With so many free or inexpensive platforms anyone can build a website these days. Most of them have some degree of flexibility and many are designed specifically for artists to showcase their work. It’s easy to go crazy with so many options each offers but unless you have multiple disciplines keep it simple.
Give people what they want, which is easy access to your art, information about you, links to your resume and your press kit.
Easy access to your art means it’s easy to find, it’s on your home page and in a portfolio that’s easy to navigate.
What I mean by information about you is your bio.
Your artist statement is about both you and your art. You may have it with your bio, or if your website design allows for it to appear in a way that’s complementary to the design of your portfolio page you can put it there.
Remember that people spend very little time on websites, usually giving them just a quick scan unless it’s a medical or technical site where they’re looking for specific information. I’m a big fan of googling so you can search for the amount of time people spend to see the statistics yourself. (Or take a look at your analytics to review the amount of time people spend on your site.)
Your feelings may be hurt that someone didn’t spend hours poring over your art, but you can use the statistics to your advantage. The answer is not giving them more to ignore, but giving them only what they came for. Keep the writing clean and precise. Keep on topic. Show only the best of your art. (You can and should update often to give people a reason to come back!)
Too many pieces overwhelm your viewer unless you are using your site as a shop, in which case this advice does not apply. You can always use an art inventory platform like Artwork Archive to refer people to who want to see older or works you are not displaying on your website.
You’ll make a much stronger impact with your website (like your writing) if you remember that less is more.
If you’re looking for an objective set of eyes to look at your website, need help with content or editing, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by email or phone at (973) 960-6464.
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