Are you trying to decide what the best solution is for you to sell your art online? In this post, you will discover why artist websites should be built on WordPress and a library of tutorials to help you build your dream artist website.
Why Artist Websites Should Be Built On WordPress
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You might have heard me say in previous posts, it is better to build a business on a platform you own verses building a business on rented land.
What does build an online business on rented land mean?
Building a business on platforms you do not own like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or third-party website builders like Weebly or Squarespace is building a business on rented land. They control everything from the look of your page, what type of content you can post and who sees your posts.
I know many artists who built a solid business on Facebook when Facebook first launched Facebook Business Pages.
Unfortunately, some of the artists did not have a website they owned and solely relied on Facebook for sales.
When Facebook changed their algorithm and their posts where not being shown on their followings newsfeeds as much their sales declined drastically.
Related Post: How Many People See Your Facebook Posts?
They lost all contact with their following.
- They did not build an email list.
- They did not have a website that was searchable on the search engines.
- They didn’t have an artist blog that drove traffic to their listings.
To put it all in perspective, they had to start their business over from scratch.
You must establish a quality website and publish your content to a domain that you own. Do this consistently and you will be ahead of most of your competitors. (Source: Mitch Schaffer)
Would you like Facebook to control your artist career or would you like to be in control of your destiny?
Artist Website Builder – WordPress
WordPress is a free website building software that is used by large and small business.
All you have to do to get started is purchase a domain name and hosting from a hosting provider like BlueHost and use the one-click WordPress installer BlueHost provides and your new artist website will be live in just minutes.
If you are just starting you might want to consider selling your art on a platform like Etsy.
But I strongly suggest that you start building a WordPress artist website while you are learning how to photograph and upload your artwork, write well-written art descriptions and develop a pricing strategy that produces a profit.
Learning how to take high-quality images of your work cannot be overemphasized. The image you showcase online will be the first reason why someone will or will not be interested in purchasing your artwork.
Candice Stringham shows you how to take professional photos that sell in her online video course Craft Photography Fundamentals. If you are finding it difficult to photograph your art, Candice will make it easy for you.
Why Build An Artist Website With WordPress
Some of the best fine art websites online today are created with WordPress.
Below I am going to talk about why WordPress is the most common and, in my opinion, the best software for building websites.
WordPress Is Free – The WordPress software is free. The only thing you will have to purchase is a domain name and hosting which is cheaper than paying monthly fees for third-party website builders.
Most popular hosting services:
You Own It – When you build a website with WordPress, you own it. You have total control of how it looks from beginning to end.
Professional themes like StudioPress Themes for WordPress allow you to brand your online business exactly the way you envision.
Large Support Group – Learning is easy and free. You can find the answer to any WordPress problem you might encounter just by searching on Google or YouTube. I also have a lot of blog post tutorials available (you can find links to them towards the end of this post) along with eBooks and online video courses.
User-Friendly – WordPress is very easy to learn and maintain. Adding new posts, pages, images, and videos is as easy as posting on Facebook.
SEO Optimized – Google likes fast sites and the code behind WordPress and Professional Themes by companies like StudioPress is simple and clean. This makes the site faster and it is easier for search engines to read and index the site and content.
Each post, page, and images have a title, description and meta tags which help to optimize your content for specific keywords.
The Website is 100% Customizable – There are thousands of themes and plugins that will allow you to build your site exactly the way you want. You will also be able to revise your site as your art business grows.
Built-In Blog – Your blog posts will be the fuel that drives traffic to your site. WordPress has a blog built-in and easy to integrate. You can create categories which will make it easier for your audience to find what they are looking for so they will come back on a regular basis.
Artist Websites WordPress Tutorials
Below are some free popular blog posts:
Social Warfare Review – The Ultimate Social Sharing WordPress Plugin
WordPress Categories and Tags – SEO Basics
How To Manage Plugins In WordPress
How To Manage Menus In WordPress
How To Manage Widgets On WordPress
How To Insert Links On WordPress Blog Posts
How To Manage Comments On WordPress
How To Embed YouTube Videos On WordPress
How To Upload And Install Media On WordPress
How To Create A WordPress Category
WordPress eBooks:
WordPress Online Video Courses:
Creating a Responsive Website with WordPress by Brian Wood
Ecommerce and Accepting Payments on WordPress by Brian Wood
Popular Online Craft Marketing Classes
Are you ready to take your art business to the next level?
Investing in marketing courses and tutorials will maximize your profit and speed up the growth of your business.
Below are some of the most popular art marketing courses that will grow your online art business:
Most Popular – How to Make a Living Selling What You Make by Megan Auman
Most Popular – Build a Successful Creative Blog by April Bowles-Olin
How to Build a Business While Learning Your Craft by Megan Auman
Pinterest Marketing for Makers & Designers by Megan Auman
Conclusion:
The best websites for artists to display their work are built on WordPress because the artist has total control of the look and feel of the site.
28 Day Blogging Challenge for Visual Artists
Are you ready to start building an online presence?
Available on Amazon or Download your copy today.
The Productive Artist How to Live Your Dreams
The right mindset and time management skills are essential for any business. These topics are often not talked about but are key elements for your success. You will learn how to have a winning mindset and time management skills necessary for operating a successful art business.
Available at Amazon or Download your copy today.
Get More Done in Less Time The Part-time Artist
Proven strategies that will help you to get more work done in less time so you can sell more art and earn more money.
Available at Amazon or Download your copy today.
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