How Many Art Websites Should I Have?
How many websites should you have when selling your artwork?
I have a really easy answer and solution to this question...have multiple domain names that link to each other. Let me explain. Nothing says that you only can have one domain name at a time. I have several for my art course and they link to each other. The way you can apply this is to leave your current site alone, create another site using your own name for works that don't fit a particular theme or series and even consider creating sites for new series or themes. Let's say you decided to do a series of work about the state of Georgia (Didn't Ray Charles sing about "Georgia on my Mind?"...Hey there's another site!), what stops you from registering another domain name for $8.95 and put up your Georgia work to that site. This gives visitors the impression that the entire site is oriented to Georgia themed art. Each of these sites can link back to your "name" site where visitors can come to see your new work or work that doesn't fit into the theme that they were visiting to begin with. You are creating a huge net that captures visitors searching for particular themes or artwork. Does this all make sense?
I am going to "pull back the curtain" so to speak so you can see how I make use of this when getting artists into my database at:
www.TheThrivingArtist.com
Check out these sites below and see what they all have in common. I am sure you will see it by the second site :)
www.ceramicsresourcedirectory.com
www.sculptureresourcedirectory.com
www.sketchingresourcedirectory.com
www.airbrushresourcedirectory.com
Get the picture? Someone into ceramics would find the first site, someone into sculpture would have gone to the second site and so on. The point is, if you have server space, put up several sites with your artwork grouped according to theme and link them together so visitors can go between them. The analogy I can share with you is a mall. You may go to the mall looking for a particular shirt. You go to the intended store and buy the shirt but you happen to walk by another store carrying a pair of shoes that catches your eye. Give people the option. I have found that it is difficult trying to be please everyone thru one website that is general in nature, but having "niched" sites targeted to one niche works. Give it a try and let me know what you think. I hope that helps, let me know.
Best wishes,
Steve
The Thriving Artist
I have a really easy answer and solution to this question...have multiple domain names that link to each other. Let me explain. Nothing says that you only can have one domain name at a time. I have several for my art course and they link to each other. The way you can apply this is to leave your current site alone, create another site using your own name for works that don't fit a particular theme or series and even consider creating sites for new series or themes. Let's say you decided to do a series of work about the state of Georgia (Didn't Ray Charles sing about "Georgia on my Mind?"...Hey there's another site!), what stops you from registering another domain name for $8.95 and put up your Georgia work to that site. This gives visitors the impression that the entire site is oriented to Georgia themed art. Each of these sites can link back to your "name" site where visitors can come to see your new work or work that doesn't fit into the theme that they were visiting to begin with. You are creating a huge net that captures visitors searching for particular themes or artwork. Does this all make sense?
I am going to "pull back the curtain" so to speak so you can see how I make use of this when getting artists into my database at:
www.TheThrivingArtist.com
Check out these sites below and see what they all have in common. I am sure you will see it by the second site :)
www.ceramicsresourcedirectory.com
www.sculptureresourcedirectory.com
www.sketchingresourcedirectory.com
www.airbrushresourcedirectory.com
Get the picture? Someone into ceramics would find the first site, someone into sculpture would have gone to the second site and so on. The point is, if you have server space, put up several sites with your artwork grouped according to theme and link them together so visitors can go between them. The analogy I can share with you is a mall. You may go to the mall looking for a particular shirt. You go to the intended store and buy the shirt but you happen to walk by another store carrying a pair of shoes that catches your eye. Give people the option. I have found that it is difficult trying to be please everyone thru one website that is general in nature, but having "niched" sites targeted to one niche works. Give it a try and let me know what you think. I hope that helps, let me know.
Best wishes,
Steve
The Thriving Artist
posted by Steve Popkin at
1:07 AM
