How To Build a Portfolio Website
Quickview Index:
Step 1: Find and Purchase a Domain Name
Step 2: Find and Purchase a Web Host
Step 3: Find and Download a FTP Client
Step 4: Find and Download a Website Template
A) Wordpress (If using Wordpress, you can skip Steps 1-3)
B) Gallery Menalto
C) Template Monster
Dynamic Flash Templates vs. Regular Flash Templates
Tips For Selecting a Template
Other Website Scripts
Conclusion
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Find and purchase a domain name.
I suggest using GoDaddy.com.
You can do a search for a domain name on their website to see if it’s already been taken by someone else.
When choosing a domain name, make certain it is simple and easy to remember. Avoid using non-letters — especially numbers — if you can.
(For example, try to avoid domain names like gr8t4art.com, my-website.com, or my.website.com. Instead, try to use greatforart.com and mywebsite.com.)
Use a reliable domain name provider, like GoDaddy, since you want to make certain the company stays around. If the company fails, you could potentially lose your domain name.
Most domain names cost around $8.00 to $10.00 per year.
If you have trouble purchasing a domain name online, you can call GoDaddy at (480) 505-8877
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Find and purchase a web host.
For a good and cheap web host, I recommend 3ix.com.
Their $1 per month hosting plan should provide you with everything you need to host your website.
(If you are confused, a domain name provider is the site where you get the NAME of your website — like mywebsite.com — and a web host is the site where you PUT your website — where you upload your files and art, etc.)
If you have trouble purchasing a hosting package, you can call 3ix at (866) 999-4349
Ask for their $1 per month hosting plan, and tell them you would like to direct your domain name from GoDaddy (or wherever you have purchased your domain name from) to their hosting plan. 3ix should then give you some numbers (like a code). After you get these numbers, call GoDaddy (or wherever you have purchased your domain name from) and tell them the same thing. They will ask for the numbers 3ix gave you and will use them to connect your domain name to your web host.
(In other words, you will have to ask both your web host and domain name provider to “connect your domain name to your web host so that viewers will see your site upon visiting the domain name.” It’s not as difficult as it might seem, and you will only have to do this once. Afterwards, your domain name and web host will be forever connected unless you request a change.)
Unlike with domain names, you can take more risks and use a cheaper web host. If a host company fails, as long as you have your website “backed up” or saved (which I recommend you do whenever you update your website), your website will be fine.
If you aren’t as concerned with saving money as you are with keeping things easy on yourself, you can purchase BOTH your domain name and your web hosting plan from GoDaddy. This way you won’t have to have the domain name directed to your web host (and GoDaddy has excellent customer service for those who are less experienced with computers).
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Find and Download a FTP Client/Manager (Software)
An FTP Client (or FTP Manager) is just a program you download to your computer that will upload files (and images/art) to your website.
For Macintosh users, I recommend Cyberduck. You can download it for free.
For Windows users, you can use a search engine to find a number of “free FTP Clients.” FileZilla is such a FTP Client. You can download it for free.
After you have downloaded your FTP Client, contact your web host (3ix, if you have used them) and ask them for help with using your FTP Client. They will be able to walk you through the steps to setting up your FTP Client to upload files to your website.
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Find and Download a Website Layout/Template
Now this is the fun part. You can now search for a design for your website.
There are three main websites I recommend for this:
A) Wordpress
B) Gallery Menalto
C) Template Monster
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Info and Comparisons:
+ Can Purchase Domain Name and Host from Same Site (GoDaddy/3ix Not Needed)
+ Does Not Require Installation (No FTP Client Needed)
+ Easy to Add Content To (Backend Included)
+ Fewer Options for Customized Appearance
If you are not very fluent with the internet or with editing webpages, or you are looking for a simple, professional looking website without much effort, the popular free blog script, Wordpress, now offers a method of displaying your gallery.
Here is an example of a website using Wordpress.com.
Although I haven’t personally used Wordpress.com to build a gallery website before, Lea tells me that you can pay them $15 per year for your own domain name and for hosting with them. Since their templates are already hosted, you wouldn’t need an FTP Client either. This allows you to skip Steps 1 – 3.
To create a gallery on your Wordpress.com website, Lea tells me that you have to select to “Put This Image in a Gallery.” If you don’t specify that you want the image in your gallery, then it will upload somewhere else on your website.
The only catch with Wordpress.com is that the templates aren’t extremely customizable. In other words, while you can edit the text, colors, and the images, you can’t go about changing whatever you want on your site.
Notice: With a Wordpress.com template you may not be able to add your own scripts, like an online store, a newsletter, or a forum/chatroom without your own web host (like 3ix/GoDaddy) as mentioned above. You can do this if you have a Wordpress.org template as described under “Other Scripts” below, but since Wordpress.com forces you to host with their site, you may not be able to add as many scripts as you like. However, if you need to sell your work from your Wordpress.com account, you can sign up for a Zazzle. Just link your viewers to your Zazzle page for sales.
