In this class I am giving you a method, ideas and links to tools you can use to build your online presence including your website.
This is a quick check-list for your website, you can use it as a guideline if you are in the process of building one or you can check that list against your website of you already have one .
Here is the excerpt from the class:
Now that your website is online, time for a quick check. Look at the following list and see if you need to make some improvements on your website.
Is your website uncluttered? Is the Art the star of the website or are visitors distracted by the design? Are there too many things going on or is it simple?
Are the pictures good quality pictures?
Can visitors easily navigate through your galleries?
Are there any broken links?
Is the design responsive (Can you re-size the window and it will re-size the website) so it can look good on any size of computer screen?
Is your website looking good on mobile platforms (cell phones and tablets)?
Can people contact you easily?
Do you give links to your social media profiles?
Can people know easily who you are and what you do?
If you have a blog, do you have a link to your blog?
Do you have a sign up form for your mailing list on your website? (more about that in the unit about mailing list)
Do you have a free gift you can give as an incentive for people to sign up to your mailing list? (more about that in the unit about mailing list)
If you have a store:
Can people buy easily in a few clicks of a mouse or is the process complicated?
Are the prices easy to see?
Do you have clear information about shipping fees and return policy?
On each sale page do you have all the info about the art (medium, size, support…) as well as different pictures (front, sides, back of the painting, close-up of details…)?
In the later units you will also learn how to add an incentive for people to sign up to your mailing list:
Is there anything you would like to add to this list? What do you think is essential to an artist website?
Originally from France, I have been living in North Vancouver, Canada for the past 20 years.
My work has been collected and exhibited extensively in Canada and internationally. I am also part of the Art Rentals and sales program of the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Many of my paintings have been published in Art books and magazines (Artist Magazine, Watercolor Artist Magazine, Acrylic Magazine, International Artist Magazine). I wrote 2 art instruction books with North Light/F+W Books.
I have been writing for the last 5 years for my blog: paintingdemos.com, that has a mailing list of about 10 000 subscribers and about 20 000 visitors per month.
I am an active member in the community, as a co-founder of the North Shore Art crawl, a co-founder of a weekly life drawing group, a board member of the North Vancouver Arts Council, and have been invited as a juror for public art, art grants and juried exhibitions. You can read more about my collaborations here.
