Create an artist website-why your own homepage is so important for creative people

Own website for artists and other creative: Why it is so important

Great art in the past was discovered by galleries, written manuscripts selected by publishers.

Nowadays, great content from ordinary people are discovered first -hand, on the World Wide Web or on social media. There is no longer a barrier between the artist and the masses.

If you have an online presence-and found your work, shared, "pinned" or "liked"-you can achieve a level of awareness that you could only dream of in the past.

A single picture or a blog post can receive thousands of calls in a very short time; by a large number of potential customers, admirers and fans.

If you are an artist, photographer, writer (or another creative entrepreneur), you have to use the power of the Internet and create your own website as soon as possible.

 

There is enormous potential for creative people on the Internet. Creating a website is the most effective way to market your work, build a brand and sell works of art, creative products and services. In addition, creating a website something that even a student or student (someone with little money and without prior web design experience) can do.

1. Why online platforms and social media profiles are not sufficient

Social channels such as Instagram , Facebook , Pinterest , Flickr , or online platforms for creative people such as deviantart , behavior , Saatchi Online , Imagekind , Redbubble , Etsy and Tumblr are all great channels to draw attention to their art. However, they are not sufficient for sustainable success as an artist.

There are many social media platforms on which parts of content is promoted. These can be helpful to promote their own work, to meet others with similar interests, to maintain feedback and to achieve other social networks. To be an active member of some of these websites can be a good idea, and actually a fundamental part of your online strategy.

these channels should complement your own website, not replace . They should be used as marketing outlets to direct traffic to your own website, not as a replacement for this.

2. A warning of free website bubilder / free portfolio website website

Many people search for the "best free website builder for artists" or a "free artist website" on Google. Others are looking for more specific information and compare different website builders such as Wix vs. Weebly vs. Blogger vs. Squarespace vs. Google Sites vs. Adobe Spark page and so on.

Together with many other customizable websites, these platforms are aimed at those who are looking for a simple way to present their work online (these platforms, for example, enable you to set up simple websites for photo portfolios or graphic design portfolios, normally with higher-priced premium plans that are marketed in parallel).

These website builder are usually refined and aesthetically appealing, with drag-and-drop templates that are tempting for beginners. In fact, they can be a suitable option for those who want to create a website that they want to share with family or friends, or a temporary online portfolio, but they should never be used by someone who is seriously interested in Google's website and should be visited every day by hundreds or thousands of people.

For the best chances of success as a serious artist, you have to create your own original website. ”

Here are the reasons for this:

2.1. You need complete control over layout and design

Aesthetics is important. Websites should show their creativity and convey style and individuality so that they stand out from the crowd. This cannot be achieved with a standard page on a free website that uses a template that looks like a million others.

With your own website you can select a great design topic and adjust it as you wish.

2.2. You need a great website name, not your name.freeservice.de

A website name (called domain) is the starting point for your brand. For only around 15 euros per year, you can give the impression that you are a professional in which it is worth investing. Take your work seriously.

Since original website names cost so little, there is no excuse for not having your own.

2.3. You have to optimize your website so that you can take a good placement on Google for relevant search terms

If you cannot optimize your content for search engines, your website hovers solely in the depths of cyberspace and rely on endless social media advertising and friendly visits to friends.

Google has a secret (and constantly updated) algorithm, with which it is determined where websites should appear in the search results. If someone is looking for something on the Internet, Google's search engine carries out a complex calculation (which lasts the fraction of a second) to estimate which - from all websites in the world - you want to see as a searcher.

According to Search Engine Journal , 28.5 % of users click on the first result shown in Google, 15.7 % on the second result and even less on the third. If your website does not make it to the first result page, only a tiny percentage of people will ever find it.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is not possible on most free websites and social media platforms (or not to sufficient dimensions). To make matters worse, Google knows whether your website has been created on a free platform and your website may be assessed accordingly: as less professional, less serious and less important.

Unfortunately, these lower barriers (who are supposed to encourage a less technology -loving audience) can sometimes attract some dodgy characters such as spammer who are looking for cheap and simple ways to set up dozens or hundreds of websites that add little or no added value to the web. With regard to automatically generated websites, our attitude remains the same: If the websites do not offer sufficient added value, we generally consider them as spam and take suitable measures to protect our users from being exposed to such websites in our natural search results. " -Google Webmaster

In other words, with a free platform you have to work much harder to convince Google that your content is worth a ranking, and even then you do not have the tools to make it easy: you start with a disadvantage. This is one of the most important factors that have to be taken into account when deciding whether to create your own website.