This means you can’t remove the ability for people to comment on your art, and you can’t really move site portions — like your header and menu bar for example — wherever you want on the site. These things have to stay WHERE they are on the website, but you can change how they LOOK.
However, if you aren’t very comfortable with editing scripts and want something done quickly, you probably won’t care to customize the look of your website that much anyway.
Overall, I really recommend Wordpress.com for creating a gallery site. The design is clean, professional, and customizable enough to be great for artists.
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Info and Comparisons:
+ Cannot Purchase Domain Name and Host from Same Site (GoDaddy/3ix Needed)
+ Requires Installation (FTP Client Needed)
+ Easy to Add Content To (Backend Included)
+ More Options for Customized Appearance
If you are a little more comfortable with installing programs or if customization of your website’s appearance is really important to you, then I suggest downloading a free site template from Gallery Menalto.
Gallery Mentalto comes with a backend that allows you to easily edit, customize, and add content to your page much in the same way you would to deviantArt.com or MySpace.com page.
However, you would have to be comfortable enough with a computer to be able to install the template on your website using an FTP Client (which Gallery Menalto’s website explains how to do).
You can see samples of websites that use Gallery Menalto here.
Gallery Menalto is an amazing “Gallery Script.” A gallery script it is a functioning gallery website template ready to download and then upload to your website. It comes with about 10 ready-to-use designs and is easy to customize and update.
After downloading Gallery Menalto to your desktop, you will upload the folder containing Gallery Menalto to your website using the FTP Client.
You can request help with uploading and installing Gallery Menalto by using the Gallery Menalto Forum and by contacting your web host (3ix, if you have used them).
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Info and Comparisons:
+ Cannot Purchase Domain Name and Host from Same Site (GoDaddy/3ix Needed)
+ Requires Installation (FTP Client Needed)
+ Regular Flash Templates – Difficult to Add Content To / Pay Each Time to Add Content To (Backend Not Included)
+ Dynamic Flash Templates – Easy to Add Content To / Pay Once for Initial Customization, Adding Content Thereafter is Free (Backend Included)
+ Highest Options for Customized Appearance
If you are a little more fluent with using the internet or Flash, and/or are looking for a truly professional design for your website, then I suggest downloading a site template from Template Monster.
Template Monster provides gorgeous and impressive site designs. Unlike Gallery Menalto, they are not free, but generally only cost you anywhere from $60-$200, which is amazingly inexpensive for a fully designed website (which normally cost anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000).
To search for art-based website designs, first visit the Template Monster website. Under “Category” select “Arts & Photography, ArtWorks, and Personal pages.” Then click “Apply.” Then click “Search.”
(Quick link to view Art & Photography templates)
(Quick link to view ArtWorks templates)
(Quick link to view Personal Page templates)
This will show you ONLY website designs for artists.
The way Template Monster offers such amazing website designs for such a good price is that the templates are not exclusively owned by you. This means that other people can purchase the same design. However, the most people in the world who have ever downloaded the same template is around 10 and even this is a high number (you can see how many people have purchased the template before you on the site). Therefore, the chances of someone running into the same design while browsing the web is slim to none. Once you download the template, the template is yours to keep. In other words, once you buy it, even if Template Monster shuts down, that design will remain yours. They can’t take it away.
Overall, I think Template Monster is a great deal for amazing designs. If you want to make serious customizations, you can pay Template Monster to customize your website design for you. Usually this is pretty inexpensive for website customization (running from around a one-time fee of $500 and under last time I checked).
You can see examples and pricing for template customizations here.
This is a great option for people who are more concerned with avoiding hassle than with saving money, since Template Monster will essentially do all your customizations for you (for a reasonable fee).
The only catch with Template Monster is that if you ever wanted to update your website in the future, unless you know how to add images in Flash, you may have to pay Template Monster to do the updates for you (which should be much less than their initial customization fee, but will still involve a fee none-the-less).
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Dynamic Flash Templates vs. Regular Flash Templates
Usually templates that cost from around $60-$80 will need more customization and may be more difficult to update later. However, there are certain templates that Template Monster has for sale that are easier to customize and update, and you won’t have to pay them any fees. These templates are called Dynamic Flash Photo Galleries.
To browse the “dynamic flash photo galleries” that Template Monster offers, first visit the Template Monster website. Then under “Products” select “Web Templates > Dynamic Flash Photo Galleries.” Click “Apply.” Then click “Search.”
(Quick link to view all Dynamic Flash Photo Galleries)
This will show you ONLY website designs that are easy for artists to edit on their own.
Unlike regular Flash templates, Dynamic Flash templates come with a “back end,” which is a section of the website that allows you to upload art and make changes to the site from the website itself. Regular Flash templates require you to make all changes to the website using the Flash program instead (which may be more difficult for you).
