I’ve been a huge fan of Smugmug for over 10 years. I used it for my personal portfolio for several years until I began developing WordPress sites. Since I already had hosting and access to tons of professional themes I moved my stuff to WordPress, then basically let it gather dust because I was too busy with other things.
But a couple years ago I got serious about my portfolio gain and switched back because I missed many of their features that would have cost me time and money to replicate in WordPress (and I do this stuff for a living). In particular their amazing Lightroom integration. For me it’s a huge time saver. Just drag photos into your Smugmug folders and they are uploaded and updated in the corresponding galleries. When I get some time I’ll post a video that shows how it works.
I also like the fact that it gives me unlimited storage for photos and videos and the ability to create private client galleries and high quality printing from several very good labs like Bay Photo (I also have the option to sell photos which I’m not currently using). They have 4 plans from Basic to Pro depending upon your needs. I’m on their Power plan cost is less than a cheap web hosting account alone.
The only downside is that they don’t have a built-in blog like WordPress or even Squarespace. But if you don’t blog frequently (which I don’t on my personal portfolio) then it’s not a big deal. And if you blog occasionally (once a week or less) they have a simple method that works fine.
Creating a new site is easy with any of their templates. As someone who is used to creating and customizing themes it was a godsend to choose a nice looking professional template and get started. But if you’re a geek like me you can also customize them to your hearts desire. The beauty of a photography website is that it’s all about the photos. If you photos are good, your site is too. And Smugmug gives you the tools to make it happen.
I also have to mention that all of their templates look great on phones and tablets. There’s nothing extra for you to do…it just works.
Anyway Smugmug gives you the ability to try it for 14-day for free and if you decide to keep it they’re offering 25% off until November 17.
I know this sounds like a shameless promotion, but hey I’m a fan and happy paying customer.
If you’re ready to create an online portfolio or are in need of an upgrade, the check out their deal.
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