by Rebecca Sciullo | Feb 19, 2020 | Artist Websites, Blogging, Events, Learning
I want to thank the Upper St. Clair League for the Arts for inviting me to present at their member meeting last night.
The topic was Building a Strategic Web Presence, where we talked about how visual artists can use blogging to strategically and systematically promote their work. This was the first talk where I was able to focus solely on the topic of blogging for an art business, which as you’ve probably figured out by now, is my passion.
They are a friendly, attentive group. If you are a visual artist in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, I encourage you to visit this art league.
If you’d like to schedule this presentation for your group, please contact me at becky@artisan-advantage.com.
by Rebecca Sciullo | Feb 3, 2020 | Artist Websites, Blogging, Learning
I had a consulting call recently with a client about building a blog for her creative business. While she was on board with the concept and how it could benefit her career, she said that she felt very overwhelmed. And I agreed.
It can be overwhelming to think about building your artist blog.
I did it from scratch, not knowing a thing about blogging. My client can do it. I know that you can do it too.
What popped into my head during that call was the adage, “How do you eat an elephant?”
You’ve heard the saying, and you know the answer – one bite at a time, of course.
The same is true for your artist blog.
There are tangible ways to control the overwhelm. I can teach you.
Over the coming weeks, I’m going to walk you step by step through some of the basics of this process. Let’s call it Artist Blogging 101.
So stay with me here, check back weekly, and I’ll guide you through the process.
by Rebecca Sciullo | Dec 19, 2019 | Artist Websites, Learning, Resources, Tools
What’s Going On…
Earlier this year, I decided it was time to refresh my father’s website. I built his first site with the now discontinued Microsoft FrontPage back in 2007. About five years later, I had a new site built on Squarespace. At that time, it was a solid reflection of his work. But web design trends change quickly. The website looked outdated, and as I’m more familiar with WordPress, it was not the easiest for me to maintain. After a round of art marketing round tables this fall, I took some time off from this blog to update his web presence.
It took some time, however, to decide how we wanted things to look. The Squarespace site provided a complete gallery of his artwork, which was becoming unnecessary, as we now use Artwork Archive to keep all of the work up to date online. We decided to use the WordPress.com platform to build a blog based website, and then link it to Artwork Archive. Once a decision was made on how to proceed, the website came together in about a week.
Above is a snapshot of the site before the refresh.
Below is a preview of the new look. Click here for a full view.
Back to Blogging
Quick success with his first website was a direct result of using a blog to promote his work. It was time to recommit to this tool and set his blog as his home page on the new site. We plan on using the blog to reconnect our network, promote his art, and get back to giving his audience more of the story behind his work.
Artwork Archive Component
Artwork Archive is an integral part of his web presence. We’ve been using it for several years to inventory work and keep track of sales. We are now using all features of this system, including the ability to build an online portfolio for different audiences. So, instead of creating an extensive gallery on WordPress, his website links directly to his Artwork Archive profile. Visitors are always viewing the most current work along with relevant information, such as whether or not the piece is still available.
As I move forward with this project, I look forward to posting more things I’ve learned while revamping his web presence as well as the transitioning of his brand from Appalachian Studio to Robert Yonke Art.
Are You Updating Your Website in 2020?
Do you have plans for building or updating your website in 2020? Stay tuned to Artisan Advantage for more content focused on building your web presence.
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
by Rebecca Sciullo | Nov 11, 2019 | Artist Websites, Learning, Tools
Are you missing out on timely information?
If you are a subscriber of Artisan Advantage, you should be receiving a newsletter once a month from me.
In talking with a few artists recently that I work with, it seems some of you are not receiving my messages. I’ve also been surprised that winners of my Artisan Advantage Book Club giveaway are not responding to claim their free books! Then it dawned on me that my emails are probably ending up in junk or spam folders.
It is not uncommon for an ISP (Internet Service Provider) to use filters to send an email newsletter to junk or spam folders. It happens to me too. Even my daughter’s school’s emails go to my spam box. And it’s a little embarrassing to not respond to the teacher!
Let’s fix this problem.
by Rebecca Sciullo | Sep 16, 2019 | Artist Websites, Learning
Are you currently building or planning out a website for your art? Your artist website is a vital part of running a successful visual art business. Your website should be your own unique space; however, there are five things that every artist website should include.
Here are five things that your website should contain.
A homepage that encourages visitors to browse and engage with your website. Use solid images that represent your work, along with a brief description of your work. Help viewers to understand a bit about you at first glance. Get to the point. Keep words concise, punchy, and compelling to hook visitors and get them to explore deeper into your site.
