If you’re an artist, building an artist website can be a very rewarding and fun process. You’ll be able to interact with potential clients, present new artworks, make your art available for purchase, learn more about what people think of your work, research the industry in general, research trends, and much more. But how do you build an artist website? There are a few simple steps that artists can follow that will help them build a solid website that will meet their needs.
Navigation and Content
Navigation and content are the keystones of artist websites. Navigating and responding to visitors is what keeps them interested, always include a few links that will take them to different pages or areas of your website. Make sure you keep your website updated and social media networks related. First-time visitors to an artist website should learn as much as possible about the artist, what their work looks like, what it is about, why it is worth viewing (and hopefully worth buying) (even if you don’t sell anything!)
The type of content on an artist website can vary but, regardless, its purpose is to talk about your work, attract new customers, discuss networking opportunities, or display recent works.
As you think about what elements to include on your artist websites, make sure to keep in mind the kinds of information that will be important to visitors. For example, you should always make sure that there is a menu option allowing website visitors to explore all of the different pages on your site at one time. The same holds true for links to your individual exhibits. Ensure that you include the option for users to quickly jump to the specific page(s) they want to see.
Developer or DIY
It’s a great idea to hire a professional web developer or designer to create an artist website based on your specific needs. There are plenty of low-cost, high-quality web designers available online. Just make sure you choose someone who is familiar with digital art.
On the contrary, you can choose one of the numerous site builders such as Bigcartel or Shopify for your portfolio. While it will be more manageable for you to maintain your portfolio, the running cost in the long term won’t necessarily lower.
Plus, even if you have artistic skills, you don’t necessarily have to know the latest trend in web development.
Conclusion
Now that you know what aspects to consider when designing a website for your portfolio, it is time to start making a list of all of the different design elements you want to include. You can make your list as large or as small as you like. But remember, don’t get so caught up in the task of making a website that you forget to focus on the overall layout. Too many people get wrapped up in deciding what colours to use and where to put everything else; they fail to make sure that the website is easy to navigate and that the graphics are appealing.
Check the video for more information.
