Website galleries

What website galleries have other members of the group had experience of. I have belonged to the 'Artists Web' for over two years and only ever had one contact.
I've now signed up with Absolutearts, any experience anyone? My sales in the past have been through my own exhibitions at home but I am hoping that a website4 gallery might promote some interest!!!





Jack

I took a look at the absolutearts site, it's awfully busy. From a customer viewpoint, there's so much going on, it's hard to tell where to start. As an artist, I want to know how does one get featured on the home page and for how long (is extra cash involved?).

I think that unless someone is searching by your name, the chances of finding your work would be pretty slim. I just Googled "paintings,abstract" just to see what would come up. After 7 pages, I still hadn't come across a listing for absolutearts. I'd say, spend your cash on your own site, when people find you there won't be other artists' works to distract them from your gallery.

No matter where you are on the web, it takes some work on your part to get found - send out postcards, hand out biz cards everywhere, update your site frequently so eventually search engines will find it and move you up the ranks. (I carry a little mini-portfolio in my purse - you never know when an opportunity will come up!) Judy has had a blog for some time (start a blog!), I'm sure she could offer some advice for promoting your site/blog.

Here's a site I made for another artist (it will have an online store whenever she gets some more things ready to sell):

http://maryloubarrow.com/index.html

The whole site reflects the artist's personality - which I think helps to make a connection with potential buyers. Most people want to know who the artist is. Anyone who does know her can Google her name and they'll find her site. Those gallery sites are more like a big heard of cattle all gathered together. Makes it hard to stand out and get noticed.

I guess we'll wait and see if someone has a different opinion and what gallery site they might recommend....

Thank you Callie, there's a great deal of sense there.

Jack

I agree with Callie about the website galleries.

I've had a website for a few years. The first few rarely got visited because there were only my paintings on it. Now it is an instruction sit which the search engines pick up on because of content. I do have a store on it now, but I've really been too busy to add much to it other than the two DVD's I produced.

My blog also tends to be a teaching blog, and this attracts the search engines. If you don't want it to be educational..painting technique wise... include a discussion about the painting subject or something special about it that would attract people's inquiries.

Do several searches yourself on the topic of your painting for examples and see what is out there. Then include words in your content that prompt the engines to look at you. Check out my web site and blog to get some ideas.

Judy

Thanks for popping in Judy. I think your experience with promoting your blog would be helpful to those just getting their works online. It seems that the more active one is (new content with relevant keywords, new pictures posted with alt. text, links to relevant subjects, feedback from readers...) will make a difference to how quickly one moves up the page ranks. It seems that having a blog is better than just a static site - but only if one updates it frequently.
Nothing like noticing a blog hasn't had anything posted on it since 2006 - on the internet we expect our info to be not only up to date, but up to the minute!

I just think, with a lot of those gallery sites one would end up working at it just as hard only not to get the full benefit - since you're sharing web space with a few hundred or so other artists. One exception might be this site:

http://www.portraitartist.com/ (A Stroke of Genius)

They really know who their market is, and being a member has a certain cache. And, they make sure anyone searching for portrait artists finds their site - notice their web address

I agree with Callie as well regarding the galleries. One thing that attracts me to a site is the demos or videos which then leads me to want to take a closer look at their art on their website. I would call it the hook.

Scott Burdick has several demos here: http://www.scottburdick.com/demonstrations.htm

Tom Pinch has a enewletter that he sends out updating people on when he has a new YouTube video or he has something of interest he wants to relay. I love his videos.

http://www.tompinch.com

Carol Marine has a great blog. She gives tips and does very well with selling her art on eBay.

http://carolmarine.blogspot.com