Ever since I've been in business (2008), I've had my website hosted by GoDaddy. But it's not as versatile as I'd like, and the page editing and e-commerce for photographers no longer suit my needs.
I've heard good things about Photocrati. So I'm wondering if any of the art fair photographers, in particular, have (or are) using it. Pros? Cons? Gotchas?
My domain registration and web hosting contract runs out in mid-May. I'd like to have my solution in place by then. So launch those slings and arrows my way, please!
Replies
I've set up one site using it, without the cart. I had some issues with it, but it's pretty functional, and has lots of themes. The back end is fairly extensive, and lets you customize the CSS pretty easily. As WordPress templates go, it's worth the $80 bucks or so for the 60+ variants. WordPress as a CMS and full blogging platform can't be beat, and Photocrati is a very good way to leverage the power of WordPress. That said, I had some issues with it on GoDaddy. Photocrati's tech support is very responsive, but recommends using BlueHost over GoDaddy or HostGator. They have had many issues with GoDaddy. I experienced some of them, but Randy's site is up and running now.
If you implement it, install Akismet and the JetPack plugins, available for free from WordPress.
You can see it in action, here: http://www.randykuntzglass.com
If you are looking to set up an extensive set of galleries, I would recommend against Photocrati. It is not built for large portfolios. For setting up some basis sites, it's not bad. But for photographers looking to sell off the site, PhotoShelter or ZenFolio are both more suited to the task. I've also used SmugMug, and got rid of that to go over to ZenFolio. ZF is very quick to get running, is very reasonably priced, and has hooks to commercial labs and will let you set your own prices and markup. You can also self-fulfill. ZF also lets you license images digitally, and they've recently implemented a video sales tool, which I haven't used.
ZenFolio is about $125/year for new users, and you can save 10% if you use my referral code when you sign up. 9BP-ZYX-ECM . The full pro version runs about $300, but is probably overkill for most photographers. You can choose to run it as a stand-alone site, or link it to your existing blog or website with your own domain name.
My site runs partly on GoDaddy, and the store is hosted at ZenFolio. You can see it here: http://www.parkerparker.net
Great analysis of Photocrati! Good to know there are issues with GoDaddy. But I laughed out loud when I saw how much you ike Zenfolio...that's what I've been using to host my sales gallery (linked to my own site and domain name) . I love the way it manages price lists and it's easy to upload pictures, but I find the customer view and checkout a bit cumbersome, and stilted in its language.
John Shaw (well known nature photographer, international in scope) uses Photocrati...I'll have to dive into his site and see how many images he's hosting. I've got maybe 400 on mine.
Thanks again, Jim!
It's a Paypal shopping cart.
Larry Berman
Don't they have a trial or money back guaranty.
I paid for it and experimented with it two years ago. I have it on http://BrokenCookies.com
It's a good photography theme but (unless they've changed it) too limited in a shopping cart for other than the few options of different photo sizes. I originally wanted to use it for artists who might have a different price for each piece they create.
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100