Recently, I had the misfortune of being told I was not being offered a position selling real estate on a team with a new construction Townhome site because I was not “High tech...”
It got me thinking and I thought I’d pass along my thoughts to you. Are You, as an artist, “High Tech” enough? Is it important? Do we have to be? I decided yes to both questions. What do you think?
Last year, I took the plunge and had my friend, Jill Goodell’s, son, Alex, create a art website for me. www.alexgoodell.com Alex is very creative and well trained and did a very nice job. I have been proudly adding to it ever since. It has become, a chronicle of where I’ve been art wise and where I am going. So far 1400 people have visited it. WOW!!! That’s a lot of people. Check it out. www.lenall.com But have I taken advantage of these visits? Probably not.
We as artists need to ensure that our websites are working for us as silent salesman. Ask yourself: Do you have prices, sizes of available art? Have you added paypal as an opportunity to buy now to take advantage of impulse sales? Have you given collectors means to get hold of you---email address and phone numbers? Have you done an Artist Bio? An Artist Statement? Have you got a visitor counter to measure who comes on your site? Can you tell where visitors are coming from? Do you have a space where you tell them where your art is being shown now and in the future? These are just a few questions, but there are so many more questions we need to ask ourselves.
One artist I know, Tracy Roos, has a great website. www.tracyroos.com It is a very personal and professional site. You can easily get lost in it! It’s got it all going on…She is definitely an Art Queen and has been very successful in marketing herself as both an artist and art teacher, not just locally, but internationally. She sells collage sheets, rubber stamps, jewelry and art. Tracy has told me that one-way she gets people to visit her website regularly is through her online “Dare to Dream” journal. People visit regularly to see what’s happening in her life. She has a very loyal fan base. She also has a blog site where she offers up “Artsy Inspirations”—tips, how to’s, etc.
Here are some other great websites that work well for their owners:
www.artbeacon.com/tuppermalone
www.lizwalkerart.com
www.Teeshamoore.com
www.suziewolfer.com
I am sure there are many more artists out there who have great web sites.
Blogging might be a great addition to your site. Look at Robert Genn Painter’s Keys Twice weekly newsletter www.painterskeys.com Remember, when someone buys your art, they are also very interested in knowing about You. You are your art. You are the key to your marketing success. You also have to make it happen! Don't be accused of not being High Tech!
Being high tech nowadays means understanding the world of blogs. It's not that complicated, once you get started. Many artists now have blogs and email mailing lists in addition to their websites, as a way of marketing their artwork directly and immediately to those who collect it. Feel free to check it out at my blogsite: Marie's Art Journey - http://mariesartjourney.blogspot.com
Posted by: marie wise | September 21, 2006 at 09:58 AM
Oh and I forgot to mention, I also have a website that compliments my art blog, or vice versa, at http://www.kalama.com/~wise. Both the blog and website are connected via links. Good way to get more exposure! I'm also part of a daily painting group that posts my artwork, together with other artists that subscribe, every time I post it to my blog. It's free! Go here: http://dailypainters.blogspot.com. I enjoy your sites, Lenall, keep up the good work!
Posted by: marie wise | September 21, 2006 at 10:03 AM