Setting up a business website, logo etc

[AlicePalice]

How on earth do you begin?

I have a friend who is a web designer who can help me out (for a price!) but he's not spe******ed in photographers sites... so would you go with someone who had experience in the field? Is it important?

Or are there certain companies that are renouned for doing sites and should be looked into?

Or just do it yourself?

I want to make the leap, I just dont know how!

[Drkranger]

I think you first need to figure out what you want to do. You need to know who your clients will be and what type of photography you will be doing. Action/event photography selling and sites are typically different that portrait studios.

You can look through the sites on Smugmug for ideas and also search your local area for photography sites to see what they've done. Then, just do it better so your business stands out.

After that, you can decide to go with your friend or go with a premade template site like Smugmug or Exposure Manager.

[photosbyrowell]

I agree with Drkranger. Do you want a site with just general photography or are you specialized with weddings etc. bludomain has some awesome sites that are priced reasonably well. You could also hire a designer to make you a logo.

I suggest you go with a specific look that will distinguish yourself from everyone. Start with the logo, site and business cards.

[OsmosisStudios]

I did all my own stuff: I think im pretty decent at the design.

It's nothing specially designed or anything, and requires some backend work to update, but I tend not to update it too often.

[Ozscot]

Just like the others have said - so much depends on precisely what services you are offering and then finding a template for a web site which shows them off to the best effect. I swear this is not a shameless plug for my own site - but I'm creating mine from scratch at present (it's still very much work in progress) and have so far found that incorporating flash and ********** shows what I have in a pleasing way http://nowpics.com/

I'm presuming you know zilch about the process (and forgive me for doing so if that's not the case) but settling on a name for your business/web site is one of the most difficult things to do - why? Because just about every decent creative .com name associated with imagery has been taken. I ended up calling mine 'Nowpics' not because I wanted that but because it was one name which was available.

Should you come up with a .com name for your business which you really, really want - you can check its availability (whether it's already owned or not) by going to a site such as this and simply typing it in - Domain names That can be as little as $15 a year

Then you have to find somewhere to 'host it' - which again can be as little as $60 a year. And of course you finally have to upload the software and content to the host so that it appears on the internet (this is presuming you want to do it all independently). It all appears daunting but really it's not so hard once you grasp the basic concepts.

Good luck If there's anything I can do to assist with my limited knowledge (I own and operate about thirty web sites but only one photography site) - then please don't hesitate to ask - if I don't know the answer then I'm sure there will be folks here who do.

All the best to you!

Oz

[AnneWynne]

Hi Alice,
There are lots of good photo hosting sites out there that will handle everything for you from hosting, linking your URL to the hosted site, gallery space, and order fulfillment.

I would suggest that you look at photo websites, note the ones you like and shoot the owners an e-mail asking some questions about the site....the worst thing they can do is ignore you....

Also check out SmugMug (which is much easier to deal with than Exposure Manager, but if you have the time and inclination, EM is not a bad place to start) and some of the other hosting sites.

Good luck,
Anne

[wannabehorsephotographer]

I did my own, but photoreflect will also set you up with a pretty generic template if you host your pics through them. I had VERY little design experience before I started my site so I went with Yahoo Small Business. They have decent free software and troubleshooting.

That being said I don't make $500 a photoshoot and my clients are fairly rural and happy with a pretty, basic site. If you are trying to market high class/expensive work, etc. you might want the quality site a professional can provide you.

Good luck!

[Heidilyn]

I know someone who does really awesome websites, and I also do logo web design. You can see some of my work on my site - www.heidilynoriginals.com

[morts]

The ideas about the pre-made sites and so on are valid, but I'd say that you'd be better off with either getting someone to design your site or you do it yourself.

What I guess I'm getting at is that your photo album/portfolio/etc site should be something that represents you and your style. Pre-made ones are great, but I'd say it's a big faux pas if someone spots this small fact...

[_DaveAdams]

Like others have said, this is very much a 'it depends' kind of question - are you aiming to sell your work via a website, promote it, or just sho it off to anyone who is passing? Do you know anything at all about web design, or the things related to it such as methodology, hosting, seo etc.

If you are a complete novice, I would hand it over to someone and say - 'I want domain xxx.com', there are the photos, and this is what I want to achieve, simply because it can take a long time to get to grips with making a half decent website. If you simply want to showcase your work with minimum fuss and outlay, you've done the best thing by joining flickr.

Like most people, I've got a vested interest in the topic, having designed an built my own photography showcase DigitalSLRPhotos.com) and run a blog (FlickerLister) and I'm happy to offer my services, but knowing exactly what you want to achive first and foremost is important.