Starting out - do I need a webpage?

PrettyKitty · March 29, 2011

I've shot a few weddings before, maybe 1 every other year or so for the past 5 years... lol... but I'm starting to get more interest in my work. Just last weekend I shot a wedding reception (they had a civil ceremony before and just wanted a photographer for the big family reception a few days later.) Then I got a phone call from another person, interested in hiring me for their fall wedding! :barbI've also got other calls about doing family pictures and so I decided to go "official" and call myself a part-time photographer.

I started a facebook page already which you can see here: http://www.facebook.com/CathyKurtzPhotography

So I'm now debating if I should have an official webpage. I'm leaning towards yes, but have no idea how to set one up. A LOT of photographer sites seem to be very similar so is there a standard template I can start with and just tweak to fit my style? Where do I begin? I'd like to open up to a page that let's them see 3 photos, one that links to the portfolio, one that links to the blog, and one that takes them to facebook. But then I want the words across the top with links to the "about me" "investment" "sweet words" and all that other jazz. Pretty simple, I just don't know how to do it! Do I have to hire a web designer? How pricy is that and is it worth it at this stage of the game? I really am not interested in trying to make a serious business out of this... My day job pays all my bills. I just want my photography gigs to pay for my equipment really.

So what do ya think - is a webpage overkill if I'm not interested in doing more than 4-5 weddings per year at the most? :dunno

Another option - do you think it's cheezy to just use a generic free site like weebly??

Studio Simplicity Jenny · March 29, 2011

Hi Cathy,

Having a website at any point of the game is not an overkill. I think as a photographer, you should be able to showcase your work even if you only shoot part time or as a hobby. Some web designer charges very little to very pricey. It depends on what you are looking for. There are a lot of free website builder that you can use but if you want a really professional looking site, you'll have to be prepared to spend some money.

I am a web developer/designer and am also starting out in the photography business. Maybe we can collaborate and I can help you set up a basic site. If you have any question, ask away!! Let me know!

tenoverthenose · March 29, 2011

I think the real answer to this question has a lot more to do with how serious you are about wedding photography. Website are so inexpensive compared to the other costs of doing business that I can't imagine not having one. In this day and age, it also seems like the first and most useful place for prospective clients to get useful information as to wether or not your are the right photographer for them. I know that my business would not exist in its current form with out my website.

Studio Simplicity Jenny · March 29, 2011

In this day and age, it also seems like the first and most useful place for prospective clients to get useful information as to wether or not your are the right photographer for them. I know that my business would not exist in its current form with out my website.

Agreed!!

W.W. Webster · March 29, 2011

PrettyKitty wrote: »

Starting out - do I need a webpage?

PrettyKitty wrote: »

Where do I begin?

PrettyKitty wrote: »

do you think it's cheezy to just use a generic free site like weebly??

Haven't you already got (a paid) one - at Zenfolio? That's one option as a possible starting point, but there are others. Most customised sites at SmugMug haven't required a professional designer.

met · March 29, 2011

You should definitely have one, but I would start very simple. Have you thought about just having a free blog as your main site versus the intro page linking to different sites? Do you already have a blog?

Buy your domain at Godaddy.com or something for $10 a year. (www.CathyKurtzPhotography.com)

chris5olson · March 29, 2011

oh yes, a website is a powerful thing. It really cant hurt you!

I use bluehost

PrettyKitty · March 29, 2011

W.W. Webster wrote: »

Haven't you already got (a paid) one - at Zenfolio? That's one option as a possible starting point, but there are others. Most customised sites at SmugMug haven't required a professional designer.

Yes - I have a zenfolio site so people can go look at my portfolio. It just isn't set up like a webpage with a place to tell them more about me, my prices, etc. But it is where I direct people when they want to see more of my work. And if they want to see wedding samples, I send them the link to a few specific weddings I've done and the passwords to get in.

Is that enough of a webpage though?

So far it's been enough to build some interest through word of mouth... and it does give them something to see my style to decide if i'm the photographer for them.

Honestly I haven't looked too far into Zenfolio to see how I can customize the site... lol.. I've always just used it for storage and the featured gallery like a portfolio. I'll go read up more on what it can do....

Thanks

PrettyKitty · March 29, 2011

met wrote: »

You should definitely have one, but I would start very simple. Have you thought about just having a free blog as your main site versus the intro page linking to different sites? Do you already have a blog?

Buy your domain at Godaddy.com or something for $10 a year. (www.CathyKurtzPhotography.com)

I do have a blog.... it's on blogspot.

www.cathykurtzphotography.blogspot.com

Is there a better blog service that would be easier to customize?

Art Scott · March 29, 2011

As suggested above get a domain name at Godaddy and customize your already paid for site at zenfolio ( http://catluke.zenfolio.com/ ) ...there is no more cost effective advertising than a website .....if you do not like Zen for some reason and do not want to customize there then get a smugmug Pro website and do it there....pic up a free page from Wix.......

You do need a bio telling people what you offer as services....prices that is upto you ...some do and some don't....contact info is an absolute....I have a cell just for my business and a email just for my business......if you work out of your house then I would not advertise that address.......

PrettyKitty · March 29, 2011

Art Scott wrote: »

As suggested above get a domain name at Godaddy and customize your already paid for site at zenfolio ( http://catluke.zenfolio.com/ ) ...there is no more cost effective advertising than a website .....if you do not like Zen for some reason and do not want to customize there then get a smugmug Pro website and do it there....pic up a free page from Wix.......

