If you’re ready to build your own website to promote or sell your art…you might have discovered that there are a lot of ways to do it. When it comes to building a website for your artwork, you’ll want to choose a website building method that’s low cost, easy to build and maintain, and flexible. One way that fits all of that is WordPress. If you have you’re own blog, you’ve probably heard of WordPress. But this popular blogging software is good for more than just websites. On this show, I’ll go over why WordPress is a great choice for building your art website.

The most common ways to build a website include:

• DIY build from scratch- you’re building your website by creating individual web pages using some type of web page building tool like Expression Web, iWeb, or Dreamweaver and HTML.

• Professional web designer or developer- you work with a skilled web designer or developer create your website for you.

• Turnkey web builder service- you use some kind of service like Big Cartel or the website builder software provided by many web hosts to develop your website.

• Open source e-commerce or web software- you’re building your website using free or low-cost web building systems like WordPress, Joomla, or Zen Cart.

Why WordPress? Here’s 4 reasons:

1. WordPress is free to install and use- Unlike some of the other paid software and services, you can install and use WordPress to build your website for free.

2. WordPress is easy to use and maintain- If you can type in some boxes and press some buttons, you can use WordPress.

3. WordPress is flexible- While WordPress was primarily created run blogs, it can be used for so much more including building a regular website

4. You don’t need to know graphic design to use WordPress- There are a ton of professional looking, pre-made designs called “themes” in which you can use to create the look for your WordPress website or blog.

If you are interested in learning how to build your own website, I’m holding a free webinar on Tuesday, June 22nd at 8 p.m. (EST) called Easy Website Building with WordPress. There’s absolutely no cost register, it should last for about 60 to 70 minutes…plus it will be recorded. So if you have the leave the event early or if you can’t make the event at all, you can watch the replay later. The seats are limited, and since this is a free webinar the seats tend to fill up fast, so you should reserve your spot soon. You can click here to register or learn more.

A lot of attention has been given to social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. But there is another social networking site that artists often overlook. That overlooked networking site is called LinkedIn. Even if you already have a presence on Facebook or Twitter, there are a number of reasons why it makes sense for artists to have a presence on LinkedIn as well. On today’s show, I’ll discuss the advantages of using LinkedIn to promote your artwork and give you some tips on how make the best impression.

1. LinkedIn has a couple of advantages over other social networking sites

• LinkedIn is more business-like and professional than Facebook or Twitter…personal stuff is not the focus
• Getting connections is bit more secure than other social networking sites

2. How artists can use LinkedIn

• LinkedIn is a great place to meet higher end clientele. If a lot of your work is with professional, companies, corporations, or organizations, LinkedIn is a great place for you to be
• There’s a number of artists also on LinkedIn. Join some of the artist groups to get advice and information
• LinkedIn profiles also show up on search engine results. This gives you another place to be seen

3. LinkedIn Tips

• Fill out your profile as completely as possible
• Update your status regularly
• Update your profile regularly
• Start gathering contacts
• Give and get recommendations
• Ask and answer questions
• If you have a blog, connect it to your LinkedIn profile
• Show your artwork on LinkedIn through Slideshare. Get an account on Slideshare, create a slide show with your artwork and use the Slideshare app on your profile
• Join and participate in some related LinkedIn groups
• Advertise your LinkedIn profile

Twitter, Facebook, and now Google Buzz…social networking has certainly been the buzz on the internet for the past few years. If you have an online presence for your art, then you’ve no doubt heard that you need to be on at least one of these networks. Or do you? Do you HAVE to jump on the social networking bandwagon in order to promote your artwork online? In this show, I’ll talk about 5 reasons you might want to avoid using social networking to promote your artwork

1. Your customers aren’t on social networks- While there are a lot of people online, not all of them are using Facebook or Twitter. As of August 2009, it’s estimated that 17% of the time spent online is on social network sites like Facebook or on blogs. If you have an audience that’s not social networking savvy or an audience that don’t spend a lot of time on the computer, then social networking might not be a priority for you.

