If you’ve visited my site within the last couple of weeks, you may have noticed a completely new look and feel.
As the year has gone on, I’ve been finding myself increasingly focused on marketing, which means my website needs have evolved. I had a couple of options to explore in satisfying these new demands, and when the dust finally settled, I found myself comfortably settled into a new liveBooks site.Why I didn’t do this earlier, I have no idea, but better late than never, right?
The decision wasn’t arbitrary either. Hit the jump to find out why I’m glad to have these guys on my team.
After reading countless blogs and listening to plenty of podcasts regarding site design and features that art buyers like, I had compiled a shopping list of requirements that I wanted and/or needed for new my website.
I decided against adding onto, or possibly redesigning my existing site, so I was off to search some of the more popular website services geared towards professional photographers.
The most important features I wanted in my new site were:
- Clean design
- Capability for multiple portfolios
- Large image displays with optional slideshow
- Non intrusive thumbnails
- Private, password protected client areas
- Easy to manage
I was pretty familiar with the liveBooks name, so I started there. Right away, they seemed to have everything I was looking for, and more! I didn’t want to settle right away, so I continued my search, and found that I kept coming back to liveBooks. I signed up for the 14 day trial, and two days into it, I was sold and gave them the green light, and I couldn’t be happier.
On top of meeting all of my initial site needs were other valuable features that made the pricing even sweeter. These guys know how critical SEO is in today’s online presence.They give me an HTML mirror site and easy to use tools making the task of SEO a breeze.
One thing that art buyers seem to like, is the ability to download a PDF version of a photographer’s portfolio. With liveBooks, the feature is built in, allowing my visitors the option of downloading an entire portfolio, or a single image as a cleanly presented PDF.
I have been completely excited about my new liveBooks site since the day I signed up. With my new site, my images have better presentation and I have a load of features at my disposal. Most of all, liveBooks has taken away the hassle involved with maintaining my site. Now, any task I need to handle is quick and painless, which means I can spend more time being a photographer, and that’s exactly how I like it.
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Tags: gallery, liveBooks, marketing, product review, SEO, software, tips, webhost, website
I too am looking at Livbooks and considering Viewbook.com as well. Did you consider them in your search? If so what swayed you from them and back to LiveBooks?
Thanks for the insight.
Take care
Hi Paul,
As a matter of fact, Viewbook.com was one of the first places I researched. I looked at a few websites that were hosted by them, and even though their presentation and pricing was nice, I just felt that something was still lacking.
The more I researched, the more I realized that liveBooks offered more bang for the buck, and that’s what first sold me. Also, a lot of the features that Viewbook offers, seemed to be features that should automatically come with any service, so I felt like they were just adding fluff in their advertising.
With liveBooks, you get great presentation, an HTML mirror for SEO, and one click PDF portfolio downloads (which is a big plus with art buyers) to name a few. These are just some of the features that I didn’t notice with other products like Viewbook.
When I signed up for liveBooks’ 14 day free trial, I was able to get my hands on their editSuite. There was no learning curve, and I felt right at home. After only a couple of days, I learned first hand just how clean, easy, and intuitive it was to set up and manage a liveBooks site. I also loved the way my site looked and functioned overall. I didn’t need the remainder of the trial because I was sold, so I gave them my go-live request.
It was clear to me that they definitely put a lot of hard work and focused attention into the tools and features that make them a major player in this market, so it was easy to see why a lot of well respected photographers have put their trust in liveBooks.
I feel that liveBooks knows what buyers are looking for and what tools you need to get the most out of your site with them, not to mention their very attentive and quick customer service.
The best thing you could do is sign up for the free trials at both liveBooks and Viewbook. Compare them, and see what fits your needs better. Just don’t forget to cancel your Viewbook trial afterward
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks for visiting!
DFJ