Every photographer should have a website
Mon, Nov 10, 2008
In the last post, I started a laundry list of 10 things every photography student should have. Today is part two of that article. “A website focusing on your portfolio”.
Every photographer should have a website. It’s the number one way of reaching a large amount of people at a low cost. Of course there are many other ways to market yourself; e-mail newsletters, postcards, podcasts, etc. However, a website is a great place to start.
The main focus should be on a great presentation of your work. The “Portfolio” section of your site will be what helps you land new jobs, and keep existing clients. As a student myself, I felt it would be very beneficial for me to learn how to build websites. That way, I could build my own, as well as offer it as another service to my clients.
If you’re interested in learning how to build websites, Lynda.com could be an affordable way to do so. I believe they have rates that start out at $25 a month. Plus you have access to tutorials of all the other professional software such as Photoshop, Flash, inDesign, and much more!
If you’re not interested in learning how to design websites, or may not have the time for it, there are many companies that have professional looking templates you can choose from, for a low a monthly fee. It will definitely save you time from building a site from scratch, and you can have a professional looking site up the same day! One that I personally like and have used before is Qufoto. Their back office is VERY user friendly, and their customer service is superb. Carbonmade is also another good one, I haven’t personally used it, but have friends that do, and they’ve all said good things about it.
I’ve used this kind of service in the past, when I didn’t have time to work on my website from scratch. It was a HUGE time saver, and impressed new visitors every time!
Along with having a website, you’ll also need to purchase your domain name and a hosting plan. A domain name is your URL. For example, http://www.your-website-name.com. Hosting a website online, is like renting space online to place your website. I have an account with Site5 and they have great rates, their customer service is available 24hrs a day, and I’ve never had a problem with them.
So what are you waiting for? If you don’t have your portfolio online yet, it’s time to get started. You now have no reason not to have an online presence:)
Next time, we’ll talk about getting your business cards and letterhead designed! So start thinking of ideas now!
…and until then, keep shooting!:)
P.S.
Here’s a few screenshots of sites I’ve built for clients, including my own.
Just click on the thumbnails for a larger view.
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