Having a website is a must today if you are an artist because there is no better way to reach out to fellow artists and potential buyers around the globe. Social media helps to enhance your digital efforts but without an actual website, you will not have a prominent identity or seem professional to anyone in the field. However, creating that website needs a fair bit of attention as well because if you make some of the common mistakes that many artists often make while creating their virtual galleries, you will not be getting the attention that you should.
Reliability of the Host
Choosing the right hosting provider is one of the most important and core decisions which you must take. If you get it wrong, it’s going to be very hard to get out of that hole later down the line. Choose a reliable and stable provider like Certa Hosting to ensure that your site never goes offline because if you are planning to reach out to international patrons as well, you will need the site to be functional 24/7. Choosing a free hosting service may seem lucrative as it requires less investment, but the annoying ads, inconsistencies, lack of support and downtime are not worth it if you are serious about showcasing your art online.
Say No to Irrelevant Third Party Advertisements
It’s okay to have a very limited number of ads on your site, especially if they are related to what your art is all about, but never let it get out of hand. If you have too many or irrelevant ads on your site, your viewership will suffer and the real reason you built the website in the first place will fail. No one likes to see a McDonald’s ad on an art site!
Don’t forget to Link
Your Facebook and Instagram posts should always link back to your website and the posts on your website should always have a few links to your social media page. Social media and the site should support each other through linking so that neither is neglected and your art receives as much exposure as possible.
Cater to Strangers
When a new person comes across your site, he/she is not familiar with your art or your website, so it is imperative that you design your website in a way so that any potential patron may navigate it with ease. Be sure to have a welcoming introductory page and categorise your art so that the new visitors do not end up leaving after being confused and not finding what they were looking for. Also, short descriptions are essential to guide newcomers into understanding your art. Don’t make them too long, just long enough to give them a gentle nudge in the right direction.
These are the four basic strategies to keep in mind while designing a site to showcase your art, but they are not the only ones. You will learn more things along the way, but these four should keep you from making the biggest beginner’s mistakes.
