Here are my top ten reasons why artists need a website (and how I can help!)
1. Create a professional image
Taking the time to create a brand identity and establish an online gallery for all your work shows that you are a professional who is serious about creating and selling art. Your artist website is your online professional hub and will provide a real boost to your creative business. You need a website to build your credibility as a professional artist rather than a hobbyist.
People expect to be able to find the website of a well-known artist, maker, or creative. If someone is looking for your website and discovers you don’t have one, this could send the wrong message.
2. Your art in your words
You’ve worked hard to create beautiful artwork – your website is where you can display it your way and talk about it in your own words. You are your very own gallery curator and you get to decide exactly how your work is displayed and shared.
3. Attract a new audience
A website linked with all your social media accounts and with a good ranking on Google will bring your work to a much larger audience. And once a new customer has found you, your website helps them to find out more about you. It also makes it easy for anyone who wants to contact you directly about buying a piece, hiring you for a commission or a creative collaboration.
4. Turn fans into customers
Your website is the perfect place to build an email list of people who are interested in your work. You can communicate directly with anyone who has enquired abouty our work in the past. These are customers who you know are interested in you work, so they are primed and ready to buy when you release new work or hold a new workshop.
5. Market yourself and get insights
Having a website allows you to do more than just display your work. It allows you to share your ethos and your insight with the world. Having a website allows you to find out more about how people interact with your work. This empowers you to focus more energy into the things that work.
Analytics tools like Google Analytics are free and easy to set up. Once in place, they allow you to learn about the people who visit your site.
6. Don’t get lost in the crowd
Your website only features a portfolio of YOUR work, so you won’t get lost amongst millions of other artists. And you don’t have to worry about fitting in with the big guys’ idea of what’s trending right now, a big problem on large showcase or shop sites.
7. Keep your integrity
Being in complete control of your online space means not compromising on any of your principles.
One huge problem with relying on third party services such as Facebook, Instagram, Etsy, etc for your primary online presence is this: you have zero control over the presentation of your artwork, no control over who else that the third party site works with and zero control over who is advertised on your page.
8. No commission costs!
The ability to sell directly via your website means you don’t pay commission to a third party. Anything you sell through your own site goes straight into your pocket (although you will have to pay a small fee to the company who handles your payments, such as Paypal or Stripe). Meaning you get to set prices which make more for you and provide better value for your customers.
9. Be independent
Relying solely on social media or a third party to sell your work is a bit like setting up a stall in someone else’s shop.
Sure, it makes life simpler for you in the short term, but ultimately you have zero control over the space. Keep your fingers crossed that the shop owner stays open, doesn’t decide to charge you an exorbitant rent, or start selling goods that put your customers off and make them go elsewhere. If that happens, suddenly all that hard work you’ve put in attracting clients to your stall will be for nothing. Having a store of your own, however small, keeps you in control.
10. Build your creative business affordably
Don’t let the cost of setting up a website put you off. It really doesn’t need to cost you hundreds of pounds. You can start a website with Studio V Ink for a low fee and take advantage of hosting from as little £20 a month. Plus, let your website grow with you. Our WordPress Content Management System makes it simple to add additional pages and content as you grow. Easily add and edit content, pages and blog posts through a simple, user friendly dashboard which requires no technical expertise.
Contact Studio V Ink and get your creative business online fast, looking fabulous and getting the attention it deserves.