Reality check- That 17% figure cited had actually increased by 6% from the previous year. Keep in mind that while your current customers aren’t there now…there’s nothing saying that they won’t be in the future…plus there’s a chance that you’re ignoring potential new customers.

2. You’re too busy creating art- While it’s important to market your art, you also have to make sure that you’re spending enough time in your studio so that you actually have something to market. Social networking can be an enormous time sink if you’re not careful.

3. You hate being on the computer- If you only use your computer to check email and avoid it like the plague the rest of the time, you’re not going to be really excited to spend even more time setting up a Facebook page or taking time to tweet about your latest work…and your lack of excitement will show.

4. You’ve tried it and not gotten any results- If you’ve already been on these social networks and don’t seem to get any results, then there’s nothing wrong with moving on to other techniques that will yield better results.

Reality check- a good honest effort is more than just a month or two of sporadically tweeting or logging onto your Facebook page. Just like any other method of marketing, social networking does take time.

5. You’re doing quite well without it- You’re selling out at shows, you’re getting plenty of sales on Etsy, and you’re always filling in orders with your gallery accounts…so whatever you’re doing now is working just fine.

Etsy, Artfire, Foliotwist, 1000Marktplaces, Big Cartel…these are just a few of the places online that artists and crafters can go to open a website, an online store, or online portfolio. While have a number of choices is great, it also can make it a big hard to choose the right one for you? In this episode, I’ll talk about how to find and choose the right online service to help you build your website or sell your artwork.

1. Decide what kind of features you need- (ecommerce capablity, blogging, marketing, search engine optimization etc)

2. Find a service that caters to the type of art you make- If you’re jeweler, Foliotwist might not be the best place for you while Etsy might not be the best place for high end artists

3. If the service is also an online marketplace, find a service that gets good traffic- If you’re looking to sell your artwork online using one of these services, then you should also sign up with a service that gets reasonably good traffic

4. Ask the opinions of artists who uses a particular service- One of the best ways to cut past the marketing hype is to ask artists who are using and have used a service that you’re considering.

5. Calculate your real costs- All of these services charge differently either by a flat monthly rate, a listing rate, a monthly rate depending on the level of service you want, or by transaction. Calculate how much you’re likely to spend depending on how you use the service.

6. Expect to do real work- Signing up with a service to help you create your web presence doesn’t mean that you don’t have a lot of work to do after your site is up.

The year 2010 is here and it’s time to start looking ahead to the New Year. Do your beginning of the year plans also include making your artist’s website a success? In this episode, I’ll talk about how to plan for a successful online 2010.

1. Do some basic website maintenance- January is typically a very slow time for artists, use this slump to do some sprucing up and maintenance on your website. Things to check include:

• Your images
• Your links and navigation
• All your online forms
• Your newsletter
• Your shopping cart
• Any kind of multimedia
• Error messages
• The speed of your site

2. Develop some serious goals- What do you want to accomplish this year? To build a web site? To get more traffic? To make more sales? Take the time to develop some measurable goals that you want to have accomplished by this time next year.

3. Do some serious planning- Now is a great time to start planning content for your blog, plans to build more traffic to your website, promotions for your website and creating a task list and schedule to keep everything on track.

4. Expand or redesign your website- If you don’t have a website or you’re website needs some serious updating, take this slow time to do it now in preparation for the coming year.

5. Educate yourself- Again, this is a slow time of year, so take the opportunity to learn more about how to market yourself online. There’s lots of information both on this website and out on the Internet that can get you started. Here’s some resources to help you get going:

• 10 Steps to Getting More Traffic on Your Website

• 5 Reasons Why Blogging is Good for Artists

• 50 Blogging Tips for Artists

• Building a Online Store on Your Art Website, pt 1

• Building a Online Store on Your Art Website, pt 2

• How to Use Video to Promote Your Art Website

• 5 Ways Twitter Can Help Your Business

• How to Use Twitter to Get More Traffic, More Subscribers, and More Customers

• How to Plan and Start a Great Email Newsletter

• 7 Reasons Why Your Online Sales Stink: 15 Minute Craft Website Tips

• How to Build Traffic to Your Art Website: SEO Secrets Revealed

• 5 Ways to Use Your Art Website or Blog to Get More PR

• 89 Press Release Tips

When most artists think about making money with their art, they mainly think about direct sales….you make a piece of art and you sell it to a customer. But there are number of different ways to make money in addition to selling your artwork. And these alternate streams of income can help supplement your bottom line. In this episode, I’m going to talk about 5 alternate ways to make money without directly selling your art.

