How to Move a SmugMug Gallery to WordPress

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Over the last few years I have heard more and more photographers move their SmugMug Gallery to WordPress. When I ask photographers why they are making the switch I get several different reasons. Today I wanted to share with you how to move a SmugMug Gallery to WordPress.

Reasons to Move a SmugMug Gallery to WordPress

Don’t get me wrong, SmugMug is a great service for those that don’t want to deal with setting up a website and spending the time configuring everything. With SmugMug you get an easy to setup all-in-package. These sites have a professional look and many professional photographers use SmugMug and their services.

For the right price you can setup a website, share your images, to galleries, setup portfolios, and even sell your images.

With these plans you are limited to what you can do.

You won’t have complete control over the user experience
Limited styles for galleries
Lower fee and commissions on sales
Everyone SmugMug Website is similar
The per month price is higher than running your own site

Why You Need to Move Your SmugMug Galleries To WordPress

If you are ready to make the move to your own website, then WordPress is the way to go. The upfront cost can be expensive, but once that cost is out of the way, then than your monthly fees will go down.

You will gain complete control of the look and feel of your website. The site will be self branded in your style. Plus, there are a ton of plugins and tools you use to start selling your images and products online.

What You Need to Start A WordPress Site

For now I won’t go into detail about starting a WordPress site. I’ll save that article for another time. If you want a more detailed walk through for building a WordPress site and how to start blogging, then check out the article I wrote over at Evolutionary Designs.

The first thing you need to do is purchase your domain name or point it to your web host. You can purchase your domain name from web hosts (your web host may give you one as a new customer), Domain Vendors or from Google. For me, I would recommend using GoDaddy or Google Domain Services. I’ve used GoDaddy for a decade and I haven’t had any issues. But Google Domain Service prices are cheaper and they offer some add on tools for free. Do your research and choose the right domain service that meet your needs.

Next, you need to sign up for a Web Host. If you are just starting off or on a budget, check out Hostgator. I’ve been using them for years and they offer a ton of great options. Just make sure to purchase a plan that comes with an SSL (website encryption). They have shared plans and WordPress Plans. Either one will work for you. Here are some other web host options. WP Engine, BlueHost, SiteGround.

Once you have your host purchased you need to install WordPress and install a premium WordPress Theme that supports all the features SmugMug that you use (might have to add some premium pluings to help with that). Some great sites to find premium photography WordPress Themes are ElegantThemes, ThemeForest, iThemes, TemplateMonster, WPZoom, and more.

Once you have gotten your site setup, then its time to setup your Galleries. I would recommend using NextGen Gallery. These guys make it easy for you configure your galleries and with the premium version you can add addons that customize the galleries even more.

If you decide you want to start selling your images you can add ecommerce Extensions such as proofing, sell your images, digital downloads, Strip, PayPal, and Coupon options.