2.4. Schools and universities should be able to see their content

A growing number of schools and universities blocks any access to social media and free blogging platforms, since, as mentioned above, these are often used by sparrows and people who share dodgy content.

Even if you have no direct connection to the educational industry, it is a great advantage if your work of educational institutions can be found. For example, students often attend artists for their homework and seminars and study works of art and content.

Schools and universities then link to the website. Authentic links from relevant websites signal Google that the artist website is of high quality (left of educational institutions are considered particularly valuable). This in turn means that Google trusts the homepage more and classifies it even higher. As mentioned above, websites win more visitors with a high ranking.

2.5. Your works must be emphasized and must not go under in the mass

If someone is considering buying their works of art (or other creative products) on a social media platform or a common website with several sellers, buyers are often distracted by the countless other articles that appear in their feed.

They want people to become aware of their fantastic creations without others competing for attention. You do not come to this fact on social or community websites: buyers can easily be removed from competitors.

2.6. You need control over how to earn money with your website

If you have your own website, the earning options are completely checked by you. You can sell works of art , products or services directly from the website . You can add advertising , search for sponsors , affiliate products , print-on-demand articles or simply concentrate on building up your brand, popularity and fame.

Social media platforms and free website kit systems often place-outside of your control-inappropriate advertising next to your work or have strict guidelines that regulate the way you do business on your platform. It is very common for free website manufacturers to place their own branding on their entire website and try to return their visitors to you.

Generating income from your own website is much easier. For example, if you to sell works of art online , you can do this in a few minutes by adding a "buy now" button next to the work. Alternatively, you can add professional shopping baskets or other commercial functions.

2.7. Measure and analyze the number of visitors and important statistics on your website

"Google Analytics" and "Search Console" are free Google tools that can easily be integrated into their own website. Most free website manufacturers or social media platforms do not allow you to use them and offer inferior statistics, if at all.

Google Analytics and the Search Console provide detailed information about the visitors of your website. For example, you can see which countries come from, how many minutes you spend on certain pages, which pages you leave immediately and what you have entered in Google before you get to your website.

This information is invaluable . It helps to design and steer your creative work and improve your content for the future.

2.8. You must be able to build an email list

A few years ago, Facebook its news feed algorithm in such a way that every “status update” of a Facebook company page was only displayed a small percentage of followers. In order for posts to be shown more fans, you now have to pay money to apply them - even for those who have decided to follow their side.

Therefore, the value of a large Facebook fan base took over overnight and paralyzed many small companies that had rely on Facebook to reach their audience. Similarly, YouTube recently made significant changes to his algorithm, which affects which videos are shown to the viewers, which makes it more difficult for creators to see their videos. YouTube also prohibits certain content and demonstrates videos when they believe that they violate their constantly changing guidelines.

Instagram also makes it increasingly difficult to generate more reach in an organic way.

Social media platforms are companies that prioritize their own interests. If you have your own website, you have the option that your target group will share your email address with you. So you are not dependent on the mercy of third parties: you can step in Contact Us .

An email list is an asset that you can secure and that enables you Contact Us your audience, no matter what happens. Almost all online entrepreneurs regret not starting an email list earlier. An email registration field can be added to your own website in a few minutes.

2.9. You must be able to simply move your website files from one place to another

If you start with a free blogging platform and find out later that you should create your own website (as most who are serious about online marketing), this step is often difficult to move your content from the free platform to your own website (it may be necessary to manually exclude and recreate every element-or to create the entire website).

Which method you also choose to create an online presence, it must portable . Moving, downloading or securing material from your own website is easy - you have access to each of your files and can export them with just a few clicks and migrate to a new environment.

If you also decide to switch from a free website name (e.g. yourname.kunsloserservice.de) to an original website name (e.g. iShname.de), any search engine authority that you previously built on Google will be lost. This cannot be transferred to the new website and remains with the online platform provider. In other words, you have to work up again in the Google rankings.

2.10. The topic of copyrights and data sovereignty: 100 % of the website must be yours

If you create a website on a free platform, your website is actually a sub -section of the website of another company. Website providers can close unexpectedly and take their content and followers with them. Those who offer free services are particularly susceptible to a breakdown. Wikispaces has the following message on your website:

As stated in our message from January 2018 and in website banners; As of July 31, 2018, all free and classroom wikis were deactivated and are no longer accessible.

