This is composed by Donat and for your eyes only. Please don’t share it took a long time to work out this system. thanks!!
// our goal (me and you)
Our goal is to best feature your art and you online and to provide you with a tool to best connect with your collectors and/or followers.
// CMS (content management system)
With your final website you will have access to your private admin section where you will be able to securely log in and update, edit or add art, images or text to the pages of your website.
// cross browser, iPhone and iPad compatible
Your website will be cross browser and device compatible. There are many browsers and many versions out there so your website will function on most of them thought perhaps not on very old versions of those browsers. Being 100% backwards compatible is costly and unnecessary.
Most browsing happens on iPhones and iPads and other similar devices these days. So it’s important that your website is compatible across these devices also.
NOTE: Anything in orange requires you to provide or do something
// you website pages
Below are the basic pages for your site. We can add any other pages you want now or at any other time.
– art (art section where all your collections will be found)
– collection 001
– collection 002 ( as many as you want to post)
+ any future collections
you will have to provide images of your art separated in collections
I will help guide you here but that’s what we need to achieve to get your art on the site
– news
This is where you will be able to add news about upcoming and previous events, new collections etc. or any thing you want to report. You can add images and text to cover the event as much or little as you want.
This is a tool to keep you and your art in the mind of anyone on your list. We can leave this dormant until you have news to report incase we don’t have any yet.
– about
Here we share any info about you and your art. If your career it new I propose having your bio and resume on the same page.
We can easily split it later when they each get longer.
It’s good to have a photo of yourself here. People love to see the artist. This can be as cool and obscured as you want. Your call. If you absolutely don’t want a photo of yourself there we can place art there or no photo.
Please email me the photo of you that you want to use
if you don’t have a good one we can do a mini shoot.
my photography http://www.donatphotos.com
If you want to skip that cost a shot of you painting or working or at a show can work
we can make it black and white too if that helps it
– contact
Here we list all ways you want people to be able to contact you
Including any galleries that might come to feature your work. you can choose to add any phone numbers you want or not.
My advice is to never place your email online because the web if full of email collecting spiders that then will bombard you with spam. We get around this by using an email form with spam protection.
what email do you want to use as your main art email?
ideal is to use one based on your website like; sam@samadamsart.com
Let me know what email address you want me to use as contact email on your website
//mailchimp email subscription system $60-200 (see fees below)
To best stay connected with your audience I recommend an email marketing service.
Ever since spam became a huge problem all email system have limited the allowed receivers amount per email. In most cases you can no longer email out to more than 50 people per email. You may be able to once or twice but beyond that this is cause for temporary shut down of your email accounts.
I recommend Mailchimp because they have the best looking emails and system plus they are free for your first 2000 subscribers. http://mailchimp.com/pricing/ as you see the first 2000 subscribers are free, beyond that see the price list for the cost
The draw back is now to get people on your subscriber list they have to OK a confirmation email to be accepted on your list. But it’s better to have a list of 120 real subscribers than a list of 500 emails you don’t even know are active or if they want to hear from you.
– implementing mailchimp
For mailchimp to go in effect we have to complete these steps:
1. set up an account
2. set up subscription list
3. set up an API number on your account
4. set up an email capture form on your website – $60
5. create an email template. (optional – you can utilize a generic email template or create your own)
// 2 options on how to proceed for steps 1, 2, 3 & 5
a // you do it – free
If you are technically inclined you can do 1, 2, 3 and 5 yourself. It comes down to wether you want to spend your time or your money on this.
If you opt to do this yourself set up an account here mailchimp.com . Complete these steps
(this is a 2-3 hour process normally)
1. set up an account
2. set up subscription list
3. set up an API number on your account
then from you I will need
– the account log in info
– the mail chimp api number
5. can be done any time you are ready.
b // I set up everything and complete all 5 steps – $200
(this includes the $60 email capture set up)
Let me know what works best for you
// Facebook $30 -160 (see fees below)
Facebook also can be a strong marketing tool to connect and stay connected to your collectors, fans and new fans.
This is not the typical home of collectors but they are on there plus the people that are on have friends that might be collectors. It’s a good idea to consider adding this to your marketing machine.
But if you are never going to bother posting anything here then setting this up will serve no purpose.
