Finding the best option to build your website or portfolio can be a daunting task with so many options available. Are you looking for someone to share your photos and videos with, can book your customers directly online, a way to share proof, sell prints and other products, or is there something else you need on your website?
When I was looking for a platform to host my digital portfolio, I decided to go with Zenfolio, as it meets most of my needs and is one of the better priced options. I could have made my own portfolio website, but I decided to use one of their templates and all the functions. Hey, it saved me the hassle of coding and designing a website.
Ever since, and I rarely change the look and feel of the site. I have changed the template a few times but mostly just adding new galleries and client work for proofreading. It’s time for a fresh look and it’s the perfect opportunity to try out their new, updated platform.
website creator
I thought this would be the perfect time to move on and separate my modeling work from my other portrait work, to be honest, I should have done before, but I don’t want to create any more effects. products for yourself. With the previous platform, you were locked into choosing from a group of different templates and then a few different layout options for those templates. Now, with website editor, you have more options. You can select existing content blocks and move them around, make some changes (including font selection), or just delete the block if you don’t need to. Instead of trying to put what you need in a template, you can add and make changes however you see fit.
Currently, there are 11 different models to choose from, with many more on offer. Even with the current options, you have plenty of possibilities by simply customizing and adding new content blocks as needed. You may not have time to sit and customize the look and feel, so having more options to choose from will help minimize customization time or put you at a better starting point if one of the current templates doesn’t. Perfectly matches what you are looking for.
With so many people accessing their content on their phones and tablets, it makes perfect sense why Zenfolio is taking a mobile-first approach with this new platform. You can easily modify your website to show certain sections on their phone, tablet or computer.
Video
While I’m interested in the new design element, that’s not all. Like many photographers, I’ve been into video work for several years, but I never really pushed that business. There have been some improvements to have video in Zenfolio. If you enjoy sharing behind-the-scenes videos with your galleries, or if you offer video services with your footage in packages or as add-ons, you can share both in one convenient place. .
- Supported file types: MP4 and MOV
- Streaming resolutions 360p, 480p, 720p, 1080p
- File size limit: 3 GB
- Video length: 20 minutes
Smoother workflow for photographers
Some of the reasons why I came to Zenfolio, in the first place, are the choice for proofreading galleries and the ability to partner with print studios for quality prints. Anything that makes the process smoother is a plus in my book. And now, it’s even better. One of the focus of Zenfolio is to help automation background as much as possible so that I can focus on the photographic side of things. Many of us have to wear many hats and perform many different roles and tasks. Now we can take some of them off with new features like BookMe Scheduling and Invoicing. You can book online 24/7 and collect payment instantly. Offer different plans, session types, location options? You can list them all, making it easy for your customers to choose, eliminating some of the back-and-forth information.
Your dashboard also has a new look. You saw some of this in the previous version, but the update allows you to check your stats at a glance. If you’re not sure what else you need to do with your site, the first widget serves as a guide to completing your site. Compared to the previous version, this version has a more intuitive display that you can edit as needed.
I still have some work to do to get my new site up and running, but I love the updates a lot. Having a web background, I miss the option to edit the HTML code on custom pages if needed, but I don’t really see a need with the new platform’s many content block options and customization capabilities. It’s best to have an idea of what you want on your website, think about what pages and information you need, and have it ready. Think about what packages and options you want to list and what you want to automate. Also, if you’re going to feature only selected galleries, have them ready. It will save you time, as you won’t have to look for it while building, as you can spend a lot of time with the different options available.
You can compare different packages to see which is best for you thisand while you’re at it, you can sign up for a free trial.
