Building a WordPress Photography Website 4 Elements You Need

If you want to share your photos with the largest audience possible, creating a WordPress photography website is one of the best ways to get more eyeballs on your work. But, while WordPress is fully up to the job, there are some photography-specific elements you need to keep in mind as you build out your site.In this article, well teach you about the four key elements to an outstanding WordPress photography website. Well explain why each  factor is  so important and well also provide you with the tools you need to implement each feature. RokoPhoto  is one strong example, since its designed with nearly all the features a photographer might want:As you shop themes, youll also want to keep an eye out for these characteristics:Multiple gallery types. Youll want plenty of options to choose from for displaying your photographs, including slide and grid-based galleries.Photography-enhancing effects.  Visitors should be able to zoom in on your images, and dimming the rest of the scre en when they do so is a nice touch. Plenty of themes include these types of effects. Lightbox galleries are also another good option.Integration with e-commerce plugins. If youd like to sell your photographs online, youll need a theme that can be integrated with e-commerce plugins such as WooCommerce.Social media integrations.  If you want to boost your traffic, allowing visitors to easily share your photos can help expose your photos to new audiences. If your chosen theme doesnt include social media buttons by default, you can always add it later with a plugin.There are a few additional tips you can keep in mind when picking the perfect theme. First, always check  to see if a particular theme was updated recently, which shows the developers havent abandoned it.Also, its  a good idea to  see what reviewers have to say about their experience with the theme and to test the themes demo for yourself if possible. This way, youll have all the facts you need to determine if the the me is a good fit for your needs.2. Include multiple gallery optionsWe touched on this topic a moment ago, but it deserves further explanation. When youre building a WordPress photography website, youll likely want to have access to  multiple gallery options. You can always use different types of galleries to differentiate between multiple projects, or use them for individual pages on your site.A photo gallery is a perfect way to display your work, as in this example from the RokoPhoto demo.By default, WordPress includes only a simple grid-based photo gallery, but there are a couple of ways to add more options to your roster:Use a WordPress photography theme. As we mentioned earlier, a well-designed theme will pack multiple options that you can play around with  (such as grid and sliding galleries), which are often accessible through  pre-built layouts.Find a gallery  plugin. If the theme you pick doesnt include the options you want, you can always look for a dedicated image gallery plugin such as Photo Gallery by WD, Portfolio Gallery, and Modula Photo Gallery.If you decide to go the plugin route, make sure to be selective about which ones you choose. Just as with themes, youll want to keep in mind the qualities of an  excellent plugin.3. Optimize your imagesImages are the heart and soul of any WordPress photography website, so you need to make sure yours display in high quality. The problem is  that higher-quality images lead to larger  file sizes, which can result in  longer loading times.The longer your site takes to load, the more users youll drive away, because:Long loading times lead to higher bounce rates. A lot of people will leave your site immediately  if they find it takes more than a couple seconds to fully load.Excellent performance makes for a better user experience. Nobody wants to interact with a sluggish website or app, so making sure your site is running in top shape is always smart.Fortunately, there are plenty of ways you can optimize your images to minimize loading times. For example, you can use a tool called Optimole. You can integrate it with your WordPress website via the official WordPress plugin, and from there it works pretty much on autopilot. It will optimize every image you upload to your website automatically. Image optimization Lazy Load by Optimole Author(s): OptimoleCurrent Version: 2.1.2Last Updated: September 25, 2019optimole-wp.zip 96%Ratings 211,971Downloads WP 4.7+Requires 4. Provide options to purchase your photographsDepending on what type of site youre building, you may want to provide your visitors with the option of purchasing your photos. If all you want is a portfolio to reel in new clients, this feature may be overkill. However, if youre at all interested in selling your work,  its worth considering since it isnt a difficult feature to implement.Selling your photos online  can benefit both your wallet and your reputation:A secondary income stream. You might no t be able to quit your day job, but some sales  here and there always help.Increased  credibility. Having purchasing options  can make visitors take notice of you, since this will give your WordPress photography website a more professional vibe.While WordPress does not support e-commerce by default, you can integrate this functionality easily thanks to plugins such as WooCommerce and Sunshine Photo Cart: WooCommerceAuthor(s): Automattic 92%Ratings 77,312,503Downloads WP 4.9+Requires More info woocommerce.3.7.1.zipCurrent Version: 3.7.1Last Updated: October 9, 2019 92%Ratings 77,312,503Downloads WP 4.9+Requires WordPress.org Plugin Page WooCommerce Sunshine Photo CartAuthor(s): Sunshine Photo Cart 94%Ratings 67,633Downloads WP 4.5+Requires More info sunshine-photo-cart.2.8.8.zipCurrent Version: 2.8.8Last Updated: October 2, 2019 94%Ratings 67,633Downloads WP 4.5+Requires WordPress.org Plugin Page Sunshine Photo Cart The latter option is ideal if you re just going to sell images online, since its designed with photographers in mind. The developers even offer a tutorial to get you started  towards  your first sales.While youre at it, you might also want to check out the Photography Management plugin, which will enable you to create private galleries and images that clients will only be able to access with a password. If youre going to put your photography online, its a smart idea to take steps to protect it. Photography Management Author(s): CodenericCurrent Version: 4.4.1Last Updated: October 16, 2019photography-management.4.4.1.zip 82%Ratings 54,529Downloads WP 3.6+Requires ConclusionTheres more to a great WordPress photography website than just showcasing your images. You also have to think about your users experience and make sure your site includes all the features you might need. The good news is that WordPress already packs a lot of the functionality youll want, and you can implement the rest  via themes and plugins. 4 essential elements for a quality #WordPress #photography website Click To Tweet Here are the four key elements you should consider when creating a  photography website:Choose a theme that highlights your photos.Include multiple gallery options.Optimize your images.Provide options to purchase your  photographs.Do you have any questions about how to create an appealing WordPress photography website? Ask away in the comments section below!Free guide5 Essential Tips to Speed Up Your WordPress SiteReduce your loading time by even 50-80% just by following simple tips.