So, you’re finally turning your photography hobby into a legit business. Congratulations — and welcome to the glorious chaos of picking a website host.

Maybe you’ve peeked at Squarespace. Dabbled with Wix. Heard whispers about WordPress being “cheaper but harder.” And now you’re in analysis paralysis, staring at landing page templates like they’re written in Klingon.

Let me save you some time (and sanity).

The Real Problem: You Don’t Just Need a Website — You Need a Good One

Most new creative businesses make the same mistake: they treat their website like a digital brochure instead of a 24/7 sales machine.

A great website should:

  • Show off your work
  • Make it stupid-easy to contact or book you
  • Not look like it came free with your internet plan

So let’s break down your options — with a little tough love.

Your Hosting Options: The No-BS Rundown

1. Squarespace: Fancy, Friendly, and a Bit Fussy

Pros:

  • Beautiful templates made for visual portfolios
  • Easy to use, even if your tech skills top out at “I can reset my Wi-Fi”
  • All-in-one: hosting, SSL, basic SEO, and email-ish features

Cons:

  • Can be glitchy in the editor
  • Mobile view sometimes turns into a design crime scene
  • Not super flexible if you want to grow later

Best for: People who want something that looks great now and don’t mind swapping platforms later if they outgrow it.

2. Wix: Drag, Drop, and… Meh?

Pros:

  • Super easy drag-and-drop editor
  • Plenty of visual-heavy templates
  • Good for fast updates

Cons:

  • Clunky code under the hood (read: slower site speeds)
  • SEO isn’t great
  • Once you pick a template, switching = pain

Best for: Total beginners who want to throw something up and tweak it later (just don’t expect miracles).

3. WordPress: The Powerhouse (If You’re Willing to Tinker)

Pros:

  • Insanely customizable
  • Tons of themes and plugins (many tailored for photographers)
  • Great for SEO and scaling your site long-term
  • Avoids vendor lock-in (move hosts any time)

Cons:

  • Bit of a learning curve
  • You’re in charge of keeping things updated and secure
  • Can be overwhelming if you hate tech stuff

Best for: Photographers who want control, scalability, and a site that can grow with their business.

👋 Bonus tip: Look for “cPanel hosting” with email and WordPress support built in. Hostinger and SiteGround are solid picks.

4. Adobe Portfolio: You Might Already Have It

Pros:

  • Free with Adobe Photography Plan
  • Integrates easily with Lightroom
  • Clean, professional, no fuss

Cons:

  • Super limited customization
  • Not a full-featured business website
  • No blog or complex layout options

Best for: Quick, clean portfolios with minimal effort (and no extra cost).

5. The Others (Carrd, SmugMug, Ecwid, etc.)

  • Carrd: Awesome for one-page portfolios. Great mobile optimization.
  • SmugMug: Built for selling prints, solid for photographers.
  • Ecwid: Easy online store integration if you want to sell straight from your gallery.

These are niche tools, but if they fit your vibe, go for it.

So… Which One Should You Pick?

  • If you want “pretty and painless”: Squarespace or Adobe Portfolio.
  • If you want “cheap but powerful”: WordPress with good hosting.
  • If you want “set it and forget it”: Wix (but don’t expect much growth).
  • If you want to sell photos: SmugMug or Ecwid.

And if you just want it done right — without turning into a web dev overnight — then hire a freelance website developer who actually gets creative businesses. (👋 Hi.)

Let’s Make It Easy: Want a Pro to Handle It?

If your current site screams “I built this while watching YouTube tutorials at 2am,” we should talk. I’ve helped a ton of creatives build clean, professional sites that actually book clients — not just collect compliments.

👉 Book a Free 15-Minute Chat With Me

No pitch. No pressure. Just good advice.

If you’re intrigued by how AI tools like GPT can revolutionize web development, check out this article: You Don’t Need a Web Developer — Use GPT. Yes, Really. It delves into practical ways you can leverage AI to build websites without writing a single line of code. Perfect for entrepreneurs, marketers, and anyone eager to embrace the future of web development.