# Help needed with starting new photography website



## swilliams (Jan 24, 2011)

Hello all.  I am semi-new to this website and am one that you might call a "forum stalker".  I read and read for answers to my many photography questions.  However, on this subject, I am totally confused.  I am new enough to professional photography that I am ready to start my own website.  I have done a few senior pictures, infant/toddlers, family and have been asked to do a wedding.  All of this has come from word of mouth and photos that I have published on my FB page.  My problem is, I know nothing about creating a website.  All this talk about webhosting and domain names has me so confused that I don't know where to start.  I don't have a lot of money to put into one yet, however, I don't want an unprofessional site with pop-up ads either.  Suggestions as to where to begin and possibly step by step from there would be extremely helpful and very much appreciated!

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.


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## Corbin Lane (Jan 24, 2011)

swilliams said:


> Hello all.  I am semi-new to this website and am one that you might call a "forum stalker".  I read and read for answers to my many photography questions.  However, on this subject, I am totally confused.  I am new enough to professional photography that I am ready to start my own website.  I have done a few senior pictures, infant/toddlers, family and have been asked to do a wedding.  All of this has come from word of mouth and photos that I have published on my FB page.  My problem is, I know nothing about creating a website.  All this talk about webhosting and domain names has me so confused that I don't know where to start.  I don't have a lot of money to put into one yet, however, I don't want an unprofessional site with pop-up ads either.  Suggestions as to where to begin and possibly step by step from there would be extremely helpful and very much appreciated!
> 
> Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.



1. Buy Domain name that you will use for your business from godaddy, 1&1, etc.

2. Find a host, I recommend MediaTemple.

3. Hire someone to make you a website or use something like smugmug and point your domain to it.

Because you're confused as to what a domain, hosting and all of that is you really shouldn't build your own website because it'll take you a long time and you'll get frustrated. It'll be better if you just let someone do it for you.

Good Luck!


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## SensePhoto (Jan 24, 2011)

im playing around with pixpa and pretty happy with how easy it is so far, the link is in my signature


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## D-B-J (Jan 24, 2011)

Colldfire said:


> im playing around with pixpa and pretty happy with how easy it is so far, the link is in my signaure


 

Looks good but you misspelt embedded on your contact dropdown.

In regards to the OP, i am interested in my own website


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## SensePhoto (Jan 24, 2011)

D-B-J said:


> Colldfire said:
> 
> 
> > im playing around with pixpa and pretty happy with how easy it is so far, the link is in my signaure
> ...


 
i think you just misspelled misspelled lol that part of my site is still under construction and the stuff under "contact" is something that came with that theme, still gotta edit it.


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## CCericola (Jan 24, 2011)

have you tried wix.com? Very easy to use.


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## craigm (Jan 24, 2011)

Here is a list of sites that will allow you to make a very nice and professional site without really having any knowledge of HTML, CSS, hosting, etc., they all cost money but are a lot cheaper than a web designer.

1. smugmug.com
2. squarespace.com
3. wix.com
4. wordpress.com

Iv'e used all of these and squarespace.com was by far my favorite. Most photographers go with smugmug.com though because it has more photographer oriented features.


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## swilliams (Jan 24, 2011)

Thank you all for your responses.  What about Zenfolio as a webhost for a newbie?  Is is pretty easy to use and get started with?  I've read pretty good reviews and they seem pretty reasonable on price.  Probably go with Go Daddy for my domain name.  And looking pretty hard at Zenfolio for webhost.  I've read that with wix.com, many don't like using flash player because of the time it takes to load the page and also the adds that display.  

Thanks again!!  

I spend way to many hours on this site but it has been extremely helpful.


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## JClishe (Jan 25, 2011)

hockmasm said:


> im a web designer by day...
> 
> here's all you need to do. its really simple.
> 
> ...


 
5. Don't embed background music


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