Creating an Artist’s Website…Without the Headaches

I am constantly surprised at the number of artists I meet that do not have a web presence of any kind, let alone have a website. Developing a professional, engaging presence online is an absolute necessity for any artist who hopes to develop their career and make a living from their art. And it is a lot easier that it may seem.

Setting up a website was the first thing I did once I made the decision to publicly exhibit my work. From the outset I wanted people to be able to contact me easily if they wanted to. Having a website allowed them to do that. It also allowed them learn more about me, see more of my work, get information on future exhibitions etc, all in their own time. The difference between having the website or not is simple, if you don’t have one then you lose a huge opportunity for people to really strengthen the connection they have already made with you and your work. I have started to think of my website now as my “virtual” studio and my aim is to make it as welcoming and engaging an experience as when someone visits my studio.

It is now easier to setup a great looking website than it has ever been. And you don’t have to be a professional web designer to it. Nor do you have to spend a fortune hiring someone to build you one. The simplest and quickest way to set up a great artist’s website is to use one of the many portfolio website providers that can now be found on the web. Blog websites are also becoming more and more popular, but I still find that having a dedicated static website allows me to create a stronger showcase for my work while still allowing me to integrate my Artist’s News blog.

Most portfolio website providers offer amongst other things:

• Full Hosting and domain name registration service
• 24/7 maintenance
• A selection of professional looking HTML and FLASH templates
• Ability to integrate video, audio as needed.
• Integrated Email and email management
• Full control over the uploading and editing of all your content
• Support line and email help
• Ability to expand and add to your website as you grow your business (i.e. you may want to add/integrate Blog at some time
• New services and templates added annually

The downside of using a portfolio provider is that you are working with templates, which of course means you are limited to the design provided. So, you might find that you would like to have an extra text box on your front page but the template design won’t allow it. But overall I have found that because the templates have been designed specifically for artists and photographers they tend to cover everything you need.

The cost of using a Portfolio Website Provider can vary – from no cost at all to around $300 a year. You can pay more but there should be no reason to, unless you wanted a fully integrated content management system. As a general rule of thumb the more you pay the easier it is to use and the bigger the selection of templates you will get to choose from. I have been using Foliolink (www.foliolink.com) for my painting website for the past 7 years and have found them to be very reliable and responsive to requests for help and support – pretty important given that I am based in Ireland and my website is based in New York! The quality of templates is also second to none.

Some other providers I have looked into and are well worth checking out are:

• www.foliosnap.com
• www.foliotwist.com
• www.bigblackbag.com
• www.homestead.com
• www.artistportfoliowebsite.com (FREE)

Whichever solution you choose to go with there are some simple guidelines to consider when setting up your website.-

5 things to consider when setting up your website

1. Think of your website as your online or “virtual” studio, where you will be inviting people in to see your work and to see how you work.
2. Register your own Domain Name. Your own domain name is central to how you plan to brand yourself online. So even if you have no plans to set up a website for some time it is still advisable to register your own domain name.
3. No one will know you have a website unless you tell them. So you need to market it at every opportunity – business cards, on your email, on any promotional materials or press releases, on the back of your paintings etc
4. Do not expect to sell work directly from your website. (You may be pleasantly surprised some day and get an online sale, but treat it as the exception to the rule). People still want to be able to see the real thing, smell the paint, before they buy and will use your website more as a shop window, a way to preview the work without any pressure, before going to see the "real thing" in your studio or gallery. This is quite a generalisation and while it certainly reflects the art market in Ireland and the UK is may not be the same in the US or further afield.
5. Your website should be engaging, welcoming. Remember it’s “your” website, “your” online studio, so it’s your chance to speak directly to your audience, in your own voice. Give people a chance to feel you are talking to them. Write in the first person. If you have some press reviews or articles written about you then by all means have them on your website, but your “artist statement”, your biography, your writings on your process etc should all be written as though you were sitting in front of someone having a one to one conversation.

In a future post I will look at some of the free online services that are available to you to help you develop your website into an even more comprehensive, engaging showcase for you and your work.