# Online hosting for portfolio and potentially selling images



## blmahon (May 20, 2014)

I'm really new to photography and am looking for online sources to host my portfolio and perhaps in the future sell my images.  Can anyone give any suggestions on vendors to use?


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## Replytoken (May 20, 2014)

The list of options is quite long, but two of the more popular site are SmugMug and Zenfolio.  Have a look at these to get sime idea, and decide what features you do or do not want.  You can also try these hosting services for free, so give them a spin when you have time.

Good luck,

--Ken


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## Linwood Ferguson (May 28, 2014)

One of the advantages, today, of Smugmug is that they have a very active developer who has taken over their publishing plugin and turned it around from mildly pathetic, to very full featured.  I used to use a third party version, but now use the Smugmug provided one for 99% of keeping my web site updated.  It's improved my workflow tremendously, as once I publish a photo, it just keeps it and/or the metadata up to date on the site (and it's smart enough not to send the whole image each time metadata changes, only photo). 

All that said, if you are doing it to sell as opposed to just display, you need shop bottom up -- you need to make a list of what you need it to do, then ask/trial.   Otherwise you will quickly get lost in the features and customizations and find 60 days later the killer feature you needed and just assumed was there, isn't.

As a couple of examples I hear discussed a lot: 

- Self fulfillment - does the site permit it, do you need it?
- Are you happy with their lab choices (absent the above)?  Need others (sorry, you can't). 
- Digital downloads - do they have the features you want?  Pricing? 
- Coupons and special pricing - does it provide the abilities you need
- Sales tax handling for your state(s)
- International currency and shipments
- 3rd party shopping cards, and/or all cart payment options you need

Build a list first while NOT looking at web sites, stick it in a spreadsheet, and then compare as you look at sites.


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