The formerly popular MySpace suffered a similar fate and buried many creative careers.

In addition, platforms can block them or delete their files and they cannot do anything about it. They can suddenly be overhauled by a more successful platform, as it happened when Facebook gained popularity and MySpace wasted.

They can be sold to another company that may lead things completely differently, e.g. B. was bought by Smugmug a flickr If you have the potential to create a beautiful, impressive website, it is too risky to deliver this to the "moods" of another company. It is too valuable resource.

You must create your own website and keep it in your possession.

3. Why it is worth creating your website as quickly as possible

If you are serious about building an online audience, you have to create your own website as soon as possible.

Here are good reasons for quick action :

3.1. Domain Age: Older websites tend on Google higher

There are many factors that affect a website in search engines (the higher your rank, the more visitors your website get).

The age of the website is one of these factors - a signal that your website is more of a real, authoritative website. The earlier you start, the sooner you can start building the authority of your website on Google.

3.2. Website names are limited and good domains are quickly sold out

Over time, less high-quality website names (these are called "domain names") are available: yourname.de may have already disappeared. Many great domain names have already been bought and are resold for thousands of euros.

The following tutorial shows you how to check which domain names are still available:

3.3. Lockdowns mean that more and more people are buying products online

If there was ever a time to build an online presence, then now. Many artists and creative entrepreneurs who used to think of creating a website have urgently granted this activity in view of the events of the past few years.

Many art teachers and course providers also opt for the creation of websites to guide their students from long -distance lessons. This leads to another rush of people who grab doma names.

3.4. Your age and current circumstances are not an obstacle to success

You don't have to wait until you have more time or "more successful" . They are also not too young or too old for this type of “technological” undertakings.

Creating a website sounds intimidating, but it only takes a few hours for it to be used in large features. Many great websites are created by young people with little money or resources. Teenagers aged 14 have experienced large online successes. With the permission of the parents you can start with it during middle school.

Setting up a website can be an excellent project for an art, design or technology student. earn money until the time when you start career as a freelance artist . In addition, the skills you learn when creating a website improve your employment prospects after completing your conclusion.

The best thing is that the whole process is fun. It is exciting and enriching - almost addictive - to watch people from all over the world visit your website and see your content every day.

4. What is the best way to create an artist website (or any other website)?

There are two basic ways to create an original, professional and unique website.

The first is to use "content management system" A content management system can be imagined like Microsoft Word. It is a program or tool that makes the process of creating a digital document much easier.

Content management systems are designed for the normal user, so that no knowledge of code is required. They save time and money and at the same time enable creative, unique results.

The second way to create an original website is to commission developers and/or web designer (or to learn to program yourself) and to create the whole thing from scratch. Even if you have sufficient remedies to hire a developer or know your way around programming, it is still advisable to use an existing content management system in almost all cases.

This not only saves time and money, but a website that has been created from scratch is also much more difficult to wait, since only the person who understands how it works is also the one that has created it. On the other hand, if you use a popular content management system, there are many tutorials, communities and forums that publish advice online and like to pass on.

If you don't get ahead at any point, there are answers online to almost any question that you can imagine. There are also thousands of developers who specialize in every popular content management system. This means that you are not dependent on a single expert who knows your website well and are not susceptible if this expert is suddenly no longer available.

Conclusion: If you do not have a team of specialized developers and try to create something like the next Facebook, the use of an existing content management system far from the best option .

5. Create your own website as an artist - guidelines, tips, do's & don'ts

 

Here are some elementary things that you should definitely consider right from the start:

Step 1: Consistent orientation towards your art

Working as an artist means constantly trying to increase the visibility and step into Contact Us with new fans. Getting space in galleries, solo exhibitions, art fairs and media reporting is of crucial importance for the process. But nothing has greater potential (especially from the perspective of a cost-benefit view) to achieve more people-and art buyers-than their own website.

The most important advice in advance: Your website should devote yourself entirely to you and your work . Consider it as a attelier visit or a reading where you are not present.

A visitor to the website should be able to find all the information images of your work (if necessary in detail), excerpts from your texts, information about your career , a biography and/or a statement and relevant press or review .

Interested website visitors to your homepage should be able to discover press releases or printable images, to find your Contact Us information and to find out about your upcoming public events, exhibitions and projects.

