# HELP OMG!!! What Am I To Do?



## creative_one (Sep 25, 2009)

Hi Everyone,

See im worried that I would be paying all this money (1. domain yearly 2. for an account like smugmug.com or something like that.) I know even thou it might not be much but it adds up after a few years.
What if no one ever contacts me for a photography job or ever goes on my website or just plain black & white contacts me about a picture that I took or something like that?
( just like my other website but its not a photography website. I even set up an e-mail & I haven&#8217;t gotten an e-mail from anyone yet plus no one has submitted a comment either & the website has been up for at least a year or more!) 
plus I work full time 5 days a week 8:30 &#8211; 5pm is that going to affect my photography? 

How would I after the fact that (if) I bought a domain name would get it set up with a free webhost. what are the steps in doing so? 
Thanks


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## Big Mike (Sep 25, 2009)

Putting up a website probably isn't enough to get you gigs.  You still need to get that website seen and that's where marketing and SEO (search engine optimization) comes in.  If you can get your website to show up on the first page of Google, for your key words, then you are much more likely to get some business.

Conversely, if you are just out talking to people and handing out business cards, it really helps to have a website to refer them to, even if it's not high in the search rankings.  

Marketing your business is a whole topic unto itself.  Just like photography, it's a talent and a skill that can be learned, but you have to put in the work and be committed to it.

Working full time and trying to do photography on the side is certainly doable...but it obviously puts some limitations on you.


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## Derrel (Sep 25, 2009)

There is always a cost of doing business, like the cost of the domain name and web site costs, postage, phone calls, gasoline, presentation materials like portfolios and DVD's and so on. It does all "add up". I think you need to realize if you want freelance gigs, you will have to go out and *get* them. People probably will not come to your web site, seeking you out. You need to make some sales calls. Contact people within your area of operation,and try and persuade them that you can provide the photography services they need. You need to sell yourself, because the website is clearly not bringing in business. A website is a marketing tool.

Getting freelance work *is work*. Getting the gigs is harder than shooting them. You need to be proactive. Not sure what area of photography you are interested in or capable of shooting. Contact some organizations: car clubs, rugby teams, softball leagues, fishing guides, small retailers, one-man advertising agencies, farmers (seriously!) anybody you could shoot for.


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## SrBiscuit (Sep 25, 2009)

having a web site won't get you business (unless of course you get your site crawled by search engines and whatnot).
what WILL get you business is networking.

just like these guys said...get out there.

and i wouldnt worry about the cost of your domain and hosting...that will be the least of your costs.


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## Randall Ellis (Sep 25, 2009)

I agree with the above statements. Being a for-profit photographer means spending the vast majority of your waking hours out there drumming up business. A website is just a place where the people you've already spoken with can go to look up details and take a quick look at some of your work.

- Randy


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## chakalakasp (Sep 25, 2009)

creative_one said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> See im worried that I would be paying all this money (1. domain yearly 2. for an account like smugmug.com or something like that.) I know even thou it might not be much but it adds up after a few years.
> What if no one ever contacts me for a photography job or ever goes on my website or just plain black & white contacts me about a picture that I took or something like that?
> ...



What exactly are you asking us?


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## bigtwinky (Sep 25, 2009)

Doing photography and running a photography business are very different.

Sounds like you need some knowledge / teachings as to how to run a business... which would include lessons on marketing and promotion.

Putting up a website is not a means to get business.  You may get a few hits, but really, you need to be out there, get known, be seen.  Talk to people...word of mouth is a huge thing.

When I started a flickr account not too long ago, i didn't have many contacts, my photos never got hits, I never received comments.  So I started to visit other people's sites, find groups, give thoughtful comments, add others as contacts after leaving comments, send messages and so on.

I now have more contacts, get views, receive comments.

If you sit back, nothing happens.


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## Christie Photo (Sep 25, 2009)

SrBiscuit said:


> and i wouldnt worry about the cost of your domain and hosting...that will be the least of your costs.



yeah...  what we talking?  Maybe $100/year?  I think I'm paying $110 or so.

-Pete


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## Ham1 (Sep 25, 2009)

creative_one said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> See im worried that I would be paying all this money (1. domain yearly 2. for an account like smugmug.com or something like that.) I know even thou it might not be much but it adds up after a few years.
> What if no one ever contacts me for a photography job or ever goes on my website or just plain black & white contacts me about a picture that I took or something like that?
> ...



