Artists Website
For the past couple of weeks I've been working on updating my website. I like the way it looks but it uses Adobe Flash on the home page and some smart phones don't like that so I'm trying to make it more friendly to all the people that would be likely to view the site. I taught myself HTML many years ago, back when websites where chiseled into rock but later I actually took classes in website design and development at Emory University her in Atlanta. I learned a lot but it's still very time consuming to make a really great website. Thankfully, I'm the client and the webmaster so I set my own time frame and deadlines.
Because of this I was very interested in this article about why you need a webmaster if you're an artist. Much of it rings true for any business but it got me thinking. First, in the interest of full disclosure, I also run a business building websites for artists. It's nowhere near as much fun or as lucrative as pottery so I'm pretty quiet about it. Needless to say, I could not agree with this article more. I've built websites for people and told them I would maintain the site for them for a small fee. Most people are not interested in paying that, they just want me to show them how to swap out the pictures. When I show them they get glassy eyed and start thinking about what kid they know who plays computer games so should be able to update the site. Bad thinking.
A couple of years ago a restaurant owner asked me about building a site for him. The interview ended with him telling me he had a few other people to interview but he'd get back to me. When I followed up with him he said his neighbor's son or someone like that was going to build the site for him. About a year later I was dining there with friends and inquired about the site, he said it was almost done (a year later!!!). A couple of months after that the restaurant was out of business.
I don't know how much the website had to do with the demise of the establishment, but I imagine the types of business decisions he made were.
Check out the gallery page - Future Relics Gallery
A couple of years ago a restaurant owner asked me about building a site for him. The interview ended with him telling me he had a few other people to interview but he'd get back to me. When I followed up with him he said his neighbor's son or someone like that was going to build the site for him. About a year later I was dining there with friends and inquired about the site, he said it was almost done (a year later!!!). A couple of months after that the restaurant was out of business.
I don't know how much the website had to do with the demise of the establishment, but I imagine the types of business decisions he made were.
Check out the gallery page - Future Relics Gallery
I have been thinking about this website thing. But I'm curious, why does someone need a blog and a website? I use my blog for all website purposes, it has the same information a website would have. Having a Mac is most helpful for website design, I could do it myself, but I don't know why I need one. Sort of like, why do I need Facebook I guess!
ReplyDeleteTracey, I feel that I need a website to communicate more professionally with galleries, show planing committees and jurors, publications and the like, etc. I don't want these busy people to have to poke around my blog looking for examples of my work and my artists statement. I want a "contact" page so it's easy for people who want my pots to get in touch with me. You may feel differently.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya! Sometimes I think about galleries reading the stuff I spew out on my blog, but then I think oh well, that's me, if they don't like what they see, they won't like me. I did have two galleries contact me about next year from reading my blog, so they will be a good fit, they still wanted me even after all the blog ephemera they had to plow through! I do like to look at a really good website though....
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