A separate artist website is a powerful tool to communicate with your audience and in turn enables him to communicate with you. A website can also be used to promote the work of artist colleagues or social purposes or keep people up to date through their process.

A well -designed, functional website is a great advertising material for aspiring artists and artists in the middle of their career . Regardless of whether you design your own website or hire or hire someone,

You have a tool that everyone in the world can access to find out more about you and your work at any time. Your website should have a clear navigation and high -quality representations of your work.

Step 2: identify individual goals

First determine your very personal goals for creating an artist website. Would you like to simply use the page as a digital portfolio of your work? Do you want to sell art online ? Is the website also intended for marketing purposes , for example to announce a gallery in which visitors can personally see their art?

Your goals determine which type of website functionality is required. In this way you can search for the right CMS and template that best meets your individual requirements.

Tips for finding the target

You may immediately think of a few concrete goals - such as: B. a different virtual place where you can present your works - but other goals can (still) be unclear.

Here are some suggestions to help:

• Research: Research on other art websites, e.g. B. from Gerhard Richter , David Hockney , Jeff Koons or other well -known artists in their area. This can generate ideas for your own website and helps you to identify the qualities that make up an appealing artist website.
• Create a function list (Feature List): Brainstorms a list of functions and content that you want on your website. Then prioritize the three most important functions that are most important for starting. This exercise will help you narrow your focus so that you can start a first version of your website in good time.
• Start small: When you start, it is best to start with a simpler, more restricted website. A simple artist website enables you to get you running a little faster, even if it is not your ideal. As soon as your website is online, you can develop them bit by bit where you want you - instead of trying to make you perfect from the start.

Step 3: Design concept for structure, layout and content

3.1. Central components: What your artist website definitely needs

Before you deal too much with the detailed design of your site, make sure you have taken into account the basics . The website of every artist needs these core elements , otherwise you can reject potential buyers immediately:

A. Your name

Really, you should add your name to the URL/domain of your website if possible.

Your name is your brand : this is how you will be found. It should be visible at any time, no matter which side the visitor is on. Create a logo and place it in the header of the website to achieve this. Keep your name/logo legible and fat, but the font/the design should fit your work of art so that visitors can remember their names and link it to their work.

B. high quality pictures

Do not compromise on quality here. If you are proud of your art, then show them. Do not post small, blurry, dark or low -resolved images on your website.

Remember that you should see "open studio" If you had someone to visit your studio, would you show him a tiny, blurry polaroid of your work of art or would you show him the original?

While you cannot represent your works perfectly in digital form (unless you are a digital artist ), you would be surprised, which can now do a reasonably decent camera with the right tools (Photoshop & Co.).

C. Kunstwerkdetails

This does not mean close -ups in your work of art (although this can also be important). This point refers to the title, medium, dimensions, price and year of the works .

This information helps the visitor to get an idea of ​​almost everything that he needs to know when he thinks of buying the work of art. It also makes your website better searchable through Google or other search engines (keyword: Scheme Markup and Rich Data).

protect your , do not forget to add a watermark with your name (there are modern technologies that are hardly perceptible to the human eye).

In this way, the one who downloads them cannot use and commercialize them as their own.

D. is that for sale?

You don't just have to post pictures of available works of art, but you should make it very clear which pieces are available for a purchase and which are not.

E. Biography & CV of the artist

This information is particularly useful if you use your website as a portfolio, which more and more artists do these days.

Biography & CV helps with the application with galleries, museums, competitions or orders.

How do I write an artist biography?

F. artist declaration / artist statement

Ideally, the biography should also contain an artist statement that sums up, what constitutes the artist and moves to his work.

Your artist statement speaks for you if you are not there to have the conversation. The statement should always be written in the first person: it differs from a biography.

In the following video you can find out how you write an artist statement (unfortunately only in English):

G. Contact Us Information

Those who cannot be reached cannot sell anything. Make sure that your Contact Us information is not only available on your website, but is also easy to access at the same time.

3.2. The structure-this is how you organize your artist website

Do not push all this information on one page. A good artist's website is like a gallery or a museum. The works of art cannot be stacked and the walls overturn. You have to give every object, whether art or text or text, space to breathe.

The best way to do this is to organize your artist website with pages.

Here is a little secret about creating websites: each page should only have one purpose . By placing too much information (or works of art) on one side, you quickly lose the interest of your visitors.

This is not only the most clear and user -friendly way of organizing your website, but also helps with something SEO (Search Engine Optimization) . SEO keeps your side at the top of the search results when someone uses Google, Yahoo, Bing or another search engine.

