Increasingly, art collectors are searching for--and buying--art online. Even before the global pandemic online sales were on the rise, and with this strange new normal an online gallery is more important than ever. But a website is only a useful tool if it's attractive and easy to navigate. Just as you wouldn't invite visitors to an actual gallery with the electricity off and paintings all over the place, you should take care with design and maintenance of your site so that it's as attractive and effective as it can be.

We're here with suggestions and advice to make the perfect site to show and sell your art!

Golden rule: Keep it simple.

Must-haves:

• Clear, high-quality, well-cropped photographs or scans of your work. It's all about your art; make sure you present it in the best possible manner! More advice on capturing the best version of your work here.
• Your Name. Try to use your name in the title (Your Name art, for instance) and if possible in your domain name.
• Galleries. Arrange your work according to style, media, year-created, price, or availability. Make it easy for collectors to find what they're looking for.
• E-commerce. A shopping cart makes it easy for people to purchase your art, and easy for you to process and track sales.
• Bio/Artist Statement page. People want to know about the artist who create the work they love. Your story can help to build your brand and make your work more interesting and desirable. More about how and why to create pages describing yourself, your influences, your training, your method, here.
• Contact Page. Don't make visitors work to get in touch with you, and always follow up with queries.
• Social Media Buttons. Make it easy to share your work.
• Mobile friendly. Be sure your site looks good on all devices--desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile phone.
   

  

   

Design Basics:

• Fonts: We recommend a maximum of two fonts for any site. One for the title or headlines, and a simpler one for content headings and text. Design elements such as fonts and colors can make a site look dated. Some fonts, like Comic Sans or Papyrus are instant indicators of an outdated site. Pick a font to suit your artwork, be it edgy, elegant, contemporary or classic. And always use a simple, easy to read font for your artist statement, prices, descriptions, etc.
• Colors: As with fonts, don't use too many colors on your site. For the background black or white are always safe, but something a little less harsh, like off-white or dark grey works too. If you want to try a different color, why not take a look at the colors a museum chooses to set off the artwork on their walls?
• Home Page: Your home page is the doorway to your site. Make it appealing and easy-to-navigate, and be sure the design on your home page applies to the entire site. We suggest either a simple home page with one image that links to your galleries, or the galleries themselves as your home page. Either a gallery index page with thumbnails, or jumping right into the first gallery. Make it easy to find your work.
• Don't over-explain. One common mistake we see is people giving too much instruction on how to use their site. We have to assume that in this day-and-age, people are familiar with the Internet and understand the most common website-navigating tools.  You don't have to tell visitors to click here to see this, or go there to find that. The extra text is distracting and makes your site look unpolished. Focus on images, and make your art the focal point.
   

  

   

Website Maintenance:

Once you have the perfect site, it's important to maintain it and keep it fresh.

How do I Keep my site Up-to-Date?

• Post your latest work. Show that your career is vital and that you're exploring new themes and techniques. 
• Check your links. Click on any links on your pages to be sure that they lead to actual sites.
• Update your events page. If the last listing is from five or ten years ago, it might raise questions about your career.
• Update your Artist Statement page to describe new methods or themes in your work.
• Make sure your contact information is up-to-date. Have you changed your email? Make sure you change it on your site as well.
• Link to Instagram and Facebook. These are both great platforms to keep your brand lively. You can post pictures of your studio, of works-in-progress, gallery openings and more.
• Keep your tags and keywords current. If you're working on a new technique, or you've moved to a new part of the world, be sure to add changes to your site settings and artwork.

Artspan has been the leading artist website provider for over 20 years. Created by artists with an artist's needs in mind, Artspan websites offer the complete package: a unique branded website; inclusion in our art marketplace; an extensive e-commerce suite; prints-on-demand; Live Preview Augmented Reality and more. Go to Artspan.com to find out more.