Author Topic: Best service to create portfolio site? (Read 9200 times)

Monkeyman · « **on:** March 27, 2015, 08:36 »

I want to create my own portfolio site and I'm sick of coding myself so I thought I'd try one those all-in-one sites. I don't need the possibility to sell digital goods directly from the site. Instead I'll just add links to one of the microstock sites.

Squarespace seems to be popular. Portfoliobox looks pretty good too but it seems a bit slow. So, which sites are you people using?

Semmick Photo · « **Reply #1 on:** March 27, 2015, 09:09 »

I am using Symbiostock

http://semmickphoto.com/

Justanotherphotographer · « **Reply #2 on:** March 27, 2015, 10:06 »

Sounds like OP wants a solution that doesn't involve programming themselves. I would be interested in what others are using too.

Semmick Photo · « **Reply #3 on:** March 27, 2015, 10:08 »

Quote from: Justanotherphotographer on March 27, 2015, 10:06

Sounds like OP wants a solution that doesn't involve programming themselves. I would be interested in what others are using too.

You dont have to code anything for Symbiostock.

Justanotherphotographer · « **Reply #4 on:** March 27, 2015, 10:10 »

You do need to get to grips with and stay up to date with wordpress though

Monkeyman · « **Reply #5 on:** March 27, 2015, 12:10 »

Yeah, I used to create my own site using Joomla a while back. And while it's nice to have precise control over everything it also takes a LOT of time. Instead I just want to pay a monthly fee and get storage, all the coding, installing updates and design work done so I can focus on the content.

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #6 on:** March 27, 2015, 12:20 »

Photoshelter. Although all the images links are garbled: http://seanlockephotography.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Graduation/G0000Y6NxMro56Jc/I0000TjC6GsAB25Y .

skyfish · « **Reply #7 on:** March 27, 2015, 12:36 »

I am at photodeck.
Not everybody there configures sales functionality, but i did.
VAT is treated by Photodeck on their side and on our side we are registered with MOSS system.
So no problems for buyers.
Rich functionality and very good presentation. Responsive layouts. Watermarks are applied to thumbnails on upload of image, not during display. Blogging is possible. Quick.

artnethouse.photodeck.com

cascoly · « **Reply #8 on:** March 27, 2015, 12:50 »

I offer 2 options for those who don't want to install their own symbiostock service:

1. installation of symbiostock on a site you own
http://cascoly-images.com/pix/symbiostock-installation-service/

3. a co-op service where we host your site
http://cascoly.com/symbio/symbio-co-op-faq.asp

tickstock · « **Reply #9 on:** March 27, 2015, 13:39 »

cascoly it looks you are trying to mislead people. In the other thread you started people told you that it was misleading but you didn't change anything, I'm left feeling like that is your intention.

cascoly · « **Reply #10 on:** March 28, 2015, 02:12 »

Quote from: tickstock on March 27, 2015, 13:39

cascoly it looks you are trying to mislead people. In the other thread you started people told you that it was misleading but you didn't change anything, I'm left feeling like that is your intention.

my statements above are 100% accurate; Leo approved of both those services and even gave me a license to provide his PRO plugins to my clients

Semmick Photo · « **Reply #11 on:** March 28, 2015, 02:33 »

Quote from: Justanotherphotographer on March 27, 2015, 10:10

You do need to get to grips with and stay up to date with wordpress though

thats not coding. You need to get grips with every solution. And frankly which solution is plug and forget forever?

bunhill · « **Reply #12 on:** March 28, 2015, 04:56 »

Definitely go with Squarespace if you don't mind spending the money - and if you only want a portfolio solution. Their sites look modern. And you don't have to worry about keeping the platform up to date etc - you can forget about that.

You can do stuff drag and drop with Squarespace which would otherwise require a very good knowledge of code. And the sites properly resize on phones and tablets too. Without you having to think about that.

nailiaschwarz · « **Reply #13 on:** March 28, 2015, 05:46 »

I used Wordpress + Photocrati theme for my new page. It's quite easy to do, no coding required.

PaulieWalnuts · « **Reply #14 on:** March 28, 2015, 06:49 »

I use Photodeck. Super fast. Nice regular and mobile interface. Lots of configuration options. No code needed but customizable if you need to. Integrates with Wordpress.

Just curious. Why do you want to go to the effort of creating your own site and then linking to micro? If someone finds your site why not let them buy there and you keep the 100%?

jefftakespics2 · « **Reply #15 on:** March 28, 2015, 07:38 »

I use Squarespace and am happy with it. Simple and straightforward and I absolutely do not want to do any coding so it works for me. I think if you want to customize you need a more expensive package and can add/modify the code.

tickstock · « **Reply #16 on:** March 28, 2015, 08:07 »

Quote from: cascoly on March 28, 2015, 02:12

Quote from: tickstock on March 27, 2015, 13:39
cascoly it looks you are trying to mislead people. In the other thread you started people told you that it was misleading but you didn't change anything, I'm left feeling like that is your intention.

my statements above are 100% accurate; Leo approved of both those services and even gave me a license to provide his PRO plugins to my clients

Your statements may be accurate but they appear to me to be misleading. I'm not questioning whether you are allowed to do what you're doing just that it appears to be part of Symbiostock which it isn't (right?). That is what other people were concerned about. It looks to me like like the "Symbiostock Global Network Search" is something Symbiostock itself is involved in but it's separate isn't it?
I have to say I'm surprised Symbiostock is ok with it though. Why would they want this http://cascoly.com/symbio/symbiostock-network.asp to be confused with http://www.symbiostock.com/ ?

