Is your artist's website hurting your business? (And how to fix it)

Visiting a website is like traveling on an airplane.

You are excited to get to your destination and you want the trip to be as smooth as possible. But when something goes wrong in flight, it takes away the enjoyment of the trip.

Having a website riddled with bugs is like flying on earth filled with frustrated customers. This can seriously hurt your art business and sales. Visitors may become confused or angry if they can't find the latest information or if your site doesn't work properly. It robs them of their experience with your art and the career you have worked so hard for.

If you make your artist website the best it can be, your potential buyers can devote their attention to learning all about you as an artist and your work.

From finding broken links to updating your inventory, here are five things to double check on your artist site.

1. Are your links working?

The worst feeling is when you click on a link you like and then it doesn't work. We know how hard it can be to keep track of every link when there are so many, but it's worth double-checking - literally!

Potential buyers use these links to learn more about you as an artist. But their research and willingness to buy your art can come to an abrupt halt when they don't have access to what they want to know.

So how do you avoid broken links? Check if you spelled or copied the entire link correctly as you type, and actually click on every link on your site to make sure it opens on the right page. It may take some time, but the end result will be a professional, working site for your fans.

Be sure to check the website and social media links on your artist social media accounts, the blog posts you promote, and your contact information.

Better to be safe than sorry!

2. Are your sold items updated?

Letting your fans know what pieces have been sold is a great way to get attention for your work.

Not only is this strong proof that your career is thriving, but it also lets potential buyers know what else to buy. That's why it's so important to mark items as sold as quickly as possible. You can easily do this with the click of a button in your Artwork Archive account, which also automatically updates your public page.

You can even use your Artwork Archive Portfolio to keep it up to date!

Keeping up to date with what pieces are sold is also a great way for your art business. Knowing sales statistics allows you to see what is working and strategize months in advance. Not to mention it helps get a TON.

3. Is your current job loading?

Once you've finished updating your past work, take the time to upload your current work. It's not profitable for your art business to have a finished piece just lying around in your studio.

Instead, get in the habit of posting your work on your site right away, treating the task as creating your own art. As with your items sold, fans want to see what you've been working on and potential buyers want to see what's in stock.

Your new item may be exactly what they are looking for that day!

Now focus on your branding.

4. Is your bio up to date?

Have you recently received recognition at an exhibition or been featured in a gallery? Do you have free places for workshops or important news from your studio? You have already planned and done the work, now you just need to share it with the whole world.

Why does it matter? Promoting what's going on in your art business keeps you relevant and professional. Build credibility as an artist by adding any new information to your artist that shows you are in the artist community and are thriving.

Help potential buyers and fans get as much information about you as possible so that they can eventually buy your work.

5. Do your photos look good?

Finally, make sure you display your art in a way that doesn't detract from its beauty. The artist and blogger believes that the first step is to take high-quality photographs of your work. With a good camera and a tripod, Lisa suggests you use the early morning light to take pictures.

The artist showcases her work through well-lit, high-quality photographs.

Another tip from Lisa: Update your site so your work is displayed clean. She says, “Find out who your customers are. Gift shop aesthetics and gallery aesthetics are powerful ways to connect with the customer.”

For example, if you're trying to promote your work as being very expensive, your best bet might be to display your work on a website with a white background like a gallery.

Learn how to take professional photos of your work.

Why double check?

Just creating an artist's website or not enough. In order for it to be useful and help the development of your business, it must be up-to-date, of high quality and work correctly.

Don't forget that your artist website is a big extension of your art business. On the web, your audience can see if it's up to date or not, and people will judge your brand by it. Double checking these five things will ensure that the brand they encounter is professional and that you are serious about succeeding as an artist.

Want more marketing tips for your art business? Verify