An About page the tells people about you and your story.
People want to know why you are an artist. What goes into the effort to create your work? What makes you and your work special. Avoid making your About page too long or tedious. Let potential customers see who’s behind the art, but get to the point. Pictures of you working in the studio are a great addition to an About page.
A Gallery of Your Work
Present images of your work in an organized fashion. If you have different types of work, organize the work into logical categories. Images are key. Be detailed enough so that what you create and sell is clear to visitors. Also, by being clear in your language, you better optimize your pages for search engines, and this means it will be easier to you find your site.
A great addition is to provide an in situ page where customers will be able to see your work installed in home and businesses. Seeing your work this way helps them to visualize what it might look like in their space.
Contact Page
How can I get in touch with you? As well as providing essential contact information, including your email address, phone number, and address, your contact page should encourage visitors to connect with your business on the social media channels you use as well.
If you have a studio or gallery that is open to the public, include directions and possibly a map. Many website platforms today make it easy to embed an interactive Google map, so visitors don’t get lost. Be sure to include your hours of operation.
Call to action
What do you want people to do? Would you like them to visit your studio or attend an event? Can you help them to find your work in a gallery or retail store? Can you ask them to subscribe to your mailing list? Make sure that you are specific about what people need to do to find you, your work, or connect with you. Place the call to action on whichever page you think makes the most sense.
Future posts will cover other enhancements that you can make to your website. Start with these five, and you will have the foundation for a reliable place where people can learn about you and your work and connect with you.
Would you like regular updates for your art business? Subscribe to Artisan Advantage’s newsletter here.
by Rebecca Sciullo | Mar 20, 2019 | Artist Websites, Learning, Social Media
Did you have trouble with Facebook last week? I was frustrated when attempting to log in at my desktop I saw this screen. It was a good reminder of why in addition to a social media presence, you need your own artist website.
You Should Be in Control of Your Online Presence
Social media is a necessary tool for your visual art business, but you need a home base that you control. Building a website can be a lot of work, but it can be done. I built my first artist website in 2006 with the Microsoft FrontPage program without any prior training or knowledge. Things have gotten easier since then and there are different ways that you can approach building your artist website.
How to Build an Artist Website
Hire Someone to Build it For You
Hiring a professional to build your artist website means that your website will be exactly what you want, to your specifications and can include functionality such as a shopping cart and email marketing system. You will also have someone to help with updates and fixes, at most likely on an hourly or fixed fee basis. Your cost will be higher than if you build it yourself. You will still spend time on the site, as you will have to communicate your needs to your web developer. Also, you will likely be responsible for hosting, upkeep and protecting it, which means you will have an ongoing expense to pay the developer to do these things for you.
Build Your Own From “Scratch”
You can build your own artist website using open source software like WordPress.org. I learned how to build Artisan Advantage this way by taking Christina Hills’ Website Creation Workshop. I don’t know that I would have been able to do it without taking her course. It was a worthwhile investment for me because so far I’ve been able to take care of the site on my own. Using WordPress.org is free, but there are costs involved if you are want to use a premium theme and certain plug-ins. Also, you will have the expenses of hosting, a domain name, upkeep and protecting the site in this scenario as well.
Do it Yourself with a Website Builder Tool
Building your own artist website using an all in one website builder platform is probably the easiest way to build your first site. With little technological know how you can literally build a website on some platforms in a few hours. This method is also more cost-effective as prices are often spread out with a low monthly fee. You can choose from pre-built professional designs and will have access to mobile templates and responsive designs that display well on different screens. Update content instantly, so when that new piece is ready to go, you can get it on the site without asking someone to do it for you. You can witch designs easily without having to make requests of a developer. The platform will typically handle hosting, security and software updates.
While it is possible to get a “free” website, you should eventually opt for a paid plan. It will be ad-free and you can use your own domain address. These platforms can be limiting and packages often come with pre-determined features, but for most visual art businesses these platforms will be sufficient.
Most will allow you to try before you buy. Take advantage of trial offers or free plans to see if you like the tool before you upgrade.
Some platforms to consider are Wix, Weebly, Squarespace, and WordPress.com.
No Matter How You Build Your Site, Always Do This
Map out your web pages and the content before you start building.
Use a custom domain name for your artist website, rather than using a generic address provided by the web platform.
Use quality images of your work. Learn how to take and edit high-quality photos of your work or find someone to help you.
Provide your contact information on the site.
Capture email addresses for future communications.
Just Do It!
Building your own site might seem like a big job, but it will be worth it in the long run.
