Why Artists Need to Rethink How They Choose a Website Platform

Why the “try before you buy” rule matters more than SEO hype

If you’re an artist, you’ve probably been told—often and loudly—that to succeed online, you need to obsess over SEO, ranking, keywords, Google algorithms, and every other piece of jargon under the sun. You’ve also probably been told to hire a designer who “understands” search engines or a developer who promises a “fully optimised” masterpiece of code.

The Truth of it all

But here’s the truth that no one seems to say out loud: none of that matters if you can’t easily update your website and add new artworks yourself. In fact, having a website that’s too difficult to update is almost as bad as not having one at all. If you can’t—or simply avoid—updating it with your latest work, what good is it? Over time it becomes irrelevant, outdated, and a poor reflection of your artistic practice.

And here’s the real danger: the longer you leave it, the worse it gets. What could have been a five-minute job to upload one new artwork becomes hours—sometimes days or even weeks—of catching up because you’ve got dozens of pieces to add at once. It’s overwhelming, and for many artists, that overwhelm becomes a reason to avoid it altogether.

Let’s be clear: SEO has its place. If you’re a business selling mass-market products or competing in a crowded online niche, then yes—climbing the search rankings can make a huge difference. But as an artist, your audience often finds you through exhibitions, word of mouth, social media, and collectors who already know your work.

If your website is impossible to update without calling a developer—or worse, if you avoid adding your new work because the process is a hassle—your site will always look outdated. And an outdated site is like an empty gallery: it tells people you’re not active, even if you’ve been creating nonstop behind the scenes.

So instead of focusing on what Google’s robots think of your site, focus on what you think of your site. Can you manage it easily? Does adding your latest piece take minutes, or is it a weekend project?

Because here’s the thing: Google doesn't buy your art, but your collectors will—and they want to see your latest creations.

Most website builders are designed for generic small businesses: cafés, plumbers, consultants, gyms. They work fine for a “Services” page or a “Contact” form, but they fall apart when you try to upload, catalogue, and display artworks in a way that does justice to your practice.

Art isn’t just another “product” to drop into a generic store template. You might want to show artworks by medium, series, year, or size. You might want large, clean images without clutter, or you might want to group pieces for an upcoming exhibition.

And here’s where many web platforms fail artists:

• Too many steps – Uploading one artwork feels like filling out a tax return.

• Poor image handling – Your work looks pixelated or gets cropped badly.

• Limited categorisation – Can’t easily group by series, style, or theme.

• Clunky admin area – Designed for techies, not artists.

If you’ve tried a “free trial” on one of the big-name platforms and felt frustrated within minutes, you’ve already seen the problem. And if you stick with it anyway, you risk ending up with a site that’s technically “live” but effectively abandoned because it’s just too much effort to keep current.

You wouldn’t buy a paintbrush without holding it in your hand. You wouldn’t hang a canvas without seeing how it looks on the wall. So why would you commit to a website platform without actually trying it for yourself?

The most important thing you can do is test the system you’re considering. Forget the sales pitch, the demo video, or the flashy homepage of the provider. Get your hands on it. Add an artwork. Update a page. Try changing the order of images. See if you can do it without instructions.

If it feels complicated now, it will feel unbearable later. And every hurdle you face will be another excuse to “do it next week” until months pass without a single update. An out-of-date website isn’t just unhelpful—it can actively hurt your professional image.

The goal isn’t to find the platform with the most features. The goal is to find the one that’s so easy to use that you want to keep your site fresh and alive.

Why We Built the U do Sites Dedicated Artwork Product

This is exactly why we built the U do Sites Dedicated Artwork Website Product—a platform designed specifically for artists, not accountants, florists, or car mechanics. Our philosophy is simple:

• Art first – Your website should showcase your work beautifully, without you wrestling with layout tools.

• Simplicity matters – Uploading a new piece should be as easy as dropping a file onto your desktop.

• Organisation without effort – Sort your work into categories, exhibitions, or series with a couple of clicks.

And because we live in the real world, we know that logging into your website admin panel can be the biggest mental barrier. So we’ve taken it a step further.

We’re about to release a version where you don’t even need to log in to your website to add new artworks.

Yes, you read that right.

