Before you get too wrapped up in designing your page, make sure you have included the basics. Every artist website needs these core elements, or else they may instantly turn away potential buyers:
- Your Name
Really, you should be including your name in your website’s URL, if possible. Your name is your brand: it’s how people find you. It should be visible at all times, no matter what page the visitor is on. Creating a logo and placing it in the website’s header will help accomplish this. Keep your name/logo legible and bold, but the font/design should match your artwork so visitors can remember your name and associate it with your work.
- High Quality Images
If you’re proud of your art, then show it. Do not post small, blurry, dark, or low-res images to your website. Remember, you should be viewing your artist site as a surrogate “open studio.” If you had somebody visiting your studio, would you show them a tiny, blurry Polaroid of your artwork, or would you show them the real thing? While you can’t perfectly represent your works in digital form (unless you are a digital artist, of course), you’d be surprised what a half-decent camera can do these days with the right tools.
- Artwork Details
This doesn’t mean close-up shots of your artwork (though those can also be important). This is referring to the titles, medium, dimensions, price, and year of the piece. This information helps the visitor get a sense of almost everything they’ll need to know if they are thinking of purchasing the artwork. It also makes your website more searchable through Google or other search engines. To protect your images, don’t forget to add a watermark with your name. This way, whoever downloads them, won’t be able to use them as their own.
- Is this available for sale?
You don’t need to only post images of available artwork, but you should make it very clear which pieces are available and which aren’t.
- Artist Biography & CV
This information is particularly useful when you are using your website as a portfolio, which more and more artists are doing these days. The biography & CV will help when applying to galleries, museums, competitions, or commissions.� How to write an artist biography →
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- Artist Statement
Your artist statement speaks for you when you aren’t there to carry the conversation. The statement should always be written in the first person: it is different from a biography. Learn how to write an artist statement →
- Contact Information
You can’t sell anything if you can’t be reached. Be sure to make your contact information easily accessible on your website.