ShadySue · « **Reply #17 on:** March 28, 2015, 08:31 »

Quote from: PaulieWalnuts on March 28, 2015, 06:49

Just curious. Why do you want to go to the effort of creating your own site and then linking to micro? If someone finds your site why not let them buy there and you keep the 100%?

Normally I would agree totally with this question, and have asked it a few times in the past.
However, the admin/paperwork now involved in tracking EU transactions for VAT is a nightmare and would be either very time consuming to do oneself, or fairly costly to pay an accountant to do it. (I realise there are people who wouldn't regard that as a burden.)

Justanotherphotographer · « **Reply #18 on:** March 28, 2015, 08:44 »

Quote from: Semmick Photo on March 28, 2015, 02:33

Quote from: Justanotherphotographer on March 27, 2015, 10:10
You do need to get to grips with and stay up to date with wordpress though
thats not coding. You need to get grips with every solution. And frankly which solution is plug and forget forever?

I think the OP was interested in something like squarespace who take care of most of the upkeep for you. With Wordpress/SS you have to worry about security and keeping the software updated and the like.

I have a site in WP and what with all the plugins and the like I don't have the time to keep it all working together and up to date. With my SS site I pay someone to run it for me. I would rather be creating images.

Monkeyman · « **Reply #19 on:** March 28, 2015, 11:45 »

Quote from: PaulieWalnuts on March 28, 2015, 06:49

I use Photodeck. Super fast. Nice regular and mobile interface. Lots of configuration options. No code needed but customizable if you need to. Integrates with Wordpress.

Just curious. Why do you want to go to the effort of creating your own site and then linking to micro? If someone finds your site why not let them buy there and you keep the 100%?

I've thought about selling at my own site, but I just don't like hassle of having to deal with customers directly, and with the new VAT rules in EU it's even more complicated. I'll probably link to Creative Market where I get 70% which is pretty good.

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #20 on:** March 28, 2015, 12:36 »

The CM "simple license" has virtually no protection for photos, and none at all for model released images. I wouldn't sell photos there until they change it.

Monkeyman · « **Reply #21 on:** March 28, 2015, 12:45 »

Yeah, I agree that they have many things to work on... they're selling editorial (company logos etc.) content under the simple license, for instance. I guess they could get sued for that. Many shops also sell their own home made "extended license" under the simple license, hehe. There's no way that's legally correct. The search engine is pretty bad as well. And the site design isn't responsive which is annoying.

But 70% is still nice.

Beppe Grillo · « **Reply #22 on:** March 28, 2015, 16:38 »

http://www2.photodeck.com/

PaulieWalnuts · « **Reply #23 on:** March 28, 2015, 16:48 »

Quote from: Monkeyman on March 28, 2015, 11:45

Quote from: PaulieWalnuts on March 28, 2015, 06:49
I use Photodeck. Super fast. Nice regular and mobile interface. Lots of configuration options. No code needed but customizable if you need to. Integrates with Wordpress.

Just curious. Why do you want to go to the effort of creating your own site and then linking to micro? If someone finds your site why not let them buy there and you keep the 100%?

I've thought about selling at my own site, but I just don't like hassle of having to deal with customers directly, and with the new VAT rules in EU it's even more complicated. I'll probably link to Creative Market where I get 70% which is pretty good.

Makes sense. It's a shame though. We have too many obstacles as it is and now more government fees discourage certain options.

Silken Photography · « **Reply #24 on:** March 28, 2015, 17:24 »

Photodeck or Squarespace. I ended up on Photodeck so I had the option of selling digital files, but I like them both. I miss the ability to select a focus point that Squarespace has, but if you use Lightroom, there's now a Publish plugin for Photodeck which makes uploading and organising your gallery so much easier (written by my husband *proud*).

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Author Topic: Best service to create portfolio site? (Read 9200 times)

Monkeyman

Semmick Photo

Justanotherphotographer

Semmick Photo

Justanotherphotographer

Monkeyman

Sean Locke Photography

skyfish

cascoly

tickstock

cascoly

Semmick Photo

bunhill

nailiaschwarz

PaulieWalnuts

jefftakespics2

tickstock

ShadySue

Justanotherphotographer

Monkeyman

Sean Locke Photography

Monkeyman

Beppe Grillo

PaulieWalnuts

Silken Photography

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