Help! REVIEW on photo hosting: Custom built, photoshelter, livebooks, viewbook, aphotofolio?

<p>I searched on my own all I can and my head is spinning now. I need your advice, comrades.</p>

<p>I need to jumpstart the lifestyle photography aspect of our studio (weddings, engagements, maternity, babies, families). I have a specific look in mind for the website. None of the photo hosting sites has a template close to it, so I need photo-hosting that is highly customizable.</p>

<p>Here is a list of what I need:<br>

Strong SEO<br>

highly customizable<br>

client password protected area<br>

e-commerce (selling of image files, prints, and shipping)<br>

ipad and iphone/mobile device compatible<br>

blog</p>

<p>Here are the services I am considering:</p>

<p>. custom built by a web designer, and hook-up the e-commerce part with zenfolio (thinking of the $100EU/year package)<br>

- my worry with this is I might be missing out on the good offers of photo hosting sites (like scaling images, fast servers, SEO, customer support, pricing)</p>

<p>. photoshelter<br>

- Consider the $30/month package. Photoshelter goes high on my list because they are highly customizable (css and html which a web designer can help me with), they offer e-commerce (printing, selling images, etc.), strong SEO, client password protected area, and a blog. They got all I need except that I am not sure if their platform is compatible with ipad, iphone, and other mobile device.</p>

<p>. livebooks<br>

- Perhaps the pro package at $40/month. I read good reviews about them, but custom designing starts at $2900. Their SEO though is said to be very good. They offer all that I need except that customizing isn't already offered in the packages. You HAVE to hire them for that, and for now I cannot pay that chunk because I am planning to buy more equipment this year.</p>

<p>. aphotofolio<br>

- Everything I need except print sales. They are top-class with Design X, which allows us to customize easily. SEO is also superb. At this point, they offer e-commerce only with selling image files. They don't offer print sales. We would have to hook up with photodeck, and that costs $30/month. That is a real downside for them. The one-time set-up fee of P1,000 (payable in $250x4) makes their cost lower than livebooks or photoshelter, because you only pay $17/month after that.</p>

<p>. viewbook<br>

- Just saw their sites. Not much yet but the pricing is affordable ($19/month, pro). They are highlighting their ipad portfolio app. They might be my last resort if all this complication annoys me. Hihi...<br>

~</p>

<p>What I dislike about the templates is that they all look like they have been designed by one designer. The excuse of 'letting the photographs stand out' is lame for me. If you offer 90 templates, let's say, make different flavours! You can still make the images stand out by supporting a certain photography style with great web design!</p>

<p>I would like to have your comments in this thread. What do you elves here think? Am I on the right path? Which option do you think is best?</p>

 

<p>I'd be interested in this as well. Currently using Zenfolio and have been for years, not happy about their SEO or designs. looking into Photoshelter now. Photodeck would be great if they offered printing and framing services, same goes for Squarespace.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I have a specific look in mind for the website. None of the photo hosting sites has a template close to it, so I need photo-hosting that is highly customizable.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I can feel your pain, since I'm experiencing the same. My following comments are about a site's page layout, page organization, navigation, color/contrast, font size, etc. IOW, what I consider the foundations that would provide a good experience for a site visitor. (And NOT about contents, SEO, e-commerce, etc.) But getting a custom design to satisfy these can be nearly impossible for someone without much coding experience and relying on customizing templates.</p>

<p>If you were to hire a site builderer, I would suggest the following:</p>

<p>- Have a very specific description/examples of the custom look and feel you desire, and make sure the builderer understands what you want.</p>

<p>- A builder may be able to satisfy your needs by using Dreamweaver, CMS, or customizing templates. But an ideal site builder is one who not only understands design and use the above, but can still hand code html and CSS when necessary. They are the ones who can position a button a few pixels to the right/left when you ask them to.</p>

<p>- If you want custom cabinets, you look for a woodworker. Not shopping at Ikea.</p>

<p>I am currently looking for a new website also. I have been with Livebooks for 7 years and I am leaving them. The customer service is HORRIBLE and it's negatively effecting my business. Just FYI .</p>

<p>With the new E-Commerce the question about SEO comes up again. Before I did ignore it and I still don't know much about it. Is it worth to learn the basics and apply them on my website? Thanks to Etsy I have already learned a lot about the keywords in my niche. I have also natural backlinks... So I wonder if it is worth it if I take a crash course for, let's say 10-20 hours, and then invest a bit more time to build the E-Commerce site with SEO. There are 5-6 big companies selling similar stuff, but I do specialise on a smaller niche. If I decide in 4-5 month that I want to get into the Top 3 of google for my keywords... Would I have to start allover again or could I use the basics already? <a href="http://www.webdeon.be">Référencement Site Internet</a><br /><br /></p>