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The Best Photography Website Builders

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Jon Rettinger News
The Best Photography Website Builders

Whether your specialty is landscape photography or product photography, having a website that portrays your skills, achievements, and talents can have a profound impact on your business. 

When discussing website builders, many automatically think of WordPress hosting as a solution. While this is a great option if you have a blog, there are many other builders out there that are tailored to the needs of photographers. 

Check out the top five builders with photography-specific features for all types of hosting needs. 

Squarespace

Squarespace is known for its stunning templates and striking designs, which are perfect for displaying professional photography. You can use it as a portfolio builder to share with clients across social media channels, and utilize its sophisticated tools to display your work in a variety of other ways. 

Out of the 80 professional templates offered, this builder has 11 that are exclusively designed for photography websites. You can also integrate with scores of third-party applications including Squarespace’s own design kit called Squaremuse.

Key Features:

  • Award-winning templates 
  • Contact forms
  • Blogging tools
  • Social media integration
  • Insightful reporting
  • Mobile responsive
  • eCommerce integration
  • SEO tools
  • Custom CSS
  • Direct publishing link to Apple 
  • Email and live chat support
  • 14-day free trial 

Pricing: $12 to $40 

Wix 

One of the most efficient website builders for photographers, Wix is famous for its ease of use. 

If you think Wix’s 712 templates spanning over 60 pages is great, you will love that 48 of them are tailored for photography websites. Wix offers a form builder, search bar and much more to cater to a photography-centered target audience. Hosting via Wix is easy as it offers several plans to scale up as your business grows. 

Key Features:

  • Custom domain
  • 40+ Galleries
  • ShoutOut email marketing
  • Wix Bookings
  • Social media integrations
  • eCommerce 
  • CRM
  • Live chat feature
  • Page protection 
  • SEO Analytics 
  • 24/7 support 
  • 14-day free trial 

Pricing: $13 to $49 

SmugMug 

Ideal for photographers who want to sell their photographs, you can use popular labs such as WHCC, EZPrints, and more on Smugmug. Custom pricing and coupons in addition to group galleries for different sets of customers will help you manage your website with ease. While it has more limited tools than Squarespace or Wix, it is a great and affordable option for beginners. 

Start selling photos and videos by choosing one of the plans such as memory makers, enthusiasts, and professionals. 

Key Features:

  • Best photo security 
  • Unlimited storage
  • Ad-free 
  • Drag-and-drop builder
  • eCommerce
  • 24/7 human support
  • 14-day free trial 

Pricing: $4 to $30

GoDaddy 

Perfect for creatively passionate photographers, GoDaddy is a little more expensive than the other website builders listed here. This is because you get a fast, seamless, and comprehensive tool that caters to beginners and pros alike. 

This option is ideal for photo-preneurs who do not want websites that lag or crash when there is a surge in traffic, or when you upload high-quality photos. GoDaddy offers several state-of-the-art tools to open your virtual photography corner on the web. Considered ideal for startups and small businesses centered around photography, this web host also offers a wide range of tutorials and support for beginners. 

Key Features:

  • Fastest website builder 
  • Attractive photo galleries 
  • Booking form
  • SEO wizard
  • Social media integration
  • Email marketing
  • 20+ theme filters
  • Online store
  • Dynamic editing tools 
  • Reporting with GoDaddy Insight
  • Mobile optimization
  • One-month free trial 

Pricing: $10 to $25

Strikingly 

If you want to save on hosting costs, Strikingly offers free plans and paid plans with premium tools at affordable prices. This web host is ideal for a range of photography such as landscape, motion, event, and portraits, to name a few. Keep in mind that the best use of Strikingly is to build one-page portfolios to sell your art or services. 

Strikingly offers a complete set of tools for beginners to build their photography business and connect with the audience without investing lump sums. It is recommended for freelancers, but not optimal for small businesses.   

Key Features:

  • 7 Creative and 17 Personal templates
  • Flexibility
  • SEO checklist
  • Blogging tools
  • Background videos
  • Instagram integration
  • Responsive design
  • Store builder
  • 14-day free trial

Pricing: $8 to $49

Summing Up 

When it comes to photography, website building and hosting should be done right. Slow loading images, suboptimal display on mobile devices, or pixelated images can spell out disaster for a business that hinges around imagery.

If you are thinking of effective options for your purposes, there is a spectrum of plans at your disposal besides even the best WordPress hosting solutions. Squarespace offers great templates, while Wix is easy to use. On the other hand, GoDaddy offers an all-inclusive website builder while Strikingly is best for portfolio sites. 

Based on your budget, goals, and preferences, choose the one that is right for you, and take advantage of the free trials that many of these builders offer.