How to Create Your Own Photography Website



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If you’re a photography enthusiast, having your own website is one of the most crucial steps in making money with your hobby. Of course, a portfolio website is necessary for professionals, but it’s a good idea to have your own site even if you’re just looking to start making some money part-time with your photography.

You might be surprised by how easy and affordable it is to create your own website. You don’t need to pay thousands of dollars to a web designer or developer. It’s very possible to set up your own site, even if you have no technical experience. And not only can you set up a website, but it’s possible to create a very professional-looking website that will improve the way potential clients see you.

Choosing Your Platform

The first step is to choose the platform you want to use to build and host your website. There are many different options for creating a photography website, but we recommend Wix. We love Wix because:

  1. Wix offers a selection of templates that make it easy to create a beautiful website.
  2. Your site is fully customizable, so you can change the design and layout if you’d like.
  3. Wix provides reliable hosting, so your site will load quickly.
  4. You’ll get all the features and functionality you need for your site.
  5. The prices are reasonable and affordable.

There’s no cost or commitment to start using Wix, so if you’re ready to begin your free photography website, you can choose a template and get started right away.

Decide What Features You Need

Not every photography website will be the same. The features and functionality you need for your site may be different from another photographer. For example, if you’re a nature photographer, you may want to be able to sell photo prints or digital photos from your site so visitors can purchase the photos they love. If you’re a portrait or wedding photographer, you may need to be able to offer password-protected photo albums to your clients so they can view the photos from their event or session. As you can see, your specific needs will dictate the type of website you should set up.

Select a Template

Whichever platform you select will offer templates you can use to create your photography website. Some services offer a better selection of templates than others, but choosing the right one is an important part of the process. One of the reasons we recommend Wix is because they have an outstanding selection of templates that make your photos shine.

Below, you’ll see previews of a few Wix templates for photography websites. This is not the entire selection as they also have several others you can choose from.

Website Template
Website Template
Website Template
Event Horizon

Set Up Your Pages

Once you’ve selected the template you want to use for your site, the next step is to set up the pages for your site. The specific pages you need may vary, but this may include:

  • About page
  • Contact page
  • Services page
  • Pricing or packages page
  • Porfolio page or gallery
  • Blog

Decide which pages you need to get your site started (remember, you can always add more pages later, so you may want to start with the bare minimum to get your site launched quickly). Of course, you’ll need to write the text for these pages as well.

Add Your Photos

The last step in creating your site is to add your photos. Of course, photos are a critical aspect of any photography website, so be sure to take your time and carefully select the best photos to showcase.

Tips for Creating Your Photography Website

Now that we’ve looked at the process of how to create your site, here are some quick tips to make sure that your site is effective.

1. Aim for Simplicity

Choose a simple layout rather than a complex design. You want the photos to take center stage. The design of the site should be simple so it doesn’t distract from the photos. Most photography templates, including the ones from Wix, feature clean and simple designs for this reason.

2. Quality Over Quantity

You don’t need to showcase hundreds of photos on your site. The quality of photos is more important than the number of photos. Be selective and only include photos that represent your best work.

3. Include All of the Necessary Info

When visitors come to your website, they should be able to get all of the important information about the services you offer, as well as any products that you’re selling (like prints). Include details like the specific services or types of photography that you offer, the geographic areas that you cover, details about your availability for traveling, and instructions for people who want to get in touch with you. Don’t force visitors to reach out to you for very basic information.

4. Be Easy to Contact

When a website visitor is interested in your services, it should be as easy as possible for them to contact you. Make sure that your contact details or contact page are extremely easy to find. Optionally, you may also want to link to your social profiles or tell visitors about other platforms where they can get in touch with you.

5. Improve As You Go

Remember that your site doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s more important to get it launched, and you can continue to work on it going forward. Some people feel like they can’t launch the site unless every detail is perfect. But if that’s the case, you’ll find that it probably takes forever to get everything the way you want, and you could be missing out on a lot of benefits of having a site in the meantime.

Looking for Some Inspiration?

One of the best ways to create a great website of your own is to pay attention to other outstanding websites and see what you can incorporate into your own site. This collection of photography websites at Vandelay Design is an excellent resource that will provide plenty of inspiration for you.