# Website hosting recomendations??



## kcvisual

Hi I am new to the forum, and hoping someone can lead me in the right direction..I have decided to get my own web page, but have no idea what web host to go through, I have never had a website so I am totally new to all of this..but there are so many out there and I haven't got a clue on what to really look for..I want to stick around $200/Year..
And are the higher paid web hosts better than the cheaper?...

Thank you


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## AprilEye

I built my actual site through www.wix.com  I like it because it supports flash.  They do have web hosting as well so you can use it as a host and a site builder.  I already had a domain however and got it through www.godaddy.com.  Go Daddy also has website builders, but I dont know much about that.  Check out Wix though.  They have a lot of options to choose from.  Good luck!


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## Mathazzar

Hello!

As someone who owns and operates several websites I will give you my own thoughts and you can take them or leave them. If you're decently tech-savvy and want to make your own, your best bet is a host like Dreamhost (absolutely unmatched price vs. features ratio and top-notch support + uptime). They will give you one free domain name per year (including when you sign up) and handle your registration so you're not split with different companies for hosting/domain registration. Then you can head over to WordPress.org (this is important &#8212; not the free .com one that _they_ host and you can barely modify) or better yet just use Dreamhost's convenient one-click install to get WordPress running on your site. Then Premium Wordpress Themes | Elegant Themes offers a good starting point for finding attractive, well-designed, easy-to-modify, and cheap themes that you can use for your site. Free ones are also just a Google search away.

Personally I've always found Wix sites to be unbelievably garish, and the Flash does nothing but slow down the loading of the page for your viewers. Remember: you want to look good, but the focus should be on your images, not the fancy transition effects of your site (which may not even work across all browsers).

If you're more hands-off and are just interested in a photography-centred site that offers you completely unmatched services, then SmugMug is the way to go. They're a pricey service (especially if you go for their Pro level), but if you do then you get to have an integrated print/digital sales environment built right into your site where you set your own prices.

I spent the better part of two months looking for the best place to put my photos online, and I honestly did not find any that I liked as much as SmugMug. Flickr is an eyesore the appeal of which I will never understand, and the rest tend to be perfectly decent but either unappealing to look at, covered in ads, bulky, cluttered, or laced with bizarre restrictions in file sizes.

My favourite feature of SmugMug though is its image protection systems. You can right-click protect your pictures, easily set up watermarks for your images, make private galleries, set up password-protected pages, etc etc etc.

Before you mistake me, I don't work for SmugMug and I'm not even a veteran user of theirs, I just appreciate a good service when I see one. 

Anyway, hopefully that will help point you in the right direction. Food for thought: you get what you pay for, so besides the obvious scams, if a site is charging you a lot for its features there's often a good reason for it. The best sites (like SmugMug) have a page dedicated specifically to answering that concern. And remember, it's your money, so if the features don't justify the cost for you then move on to the next option.

Best of luck, show us what you end up with!


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## ChadHillPhoto

I use GoDaddy and love them. Their customer service is off the charts good!


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## Big Mike

I use Hostgator.  Very affordable and great customer service.


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## Tee

I use SmugMug with a personal domain name by GoDaddy (SmugMug is partnered with GoDaddy).


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## mwcfarms

I have used both GoDaddy and Dreamhost.


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## AuroraPhotos

Hi there,

I was in your same shoes and I recently started my 1st photography website via Photobiz.com.

I liked them b/c they're geared toward the professional photographer.  And their customer service is outstanding.  There is an initial start up cost and then you pay $15 a month for the smallest package of 200 photos.  It goes up from there.

You can also peek at my website and see an example of one of their many templates.  Still waiting on my Logo! auroraandersonphotography.com.

Another great hosting site for photographers is Showitfast.com  But they're a little more pricey, although they're not a template hosting site.  Much more custom.

Good luck.


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## Robin Usagani

Easy pick.. ZENFOLIO!!!  IF you dont mind having a web address as username.zenfolio.com .  OR you can register a domain with godaddy for like $17 i think.  I think it is like $7/yr to maintain the domain.  So total it will cost you $107/yr.

Let me know if you need help.  You can check out my website to see how it is.


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## Corbin Lane

I recommend MediaTemple. I've used them while hosting my own blog and a few other websites and they have always been on top compared to my experience with hostgator and dreamhost.

It is a little steep (20 bucks/month) but for me, it's worth it.


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## Student

kcvisual said:


> Hi I am new to the forum, and hoping someone can lead me in the right direction..I have decided to get my own web page, but have no idea what web host to go through, I have never had a website so I am totally new to all of this..but there are so many out there and I haven't got a clue on what to really look for..I want to stick around $200/Year..
> And are the higher paid web hosts better than the cheaper?...
> 
> Thank you


 
One.com is the best and cheapest and their customer support is avalaible via live chat 24/7 - Awesome!


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## waynegz1

I use qufoto.com.  $19/ mo. and they register the domain name for you.. They have been awesome! Emailed me immediately to fix the problem, (too long to upload photos) and they even offered 1 month free for my trouble.  Only drawback is, it contains flash, so iPhone/iPad not compatible. Other than that, awesome folks!


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## mjhoward

I use Arvixe.  I got 2 yrs of hosting AND a free domain for life for about $70 total.  Includes unlimited server space and traffic along with emails and DB's.  I can host up to 6 domains with my package.  Godaddy is a rip off.


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## Gruen Photo 7 Design

i use creative motion design
wordpress offers a very nice pro photographers blog


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## joicohenharoun

if i can drop my 2c. unlimited is a gimmick, read the terms of use. it is only unlimited until it affects your shared server at which point they can turn the switch.
Its fine if you dont get much traffic, if you ever do, be ready.
You can get decent hosting for $5-$8 a month or so. I can't recommend any companies as I am a little biased and my husband run's one but be wary of the big unlimited catch phrases.

cheers.


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