If you take photos, and good ones at that, then you can’t help but wanting to share your pics with others. After all, that’s one of the main reasons why we take pictures, right? Sharing an experience, a moment ‘caught’ in time with others is absolutely precious. But before you jump headfirst into hosting your photos with any old picture host, do a little research beforehand.
You see, what you don’t want to do is put your photos on any old website. Some picture hosting sites will entice you with low cost hosting, unlimited bandwidth or other slinky bonuses, but be careful. Always check out what you’re actually getting for what you spend. (The same goes for a free picture host). Here’s 5 things you want to keep in mind before you even think about signing up:
- Past and current user feedback
- User-friendliness – easy to upload your images?
- Customer support – Can you contact them if you need?
- Host reliability – good up-time, no broken links?
- Bonus features
The reason why you want to keep these factors in mind, especially when you’re paying for someone to host YOUR photos, is not just to make sure you get the best ‘bang for your buck,’ but so that you can best present (and share) your most prized photos. A quick browse for positive or negative customer and user feedback will reveal a great deal about your potential picture host.
Other things you can do is to check the FAQs, and check out their online help section. If they have a resourceful help section that’s current, and easy to find what you need, that’s always a good sign. You also want to be able to upload your images in a simple manner, and batch upload if you have hundreds to do. Is it easy to contact your picture host if you need advice?
Remember, if you’re paying to host your photos, you should expect excellent customer service!
Martin has been writing articles for nearly 3 years. His latest photo host website helps people find out the best online photo hosting for hosting and sharing digital images and creating cool online photo galleries!