liveBooks secures $5 million in funding from strategic and private investors

Company introduces subscription-based pricing and pre-designed websites delivered through SaaS; aligns strategic partners to expand into graphic design, interior design and other new markets

San Fancisco, Nov. 04, 2009. liveBooks, Inc., the leading provider of award-winning websites that allow creative professionals to promote and manage their businesses online, today announced that it has secured $5 million in funding from strategic and private investors. This allows the company to expand into new markets and create more flexible and affordable payment and design options for its customers.

With this funding, liveBooks has:

1. Lowered the cost of entry into the liveBooks suite and service so that any professional can now afford a liveBooks site;
2. Introduced a subscription-based service to eliminate the need for front-loaded monetary commitments;
3. Launched pre-designed site offerings with unrivaled choices in terms of number, design and utility;
4. Broadened its market reach with new, creative professional industries such as graphic design and interior design

The net result of these changes is that every creative professional now has access to an affordable solution designed to differentiate their online offer, without the need to get involved in the technology of running a website.

"We have been impressed with liveBooks' approach to the photography industry and believe that a liveBooks site is a great solution for anyone selling a visual product to manifest their unique brand on the internet,” said Laura Shore, senior vice president of communications at Mohawk Fine Papers. "Our strategic relationship with liveBooks is an important component of our effort to expand our sphere of influence beyond paper products and to incorporate a 360-degree focus on products and services related to the graphics industry."

For customers who want the benefits of liveBooks’ proven design expertise and intuitive site administration in a more affordable package, the company is now offering an unrivaled array of pre-designed themes and layout options with subscriptions priced at $39 a month. liveBooks is also extending this pricing flexibility to its customized design customers who want completely unique sites that are both visually stunning and true manifestations of their brands. Single customized sites will require a one-time design fee plus a subscription charge.

“liveBooks' website platform empowers professional photographers with the tools they need to easily and successfully leverage the power of the internet to run their businesses,” said Chris Rainier, National Geographic Photographic Fellow. “At a time when creative professionals in all disciplines are facing job cuts and finding making a sustainable living increasingly difficult, the new liveBooks offering – which is at a price that even a student can afford – will be a saving grace. This gives me hope for the future of the global and independent creative photographer working as a professional.”

liveBooks has a history of creating beautifully designed and easy-to-manage websites for the world’s top photographers, such as Rainier, nature photographer and host of PBS’s “Adventures to the Edge” Art Wolfe, and celebrity photographer Harry Benson. Since its inception, liveBooks has created sites for more than 7,000 photographers and creative professionals.

“We’re extremely proud that our work has helped professional photographers grow their businesses over the past five years and we remain committed to delivering exceptional designs and customer service to the photographic community,” said Andy Patrick, CEO and president of liveBooks. “This financing allows us to take advantage of the significant growth opportunities in other creative markets where professionals’ business needs are similar to those of photographers. This, together with the implementation of the more scalable, SaaS- and subscription-based business model, presents our customers with more affordable options in these difficult economic times.”

liveBooks was incorporated in 2005 and quickly became well-known for developing and delivering customized websites that allow professional photographers to easily manage their online presence with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface and advanced search marketing tools. The 75-person company is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in the United Kingdom, Romania and throughout the United States.

To reflect the expansion of its business model and offerings, liveBooks today re-launched its website at www.liveBooks.com.

 

About liveBooks

liveBooks, Inc. provides award-winning websites that serve as a business hub to help professionals in creative industries like photography, graphic design and interior design save time, promote their businesses and make more money. The company works with an extensive ecosystem of advisors, partners and consultants to deliver unrivalled products, services, partner applications and customer experiences through the powerful combination of small-business acumen, award-winning designs, a scalable platform and extensible architecture. liveBooks is committed to customer success through design leadership, business integrity and its belief in the power of image and creativity to enable social change.