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Wix vs WordPress for Photographers
As a photographer, you know the value of your time and money. You want to find a website builder that will allow you to create a site quickly and affordably.
And, as it turns out, WordPress is the easiest way for photographers to build their own websites – without any coding knowledge at all!
In this post, we’ll compare WordPress vs Wix to help you decide which one is right for you. Here are some points to consider:
1. WordPress is Free and open source, whereas Wix is proprietary and closed source. These two facts will determine just how much control, freedom and flexibility you will have over your website.
2. Wix and WordPress both offer free hosting. Both do, however, have some strict limitations in what you can do on their “free hosting plans”.
3. WordPress has tons of free themes. Wix has plenty of free themes as well, but not nearly as many as WordPress. WordPress is the largest most popular CMS on the internet today and has been for some time.
4. WordPress requires no coding knowledge, neither does Wix.
5. The free version of Wix limits your storage space. WordPress.com does as well. But storage space is determined by Web Hosting Provider, not the software.
Therefore, with WordPress you can always change Hosting Providers and plans if you need more.
With With, even though you can upgrade your plan, you can’t change hosts, nor comparison shop, especially for pricing and getting the best deal from a Web Hosting Provider.
With WordPress you can since its software is open source.
6. There are plenty of helpful tutorials for both platforms.
7. If you’re not tech-savvy, there’s a learning curve with both platforms.
The best way to choose between these two website builders is by looking at your specific needs.
Here are some questions you should ask when choosing which platform to go with:
1. Do you want to monetize your site?
2. Do you need templates that are specifically designed for photographers?
3. How much storage space do you need?
4. Are you able to manage the website yourself, or would you prefer professional assistance?
Wix vs WordPress for Photographers 7 Quick FAQs.
How is WordPress good for Photographers specifically?
WordPress has specific themes that are designed for photographers.
It’s also more open-source than Wix will allow you to have full control over your website, including being able to edit directly on your website.
How is Wix good for Photographers specifically?
- Wix actually has a specific template for photographers, too. Wix has a specific theme for photographers called Portfolio.
- As do many other site builders, Wix also has their own plugin market.
- Their website builder is super easy to master.
- Wix also offers a larger range of features, including ecommerce.
- They’ve also got tons of great tutorials, so you’re never stuck.
- With Wix you only need basic knowledge of using the internet.
- Wix has an easy drag and drop interface that limits the number of choices you have to make so it’s not overwhelming or confusing.
What WordPress themes and plugins are there available for Photographers?
There are plenty of great WordPress themes available for photographers.
When you sign up for WordPress, they even provide you with a couple free options to get started.
Here are some general-purpose examples:
- The Pro Photographer Theme
- The Clean Light Theme for Photographers.
Several more photographer-specific themes can be found on the WordPress Themes Directory.
You can also use any of the great WordPress plugins out there if you don’t even want to deal with building your own website.
Here’s a post you should check out: “4 WordPress Photo Proofing Plugin options. Plus the Top pick.”
How can Photographers sell their photos on WordPress?
Many photographers already have a website in order to sell their images, but you can actually use WordPress as a storefront.
You’ll need to install the WooCommerce plugin and set up a payment processor like PayPal or Stripe.
Once these two things are done, buyers will be directed to your storefront where they can make purchases directly from your site. WordPress also has several plugins for Photographers that can help boost your site’s SEO so that potential clients can find them.
There are also several gallery plugins they can use for displaying their work, selling, downloading as well as billing and collecting payments from their clients seamlessly while they sleep.
How can Photographers display their photos on their WordPress website?
You can use WordPress’ built-in media uploader or you can install plugins like NextGEN Gallery.
NextGEN is a powerful plugin that allows you to create photo albums, slideshows, and galleries without writing any code.
It’s also got tons of customizable options for each item.
What features does Wix offer Photographers?
Wix offers templates that are specifically for photographers, though these templates can be used on any type of website.
You can also use the Wix App Market for shortcuts to building your website.
These apps will take images and text that you provide and create a page for you.
Wix also allows their users to add in-browser contact forms, videos, image slideshows, event calendars, milestones, portfolios and galleries to their website.
You can also make your site ecommerce with Wix if you install the right plugins.
What is the best WordPress theme for photographers?
There are a lot of options when it comes to WordPress themes for Photographers, but a lot of them aren’t designed specifically for photographers.
A good rule of thumb is to look through the top-rated or newest items in the WordPress Theme Directory under Photography.
These will get you started with high quality themes that allow you to install and customize them straight from your dashboard.
If you don’t want to spend time sifting through the directory, there’s always the option to purchase a theme that has already been developed for photographers.
What is the best platform for Photographers, Wix or WordPress?
WordPress is the best platform for Photographers because it’s open-source, giving you full control of your website.
This means you can edit anything directly from the backend of your site instead of working with a developer.
You could also use plugins to add in features that aren’t available in WordPress’ themes or Wix’ App Market, like SEO plugins.
WordPress is also free and easy to use and can be hosted anywhere.
Wix has built-in analytics that are not available on the WordPress platform, but this feature requires an upgrade which isn’t always ideal for Photographers looking for a quick website.
Overall, there’s no reason why Photographers should choose one over the other.
It’s possible to make a great website on either platform, so you really can’t go wrong either way.
Wix vs WordPress for Photographers, conclusion.
Since WordPress is free, you don’t have to worry about paying for your website. And since it’s so easy to learn how to use, even if you’re not tech-savvy, you can still create a beautiful site.
Additionally, this platform offers plenty of tutorials to help you get started, which is something that Wix does not offer.
The support team for WordPress, whether that’s for hosting, themes and plugins or even the WordPress community itself through the non-profit foundation WordPress.org, tends to be more responsive and helpful than Wix which is all inclusive.
If you don’t like the support you’re getting from your WordPress Web Hosting Provider either WordPress.com, or another Provider if you’re self hosting, you can always change hosts.
Same goes with themes and plugins as well. Since Wix is closed source and proprietary, things like themes, hosting, plugins are all owned by one company.
So if they raise prices, don’t offer the support you’d expect in a bind, you’re stuck!
If you’re looking for a website builder that’s free and easy to use, then WordPress is your best choice.
