| These days, most people turn to the internet for | | | | To get a site going, you first need to register a |
| information, resources, entertainment and | | | | domain name. Ideally, it should be the name of |
| networking. I believe that some sort of web | | | | your business, or your name, and I STRONGLY |
| presence - be it a website, a blog or some | | | | believe you should get a ".com" name for your |
| combination of the two - is essential. | | | | main site. Register .net and others if you like, but |
| If you want to license your art and will be doing | | | | people search .com first. If you choose a name |
| your own marketing, contacting manufacturers | | | | and register ".net" because ".com" is already |
| directly, you need to have somewhere to direct | | | | taken, just be aware that you will probably drive |
| them online to see your work. Everyone is busy | | | | traffic to the ".com" site. I will, however, give you |
| so the easier you make it for someone to get a | | | | some guidelines about what to include - either on |
| snapshot of who you are and what you do, the | | | | your website or your blog. These are some |
| better your chances of making a connection that | | | | basics to get you started - let you and your art |
| will turn into business. | | | | shine through! |
| You can send samples of your work as jpegs | | | | |
| attached to an email, but some sort of | | | | 1. Your business name & logo |
| permanent web real estate is ideal. If you aren't | | | | 2. Contact information. You will be amazed at how |
| online, you need to decide between a traditional | | | | many people forget to put an "email me" link on |
| website or a blog as a starting place. | | | | their website because they get so involved in the |
| The fastest, easiest and often free way to get | | | | content. |
| online is to create a blog. There are many blog | | | | 3. Samples of your art. Put enough images that a |
| sites that offer free blogs, complete with | | | | manufacturer can get a feel for your work and |
| templates, and you can be online within minutes. If | | | | decide if it might be a fit for them or not. Don't |
| you want more control over the entire look and | | | | put everything you have online however, as sad |
| feel of your blog, you might need to get help | | | | as it is, there are people who might copy or steal |
| from a web designer and it could take a little | | | | art online so keep a balance between showing |
| longer. | | | | enough and tempting fate. |
| If you aren't familiar with what a blog is - I believe | | | | 4. Information about you. You are not only selling |
| it started as an online journal of sorts. Some | | | | your art but also yourself. You are a person, |
| people have personal blogs where they write | | | | trying to connect with a person who works for a |
| about their day, observations on life and general | | | | manufacturer, or a person who is an agent-- |
| musings. There are news blogs, self-help blogs, | | | | perhaps your future agent. Give them an idea of |
| networking blogs and more. Pick a topic and I bet | | | | who you are. Have you been painting since you |
| you can find more than one blog out there. | | | | were 3? Why do you choose the topics you |
| If you are starting out and want to keep your | | | | choose? Do you have formal art training or did |
| costs down, start with a blog. Create a blog | | | | you learn at your grandmother's side? You get |
| whose purpose is to show your work and give | | | | the idea! |
| basic information about you. This isn't the place to | | | | 5. Information about your business. If you have |
| show off pictures of your new puppy (create a | | | | licensed some of your work, show samples or |
| personal blog for that) but a place to promote | | | | talk about it. If you have your own card line that |
| your business. | | | | you sell in local stores, talk about that and how |
| This is not to say that websites are expensive. | | | | the sales are. Any details that show that retailers |
| You don't need to have a high-tech site with lots | | | | and consumers already like and buy things with |
| of moving parts and you don't need to spend | | | | your art on them is a good thing. Get online if you |
| thousands of dollars to have someone create and | | | | aren't already and if you are, take a few minutes |
| maintain your site if you don't want to. Like blogs, | | | | to look at your website and/or blog and make |
| there are a lot of companies that offer turn-key | | | | sure it represents you, your art and your |
| options for websites as well. | | | | business. |