The benefits of additional income streams

• You can even out your cash flow in between crafts shows and gallery sales
• If you can make them passive, that’s more money with less work
• Aim for as many passive streams as possible

1. Translate art to different media

• T-shirts
• Stationary
• Coffee mugs
• Toys
• Posters
• Fabric patterns
• Check out websites like Zazzle and Cafepress

2. Licensing

• licensing is when companies pay you for using your designs in different media
• Tara Reed has a great ebook about licensing your art called How to Get Started In Art Licensing . Check her website for more information.

3. Teach & Give Lectures

• in person workshops & classes
• online workshops & classes
• remember that your topics don’t necessarily have to be art related

4. Sell instructional materials

• ebooks, CDs, DVDs, videos
• kits & patterns
• if you teach, you can also sell these during your workshops
• you can also sell these online, Etsy, your website, eBay, etc

5. Sell related products

• care products
• storage
• display products

There’s still room in my teleclass on Facebook! If you’re a Facebook user and you’re interested in how to market yourself effectively on Facebook, join me on Wednesday, October 28th at 8:00 p.m. EST for my teleclass, Marketing with Facebook: How to Use Facebook to Promote Your Business on the Web . In the class we’ll talk about the how’s and why’s of using Facebook for your business and how to effectively use Facebook to market yourself. For more information, visit: http://www.craftedwebteleseminars.com/facebookmarketing/

If you’re an artist trying to promote your artwork or sell your artwork online, you’ve probably heard of social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter. Perhaps you’ve already dipped your toe into the social networking waters. But is it working the way you’re expecting? Is it getting you results or does it feel like a waste of time? Social networking can greatly benefit your marketing efforts IF you take the right approach. On this episode, I’ll give you some tips that you can use right away that can help you successfully marketing your art through social networking.

1. Have a goal

• Most of the time wasted on social networking is because you don’t have a goal
• What do you want your social networking to accomplish? More sales? More customers? More traffic to your website?

2. Know the abilities and limitations of your social networks

• Not all social networking sites work the same…take the time to learn how each one works
• Each social network has their own culture…take the time to learn what’s acceptable and what’s not
• Pick social networking sites that match your goals

3. Don’t try everything at once

• Pick a couple of sites and get good at them before you try the next one
• Choose networks that play to your strengths
• Be aware of new networks but don’t feel compelled to chase after them

4. Keep track of your results

• Track your activity on your social networks and monitor your results
• Don’t be afraid to try new things or drop networks that don’t work for you
• Maximize your time on networks that work well for you

Are you a Facebook user and you’re interested in how to market yourself effectively on Facebook? Join me on Wednesday, October 28th at 8:00 p.m. EST for my teleclass, Marketing with Facebook: How to Use Facebook to Promote Your Business on the Web . In the class we’ll talk about the how’s and why’s of using Facebook for your business and how to effectively use Facebook to market yourself. For more information, visit: http://www.craftedwebteleseminars.com/facebookmarketing/

http://www.craftedwebteleseminars.com/facebookmarketing/

Simply building your art website is only the beginning of marketing yourself online. You also need to promote your website if you want it to work as an effective marketing tool. But, if you’re a working artist or an artist that also holds down another job, how are you going to keep with the marketing part of your website AND creating your art? In this episode, I’ll discuss ways you can keep up with both creating your art and marketing it on your website.

