The key to succeeding in a profession like photography is to make sure your art and your photographs are readily available and seen. You need a simple way to demonstrate what you can do with a camera – a portfolio, and in the era of the internet and social media, this portfolio needs to be made available online. What you need is a website.
Making a website might seem like a daunting task if you have never done it before, but the truth is that it doesn’t have to be difficult, and with a service like Wix you can easily set it up yourself. In the below guide we will have a look at how to get started, what you need to think about, and why your photography website could be key to your success as an artist.
Introducing Wix
Before we go any further, we need to have a look at what Wix is and what it is that they offer. Wix is a service that allows its users to make professional looking websites, where they can then showcase their work, sell products and more, and it is a service that can be used both by beginners and those more experienced when it comes to building websites. It is a revolutionary way to build a website – one that does not require previous experience or skills, and where you can customize it to fit your individual needs and preferences.
Wix is a great tool for photographers and other artists, aiding in creating a proper online gallery where work can be put on display for others to see. There are multiple templates to choose from, making it easy to create a customized website, and the drag-and-drop function makes this service ideal also for someone who as never even thought about making a website before.
What Makes Wix So Great?
- Fully customizable websites with over 500 templates.
- Super simple website editor with drag-and-drop function.
- ADI – an artificial intelligence tool to optimize website creation.
- Option to add blogs, e-commerce shops, and apps.
- 24-hour reliable customer support.
Getting Started with a Wix Website
The easiest way to use Wix is to use it on a computer or a laptop, but you can also do it on your smartphone or tablet by downloading the app available for both iOS and Android. Open the Wix website in your browser or download the app, and then you are ready to start creating a website for your hobby photography or your photography business.
Setting Up an Account
All you need to do to get started is opening an account with Wix, and you can do this on their website or in their app. The option to create an account is usually the first thing you see, where you will then be asked to fill in your email and come up with a password, and once you confirm the account with the confirmation link sent to your email inbox – you are only minutes away from having your own photography website.
Automatic Setup vs. Manual Setup
There are two different options for how to create a website with Wix, and it is up to you what you prefer. Wix offers an artificial intelligence tool – ADI, which will make a website for you after you answer a few basic questions about the purpose of your desired online space. This is a great option for someone who is inexperienced when it comes to website design, or for when you just want the website ready fast.
Using the manual tool, however, will give you more freedom and options, and it will make it reasonably easy to make the website look and function exactly the way that you want. It takes a little bit longer than using an automatic setup with ADI, but it truly depends on what you prefer. You can always start with an ADI setup and customize it more later on if you are eager to get started, as the ADI offered by Wix is a surprisingly good tool.
Choosing a Template
If you opt for using the manual tool and customize your website yourself, you will have to choose a template. Being a photographer, you should choose a template that lets the viewer view your work, and that doesn’t take up too much space. You can try different templates with different layouts, to see which you like best.
Importance of Menus
Every good website needs easy-to-use menus, as you will want your clients to be able to easily navigate around the different tabs and pages. You don’t want all your information and all your work in one place, so pick a template that spreads it out nicely. All the Wix templates are usually very well designed for this specific purpose, something that makes this part easy and quick.
The Background
Photographers may want to upload their own work and use that as a background for the website, and that is fully possible with Wix. You can also choose a plain background if you feel this would highlight your work a little better, or use one of the many background options provided by Wix. No two photographers are the same, and it has never been easier to create something that goes both with personality and artistic style.
Photo Galleries & Other Elements
This is where designing a website with Wix gets fun! Once you have the template, the background, the menus, and all the basics down, it is time to add your work and whatever else you want people to see when they visit your online gallery!
Wix has an impressive number of options for you to choose from, where you can add photos, slideshows, videos, customized buttons, and anything you‘d like, and you can easily move items around with the drag-and-drop function. Create different pages, albums, set up forms for people to contact you, and much more, and know that it is only your imagination that limits you at this point in the website creation.
Benefits of Adding a Blog
Have you ever considered adding a blog to your website? You may not be a writer, but it is always a good idea to stay in touch with your potential clients and/or fan base, where you can let them know what you have been working on and what is next for you. Get people to talk about you and your work by giving them something to talk about!
Choosing a Domain and Publishing the Website
That’s it! You are done. Now the only thing left is to choose a domain for your website, which should preferably be something that is easy for others to remember, and then you are ready to publish your creation! Using Wix when building a website is so much easier than many people think, so there is no longer an excuse for why you shouldn’t have your own eye-catching photography website.
Is a Wix Website Right for Me?
If you are a photographer who is looking to turn a hobby into a business, or who is simply trying to increase business in a sustainable way – you do need a website, and the easiest tool for making one yourself is Wix. Why waste money on having someone else design a website for you when it is so easy to do it yourself? Wix provides you with everything you need, and all you need to do is to bring out your creative side and create. Every artist deserves a reliable way to show off their work, and a Wix website will open up doors that might have been locked before.
Final Words
The hardest part is always to get started with something new, but the simple layout and step-by-step guides provided by Wix makes it so much easier. You don’t have to be a coding expert or a tech geek to create a website that will help highlight your photography skills, and all you need to do is to take that first step and open up a Wix account.