From:
"Learning Stone" <listadmin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date:
Thu, 21 Mar 2002 07:24:06 -0000
Subject:
sculptor website
On 20 Mar 2002 at 17:11, George Graham wrote:
Quoted text begins.I would like to hear what other artists and stone
sculptors have to say about setting up their own web-site.
End of quote.
One of those rare occasions when your list moderator has
something to contribute. Your moderator is not a
sculptor -- but is an IT/Internet consultant who has 15
years experience and works on web sites every day. My
advice, in a nutshell ...
* Go for it.
* Use your web site as a marketing tool. Don't imagine
you will get direct sales this way.
* Let your web site visitors know how, where and when
they can visit your studio/workshop to see your work.
More than anything else, that is the key to making a
web site useful. Apart from that, the Internet is now
the place where people will start looking for you.
* If you put photos on the web site, make sure they are
the best quality posible. Don't use casual snapshots
or a digital camera for your key images. If you can
afford it, pay for professional photography and
scanning. If you can't, spend time on getting it
right. Scanned drawings and paintings are nearly
always better than scanned photos.
* Don't try to be too clever. Use an HTML editor, but
resist the temptation to ice the cake. Keep it very,
very simple.
* Visit the stone sculptors section of StoneHoo at
http://aboutstone.org/vl/ There are more
than 100 stone sculptor sites listed there. Some are
excellent, most are good, a few are truly horrific.
Check out as many as you have time for -- think about
which you liked most, and why. Put yourself in the
place of a potential customer, or anyone who might
help your career.
* There is no need (in my opinion) to hire professional
web designers. For what you propose, it is an
unnecessary expense. If you do, look at their
portfolio first -- carefully.
* Don't use the free web site providers like GeoCities,
Tripod, etc. They make a very bad impression -- and
first impressions on the web are always right.
* Register and set up under your own domain -- less than
US$20 per year but very effective in making yourself
visible.
* In most countries, basic web hosting (which is all you
need) is not very expensive, and you can use a host
outside your own country. I don't think you would need
to spend more than US$10 to $15 per month. Don't sign
up with any web host company that makes exaggerated
claims, promises unlimited bandwidth, etc. Get some
opinions from other people who have a deal they are
satisfied with (if you would like my recommendation
email me offlist).
* I don't mind giving technical advice/info by email (to
anyone), but not on this list. It would be the wrong
forum.
- References
- message 00310: sculptor website - George Graham (20 Mar 2002)
- Previous by Thread: message 00312: sculptor website - Bill Brayman (21 Mar 2002)
- Next by Thread: message 00316: sculptor website - Clive Murray-White (23 Mar 2002)
- Previous by Date: message 00312: sculptor website - Bill Brayman (21 Mar 2002)
- Next by Date: message 00314: sugary marble - Casey Harbison (21 Mar 2002)