If you decide to go with SmugMug, we have a special deal to buy your own domain through GoDaddy here: www.smugmugdomains.com and we'll automatically set up your DNS settings for you.   

NOTE:  you need the SmugMug Pro or Power account for this to work.

Here is some SmugMug SEO tips:  Photographers SEO Book » SmugMug SEO Overview: Website Photo System Built for Search


and here: help - Maximize Your Findability


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## raider (Sep 26, 2009)

easy solution - quit your job.  sounds like you want to go into the photography business.  quit your job, file all the paperwork, present the bank with a business proposal, get a studio, buy equipment, hire employees, hire a lawyer, accountant, web designer... easy stuff.  good luck!


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## msf (Sep 27, 2009)

Derrel said:


> farmers (seriously!) anybody you could shoot for.



What sort of photography work do farmers usually require?  Havent thought of them other than possibly family portraits, plenty of farmers in this area.


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## Dwig (Sep 27, 2009)

creative_one said:


> ...What if no one ever contacts me for a photography job or ever goes on my website or just plain black & white contacts me about a picture that I took or something like that?...



You can't rely on a web site as a means of "first contact" with clients. You need to push first contact through networking and/or some form of targeted marketing. Exactly what and how depends on the type of photography you're trying to do. The website is for "second contact" where your new contacts can then go to see your work.

Also, don't throw out a message that you do everything. Pick a specialty and stick with it. If you want to market yourself for multiple specialties, consider multiple websites or, at the least, a cleanly divided master site with separated sections. 

You can "host" multiple sites easily with a single host account. My personal blog uses my host account's associated domain name:

HappyThursday

I also "host" as small site for a friend who has written an easier to read (3rd grade reading level) variant of the classic inspirational book (stilted early-20th century style) that's at the core of the Alcoholics Anonymous program:

seedsbyandrewm.com

This latter site resides as a sub-folder on my main HappyThursday site. I just have a second domain that is "parked" and does nothing but redirects to the pages on HappyThursday. I pay for the second domain and a trivial additional amount to have it parked, but don't have to have a second full host account for it. Actually, I could have avoided even that additional expense if I didn't mind having to use a longer URL for the Seeds site, something like "http://Seeds.HappyThursday.com", which revealed where the site lived. I don't mind that (I've actually enabled it), but the books author wants a clean URL that isn't shared and could be migrated to a second host independently without the URL changing.


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## damonb (Sep 29, 2009)

Hi creative_one,

Many photographers, even serious pros, will tell you that having a website alone isn't entirely going to solve the issue of your getting work. You have to do a lot of marketing and promotion to get work or sell prints, and you also have to understand how things like SEO and Social Media Marketing play into your overall business strategy.

Interesting Article on Social Media 

"Not sure what area of photography you are interested in or capable of shooting."

I think this is a key part of your question that wasn't answered in the post. The advice be different for event and wedding photographers than what it would be for someone trying to sell art prints (event and wedding photographers might need advice about marketing regionally, for example).

If you're looking to sell prints online from your website or photoblog, without worrying about costs for hosting at other sites,  you could take a look at Fotomoto as an additional way to possibly generate sales (disclaimer: work there). You could also look at creating free photoblogs on sites like Wordpress or Blogger/Blogspot.com.

It sounds like your primary concern is the upfront costs to get started...just remember you can actually write this stuff off as a cost of doing business. Don't forget that it truly does cost money to make money as well


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## creative_one (Sep 29, 2009)

Hi Damonb,
thanks for the advice first off.
My areas / interest in photography to shoot is nature & landscape just for right now but i want to try to expand into different areas of photography to shoot in.


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## dleightley (Sep 29, 2009)

Some really good content here Creative One. I have a site to show of fmy work, but its only to show my work and thats it.

Social networking is one of the best places you can use to get yourself some jobs and to get to know others in the field.


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## Foques (Sep 29, 2009)

I am in the same Shoes..

I do work full time 8.30-5.. yes, It does affect the photography
Foques Photo is just my side work, until times get brighter (at least), and I can afford living of off the earnings that photography can produce. So far, it is very nice addition to a paycheck.. but is not enough to substitute it.

Domain registration is cheap.
Smugmug provides hosting..
from there it is up to you and your work to do the advertising..


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