Are you interested in monetizing your photography skills by selling your pictures online? Whether you’re a seasoned professional photographer or an enthusiastic hobbyist, there’s potential to earn income by marketing your photographic works. Your photographs can find a home with businesses in need of high-quality stock images for various projects, or individuals searching for that perfect shot. This article will guide you through the process of launching your online photo-selling venture using the versatile platform WordPress.
**Why Opt for Online Photo Sales?**
Stock photography websites are a hot commodity among businesses, organizations, and individuals seeking polished imagery for their endeavors. Venturing into online photo sales offers an enticing side business opportunity, allowing you to generate revenue without the hassles of shipping or traditional printing. The same digital file can be sold repeatedly, providing a scalable income source. If you’re a professional photographer, this online avenue can expand your brand’s exposure, potentially leading to more bookings for professional photoshoots and events.
With these incentives in mind, let’s delve into the process of selling photos online.
**Selecting the Right Platform for Selling Photos Online**
To embark on your photo-selling journey, the first step is choosing an eCommerce platform that will facilitate the upload and sale of your images. Switching platforms down the line can be cumbersome and disruptive, so this initial decision warrants careful consideration. Given your aim to sell digital downloads, it’s prudent to opt for a platform tailored to this purpose. Our recommendation is to leverage the power of WordPress combined with the Easy Digital Downloads plugin.
WordPress, a renowned website builder, commands a substantial presence on the internet, powering over 43% of all websites worldwide. Many of these websites successfully sell digital products, including millions of stock photos. WordPress affords you complete control over your digital storefront, enabling the creation of an aesthetically pleasing website that beautifully showcases your photography. Paired with Easy Digital Downloads, the premier WordPress eCommerce plugin for digital products, you can effortlessly sell your photos to a global audience, all while keeping transaction fees in check. This advantage sets WordPress and Easy Digital Downloads apart from alternatives like Sellfy, Gumroad, WooCommerce, and Sendowl.
Now, let’s walk through the process of initiating your online photo sales using WordPress and Easy Digital Downloads. You can navigate quickly to different sections of this tutorial using the provided links below:
**Step 1: Setting Up Your WordPress Website**
Before diving into website construction, it’s crucial to understand that there are two distinct versions of WordPress: WordPress.org and WordPress.com. For your online store, you’ll require WordPress.org, also referred to as self-hosted WordPress, as it offers greater functionality and flexibility. Additionally, this version allows you to install any WordPress plugin, including Easy Digital Downloads, designed explicitly for online product sales. A detailed comparison between WordPress.com and WordPress.org can be found in our guide.
To commence selling digital photos with WordPress, you’ll need a domain name, which serves as your store’s web address (e.g., shutterstock.com or stockphotos.com). If you haven’t settled on a domain name yet, consult our guide on choosing the perfect one. Furthermore, you’ll require web hosting, where your website’s files reside online, and an SSL certificate to ensure secure credit card transactions. Typically, a domain name costs $14.99/year, while hosting expenses start at $7.99/month. SSL certificate costs vary but generally range from $50-200/year. As you can see, these expenses can accumulate, particularly for newcomers to the field.
Fortunately, SiteGround offers a generous 73% discount on their managed hosting plan tailored for Easy Digital Downloads users. This package includes a free SSL certificate, pre-installed Easy Digital Downloads, and optimization features crucial for a thriving online business. This means you can embark on your photo-selling journey for less than $4 per month. Let’s proceed to illustrate how to easily acquire a domain name, web hosting, and an SSL certificate.
To begin, visit the SiteGround website and click on ‘Get Plan.’ Subsequently, SiteGround will prompt you to select a domain name for your online store and display optional add-ons. These extras can be added at any point, so we recommend skipping them for now. Proceed by entering your payment information to complete the purchase. After a short wait, you’ll receive an email containing instructions for accessing your SiteGround account. Upon logging in, navigate to the ‘Websites’ tab, where you’ll find two buttons: ‘Site Tools’ and ‘WordPress Admin.’ ‘Site Tools’ serves as SiteGround’s hosting dashboard for managing all aspects of your site, including email setup. To access your new website, click ‘WordPress Admin,’ which will lead you to the WordPress dashboard. Here, enter your username and password and click ‘Log In.’
You are now ready to begin crafting your digital photo store. If you’re using a different WordPress website hosting service, such as Bluehost, Hostinger, HostGator, or WP Engine, consult our guide on how to install WordPress for detailed step-by-step instructions.
**Step 2: Setting Up Your eCommerce Plugin**
If you’ve chosen SiteGround, Easy Digital Downloads comes pre-installed. However, with other hosting providers, you’ll need to install and activate the Easy Digital Downloads plugin. Refer to our guide on installing a WordPress plugin for step-by-step instructions.
Upon activation, navigate to ‘Downloads » Settings’ in your WordPress dashboard and input your license key into the ‘License Key’ field. This key can be found in your account on the Easy Digital Downloads website. Once entered, click ‘Activate License.’
The next task involves configuring your store’s location. Even though you’re selling photos online, Easy Digital Downloads uses your location to auto-fill certain fields during customer purchases and may also calculate sales tax based on this information. To specify your location, access the ‘Business Country’ dropdown menu and make your selection.
Next, locate the ‘Business Region’ field, open the dropdown menu, and designate the area where your store operates. Once you’ve verified your entries, click ‘Save Changes’ to store your settings.
**Step 3: Integrating a Payment Gateway in WordPress**
When selling photos online, you need a method for accepting credit card payments through your WordPress site. Easy Digital Downloads natively supports popular payment gateways like Stripe, PayPal, and Amazon Payments. To add payment gateways to your site, simply access the ‘Payments’ tab. If you intend to accept payments via Stripe or PayPal, click the respective ‘Stripe’ or ‘PayPal’ tab, and follow the on-screen instructions to set up these payment options.
Once configured, navigate to the ‘General’ section. In the ‘Active Gateways’ segment, check the boxes for each gateway you wish to incorporate into your digital product marketplace. If you opt for multiple payment methods, open the ‘Default Gateway’ dropdown and select the one to be set as the default choice. You can employ any payment gateway of your preference, but Stripe is a versatile option, accepting credit cards, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. Considering this, you might opt for Stripe as the default payment gateway on your site. After selecting one or more payment gateways, click ‘Save Changes.’
Now you’re well on your way to creating a thriving online platform for selling your digital photos. Stay tuned for more steps in this comprehensive guide to help you maximize your success in the world of online photo sales.
