Many assistants and new photographers ask me all the time, “how to get their own website” up and running. Usually its something they have been thinking about for months but haven’t had the ‘know how’ or drive to get started. So this article should hopefully get you started.
If you a little creative and a tad IT savvy this will be walk in the park for you. The hardest thing about my website was choosing the photos. I delayed making one for about 6 months because I wanted to shoot more material, but I wish I had got it started early. My advice for you is “Just Do It Now” and then spend time sorting the photos out later.
I think most photographers simply have a website to advertise their folio’s and this is not utilizing all that is available to us. On the flip side – Photographer James Buchanan spends alot of time/money on marketing online. As a result he gets more leads than he can handle and has to turn away jobs.
This is my website: Kithaselden.com. Its features are:
- Professional looking folio that lets prospective clients know that I offer a professional service.
- Quick and easy to set up.
- Its cost effective, under $300.
- Its easy to maintain and manage.
How to set up your website:
- Register a domain name
- Buy or design a template
- Add your photos
Extra: 4. Organise a server package – to store your website info
1. Registering a domain name.
There are many domain name registrars available. This is where you make the weblink to your website official. Its the url. Or www.YOU.com etc. Doing this is benefical as it means you can have an email address with your name in it, for example kit@kithaselden.com. Rather than kit@telstra.net etc – in this email you are advertising Telstra and not you 
So decide what you want to call your website. Something not to long, something easy to remember. Your name is a good start: www.firstnamelastname.com. Having a website with dot-com gives people the impression you are more international. Having a dot-com-au gives the impression that you are more local and this has its benefits. People may trust you more knowing they live in the same country as you.
Cost. On average you might pay $15AU per year for a domain name. Or much less. Its usually 1-2 year commitments.
Go ahead, be brave and register your name at:
- Netregistry.com.au (This is who I use)
- Ozhosting.com
2. Buy or design a template
You wont need to have a hosting package if you buy a template website. Some template websites like mine have there own “back-end” (admin zone) which allows you to easily & quickly manage the content on your website. Customizing your website is limited in this circumstance. My website is a template thus I only have a hosting package to upload other photo galleries for clients. I make my galleries in Photoshop or Lightroom
There are numerous companies you can buy websites from:
They all have demos too. Sign up for one, upload some pix and explore. (You can do all this without a domain name or a hosting package.)
NOTE: You will need to login to your domain name control panel and redirect your new domain name to your new design template (company).
Back-end of my domain registrar - where I set up a redirection
Back end of my website. Where I organise pages and add photos etc:
backend of my website - its all automated 
Extra: 4. Organize a server package – to store your website info
With your new domain name at your prefered domain name provider will need to hosting package for your website. A place where the website info is kept and also space to put sub-domains (http://subdomain.example.com) and sub-directories (http://www.example.com/subdirectory) up. I use sub-directories for clients – giving them their own private website, eg click here. I forward them this link.
I dont use NetRegistry for my hosting instead use Blue Host, an american based hosting company that is mega cheap. Its been great for the last 12 months. I pay about $12 per month for unlimited usage (meaning i can upload & transfer with no limits). This is an incredible deal. You can also have a domain name through Blue Host (have them look after everything).