WordPress 3.0 was recently released and you may be wondering if you should update your WordPress blog to this new version?  When the new version was initially released a few weeks ago, I held off on updating because there were some compatibility problems with some of my plugins. However, with recent plugin updates I have successfully upgraded to WP 3.0 and am satisfied with the results. So in general, I think you are safe to upgrade to the new version.

So what does the new version provide you? Well the main change with WP 3.0 is the ability to manage multiple WordPress blogs with one installation. This may be of limited use to the small business owner, but can be quite advantageous to larger organizations. Additionally there are new themes that are included by default and a slightly different administration panel in the backend.  There are also security fixes that make it a wise move to upgrade.

If you have logged in recently to your WordPress administration panel and saw the “Upgrade to WordPress 3.0″ link, then now is the time to go ahead and perform the upgrade.

I recently submitted a survey to the over 900 members of Brand-ography.com regarding their photography business website. There were some very interesting results.  Below is a sampling of the answers I received…

What type of website do you have for your business?

30% = I have a Flash Website and a separate WordPress Blog
28% = I have a fancy Flash Website
16% = My Website is made with WordPress
10% = My Website is made from HTML Website
10% = I have a Website, but I don’t know how it is made!
4% = I have a HTML Website and a separate WordPress Blog
2% = Website? I don’t have a website!

It is interesting that the majority of the photographers I polled had either a flash website or a wordpress blog in conjunction with a flash website. I understand the attraction with a flash website as they are usually quite visually beautiful, however there are sever limitations as we shall see later…

Who created your website?

72% = I did it myself
21% = I hired a professional
5% = A family member or friend made it for me

No big surprise here, the majority of photographers created their website themselves. This seems to be a growing trend as the tools are easier to use and the cost of a professional web designer increases.

Are you satisfied with your website?

41% = It is just okay
33% = Yes I am completely satisfied
25% = No it needs an overhaul

The majority of photographers felt their site was ‘just okay’ or needed an overhaul.  Only 1/3 of those polled were completely satisfied with their website.  Even more interesting are the comments received when asked what they would change about their website.  Below are the responses…

What would you like to change about your website? (expense, time, results, etc)

• My wordpress needs some help looking more professional
• Just updated it and it will be going live within 2 weeks
• My wordpess needs some help looking more professional
• Copywriting
• Results and more engaging
• Needs to be updated
• Easier to update , etc…
• I would like to move away from flash and go with a CMS site where everything is neatly in one place.
• I need to add a proofing section but they are soooooooooooooooooo expensive!
• Client viewing area and testimonial page
• Nothing, I just wish I had the time to update it as much as I’d like.
• I need a cheap, easy to manage site that looks like a million bucks!
• Look more professional.
• I would like to customize it a bit more and make it look less like a blog… but would still like to include a blog. I also would like to learn to make it more effective!
• Results
• I would like to integrate a self hosted shopping cart that I can control the product offering (prints, gift certificate redemption, promos).
• Copywriting
• More flash, easier simple navigation. One that works on all browsers.
• Able to get it pinged on search engines.
• Better SEO for the flash part
• More interaction
• More traffic
• Increase the number of visitors, increase the conversion rate
• Colours, look, content
• I am not sure! But I haven’t improved due to $.
• Just created it but will be looking for a more professional option
• I am not completely satisfied but I don’t need a complete overhaul
• I like it but want more flexibility and options for layout and content
• A comprehensive CMS so I don’t have to do everything with XML, a bit less flash so it has better SEO.
• Actually I just personalized my smugmug site a little and that is all I have.
• Results
• Mix Flash with HTML
• Need to hire to set a website up for me personally
• The client galleries, the speed at which it loads

I found it interesting that there were many repeated themes in the comments to include : Getting results, more traffic, increasing conversions, more professional appearance.

I found it interesting that there were many repeated themes in the comments to include : Getting results, more traffic, increasing conversions, more professional appearance.

Based on this survey, it is apparent that the majority of photographers want a professional appearing website that gets results!

If you are looking for help in setting up your photography website, be sure to join Photowebsitetutorials.com and get a free website building checklist.  Click here to join.

I recently came across a new service that allows you to easily add galleries to your WordPress site. The service is offered by Cincopa and is a little different than the NextGen gallery plugin.  In short, Cincopa is actually a ‘cloud’ service. This means that all the images you upload are stored on the Cincopa servers and not on your own server.  The advantages for this is that download times will usually be faster and safer than if they were on your shared hosting account such as Bluehost or Godaddy.  These files can also be displayed in a Flickr photo album.

The service is free to a point.  In order to access more advanced features and remove their branding link you will need to upgrade to a pro plan.  Pricing for the upgrade is as follows:

• $47.95 per year if paid in advance
• $7.95 per month if paid monthly

Upgrading to a Pro account will unlock the following features:

• 5GB of online storage
• 7GB of bandwidth per month
• 2GB max file size
• Unlimited access to your cloud
• Unlocks many features
• Unlimited applications
• Premium Support
• 14-day risk free trial

To read more about this plugin, go to their website here

A simple gallery I uploaded using the Windows sample pictures can be found below.

If you are like me, you are an Iphone addict. I am ashamed to admit it but it has greatly simplified my life. Now if you are a wedding photographer it can also help you organize your business. I ran across this app the other day SmartStudio.
SmartStudio: Wedding Photographer Studio Manager empowers wedding photographers to manage their entire studio from the day a prospective bride calls to the day the final product is delivered all from the iPhone or iPod touch.

SmartStudio enables wedding photographers to track and manage payments across multiple bookings and payment milestones, capture prospective clients and manage bookings with shot lists, package deliverables, itineraries, contacts, crew members and more.

Below is a video tour:

Check out the website of the developer here: http://gorillagroup.net/

I myself am not a wedding photographer so I have not tried the app, but if you have used it, please let me know what you thought of it by leaving a comment below…

WordPress users for a long time have utilized plug-ins to extend their blogging platform in numerous ways. However, where most plug-ins have only worked to protect your feed, a plug-in by Chetan Gole, WP-CopyProtect helps you by protecting your content from those that would misuse it by visiting your site directly.

The plug-in itself is very simple and user-friendly so you don’t need to be a techy person to learn how to use it.

Here is How it Works. WP-CopyProtect functions in two ways. First it disables the right click on the visitor’s mouse on your site and the second is it stops anyone from using text selection. To do this, it uses well-established JavaScripts that the plug-in itself will place into your site’s footer at the click of the mouse.

When you first install WP-CopyProtect, and visit the settings page, you’re given a screen with the option to enable or disable both right click text selection on your site. You can also select a specific warning that will appear when visitors try to right click on your site.

Now, here’s how to install Copyprotect on WordPress.

1. First, extract and upload only WP-PreventCopyBlogs.php to the /wp-content/plugins/directory
2. Activate the plug-in through the ‘Plug-ins’ menu in WordPress
3. Go to Settings and then WP-CopyProtect to configure it to whatever suits you.
4. You have to provide your database details. For this, You have to create a mysql database under a user and all information in the settings page. If you don’t provide them, the plug-in will work but it won’t be able to track the information of your visitors who tried to copy your contents.
5. If you need to track the visitors, you can either open your database from console or from the admin page itself.

Once you’ve finished, the plug-in will work great. Blocking any fraudulent visitors, securing your contents and even tracking your visitors down.