What should an artist website include?

Think of your website as an online gallery. The most important things you can include on your website are images of your work and a bit of information about the art works.

How you choose to display your portfolio is up to you! You might like to include images of your favourite works around your website, on the home page and other pages too. However, we recommend having a dedicated portfolio page that is easy for viewers to navigate - you can do this by dividing your portfolio into clear categories, for example, by years, the topic, the medium used or even the type of art.

Make sure to include relevant information about your work! For example, you should include images and perhaps a video of creating the work, the medium, dimensions, year and price (if its available for sale). Another idea to consider is adding a short blurb about the inspiration behind the piece so people can understand its story and connect with your work.

Selling Online:

If you want to sell your work, your portfolio can be where you make your online sales or you could have a dedicated shop area. If you have a shop page for works for sale, don't be afraid to show artworks as SOLD, too, as this helps create urgency for visitors to act now and buy.

It can also be a good idea to allow visitors to enquire about the artwork in case they have any questions before buying.

Your artist bio is also pretty important. This is where you present yourself to all the people who visit your website. In your bio, you should describe yourself as an artist and what your art is all about. So, things like your preferred mediums, inspiration, where you’re from, any accolades and awards and possibly what you’re currently working on! It’s a good idea to keep this simple and easy to understand, avoiding niche art lingo where possible.

We would suggest a good photo of yourself so visitors can relate to you as a real person. The best photos we find tend to be natural - not staged - so perhaps one of you creating a new work, or in a place where you feel comfortable.

You might like to include your artist bio on your about page. An artist CV could also go on this page.

An exhibitions page will act as a hub for all your past, present and upcoming exhibitions. For each exhibition, as well as it’s address and times, include a link to the gallery and some information about them. Like when describing your artworks, talk a bit about the themes, inspirations and ideas behind your exhibition. Along with this, include images of the works in the exhibition, so people can get a taste of it before heading off to the real thing.

Its so important to include your contact information on your website! And don’t try to hide it away either - your info should be clear and easy to find. A good way of doing this is by including a contact page in your main menu, so it’s obvious where to go if someone wanted to get in touch. On this page, include your email, a phone number, an address (such as a gallery, if that applies to you) and the social media buttons we talk about below. If you’re represented by a gallery, you could also include information about this and a link to their website.

You could also put a contact form on this page which is a great way to stop spam and for website visitors to get in touch quickly! The easier it is for them, the better.

Contact info may seem like an obvious one, but it can be easy to overlook it - don’t!

Social media is such an easy way to market your work and interact with potential buyers. So if you don’t have any social media accounts, it might be time to give it a go! On your website, include social media account buttons so people can be taken to your page with a simple click and follow you or get in touch with just a few more. 

A mailing list might be the most important part of your marketing strategy.   It allows you to quickly communicate directly with a group of people who already know and love your work, without costing you heaps, which makes it super cost-effective. 

The most important piece of advice we can suggest here is to just start building a mailing list.

This is a fun one. While it can be easily overlooked, and you could argue that it isn’t absolutely essential, a blog is a great opportunity to interact with your audience! In your blog, you could post about upcoming collections and exhibitions, as well as the more personal side to your work. This is where you might like to share a bit about the process of making your work or a favourite piece. You could talk about an experience you’ve had relating to your art, or one you want to have in the future. 

If you can, ask your customers for testimonials on your work to display on your website. A testimonial might say how your work inspires or connects with someone, and they can increase the trust between you and your potential customers, and create more of a story to your brand.

Across your whole site, you want to be including high-quality images. Make sure the images of your work are clear and show your work in good lighting. Choose light that suits your work the best and makes its colours, shapes and lines pop.

Include some variety in your shots! It’s important to provide a close up so potential customers can see the details of the work and know exactly what they are buying, but get creative with some styled shots too. Show your work in some different spaces, such as a living room or bedroom. This gives a buyer an idea of how your work looks in a space, and they can start visualising it in their home.

With these elements, you’re sure to have an online platform that represents you as an artist, effectively markets and sells your work, and allows you to connect with your audience!