Here’s how we suggest you go about creating your online portfolio in a way that will help your work shine:
1. Select your best works
First of all, you’ll want to curate a selection of works to entice your dream clients. Showcase your best works, not all of them – so consider works that are appropriate and marketable, not just those you’re attached to.
If you’re having a hard time doing this, ask your creative friends, family or even a trusted teacher for their curatorial advice.
We suggest creating a series of works that showcase the sphere of interests and skills that you’re interested in marketing. Be sure to include creations in the style you’re hoping to market. There’s no point uploading that incredible watercolour you surprised yourself with in art school if you’d prefer to never pick up a paintbrush again.
2. Score a catchy web address
Once you’ve got your target audience and best works ready to go, it’s time to build your brand. Your potential clients are going to make judgements based on your online presence, so you should seize the opportunity to make a bold statement!
Your web address should be memorable, catchy, short, it should age well and, most importantly, it should represent you and your brand.
The .ART domain offers both inventory and standard domain names that affiliate you with the global artistic community. The inventory names are catchy, customizable, and have been identified by .ART’s intelligent algorithm as being of particular value in the artistic sphere. The standard domain names are a bit more budget friendly, with each costing only as much as a couple of matcha lattes from Starbucks.
You can see whether your artistic pseudonym is available at get.art.
3. Build your site
After you’ve registered your web address, it’s time to build yourself a website.
These days, you don’t have to study coding to build a beautiful and functional webpage. Website builders offer convenient templates that allow users to select themes, colour schemes and page designs that suit their brand.
Feel free to see where your creativity takes you when building your webpage, but a less is more approach may be your best bet. You want your artwork to be the focus point on the page, not the image behind it.
When including your works, make it easy for users to navigate by showcasing each series separately. Consider including a short story so that the viewers really engage with the work.
.ART has partnered with Weebly, the only website builder that allows you to create and manage your site from any device.
4. Share, everywhere.
After everything is set up, you need to spread the word about your works! The internet opens doors, for everyone, so you need to have an intelligent online presence, not just a beautiful one.
Promotion can come in the form of a strong social media presence, advertising within online galleries, art competitions, networking, blogging, or even shamelessly sliding into the comments of established art forums and showcasing your work there. Consider who your target audience is and where they’re likely to be spending their time online and promote yourself in relevant circles.