SEO is a discipline of Internet marketing that has blossomed into a complex topic. Especially for websites with integrated online shop (such as a Shopify Store for the sale of one's own art), newcomers present great challenges. A professional partner can help here.

If your websites are clearly focused and differentiated , the “crawlers” of the search engines know exactly what the meaning of their site is and will take into account accordingly in the search results.

So which pages do you need?

A. Home / Landing Page

This is the "face" of your website. The homepage should 3 main elements : a title , picture and a sign .

The title should tell the visitor what your website is. "Art of [your name]" or "[your name] artist" is a rather idiot -proof entry. Do not become too complicated or smart here, you want the title to be easily translated into any language.

The image material can be a single work of art, a collage or slide show. Avoid the urge to push all of your works of art on this page: your artwork pages are there for that. The picture quickly gives the visitor a feeling for who they are and what they are about.

If you have three different graphics styles , you can specify an example. However, if your work of art has a fairly uniform style, you do not add more than one picture.

The guide is not a card, but rather a easily understandable navigation menu . It should clearly indicate the different pages available on your website. Do not hide this menu, but make it fat and striking on your side. Keep it on top or on the left side of the side, where it is immediately visible.

B. picture gallery / portfolio / albums

Just like your entire website, your oeuvre should be divided into smaller sections. There should never be more than 20-30 pictures in an album/side, otherwise the users are bored and start to skip pictures. There are many ways to organize and sort your works of art: You can do so by medium, style, year, series or topic.

You can even split your pages into both: You may have an abstract album that is sorted by mood. Or maybe you have a landscape album sorted by seasons. Just don't be too small: Each album should contain at least 10 pictures.

Remember that you want to clarify which works of art are offered for purchase and which are not. You can either specify this directly in the albums or create a special album for available/sold works of art. However, you should not do so if there are more than 25-35 works of art that fall into one of the two categories.

C. "About me"

You can insert your biography, your statement and résumé on this page, but add visual elements to make it easier to "break" long text passages. This can be done either by delimiting each section with a different colored background, or by using images or symbols to separate the text blocks.

Add your portrait picture. Show a picture of you when working in the studio. Do you have the very first crayon drawing you made as a child? Visual elements not only make a website clearer - they also give your artist's website and also give personality and a human element.

D. Contact Us side

Some artists simply insert this into the footer or header of their website, which is a very acceptable method. However, if you have a page for sales/ Contact Us , the website viewer is reminded of you are available.

You can even insert a Contact Us form if you do not want to reveal your personal email address, but be careful to check your messages regularly. You don't want to miss the next big sale.

E. Keep these things away from your website:

Music

Do not install an automatic music playback on your website. If your viewer wants to listen to music, he is already doing this. Music distracts and annoys, and most people will leave your website immediately if you are forced to listen to music against your will.

Show

It is a trap of some "free" website hosts. Before you bind yourself to a host, be sure to check whether it is placed on your website. Ads can distract from their work of art and never look professionally.

Works by other artists

Even if it is a work of art that has inspired it in the past, it will be confused when they see works of art that do not come from them.

Step 4: Create your artist website

In summary, you need three things to create your own website:

1. A domain : This is the name of the website, e.g. B. dasistmeinekunst.de. You have already learned how to find a free domain and register it in the video above.
2. Website hosting : This is rented space on a large server where you save the website files so that your website can connect to the Internet around the clock (there are many good hosting providers, IONOS, WebGO, All-Inkl, Domain Factory and 1Blu).
3. A content management system for creating the website, e.g. B. WordPress that is free.

While the first two points are usually done quickly, the third point requires a little more attention. But don't worry, we guide you through this process:

4.1. Select a CMS

After you have identified your goals and have a developed concept for your website, it is time to find a CMS for implementation.

Your budget is an important consideration. Determine how much you can afford for website costs every month. This determines what type of CMS you can buy and which functions are included.

Check out CMS platforms based on your destinations and your budget that meet your requirements. Some CMS options that work well for artists are Wix , Weebly , Squarespace (especially for portfolio pages) and WordPress .

Our clear favorite is WordPress! In our opinion, the ratio of low costs, almost infinite freedom of design, user friendliness and huge community is unclasched Terms & Conditions AR.

The three first -mentioned CMS also have their advantages, but are limited in many ways and bound to a single company, which means that they are susceptible to many of the weaknesses described above.