1. Understand that promoting your website is a long term task

• traffic doesn’t arrive by magic
• you have to market and promote regularly and often to keep a steady flow of traffic

2. Make marketing your website a part of your overall marketing plan

• remember, your website and online marketing is a tool in your marketing arsenal, not a separate part of your marketing plan
• combine your offline marketing efforts with your online marketing whenever possible

3. Plan ahead

• create a marketing schedule
• make sure your plans covers slow periods as well as holidays
• build scheduled times during the day to market online and scheduled times to be in your studio

4. Don’t try too many things at once

• pick a couple techniques at a time and master them
• don’t chase after the shiny new “thing”
• constantly test and measure your results, modify or drop the things that don’t work
• add new techniques after you have your current ones set

5. Don’t let your computer become a time sink

• group related tasks together and get them done at the same time
• use tools to help you accomplish things faster
• have a plan or a task list before you sit down at the computer
• stick to your schedule

6. Get help if you need it

• outsource the tasks that you aren’t good at or don’t like
• enlist the help of tech savvy friends, family members
• hire professional help when needed

If you need more information on how to hire and work with a great web designer, as well as information on how to interview a web designer, how to avoid a bad designer, and how save money and time managing your web project, you get more information at www.howtohireawebdesigner.com

Having fantastic images of your artwork on your art website is an absolute must if you want to successfully promote and sell your artwork. So how do you ensure that photos of your handmade items are actually encouraging sales? Here are some tips on how you can create great images of your artwork that makes your customers reach for their credit cards.

1. Get the lighting right

• use natural light when possible (early morning and late afternoon is best)
• avoid directing lighting…this creates shadows and glare
• use a light tent when shooting objects to eliminate glare

2. Know the difference between “jury” images and “advertising” imagery

• jury images focus on the technical aspects of the work and you as the artist
• advertising images focuses on the customers wants, desires, and needs
• magazines like O Magazine, Dwell, Martha Stewart are masters at depicting “lifestyle” in with their product shots.

3. Style up your images

• check out websites like Artfire and Etsy. Look at the top sellers. They typically have fabulously styled photos.
• if your art is wearable, use dress forms or live models
• use props to emphasize your work…but don’t let them distract from it

4. Get a variety of angles

• shoot wide angles and closeup images
• show your artwork in action if possible

5. Make sure you have the essential equipment

• digital camera (be sure to read the manual thoroughly!)
• tripod
• light tent
• lights (desk lamps and other home lights will do the trick)
• props (backgrounds, cloths,)
• image editing software (Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, GIMP)

6. Consider hiring help if you need it

• find someone familiar with advertising photography or someone familiar with photographing artwork
• explain what you want to accomplish. Remember, you want “advertising” photos…not “jury” photos

How your art website looks is something that all artists want to get right when you’re creating your website. But do you take as much care with the words on your website? While design is a huge part of how potential customers perceive your website, the words on it are just as or even more important…yet many artists give their website copy the short shrift. On this episode, I’ll talk about why your website copy is so important and 6 ways you can make it fantastic.

Why is your website copy so important?

• Your copy sells your work in your absence
• Other than images, your copy gives potential buyers important information about you and your work

How to improve your website copy

1. Proofread your copy
   • Avoid misspellings, grammatical errors and punctuation errors
   • Read your copy out loud to make sure that it reads smoothly
   • If you’re selling internationally be aware of alternate spellings and meanings of words
2. Provide a lot of information about your work
   • size- (length, width, depth, height, weight)
   • materials- what’s it made of?
   • artistic process
   • use- how do you use or display your work
   • care- how do you care for your work?
   • options- can you personalize?
3. Give people a reason to buy or contact you
   • know the difference between the “benefits” and “features” of your work
   • preach the “benefits” of your work
   • make your customer envision your art as theirs
4. Use your copy to ask for the sale
   • Use call to actions like “buy now”, “add to cart”, “click here to buy”
   • Give a people a reason to buy right now
   • Take advantage of events like holidays and special events to ask for a sale now
5. Be friendly
   • Watch how you’re wording things like sales policies, privacy, etc
   • Avoid high flown, wordy, or pretentious copy
   • Allow your personality show in your copy
6. Make your copy search engine friendly
   • Do some keyword research when writing your copy
   • Don’t go overboard with the optimization
   • If you’re not familiar with what SEO is, you check out “How to Build Traffic to Your Art Website: SEO Secrets Revealed“