Website needed before seeking jobs?

[chjang]

I'm fresh out of college, looking to get into the photography industry (with not much luck, but that's a different story). I met with a couple photographers in the area, and one mentioned that the most essential thing is making a website.

For now, I'd be satisfied shooting gigs for small local magazines and such. Should I invest in a website before I even contact anyone?

[OsmosisStudios]

A full-blown website? maybe not, but it cant hurt. You *should* have a good portfolio, both printed and electronic, for potential clients and employers to look over.

[Gyrene]

+1 on a good portfolio, most clients will want to see one even if you have a great website.

[NicolaB]

As you build up, let your web presence build around you. My 'web page' is a free blog (from Blogger). It is very basic, but serves its purpose until I need it to be more professional.

If you are more web savvy, then World Press is a great free blog space that you can build to act as a web page with a blog attached.

I have invested in my domain name because I want to build up hits to my site so when I go Pro my site is ranked in the search engines (and customers can find me).

Don't forget there is also FB. You could start a "business page" if you do nothing else to start getting a web presence.

In summary, I agree that a web presence is important, but don't go spending on fancy web sites at this stage.

Good luck

[mokka]

It certainly is.

It's useful as a place where potential customers can get all the information they might want about your business, and also helpful as people looking for photographers will likely be searching Google.

But perhaps most importantly from your perspective, it's something that customers will expect. If they have heard of you then they'll expect to be able to go on your website and find out more. Not having a website may give the impression that you aren't serious enough for their requirements.

If you're based in the UK I recommend clickpic for good value website hosting for photographers... they make it very easy to get started, you don't have to know web-design. Anywhere else in the world and I think photium come highly recommended.

[BK553]

I'd say before you bother making a website making sure you take good photos.

Don't be one of "those" photographers.

Throwing up a website, and executing a well planned out branding/marketing/social campaign are two different things.

[temetvince]

I use smugmug. My site is temetvince.smugmug.com if you want to see an example. It costs me somewhere between $50-$100 a year (I can't remember exactly how much). It also allows you to "lock your photos down" so clients can't right click and save them or download them, and it has Bay Photo as a way to order straight from the site! You can set your own prices, but beware that the minimum price is elevated and thus you will save (or make) more money by simply going to bayphoto.com.