What needs to be done.
– you need a Facebook account. If you don’t have one it needs to be set up.
– set up an artist page
– invite 30 people to join this page
– we can then rename your artist page with a better official name / link
– set up invite to your Facebook art page on the website – $30
// how to proceed
a // you do it – free
If you are comfortable with Facebook and are up for it you can do all of this yourself. It comes down to wether you want to spend your time or your money on this.
b // I set up everything – $160
(this includes the $30 invite set up)
Let me know what works best for you
Let me know what works best for you
//Basic SEO (search engine optimization) – $80
For search engines to be able to better find your website we need to complete a minimal SEO set up.
The next step up from this is a lot more involved, costly and not that much more effective. SO I typically advice to not spend more money here.
Where you rank in search engine results is determined by a few different factors.
1. relevance
2. popularity
1. relevance
Are you truly relevant to the word that was searched? If so that will increase your ranking.
To achieve this is the most basic way we will place a 2-3 line piece of text
In google those will appear like this:
Sam Adams
www.samadams.com/
Welcome to Sam Admas Photographs. Sam Admas is a Southern California based fine art photographer. Sam Admas Photographs are shot with black and white film, and printed on gelatin silver fine art paper.
Write a piece of text with all things relevant to you in it. Use the above as a starting guide.
I will then add or subtract to that to maximize SEO effect.
Throughout this process we will go over ways to do everything so we lace relevant information all through your website
2. popularity is determined by the amount of unique visitors you have to your website and/or links to and from your website and how active they are. (Facebook, articles related to you on other websites)
// analytics – $80
This tool lets you see graphs and information about who visits your website, when and how many visitors you have a day, week, month, year etc. If you already have a API number of this just email me . If you don’t I will set it up also.
Let me know if you want this feature.
//other costs
//domain (name of your website)
The only other costs left are you buying your domain
if you have one already then just email me your account log in information
I will need:
service provider (the business your purchased your domain with):
user name or number:
password:
so I can start the process of setting it up to your new site
//hosting
DonutSite hosting pricing:
Pay per month = $12.00/month
Pay for 12 months = $9.00/month = $108 1y
Pay for 24 months = $8.00/month = $192 2y
Pay for 36 months = $6.50/month = $234 3y
what hosting plan do you prefer?
//changes and alterations
Any further changes beyond the scope of the website is charged separately at $90/hour
// art-to-website process
The process from getting from your art to having your art on your website is an important one to streamline. The more streamlined you are the more regularly you will keep up with your art. The more your collectors will get to see your work!!
If you leave this part unsolved mentally you will associate “keeping up your art and marketing” as a difficult, NOT fun chore. In this case you might be saving yourself money by not making a website.
It seems like a chore now but it’s not that complicated once you know how.
things that you need or will help to have:
– Camera (to take photos of your art)
– Aperture (to organize you art and save out your art ready for your website)
// how to use your website instructions
I will show you how to use your website with the best practices. I will also provide instructional videos on how do do the main things like – add images, galleries, add text, change text add links etc etc. this will give you a good oversight and tools to work your website with.
// extra training help or guidance beyond the website
If you require help beyond the training and tools provided I am available to help with any of the following. my hourly rate of $90.
– if you need additional or hands on training with the website
– if you would like training with any of the stages of the art-to-website process I will gladly help
at my hourly rate.
– help shooting your art.
– organizing your art with using Aperture
– resize your art
– anything photoshop
– exporting images
– using mailchimp
– facebooking
etc.
// art file sizing and naming structure
All art will need to be in JPG format and no larger than 1100 pixels wide or tall. I will help you with the initial one. If you prefer not to be busy with this I can help but it’s a separate charge.
To help maximize your SEO we need to name your art pieces properly
how to name your art file
artistName_collectionName_artPieceName_medium_size.jpg
for example:
SamAdam_BeforeWinter_ShadowInSpain_OilOnCanvas_36x48.jpg
so then we can copy and paste it in the window where we will write the name of the piece where it will appear on your site
Shadow In Spain | oil on canvas | 36 x 48
// so what’s next
I will send you some layout ideas for your site.
we’ll go back and forth until you are happy.
then I build the site out