The leading content management systems are "open source" : This means that they are cultivated by a huge collection of experienced developers around the world (and are not connected to a single company). As such, follow the best coding practices and are kept up to date.

According to statistics, WordPress (used by approx. 61 %of the market) is the world's leading content management system, followed by Joomla (5 %) and then drupal (3 %). WordPress is not only the most popular content management system, but an estimated 34 % of all websites worldwide.

I have been using WordPress myself since 2009 and recommend it without restrictions. Kunstplaza was also built with WordPress.

It is undoubtedly the best website builder for artists-or for everyone else who wants to create their own website. For entrepreneurs, bloggers, writers or artists who market their services, advertise products or want to create other content -based websites or blogs that are viewed by many people ... WordPress is the best solution.

 

WordPress can be adapted for every conceivable purpose-from an informal blog (an informal, comment-controlled website) to a professional business website or an online shop. It can be used to create an impressive online art portfolio or to present work in any desired way (written text, illustrated articles, running pictures, picture galleries, embedded video clips, etc.).

Just as you can add an "app" to your phone to add additional functions, you can add a WordPress website "plugins" with which you can do almost anything (there are over 52,000 WordPress plugins available). For example, there are free plugins for adding email forms, social shape buttons, now buying buttons, shopping baskets, email registration fields, search engine optimization and so on.

To change the appearance of a WordPress website, click a button to activate a new "design". Some WordPress designs are simple and minimalistic; Others are complex. Everyone can be individually adjusted, depending on their needs.

How difficult is WordPress to use?

As soon as you are familiar with WordPress, e s has a similar level of difficulty as Microsoft Word . But as with all new ones, the first few days are often frustrating. A beginner has not learned where all buttons are, so every task requires a conscious thinking of the steps. In order to make things even more complicated, the registration process uses terminology that is strange to most people, which makes the whole thing appear unnecessarily discouraging.

In order to make beginners facilitate this process, there are countless documentation, forums and tutorials on the Internet - e.g. video tutorials on YouTube . With a short search you will find it quickly.

The following 2 video tutorials form an ideal introduction to WordPress:

The use of WordPress is more difficult than sharing something on Facebook or putting a free drag-and-drop-website together. But it is by no means as difficult as you think. The best way to learn into the cold water and start starting.

If you have survived the first few weeks, it's very easy. In a way, it is almost a good thing that it has a little discouraging on one or the other beginner, as this turns many of their potential competitors off and gives them an advantage.

A note on WordPress.com and WordPress.org

There are two official WordPress pages confusingly. With WordPress.com you can set up a simple free WordPress website: This is not advisable for the reasons listed above.

To fully adjust a WordPress website and use all the advantages of your own website, you must use the full open source version of WordPress , which is described on WordPress.org . Registration for hosting and installing WordPress is very easy and requires only a few clicks.

Step 5: Start and learn

As soon as your website is finished and live, your work has not yet been done. Regular maintenance of the website is of crucial importance, e.g. B. the technical maintenance, update of the website with new works of art as well as information about your latest or upcoming events.

Also take some time to find out how you can further develop and expand the website. Your initial implementation is a starting point. After the start, you may find that website visitors have difficulty finding out how you can buy your art or find exhibition information.

To find out where your website may not achieve your goals, collect and check statistics on your website . This data analysis function is available directly via your CMS or third -party tools such as Google Analytics .

Tips for starting and learning

Here are two recommendations on how to further improve your website:

Use analysis tools: Use Google Analytics or other data tools to find out how long visitors stay on your website. If you look at your website for several minutes, this is an indication that the content of your website is convincing. However, if you only stay on average for a few seconds, this is a sign that something may be wrong with your website.

Perhaps it loads too slowly via a mobile internet connection, or the first page you see, usually your homepage, does not awaken your interest. Test different changes to see how you have an impact on the visitor time on your website, and use the same approach for others important metrics, such as: B. the number of purchases or email registrations.

Use marketing: it is recommended that you operate a certain level of website marketing in order to raise awareness of your work. Send emails or a regular newsletter to people who have registered on your website. Also consider the use of inbound marketing to bring visitors to you and examine the other marketing options that are available via your CMS.

6. More tips for your success

DOS

A. Add personality

Remember that your website can meet a studio visit, a solo exhibition and/or a retrospective or a reading. Curators, editors, agents and producers will deal with this. This usually means preserving a professional tone and avoiding things such as banner advertising or posting pictures of your children or vacation.