Thanks! I definitely will look into the customizing options at Zenfolio! I have their pro account there and have over 14,000 photos stored there so I really don't want to switch to Smugmug at this point.

Thanks for all the ideas- I hadn't thought about registering a domain and having it point to my zenfolio site....

met · March 29, 2011

PrettyKitty wrote: »

I do have a blog.... it's on blogspot.

www.cathykurtzphotography.blogspot.com

Is there a better blog service that would be easier to customize?

You can easily customize your blog to create static pages with links to those pages.

When you go to create a post - click "Create Page" instead. There you can create pages with your info, pricing, etc.

Then, when you go into the "Design" part of your blog. Just add a "Page Links" gadget under your Header (or wherever you want them to show up). You can link to your Pages of content that you created as well as outside links like your Zenfolio galleries, too.

Weisel · March 30, 2011

Try BluDomain.com for some nice websites. Or, just customize a SMUG site.

PrettyKitty · March 30, 2011

Art Scott wrote: »

As suggested above get a domain name at Godaddy and customize your already paid for site at zenfolio ( http://catluke.zenfolio.com/ ) ...there is no more cost effective advertising than a website .....if you do not like Zen for some reason and do not want to customize there then get a smugmug Pro website and do it there....pic up a free page from Wix.......

You do need a bio telling people what you offer as services....prices that is upto you ...some do and some don't....contact info is an absolute....I have a cell just for my business and a email just for my business......if you work out of your house then I would not advertise that address.......

Thank you so much! I checked it out last night and was able to get it looking closer to what I imagined! Not perfect, but definitely a start!

http://www.cathykurtzphotography.com

Wachel · March 30, 2011

Zenfolio now has user created pages as well. It works just like a word processor...set it up the way you want it and then publish it. They can be your main page or side pages or individual client pages. Very useful...worth checking out to see if it meets your needs before spending money elsewhere since you already have an account.

Kinkajou · March 31, 2011

I use photobiz.com... I think Angie used it back in the day and that's how I got turned on to it. Lots of templates ready to go, and if you watch for sales on setup fees, you can get in for a good price. It's something like $15 to maintain it and $10 a year for the godaddy domain name. Super easy to use, support is great, mobile compatible, and lots of pointers on things like SEO.

W.W. Webster · March 31, 2011

Kinkajou wrote: »

I use photobiz.com... mobile compatible...

This may be correct for their HTML templates, but I wouldn't think their Flash templates will ever be compatible with the iPhone and iPad!

DWS · March 31, 2011

one more "yes" to the list....additionally, I did not see comments around a business card, but I definitely would suggest one with your contact information, including your website......

PrettyKitty · April 1, 2011

DWS wrote: »

one more "yes" to the list....additionally, I did not see comments around a business card, but I definitely would suggest one with your contact information, including your website......

Oh Definitely! I was about to create cards when the issue of the website came up! So now that I've decided on a website, business cards are definitely next! Hopefully I can design them this weekend and get them back soon!

Art Scott · April 1, 2011

PrettyKitty wrote: »

Oh Definitely! I was about to create cards when the issue of the website came up! So now that I've decided on a website, business cards are definitely next! Hopefully I can design them this weekend and get them back soon!

I have been using Vista Print for well over a year now...never a problem that wasn't my own fault....and they took care of it pronto....so for 2K in cards I had less than $20 ....I got in on a sale of 250 cards for $1.99 + 250 cards free (2.95 shipping) but I kept adding to my order to see if VP would keep allowing the discount and they did....I had to keep going to my email and cliking the link and at 2K cards I stopped....$8 in cards and around $7.95 in s/h ...so I also got discount on S/H.....my colors have had no variance and product has always been good.

Good Luck on the B Cards.

colourbox · April 2, 2011

PrettyKitty wrote: »

Thanks! I definitely will look into the customizing options at Zenfolio! I have their pro account there and have over 14,000 photos stored there so I really don't want to switch to Smugmug at this point.

Wachel wrote: »

Zenfolio now has user created pages as well. It works just like a word processor...set it up the way you want it and then publish it. They can be your main page or side pages or individual client pages. Very useful...worth checking out to see if it meets your needs before spending money elsewhere since you already have an account.

And you should definitely take advantage of that web page feature on Zenfolio or your blog. As much as I love Smugmug, there is no need for you to switch over to Smugmug for this because (as far as I know), we Smugmug users are still waiting to have a "plain web page" feature, instead of having to hijack a gallery and manually hack the description with code until it looks like a static page. You already have everything you need, in an easier form.

Wachel · April 3, 2011

colourbox wrote: »

And you should definitely take advantage of that web page feature on Zenfolio or your blog. As much as I love Smugmug, there is no need for you to switch over to Smugmug for this because (as far as I know), we Smugmug users are still waiting to have a "plain web page" feature, instead of having to hijack a gallery and manually hack the description with code until it looks like a static page. You already have everything you need, in an easier form.

I was actually a Smuggie before going Zen. I loved Smug but the customization was too much of a pain for me. I hear they have gotten easier but Zen is sooooooo simple it's silly. Maybe not as deeply customizable as Smug? Not sure on that.

Starting out - do I need a webpage?

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