Whether you are just building your reputation as an artist or have already established yourself in the industry, you can immensely benefit from having your website. This is a one-stop destination for potential clients and fans to find out all they want about you. It will get you the exposure you deserve and allow you to promote and sell your services. However, your website should be a virtual representation of your art and talent, and it needs certain elements for this. So…
What should an artist website have? An artist website should have the following elements:
- It should be an extension of your personality and art.
- It should introduce your work to visitors through an About Me Page and house your online portfolio.
- Your website should also contain relevant details like your contact information, links to social media pages, and press coverage you receive.
- A subscription option to your newsletter and mailing list is a good idea too.
- Additionally, you should focus on design aspects like attractive design, simple layout, and easy navigation format.
- You can also include e-commerce to sell your artwork through the website.
- Finally, Search engine optimization and a valid SSL certification are critical to the long-term success of any artist website.
Let us look at each of these factors (and some more) in greater detail now to understand why they matter.
Recommended Further Reading: How To Easily Make A WordPress Website For Artists
10 Things That You Need On Your Artist Website
If you are still unsure if you need a website or not, here are 8 reasons why artists need websites.
And every artist website needs the following core elements to be effective, engaging, and informative.
1. Neat And Impressive Design
Impress visitors with a simple, elegant website that displays your work in an organized and attractive fashion.
Choose a neat layout with a simple color palette and let your art do the talking.
Organize your artwork neatly and arrange it systematically so that it can be easily located and accessed.
Avoid flash and animation tools that may not be accessible on certain devices and browsers.
2. Simple Text-Based Menus
Easy navigation is a must so that visitors who aren’t tech-savvy can also access your website easily.
Put forth all information in such a way that visitors can quickly scan your site and find what they need.
Text-based menus are very effective in this.
The menu components should be clear and accurate. It should also follow a consistent style.
Keep the items in your navigation menu to a minimum, and it won’t confuse visitors.
3. About Me Page
Introduce new visitors to who you are and what you do through an attractive About Me page.
Use this space to tell your story and share details like where you live, what your art represents, your inspiration, and anything else that is relevant. It doesn’t have to be too long.
Also, don’t brag or be pretentious. However, include details about awards and recognitions that you have received, as this will add to your credibility.
4. Artwork And Relevant Details
Visitors to artist websites expect to see glimpses of the artist’s work on it.
So, add links to your recent work or high-quality samples of your work to your website to engage visitors.
Remember that your website is a professional space. Include only high-quality pictures that show your work in the best possible way. You can also include brief descriptions for each item in the display, if necessary.
If you plan to market or sell your art through the website, you should add relevant details of the different items to it.
For paintings, sculptures and craftwork, include at least two to three images of each work, taken from different angles. This will help visitors visualize it better.
5. Subscription Option To Your Mailing List
One of the easiest ways to promote your services and generate new business leads is through mailing lists.
Use your artist website to collect email addresses of people who appreciate your work through a sign-up option.
To encourage visitors to supply their email addresses, come up with interesting offers like a newsletter subscription, or discounts on orders and tickets to your art exhibitions.
6. Social Media And Sharing Buttons
You may already have accounts on one or more social media channels.
Don’t forget to link your website to these accounts by adding social media buttons to your website.
Social media links will make it easier for people to find your website and vice-versa.
This will increase your online visibility.
It is also an easy and cost-effective way to market your art.
7. Contact Information
People will naturally assume that they can contact you through your website.
So, clearly place your contact details on your website.
If you aren’t keen on providing an email address or telephone number, use a contact form. Your visitors can fill in their contact details and submit their questions/messages through your website.
They can also use this option to check for your availability, book your work, or place new orders. You can respond to them when convenient.
8. News Or Press Page
Every growing artist needs a News page on their website.
This is the space to upload press clippings, magazine articles, and media coverage on events you participate in. This enhances your reputation and creates a favorable impression in the minds of visitors.
You can also use this page to inform potential visitors of upcoming workshops, shows, and exhibitions.
Potential customers who wish to meet you or use your services will find this information useful.
This page will also be helpful for journalists and bloggers who wish to write about you.
9. Ecommerce Facility
Artists can use their websites to sell artwork directly.
Using this channel helps to eliminate service charges on third-party sites.
However, to sell your work through your website, you must set up a secure payment gateway. An SSL certificate ensures client data confidentiality and makes your website safe for card transactions.
For effective marketing, you should also have an attractive and efficient online shop. It should only feature work that is available for sale.
Support each item with relevant details like multiple images, dimensions, the medium used, price, and year of completion, that a potential customer can use to make his decision.
10. Search Engine Optimization
The main aim of setting up an artist website is to increase your visibility and improve business prospects.
Search Engine Optimization strategies are essential in this regard.
Many website builders have inbuilt SEO tools to optimize a website for Google and other search engines.
Apart from using these options, you should also learn the basics of SEO to tweak your website and reach more people.
A blog page will be very helpful, and it will contribute to keeping your website updated to attract customers.
So, In A Nutshell….
An artist website is a valuable tool to display your talent and connect with potential clients. The sooner you build one, the faster you can achieve online visibility and business growth.
Anyone with a creative streak can set up a professional-looking, high-quality website. With website builders like WordPress and Wix, it can be an easy, economical, and fun project. Use these options to get your website up and running as soon as possible.
Focus on the design aspects when building your artist website. Keep it relevant and updated to engage visitors continuously. Also, supply relevant information through an About Me page, Press Page, and Contact Page. Finally, ensure the security of data and optimize it for search engines for long-term success.
