Any website builders more flexible than Zenfolio?

Paul SWD

Paul SWD

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Hi,
My current website is on iWeb but I am looking to move to an online website builder called Zenfolio as they provide a direct photo lab sales service, I looked at Photoshelter and Smugmug but found Zenfolio better because they have a photo lab in the UK and there didn't seem anything Photoshelter could do more for their yearly fee.
But now I'm feeling a little limited on what I can do with their builder templates, even their customiser will not give me what I presently have.
Does anyone know of a similar builder that offers more flexibility than Zenfolio? or a way round it?

My website home page is www,scubysnaps.com
http://www.scubysnaps.com

and the best I can do with Zenfolio is here
http://scubysnaps.zenfolio.com/

I hope you can see the difference and offer me some guidance

Thanks for reading this
 
I have no direct experience with Zenfolio (sorry) but looking at the site they seem to have quite an array of designs, do they not allowed any template edits to the code which would give you more freedom?

I know some systems would allow you to amend code and css to change the look of the site. They have a section on the site about customising their themes, don't know if this will help you achieve what you want: http://www.zenfolio.com/zf/help/presenting-and-customizing-pages/creating-a-custom-page-theme
 
Thanks David,
I attempted this and found it not very flexible to do what I wanted, I contacted Zenfolio and they confirmed what I wanted was not presently possible.
I don't wish to start editing their code myself as my experience with HTML is only intermediate, and am sure it would need more than that, and frankly not after using it as I wish for a template based system to save time on using code
 
I understand, this was all I could find that would possibly help, unfortunately we only do custom stuff so I have no experience with anything similar.

I know wordpress could be made to do it and has plugins for most of the features and endless themes/templates, but would probably lack the built in product ordering. You can get checkouts for it, but I believe zenfolio offer order processing on prints?

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.
 
Thanks, I've moved to Zenfolio, still working on the site to add images and perfect the layout. I've now turned my iWeb site off but struggling to sort my DNS ouyt, should have it done tonight hopefully, the DNS that is. Hope to have it all finished by Thursday before my next trip but doubt it, gotta work too!
 
Their support is very prompt, I have challenged them quite a bit and the options they dont have they said they will forward them to their developers team, whether they use my suggestions is another question! But they have been very helpful and respond quick...they have only recently added thier blog feature so there are a few things there I would like to see to try and replicate my old set up...but on the whole I am excited about my move and dont regret it at all. Zenfolio also has a client log in feautre too that may help you as you dont seem to have that, this will enable your client to log in and look at a collection of photos you are to supply to them, Zenfolio also has a UK photolab service built in, if you choose the premier version you also get to use a better. more pro, service than photobox. You also get riid of Zenfolios name off your site too. It also shows metadata and stores all keywords from lightroom, so users can use the search facility for any keywords such as scientific names of animals/fish etc without having them shown in the image caption, more useful for me I think. Theirbuilt in SEO seems very powerful too. Zenfolio is also cheaper than the competition too
 
Thanks for the info.. yes one of the reasons I want to move is for the client log in area, although I worked out how to isolate galleries so clients can access an unpublished gallery via a link it's not the same is it even though it works fine.

I just fine my current template options a bit restricted without being an expert at coding, which kind of defeats the point of a template site doesn't it.

I think I'll give them a try and see how I get on.

Thanks again.
 
No worrries Mark,
I started website building using HTML after reading a huge book, even though I enjoyed it, I then realised it took too much time up; photography and PP took up enough, so got into iWeb before I realised there many templete based sites, now there seems to be loads, and Zenfolio works just about great...I just want them to take on all my ideas to make it all work togerther more! I dont just want a gallery site and a blog site side by side, I want them to interact together...I'll get there eventually
 
Rather than building a site purely with zenflio, you can just incorporate zenfolio for it's galleries into another site. Have a look at my site in my sig for an example.
 
Thanks Mark,
The platform is very hard to get used to, run 2 duplicate tabs at the same time, then you can test it on one tab live while you edit in the other, their email support helped and a couple of their turional videos, persevere, and ask them lots of questions, you'll get there...you have one week!
Start with the cosmic or museum theme as some of those can be part customised like the background for example. I couldnt get to grips with their fully customised themes either!

Dave,
I would have liked to do that but that would have meant taking on 2 new pieces of website building software, which I wasnt willing to take on. My head hurts enough with one!
 
I found Zenfolio so easy to use. No experience with websites, no clue what to do at all, and had basic site, with password protected galleries, slideshow etc, up and running in a couple of hours.

