Do I Need a Website?
“The Thinker” by Auguste Rodin
I started to do a journal post to share what I’ve learned in the past year after launching my art business, hoping that it might help someone who is just getting started. As I began to write, I realized just how far I’ve come and how much I have learned. I would never be able to condense it down to a few paragraphs, so I decided to break it up and start with the topic of websites; do I need one and how to build one.
Do I need a website? If you intend to sell your art or use your art business to promote a platform, then YES, it is beneficial to have a website. A well designed, professional website will be the face of your business in many ways. Often it is the first interaction someone has with you and you only get one shot at making a good first impression. It also shows that you are serious and committed to your business. A website allows you a platform for your own online store, blog, classes, etc. and you are in complete control over the content. The information on your website is available to search engines on the internet which provides you the opportunity to have people discover you and your art. If you are interested in creating a newsletter, a website is the perfect place to invite people to sign up. However, I will add that personally I think a bad website is worse than none at all. Once again, it is often people’s first interaction with you. If it looks like your uncle Billy Bob who watched a 10 minute video on how to build a website made it, and people aren’t able to navigate it easily, they will leave and not come back.
If it’s possible to know less than nothing about websites and computer technology, then that was me last fall. What’s a determined girl to do but lean on those ever faithful friends Google and YouTube. Here are the basic steps I took:
Research platforms - I narrowed it down to GoDaddy and Squarespace.
I chose Squarespace based on articles I read.
I watched A LOT of videos from YouTube and Squarespace about how to get started
Squarspace has easy to follow templates that basically allow you to drop in information and pictures. Was there a learning curve - HELL YES! But if I can do it, anyone can. I’m not gonna lie, I spent a couple of weeks working on this, but I learned SO much and felt so amazing about what I had accomplished. I found the YouTube videos by Santrel Media to be incredibly helpful.
At this point, my website looked pretty good, especially for being created by a novice. But, there were things that I thought needed polishing and I didn’t have the skillset or patience to do so. The wonderful thing about Squrespace is that they offer a service called Hire An Expert. I wrote a quick summary of the scope of my project and selected 5 businesses to bid on the job. Ultimately I selected Brett and Jo Studio. For 2 hours of design time (worth every penny), they worked their magic to make my website functional, professional and everything I asked for. They get an A+++ for their service, being good listeners, professionalism, organized and talented. I will be hiring them in the near future for some additions to my website.
Another important thing to remember is, don’t build it and forget it. It’s important that you routinely add new information to your site, otherwise Google and other search engines will give you low rankings in searches.
I hope you found this information helpful. Drop me an e-mail or DM on Insta if you did or if you have any questions.
Happy Building and Learning!!!
Lori Demand
LD Art Designs