The Artist’s website: a window to your world
Episode 18: So much of the on-line presence of a creative person these days is through social media; its immediacy and the way that you can gauge the reaction so quickly make it a very powerful tool, but what about websites?
Laura and Peter discuss why having a carefully considered and curated website will not only help promote you and your work but can even result in sales.
Is a website still a necessity with all the new social media platforms available to artists these days? In this episode Laura and Peter discuss why websites work for artists and how to go about setting one up and maintaining it professionally even if, like Laura and Peter, you’re no computer expert.
In this episode…
A website is a shopfront for your skills. Social media platforms are a great way of building an audience, but a website allows your individual style to show through in its design and presentation. Plus, it showcases your artwork in a cohesive way, revealing your identity and the linear progress of your work which is something gallerists and dealers will need to see. For the general public it’s an expectation and people can become uneasy when no website is available.
You don’t need to be a computer genius to design a website. Sites are easily designed using a template; many companies offer a full service of templates for building a site backed up with support, trouble shooting and ongoing maintenance services. Alternatively, you can commission someone to design a bespoke website. Like a bespoke suit, this will cost more, but you can make it completely individual. Planning your website on paper first is a great way of getting what you need from a web designer.
Whatever way you create your site, it must be easy to update and manage. An out of date website is worse than no website: it gives the message that you don’t care! An incentive to keep on top of it is to remember that a current and frequently updated website will rise in search engine rankings, unloved websites sink down the rankings to obscurity.
Check and double check to make sure your website works and keep it simple! You have a couple of seconds at best to engage the audience and simplicity of use will win over arty design every time. Same goes for your choice of website address: your own name is probably best in most cases, otherwise choose something easy to spell and catchy and be prepared to work at marketing that web address to your audience
It’s your duty to respond to your website audience. If you decide to sell through your website, you are choosing to be a shop keeper and must keep up with orders in a professional manner! Similarly, it is important to respond to any enquiries, keep some stock answers if you get a lot of similar requests for information.
Refresh and update your website’s style from time to time. Keeping things clean, simple and current will reassure your visitors that you are a professional. Always check material on your site for spellings, that photos are correctly captioned and positioned and that links work properly.
Take Aways…
Keep an eye on your site and be prepared to refresh and update it regularly. Keeping content relevant, plus an occasional design overhaul will showcase your professionalism as well as your artwork
Why not visit Laura’s and Peter’s website?