With U do Sites, we’ve created a process so seamless that adding a new artwork can be done directly from your phone or computer—no hunting for passwords, no navigating through a maze of menus. You just… add it. And it’s live.

This isn’t “coming soon” fluff. It’s real, it’s almost here, and we’d love to show you exactly how it works.

If you’re thinking “That sounds too good to be true,” you’re not alone. That’s why the best way to understand it is to see it in action. Book a quick demo with us and you’ll see just how much easier life as an online artist can be.

What Artists Say About U do Sites

You don’t have to take our word for it. Our Google reviews are filled with artists saying how simple it is to manage their site, how good their work looks online, and how much time they’ve saved compared to other platforms they’ve tried.

We’ve helped over 400 artists build and maintain their online portfolios, and the feedback is the same: when it’s easy to add your art, you actually do it. And when you do it, your website stays relevant, engaging, and worth visiting.

Why “Easy” Isn’t a Dirty Word

Some designers will tell you that if something is easy to use, it must be “basic” or “limited.” They’ll try to impress you with complex features you’ll never use, or jargon you’ll never understand.

But here’s the truth: the most powerful website is the one you actually use regularly. A beautifully coded, fully optimised, search-engine-friendly site that hasn’t been updated in two years is a museum piece, not a marketing tool.

And remember: a difficult-to-update website is just a digital dust collector. Without regular updates showing your latest work, it’s no better than having no website at all. Worse still, the longer you leave it, the more painful it becomes to catch up—and that’s when many artists stop altogether.

If you’re currently looking at platforms, here’s a quick checklist:

1. Can you add a new artwork in under 3 minutes?
   If not, you’ll avoid doing it.

2. Do your images look crisp and professional?
   No weird cropping, no strange compression.

3. Can you organise your work in multiple ways?
   By series, medium, year, or exhibition.

4. Does it look good on phones and tablets?
   Collectors often browse on mobile devices.

5. Can you get help quickly if you’re stuck?
   Support from people who understand art—not just tech.

6. Have you actually tried it yourself?
   Watching a sales demo doesn’t count.

If a platform fails any of these tests, keep looking.

Your website isn’t just a marketing tool—it’s your online gallery, your portfolio, your shop window. It’s the place where collectors, curators, and fans experience your work, sometimes for the first time.

Choosing the right platform isn’t about chasing Google rankings or buying into every designer’s sales pitch. It’s about finding something you’ll use. Something that works with your creative process, not against it.

U do Sites exists for exactly this reason. And with our upcoming update, adding your latest masterpiece will be as effortless as sending a message to a friend.

If you’ve struggled with platforms that weren’t built for art, it’s time to see the difference for yourself. Forget the SEO jargon. Forget the “ranking strategies.” Forget the tech headaches.

Come and try U do Sites—built for artists, made for showcasing your work, and designed to keep your site as fresh as your latest collection.

Because at the end of the day, the most important thing isn’t how high you rank on Google. It’s that when someone visits your site, they see the very best of what you’ve created—right now. And if your website makes that too hard, you might as well not have one at all.

Join the U do Revolution

Artists from around the world are invited to join the revolution and experience the benefits of U do’s dedicated art product. With its comprehensive suite of features and user-friendly interface, U do is poised to become the go-to platform for artists looking to elevate their online presence and connect with a global audience.

We Have Many Artist Web Packages Available

Artist-focused website design packages are tailored for creatives of all mediums and styles. Our dedicated art product, enhanced with the ADD new feature, enables artists to easily update and add new artwork to their website, allowing them to present their artwork online without any prior experience. Sell or show your works online, the choice is yours. Available in Australia and New Zealand, our services are relied upon by over 400 esteemed artists.

Intuitive content management system

U do provides an intuitive content management system that makes it simple for you to make changes whenever necessary. With this user-friendly platform, you can easily add new content, edit existing content, and update pages, news, products, or portfolios with ease. The system allows you to click and edit text, drag and drop images and documents, and access thousands of royalty-free stock images. Additionally, it includes an internal image editor, giving you all the tools you need in one convenient place. Whether you're adding a new blog post, updating your product catalogue, or refreshing your portfolio, U do make managing your website effortless and efficient.