Julie R. Neidlinger: Lone Prairie Art and Writing

What, in the name of all that is good and holy, does and artist or writer need on their site? (Part 3)

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 0 comments link this post

Glad you asked, but I'm not sure I've figured it out for myself yet.

Let's get the obvious things out of the way.

Contact information: Even if your some kind of curmudgeon, you need to let people know how to contact you. Make it easy and obvious to find on your website.
Mission statement/Resume: Let people know who you are and what you do so that they know you're not a charlatan. No one wants to commission work from someone they don't know, so help these "strangers" out by becoming less strange to them.
Your work: You need your art online if you're an artist, and some writing samples if you're a writer. I'm famous, unfortunately, for always being in a state of construction on my site. My art hasn't fully been online for two years now, which is unacceptable. Don't be me. Be better.

People who love you will visit your web site with little prodding, though they may pester you regular emails wondering when you're going to get some new content or art online. These folks you've already won over, so listen to their prodding. The people who don't email you are probably wondering the same thing, it's just that they aren't going to bother to come back after a few visits with no changes.

In other words, you must keep your website fresh, current and always full of new things. The easiest way to do this is with a blog, or web log, which I have many of. In fact, all of my galleries and shopping areas of this site use blogging software, so the technique is by no means limited to writers. There are many wonderful art blogs on the internet. By their ease of use, blogs help us update easily and often.

I would suggest a current events page, or a front page that announces special events you'll be part of. If you don't have any special events, for crying out loud, make them yourself! Set up your own public reading. Set up your own art show. Set up your own online auction for charity, or your own art class.

A newsletter, discussion board or other means of keeping in constant contact with your web site visitors is also a good idea, unless you send out horrible newsletters. You want to reward people for signing up, and not abuse their inboxes with a constant barrage of useless content. In a world of too much information, select what you share wisely. Make it worth their time, and make them want more. For artists, think of free projects. Most people love new ideas or projects. Give them some. Writers could share writing prompts or tips.

I have a page on my site where people can download art projects and lessons for free. I know I am attracted to a site that lets me get something just for visiting. You don't want to hoard or be stingy, even with your ideas. Reward people for stopping by, and give them instant gratification with something that can be downloaded and used. Artists could offer projects, like I have. Writers could create free journaling pages or creative writing lessons.

Though I am clearly biased for recommending these two sites as examples of excellence (because they are both close friends), I really do think they stand on their own. They inform, the give out freebies, they're chock-full of rewards and good stuff for web site visitors. Check them out, and be sure to add links to other sites that you think are good examples (and tell us why, of course).

Sarah Regan Snavely - Artist
Corrine Kenner - Author

Check out this article by Kim Cole on web sites for authors. It will give you some helpful tips on what to have.

::Part 4: How do I prevent kleptos from stealing my images, ideas and soul?!::