month per licence.

Training: Ongoing training for your in-house team can cost anywhere from £400 to £1,600 (or $500 to $2,000) per year depending on the course.

Equipment: High-performance computers suitable for photo editing in the UK range from £1,200 to £3,200 and require upgrades every few years. Prices are similar in the US.

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While salaries are a significant expense that comes with in-house photo editing, several other hidden expenses can quickly add up and erode your profit margins.

Here's a breakdown of the key hidden costs to consider if you don't outsource photo editing services:

Time Investment: Managing an in-house photo editing team takes time and diverts resources away from core marketing or e-commerce activities.

Payroll Taxes: Employer payroll taxes are an additional cost on top of base salaries.

Industry Conferences: Sending editors to industry conferences can be valuable, but adds to the overall training budget.

Editing Tools: Additional equipment like graphics tablets and colour calibration tools add to the hardware costs.

Lost-Opportunity Costs: When your team is bogged down with photo editing, it limits their ability to take on other creative projects that could drive growth for your business.

Thinking About Cutting Costs in Your E-Commerce Division? You Can Save up to 20% on Retouching

Rhapsody can help you recover ROI on maintenance costs and slash in-house retouching costs by an average of 10-20%.

Here's why it makes sense:

you can free up your team, scale faster, and unlock predictable budgeting.

To calculate your savings, simply input company-specific data:

• Average time per image
• Number of current full-time employees
• Maximum and minimum images processed per month
• Peak activity months

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Beyond Cost Savings: The Untapped Advantages of Photo Editing Services

While cost savings are a compelling reason to consider outsourcing photo editing, the true benefits extend far beyond the financial aspects.

Here's a deeper look at the additional advantages that will empower your business:

Quality & Consistency: At Rhapsody, we employ highly skilled editors with diverse expertise. This ensures consistently high-quality results that elevate your brand image across all your visual content. We also provide clients with ecommerce photo editing services in UK.

Reduced Management Overhead: Managing an in-house photo editing team requires time and resources. Outsourcing with Rhapsody eliminates the need for recruitment, training, and day-to-day supervision.

Scalability and Flexibility: Outsourcing photo editing with Rhapsody allows you to seamlessly scale your editing capacity up or down based on seasonal fluctuations or project demands. You will no longer face overstaffing during peak periods or underutilised teams during slower times when you outsource photo editing services.

93% of online shoppers consider high-quality product images to be a crucial factor influencing their buying decisions. [source: Key Medium]

Case Study: How N Brown Group Streamlined Its Workflow and Reduced Costs by Over 35% with Outsourced Photo Editing

Limited by a fixed team size, outdated workflows, and a lack of scalability, the N Brown Group struggled to keep pace with the dynamic demands of the digital retail industry.

It needed a solution that could:

• Update outdated workloads
• Optimise cost
• Improve speed to market

The Results: Measurable Improvements and a Long-Term Partnership

The impact of outsourcing photo editing to Rhapsody is clear. With our professional photo editing services UK we managed to:

Reduced Speed to Market and Costs by over 35%: The N Brown Group achieved a significant reduction (over 35%) in both speed to market and overall costs.

Increased Efficiency: Streamlined processes have led to a more efficient workflow.

Enhanced Brand Consistency: A dedicated team ensures consistent high-quality editing, elevating N Brown's brand image across all its channels.

👉 See full case study here

Are you unsure as to how much retouching is costing your business?

The true cost savings of photo retouching services might surprise you.

But don't just take our word for it.

See the potential cost savings for your business with our free ROI Calculator. Contact us to calculate your savings.

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