However, make sure that you add “you” to your website - do not make it a cold, white gallery room (unless you really represent it); Treat the website like a visit to the studio and give the spectators a feeling for who they are.

B. social sharing - they enable the share of content

If someone likes your work, make it easy for him to advertise you. Your website should have URLs that enable people to write and say to a friend or colleague: "The work of so and so is great, see this sculpture at www.maximemusterfrau.de./Tolle_skulptur.".

Better still, make it possible for people to share content with the “like” buttons on their side on social media. Make sure that your website and pictures for search engine optimization and social sharing are all properly tagged.

C. Context for your works of art

On the respective page, enter a few words from the first person perspective on the inspiration or the circumstances around every work. Fans and buyers combine more with art if they have information about their creation.

Make sure that pieces were recorded in exhibitions or have won prices. This is an important kind of social proof for visual artists.

D. Avoid distractions

Add a direct link to the shop or the sales page to buy every work directly from its portfolio page. It should always be quick and easy to buy your art; Minimize the possibilities for potential buyers to be distracted as soon as they have been convinced of a specific work.

Limit the text on most pages of the website to a minimum. Do not steer too much from what people ultimately have to combine: their art.

E. The About page-show your personality

Break the above rule on your About page, which should also be in your top navigation level. This is the place to maintain stronger personal connections with the public. Let them find out who they are, why they do, what they do, what inspires them, what their process looks like, what their main stories are in their work, what artistic philosophies they drive and so on.

F. the event page

Have an event page in your top level navigation. Make it easy for visitors to find out where your art is currently exhibited, where you will be seen in the near future, at which art fairs you are represented, etc.

G. Blogging

Fans always strive to get further insights into their inspiration, process and career. It is a great way to build stronger relationships and give people reasons to visit their website again. Don't forget to inform the people about awards or media reports that you receive.

H. Start a newsletter

Combine your events, messages and blogs in a newsletter to build a mailing list and a committed fan base.

Usually it works well every month, but you could go two weeks if you have a lot to do. Add prominent requests for action on every page of your website to register.

I. Show your social channels

On each page you have obvious buttons with links to your social networks, which enable visitors to find them immediately on social media and to connect with them there.

Social networks are first -class places to expand their reach, especially if their fans help to promote their work.

J. Keep your website up to date

created your , keep it up to date! There is nothing worse than a website that has obviously not been touched for two years.

Dont's

A. not too much text

Do not use longer text sections. Nobody has time to read several long -winded heels. They don't want to lose the attention of their interested parties. Stay scarce and concise.

If there is a longer text you want to share, link it or create a subpage.

B. do not use outdated film or images

Do not add an old media material that is no longer relevant to you. Concentrate on the type of work you want to do or want to do.

C. Do not use large files

Do not use huge files on your website. The larger your files are, the slower your page will be loaded. Find the balance between high resolution and manageable size.

D. No statements without receipts

Do not mention that you have done things without taking them. If you claim to be a teacher, where do you teach? Since when? Make sure that the reader can believe and confirm everything.

E. they don't wander off

Do not come off the topic. This page is for you as an artist. If you are also bakers or real estate agents, create a separate website. Do not share too many independent personal data that are not relevant for your artistic presence.

F. No shy about Contact Us to former colleagues

Don't be afraid to ask former employees or employers to ask film or photo material. It is unlikely that you already have all photos and videos of your previous work in your possession. Contact the people you probably have. Build up your collection and repertoire so that it feels completely.

G. no endless scrolling

Do not make your page an endless scroll. People don't want to scroll down endlessly for certain information. Use clear navigation links, sub -pages, etc.

H. No change between different writing styles

Switch between the writing styles and the tonality. Do not write some sections in the first person and others in the third person. Do not write some parts in a relaxed, comedic style and others rather formally.

Choose what feels right for you, but stay with it.

I. Do not choose the easiest way

Do not make yourself too comfortable to build your artist side. Don't just choose the most basic layout and dice everything quickly. Make sure that you want to represent yourself in a professional light. They market their personal brand . If you invest time, it will be worth it.

J. Do not be put off by prices

Some components for creating websites have a one -time or annual fee. Yes, it may seem a bit high sometimes, but remember that this is an investment in yourself and your career.

It will have endless advantages later and you will be grateful that you have taken the time and the money into your hands to do it right from the start.

We wish you a lot of success from the bottom of my heart !!