By E. Cereby
Having a website is an essential part of being an artist today, in fact if you are an artist people expect you to have one. But many artists hesitate thinking that it’s too complicated, too time consuming and too expensive. That was certainly the case in the earlier days of the internet but those days are long gone. Internet technology today has advanced so far that now anyone can build a website without any experience whatsoever, and with very little expense, or at no cost at all. Yes, that is right, there are places where you can set up a professional looking site yourself for free, and without much time or effort!
So there are no excuses why you as an artist should not have your very own place on the web. Just take a look at some of the benefits a website can bring to you as an artist:
It is a showcase for your art, making it accessible to a wider audience. It has the means to let your artwork be seen around the world by an endless amount of people in a way no brick and mortar gallery ever could.
An artist website can be used as a portfolio that is easily accessible to galleries and potential clients. No need to carry around a portfolio anymore, just hand out a business card and folks can browse your art from the comfort of their own homes.
Like the business card, it gives you the look of professionalism.
A website can help you connect with people who have a passion for your kind of art, making them feel like they know you and thus become potential clients.
A website is a remarkable marketing tool as it can help build your brand and identity as an artist. Your site is a way to help people discover your art, who otherwise didn’t know that you or your art existed.
A website can be used to sell art, bypassing the need for gallery representation, in fact many artists sell only from their websites and have never used a traditional gallery.
A website gives artists who would never have a chance of getting into a gallery, a platform to show, promote and sell their art to people who would otherwise be beyond their reach.
If you still don’t have a website for your art, what are you waiting for, isn’t it about time you did?
E.Cereby is the author of HTML Made Easy and DIY Websites