Where to Begin?

Define Your Website Needs

We've had many people come to us and say "I need a website". Often, after asking them a series of questions, we determine that they are indeed ready for a website. But sometimes they aren't. So let's start by discussing what a website can and cannot do for you.

A website gives you an address and "home" on the Internet. Period. Like any piece of real estate, its value is in how well it does what you need for it to do (in look, feel and function) - and, in how much targeted traffic you can drive to it.

Just because you have a website does not mean you'll have visitors to it. So, part of your website strategy is to consider WHO you want to visit your site (your target market) and HOW you'll get them there. If we were talking to business people instead of artists we'd say you need to devise a marketing plan. But, since you are an artist, and may or may not be thinking of your art career as a business, we'll instead say . . . you need to devise a marketing plan. 

If you're serious about promoting your work, you need to think of your art career as a business - whether your goal is to sell, show, teach, or whatever. Therefore, we're going to talk about websites using business terms.

For example, if you simply want a site to send friends and family to so they can see your new work, that's a marketing plan. Your target market is 'your friends and family'. Your strategy for driving traffic is to tell your friends and family about your new site. This can be done probably be done informally by email, postal mail, phone, etc. A marketing plan can be that simple.

However, if your goal is to present your work and credentials to art museums (your target market), then you'll need a different type of site and a more developed marketing plan.

The point here is for you to start thinking about driving traffic - the HOW of marketing - and that has to do with WHO you want to visit your site. When built and marketed correctly, your website can open up brand new avenues for getting your work out there to your target audience. Ideally, you'll want to incorporate it into what you're already doing to get more exposure.

Your Site's Visitors:  WHO, HOW and WHY

It's crucial to start out by defining exactly what you want your site to do for you. The wrong type of site, or a site that is not structured to do what you need for it to do, is a waste of your time, money and effort. In fact, the wrong type of site, and especially a blatantly amateurish one, can even damage the image you're trying to project.

Anyone who shops knows how important image is. As an artist you'll want to project professionalism and expertise, as well as what is unique about you and your work. The right kind of website can be your most important marketing tool. The wrong kind will just cause you problems. Therefore, it's important to define exactly what you want your site to do for you.

The third consideration, right up there with WHO you want to visit your site and HOW you will get them there, is WHY. What do you want visitors to do once they get there?

WHY do you want your friends and family to visit your site? If you just want them to see your new work, then all you need is a simple site with images of your work. But, if you want them to buy your work, comment on your work, attend an upcoming exhibit, sign up for your mailing list or learn about an award you just won, you'll need to structure your site to prompt those actions for you.

Once you're clear on 'why' you want people to visit your site, you can determine what type of site you need and begin collecting the information for it. Whether you build your own site, or have it done for you, developing a new site will require that you collect the images and text that will appear on it - which can be a significant investment of your time. But, when the site is finished, you'll have all of your most important information in one convenient place, which vastly simplifies all future marketing efforts.

Who is Doing the Work?

Since your objective is a professional-quality site (remember, image is everything, especially in the art world) be careful should your neighbor's sister's nephew offer to do a free site for you. Yes, it's appealing to have someone build your site for free or at a deep discount, but make sure they're setting up your site on your own server (hosting account), using professional-quality graphics and putting the emphasis on your art. Check out other sites they've built and make sure they are up to today's standards in look, feel and function.

We build websites for artists at very reasonable prices, and have exclusive programming that can make a static website easy for you to update and maintain on your own. We also can help you get started with blogging. Mostly, we just love to talk about artist websites and would love to bounce ideas with you about yours.

Click here to contact us.