Dynamic Flash templates are more expensive than regular Flash templates, and usually cost around $220. However, they save you a lot of money and hassle in the long run, because you won’t have to pay Template Monster to help you edit your website in Flash every time you have to make updates (assuming you don’t know how to use Flash on your own). You may have to only pay Template Monster once for overall site customizations, but then with Dynamic Flash templates you can usually make all updates thereafter on your own. So you wouldn’t have to pay Template Monster any fees ever again.
For questions about templates, how the templates work, self-customizations or customization fees, self-updates or update fees, the differences between Flash templates and Dynamic Flash templates, and how to upload and install templates to your website you can contact Template Monster here.
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Things to note when selecting a template from Template Monster:
- Stay away from templates that are too heavily animated. These can load slowly and be annoying for your viewers (which might include potential employers and clients).
- Stay away from templates that are too complicated to navigate. These can also become annoying for your viewers (which again might include potential employers and clients).
- Stay away from templates that are too heavily stylized/colored. Selecting a template that is, say cartoony or bright pink, may match your style of artwork now, but if you ever decide to change your style of artwork in the future, you would have to completely redesign your website from scratch. Secondly, you don’t want a website design that overshadows your illustrations. Thirdly, keep in mind that while you might like the design of a heavily stylized website, your potential viewers, clients, and employers may not have the same tastes.
So overall it is best to stick with something simple and classy.
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If you are looking for other website scripts to add to your portfolio, such as a blog/journal to post news, a store or auction system to sell your art, a newsletter system to maintain connections with and inform fans, or a forum or chatroom for your fans, you can find a number of website scripts online. Simply visit Google.com and run a search for “website scripts.” Some scripts are free and some charge a one-time fee for download.
(Usually the website from which you download the script will offer you support in the event you need help with installing or customizing the script. If you can’t find the help you are looking for, try using this script help forum.)
Some of my personal recommendations:
Public Online Store Accounts –> [link]
-You can link your portfolio website to your Zazzle account. All you have to do with a Zazzle account is upload your art, and people can buy products from prints to t-shirts with your images on them. Zazzle makes the prints and products and mails them to customers on your behalf. In return, they get a small portion of your sales.
- Zazzle is very easy to use if you want to avoid installing scripts or the hassle of creating your own prints and mailing out purchases. Zazzle pages don’t come with any customization options — your Zazzle page will look like the rest of the Zazzle website. Also, your Zazzle page won’t be hosted on your private website — the web address with be different than your private site, but you can link people to the Zazzle page for sales. It is much like an eBay page in these ways.
Private Online Store Scripts –> [link] and [link] and [link] and [link]
- This is a great option if you want your own private store hosted on your website. You can also customize your store to match the look of the rest of your website. With a private store, you will receive 100% of all profits from your sales — no one will take a commission from you. However, you will have to create your own prints and products to sell on the site, and you will be in charge of mailing everything out.
You will also have to install and edit the script to get it up and running.
- Great for selling duplicated items, like prints, videos, photos, cds, t-shirts, etc.
- Template Monster offers ready-made designs for all these online store scripts. This is a great way to get a professional looking online store to sell your artwork. Since all these scripts come with “back ends,” you would be able to make basic changes to and update the site on your own, without commissioning Template Monster for help. You can view all available templates here.
Auction Store Scripts –> [link] and [link]
- Works much like the Private Online Store Scripts.
- Great for selling individual items like paintings or sculptures.
Journal / Blog Script –> [link]
- Unlike with Wordpress.com, Wordpress.org allows you to download a blog and upload it to your own website on a different host, like GoDaddy/3ix. Wordpress.com only allows you to host your website with them. Wordpress.org is excellent to use if you are adding a blog to a different kind of gallery, like one from Gallery Menalto or Template Monster. Wordpress.com only allows you to use Wordpress as the main website.
- Wordpress.org websites are more customizable and come with a larger range of templates, although you will have to know how to install them / edit them yourself. Wordpress.com comes with less template options, but is easier to install. You can use Google.com to search for free templates/designs for your Wordpress.org script
Newsletter / Mailing List Scripts –> [link] and [link] and [link]
- Offers a great way to send important information and news to your viewers who don’t regularly visit your website.
Forum Script –> [link]
- You can use Google.com to search for free templates/designs for your PHPBB script.
Chatroom Script –> [link] and [link]
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And that concludes the tutorial!
- To avoid becoming overwhelmed when starting your own online portfolio website, start with one step at a time. Remember it can take weeks to completely finish a portfolio website the way you like it, so don’t feel you have to rush.
- Don’t forget to request aid with these steps by contacting your domain name provider, your web host, your template/design provider, or your script provider for help. Many of these websites either have phone numbers, live chats, email help, or support forums to get you through the process.
Good luck!
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