Photobucket: Finding the Missing Link Being #1 is just a drop in the bucket for this popular photo-sharing site.

By Sarah Pierce

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Who: Alex Welch, 31, and Darren Crystal, 37
What: Photobucket.com, a site that allows users to upload, share and link photos, videos and graphics.
Where: Denver, Colorado

Anyone with a MySpace profile or blog will probably tell you they've visited Photobucket.com at least once. Photobucket is the No. 1 photo site on the web, attracting close to 24 million visitors a month who express themselves online through uploading, sharing and linking photos, videos and graphics on their social networking spaces.

Photobucket is one of the top 25 sites on the web in terms of traffic, but it wasn't too long ago that founders Alex Welch and Darren Crystal were working out of a basement, maxing out their credit cards and taking out third mortgages on their homes to fund a new concept in third-party linking that was missing from other photo sites.

"This whole idea of linking images and videos was something users wanted to do, but the traditional photo sharing sites didn't allow them to do it," says Welch, pointing to sites like Snapfish and Ofoto--acquired by Kodak in 2001--that were overlooking younger, self-expressive users that wanted to share their personal media online to develop social identities, not create photo albums. "We were the first site to go out and provide that service."

If At First You Don't Succeed .
Welch is no stranger to dotcom startups. Before starting Photobucket in 2003, he launched Picturefuse, another photo sharing site that no longer exists. Picturefuse visitors kept trying to use the site to link photos to their eBay auctions, message boards and social networks, but the site wouldn't support it. Welch decided to scratch his original startup to create a new site that met his users' demands.

"You have to learn from your mistakes," says Welch, who wasn't afraid to try again. "I didn't do everything right at Picturefuse--and I haven't done everything right at Photobucket--but we've done more right than wrong."

My Photobucket
Despite its rapid growth, Welch and Crystal continue to make their users a priority by not only listening to them, but also continually updating the site to meet their needs.

"We continue to focus on giving users more tools and more ways to share media," says Welch. "The amount of people self-expressing and creating and taking photos and images has just gone through the roof. They've built out their online identities and they want visual content to go with that."

New features, such as one-click posts, picture slides and video sharing have made Photobucket hugely popular with MySpace users, creating a relationship largely responsible for the company's acquisition by digital media giant Fox Interactive Media in July 2007.

It's a huge move that Welch and Crystal hope will take the Photobucket brand global, adding yet another rung in their climb to the top.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

No Meetings, Up to $30 Per Hour, Fully Remote: A College Student Training AI Says the Work Is 'Perfect' for Introverts

He works 30 hours a week without a direct boss, daily meetings, or contact with coworkers.

Buying / Investing in Business

Not All Buyers of Your Business Are Created Equal — Here's What to Consider

It is very easy to assume that you should focus on finding a buyer who will pay the highest valuation for your company. However, there are many more things to consider before picking the right buyer for your business.

Leadership

How 'Founder Mode' Can Actually Fail Your Business — and What You Should Do Instead

Founder mode may seem like the key to success, but it often leads to burnout and poor decision-making. Discover why empowering your team, leading with kindness and letting go of ego create a stronger foundation for long-term success.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

Amazon Is Replacing Chime, Its Proprietary Video Conferencing Software, With... Zoom

Amazon is also adopting Microsoft 365 tools like Word and PowerPoint.

Business Solutions

The AI Transcription and Summary App Every Entrepreneur Needs

With My Notes AI, you'll never miss a word in any presentation.