Making websites....questions and answers

[Former_Member]

I'm trying to set up a Website and don't know what the terms mean.
Having a hard time.
If anyone has experience and willing to share please post here for me and others struggling to set up a website.
I'm using fatcow.com
We have our horse website through them and they had a special for another website for just $12 a year.....so I thought I would give it a try.
Don't know what these things are....
snipet
weebly
getting on google anaylatics
etc.
sure I didn't even spell them right

any help appreciated

[Former_Member]

Hi Donna, I know 2 of them!
weebly is another self creating website (like your fatcow.com), or go-daddy.
Google analytics is a site to help you with your SEO (search engine optimizers) sp.?

I don't know what a snipet is. I also am struggling with mine, but mostly coming up with a decent Artist Bio, and modifying my photos for a cohesive site. We all just "learn as we go".

[Former_Member]

I'm using wordpress.com. It is a blog site, but certain style options would work fine for a static site. I'm still learning the ins and outs, but so far it's pretty user-friendly and I've been able to post what I want. It is only $18 a year to take the wordpress part out of the website. There are, of course, other options that you can pay for, but I'm using a free style template and it looks like this: www.redspaintings.com

Can't help you out with words--haven't ran across any of those!

[Former_Member]

Wow Leslie!! It's awesome!

So... I guess I could just set up a blog site, instead of a website, and get basically the same results?

Seems like blogging costs less than a website. Hmmm.............

[Former_Member]

Yeah, it's completely free if you don't mind wordpress.com being in your domain name. I waited a few months before purchasing the domain name. And as long as you set up the home page right, it doesn't necessarily have to be a blog style. Good luck!!!

[Former_Member]

Trish
Thanks
I know what you mean by cohesive
I have a friend that owns an upscale Art Gallery in New Mexico and sells her painting for a good amount. I remember her saying to me that your body of work should be cohesive. It has stuck with me but not really applying it.

[Former_Member]

Donna, I know what you mean. If you look at the "high dollar" artist's websites, or in galleries, you can see that all their work is different...yet, the same.
I've been floundering all over the place with my work, but I'm just lately trying really hard to focus on a theme. Painting what's in my own backyard. The everyday things so common in New Mexico. Maybe, I'll eventually come up with a cohesive body of work. LoL.
This whole website vs. blogging thing is more work than I thought.

[Former_Member]

Ugh, cohesive! I'm trying to give myself a pass on the fact that none of my pieces seem to go together because I'm still figuring out what I want to express! I struggle with that so much, though. As much as I want it to be unified, I don't want to miss out on trying something new! I also can't imagine ONLY painting landscapes (or portraits, or whatever) for the rest of my art career! Glad to know you guys go through the same thing.

[Former_Member]

I know Leslie, I like to experiment in a lot of different things. But, I've been told by other (more famous) artists... that to ever be successful, or gain Gallery representation you need to have a "recognizable" style, or technique, or something that instantly makes people (customers) know who the artist is.

For instance, I can never do "Realism" as beautifully as you, so I've learned not to even try. I'm more of an "Impressionist" so, I'm trying go with that. This whole being an artist thing is way more work than most people realize. IF... you need to make a living! LoL.

[DreamOutLoudArt]

Cohesive?! My pieces are all over the map! My style is mostly whimsical, but I am selling mine as jewelry (for now), not gallery art, so I guess that's different.
Leslie, your blog site is very nice! I had posted on our Art Talk thread - I have started using weebly.com for my web site and that is where my blog will be also. It's free (unless you want to upgrade, of course) It is also very user friendly!
My husband's websites are through Go-Daddy, but he writes code and does them from scratch. I wanted mine to be simple for me so that I don't have to bug him to fix or change things for me.