To Dot Com Or Not To Dot Com,
That Is The Question!

                                  Part II

 

Last issue we have examined several questions
dealing with websites’ galleries and how could artists
use this somewhat novel way effectively.

Let us now proceed with the next question…
Could artists sell their work through the Internet?
The answer is an emphatic yes! I have often heard
and I do agree to certain extend that buying something
like a painting without seeing it first entails a bit of
risk. We are not talking here about high flying
investment artwork, that could benefit from the
Internet marketing as well, but in different ways, we
are looking at works of art that cost, perhaps, few
hundred dollars, certainly not in the thousands. To
alleviate the buyer's concerns, one can employ various
measures to effectively address this matter, like having
secure websites to guard against fraud, providing a
money back guarantee if not totally satisfied, referrals
and testimonials play an important part in this regard
as well, for a buyer will get a chance to contact
someone that has had some dealing with the artist
or his/her agent and can provide a recommendation.

Another point worth mentioning here is the exaggerated
claims that some make on their websites, like saying
"This is the web page of the Internationally renowned
artist so and so...." One should avoid such claims if
it is not a proven matter, if your name is recognized
in the international art circles, by all means, but I see
lot of that sort of thing on the Internetnet, often, coming
from artists that are emerging mediocre at best and that
can cause more harm than good... really.
Remember; most people know their onions!

Please understand that Internet art marketing is not
directed against traditional art galleries it is just an
extension of the same activities, in much the same
way real estate marketing works, it addresses a
certain market and attracts certain audience. If you
were in the market for a set of golf clubs, you will not
surf websites that deal with country and western
music will you? It is the same for art lovers and
collectors, they are attracted to websites that deal
with art, that narrows the focus and deliver results.

That will also answer the question "is the web an
appropriate place to exhibit your art?" as well, for
art lovers and collectors *DO* comb the Net for arts
orientated websites, this is a fact! I can safely state
this from the amount of e-mail I get from far away
places and people, all dealing with artistic matters.

Dealing with the next question of " what is the best
way to building an effective website" is a fairly
complex mixture of design and marketing strategies,
an essential expertise that must be utilized to serve
the purpose of any successful website. I will only
touch on this topic as I have dealt with it somewhat
at length last April, in my article titled " The Seven
Deadly Sins Of Internet Art Marketing!" You can
request a copy by e-mailing the editor or refer to
the archives section at our website 
http://www.oz-artfocus.com/pages/artzine/archives.htm
for the April 2000 edition.

A functional website must look professional with a
clean-cut layout that puts all the information at the
surfers’ fingertips, this is the front door, the book’s
cover, so to speak, without looking good and being
inviting, it will not encourage the visitor to venture in.
That attractive design must also incorporate direct
navigation tools leading to it’s various parts. Clarity
and functionality are of paramount importance here.
Having achieved that, is winning but half the battle!

The other half is normally hidden behind the pretty
looks! I am referring to collecting these very valuable
information about who visits the website and how long
do they stay, how deep do they surf through the pages
therein, which pages attract the most hits. Forget
counters as these are fairly old indicators and most
serious websites have totally removed them simply
because they are easily manipulated with a little
know-how, and that virtually renders them useless.
These gathered information shed a lot of light on what
is happening and if utilized carefully and interpreted
from marketing view point, will certainly help drawing
an accurate and ongoing picture about how effective
such a website is. Couple this with constant publicity
strategies and you are on your way!

Please let me recap what I have addressed above.
The web is certainly a fertile ground for artists to
cultivate; it could be in a stand-alone art-marketing
effort or as an extension of a traditional brick and
mortar gallery. It is a most effective way to assist
both emerging artists, who need, and will benefit
from the exposure most, as well as established artists
to increase their audience base and gain a wider
exposure of their artwork on a global scale,
Just...
Be professional,
Be realistic, and most of all
Be determined.