Yes maybe as I want more it may not do all I want in terms of style and layout, but for somewhere to start, and to manage a site quickly and easily, its great.

Lots of tips in their forums too.
 
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If you like Zenfolio style, but want something a bit easier to use, Photoshelter may be worth a look.
 
Paul SWD said:
ShoeQueen said:
with password protected galleriesQUOTE]

cool...I missed those, where are they at? The client access area I take it? (Not gone there yet)
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Yes - but I think you could create them anywhere. You just create a folder at the side and drag and drop the images - then on the rhs there is a box saying 'access control' - there you can set a password, or you can get guests to have to login first (then you know who has viewed an album) - but I just set mine at password protected.

You can also create a 'friendly url' - so the bit after your website is a name you've selected instead of numbers (eg lynnstanfield.com / susanandmark). And you can send an email to the client then with a link directly from your Zenfolio site.
Click to expand...
 
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ShoeQueen said:
Paul SWD said:
You can also create a 'friendly url' - so the bit after your website is a name you've selected instead of numbers (eg lynnstanfield.com / susanandmark). And you can send an email to the client then with a link directly from your Zenfolio site.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I guess the friendly URL is just for client pages and the blog as I cant find it elsewhere.
Click to expand...
 
Paul SWD said:
Thanks, I guess the friendly URL is just for client pages and the blog as I cant find it elsewhere.
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No, its for any gallery or collection. On the rhs 'Create Friendly url and access code'. I've it set for my collections (for portfolio pages) and for several galleries.
 
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Mark Anthony said:
Then hopefully i should have a few days left to get my head around setting up the products and pricing stuff.
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There are webinars that can help by talking you through all this. Its pretty straightforward. I have the top level package so have created my 'own' products and just enabled payment via Paypal - all very straightforward. That way people can view, select, crop to fit etc - and I can then order from whatever printers/suppliers I choose. (So far only done a trial on this though, as not really selling yet.)
 
ShoeQueen said:
I have the top level package so have created my 'own' products and just enabled payment via Paypal - all very straightforward. That way people can view, select, crop to fit etc - and I can then order from whatever printers/suppliers I choose
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This is available on premium too, which I have...done a lot more to my site recently, please take alook :)
Feel free to add some likes to it...pretty please!

4 more galleries to add, but there's 210 underwater images at the moment from Manado, Indonesia; Mexico, and Thailand. More Manta feeding frenzies and close ups, Close up Shark action, and Komodo creatures...and Bonaire (where I am going tomorrow!)
 
Paul SWD said:
This is available on premium too, which I have...done a lot more to my site recently, please take alook :)
Feel free to add some likes to it...pretty please!
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Looks good. :D Fab images!
 
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Zenfolio is great, although I'm going to change the front page to a different design, just to have a change :)
 
ShoeQueen said:
Looks good. :D Fab images!
Click to expand...

Why thank you....more to come!
I'm off on my next trip now to Bonaire, not time to ask in the right area, but is it possible to add "underwater" to the specialist area? I've spent probably the same amount as my body and lenses on my underwater equipment, if not more, surely that deserves a separate area?
 
tiler65 said:
Very sneaky Gary, you added lots to the thread.
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Tend to agree and I thought we weren't supposed to post our own discount codes? I'm happy to pass mine on if asked, but deliberately didn't post in thread.
 
Gary Coyle said:
So whos code do we post then, see above
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You did tell them that you get credit too when they use your code I presume...?

When I signed up I used a code given to me by PM by someone who had given me advice on Zenfolio both on thread and via PM and who clearly stated their own interest in passing on a discount code. I felt as they had helped me it was fair to use their code and give something back to them too.
 
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bass_junkie83 said:
Rather than building a site purely with zenflio, you can just incorporate zenfolio for it's galleries into another site. Have a look at my site in my sig for an example.
Click to expand...

Dave I like how you've integrated Zenfolio, what/who do you use for your main site?

Also any quick tips on integrating the gallery so it's seamless like yours?

Thanks

Mike
 
MnM said:
Dave I like how you've integrated Zenfolio, what/who do you use for your main site?

Also any quick tips on integrating the gallery so it's seamless like yours?

Thanks

Mike
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I can't give you any advice on the technicalities of how to build a site, as my computing skills don't stretch much past a bit of word processing.

My site was built from scratch by these guys, I already knew zenfolio could be pretty well integrated so that was just one of the things on my list of wants.

http://www.sixredsquares.com/
 
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