The last version of my web site powered by Viewbook lacked content, had Flash only galleries and very limited growth options, but served me well for a couple of years.
There are many good template driven web site programs available for photographers to showcase their work and I have used a few of them. With this latest update to my site I really wanted to focus on content rather than just a flashy portfolio. I have things to say and the other sites just fell short on options.
My final decision was between Squarespace and Photoshelter. As a photographer I really wanted to make Photoshelter work for me, they provide some excellent resource materials and I highly regard what they have to offer. However, I have different services, wanted a blog, text on my home page and more. With Photoshelter the only way it appeared I could accomplish what I wanted was by using a WordPress theme, manual customization and pulling a blog from a third party service. I even looked into hiring a Photoshelter Certified Consultant to get to the point I wanted with a price estimate of over $2,000.
Maybe I just did not get past the research stage with Photoshelter and give them a fair chance. If you solely want to show off your work, sell some photos and still have a very nice site Photoshelter may work for you.
I signed up for the Squarespace free trial and am now not looking back. The first thing I noticed is there is no credit card required for the two week demo period. You have nothing to loose, sign up today and start building an impressive site now.
Everything within this site, including the blog is created with drag and drop simplicity. Some formatting took some getting used to but if you take the full two weeks and play with it on and off you will be surprised with what you can accomplish.
The Squarespace example sites give you a good feeling for what you can do but don't showcase the full potential of what you have available on the editing side. You really need to dig in and try it out. After some practice you will be amazed with the simplicity, options and what you can accomplish without any coding or headaches.
For those not looking for a portfolio site Squarespace is an excellent fit for any small business or organization. Squarespace makes it so easy to have a nice looking web site up and running quickly at a starting price of only $8.00 per month.
All-in-all, I am very satisfied with my Squarespace experience. I will add to this blog as time goes on and let you know how well it grows with me and its performance on search engines.