{"id":3034,"date":"2016-09-09T15:37:18","date_gmt":"2016-09-09T19:37:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/?p=3034"},"modified":"2020-07-23T12:44:54","modified_gmt":"2020-07-23T16:44:54","slug":"how-to-make-an-artist-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rapidfireart.com\/2016\/09\/09\/how-to-make-an-artist-website\/","title":{"rendered":"How to make an artist website in 5 EASY steps"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"HowWant to set up an artist website without the headache?<\/p>\n

Follow my step by step guide and get your website up and running today!<\/p>\n

In this tutorial, I’m going to show you how to sign up to a hosting provider and get your website up and running. I’m going to use tons of pictures for each step so the task is painless. It was a big headache for me when I first started out!<\/p>\n

I will take you from zero to having a website that’s ready to work on in no time!<\/p>\n

Step #1: Choose your Website Platform<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A website platform or content management system (CMS) makes it easy even for non technical people to build a website. It requires little to no coding or design skills.<\/p>\n

The most popular platform is WordPress, which is what I use for all my sites and sites I build for other people. It’s very beginner friendly and that’s why I’m recommending it to you. Also, it’s FREE!<\/p>\n

You can access thousands of free website designs to create the website you want with just the click of a button. Here are just a few examples of the free designs you can download for your site:<\/p>\n

\"how<\/p>\n

One of my favorite things about WordPress is how easy it is to install new designs and plugins. It’s like playing with lego – you can remove a piece just as easily as you attached it.<\/p>\n

Plugins are add-ons to your site like slideshows, galleries, social share buttons and more. Currently, the WordPress plugin directory contains more than 46,000 plugins and the number grows every day. Whenever I look for a specific plugin, I’ll have at least 15 free plugin options to choose from.<\/p>\n

For a non-techie person like myself, WordPress makes building websites fun! Plus, there’s a huge community of developers and free how-to guides and videos everywhere on the web.<\/p>\n

If you’re not interested in WordPress, here are some other popular platforms you can check out:<\/p>\n

Drupal<\/a>
\nSquareSpace<\/a>
\nJoomla<\/a><\/p>\n

This step by step tutorial is specific to WordPress. So you may want to find another tutorial if WordPress isn’t the CMS of your choice :)<\/p>\n

Step #2: Choose your Web Host and Domain Name<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Selecting a platform is only the beginning, you also need to have a web host<\/strong> and domain name<\/strong> for everything to work. Since this guide is on how to build a professional artist website, I’m suggesting a paid host.<\/p>\n

There are free options out there, but I highly discourage using them because your site will have a low bandwidth limit, load slowly especially for portfolio sites, rank lower in search engines, have limited design and customization options and be hosted on a sub-domain which looks unprofessional to prospective clients (Eg: yourname.freeblog.com).<\/p>\n

I Recommend BlueHost.com<\/a> – it’s Cheap and Great for Beginners<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"how-to-make-an-art-website-with-bluehost\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Bluehost is a very popular web host for beginners and a great option to start your art website. BlueHost’s prices are very affordable, with their basic hosting package priced at only $3.45\/month. When you register, they even give you a FREE domain. I usually purchase my domains from namecheap.com, so this offer saved me $14 right off the bat!<\/p>\n

BlueHost’s<\/a> control panel is friendly for non-techie people, you can create professional business emails with them (eg: yourname@yourdomain.com), their bandwidth is unmetered and they offer one click wordpress installs so you can start designing your website in minutes! (I’m going to take you through the entire process later).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Select a Domain Name for Your Site<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This part is fun! Get your pen and paper out and start brainstorming!<\/p>\n

    \n
  • If you’re like me and you want to create a brand for your website, choose a name that is easy to remember, easy to spell and is short. Avoid using hyphens and make sure your domain name looks good without spaces. Eg: DrawingMastery.com<\/strong> instead of masterofart.com<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \n
    • If you’re creating an art portfolio or personal website, it’s a good idea to use your name. It looks great on a business card and is easy to remember (unless your name is Eedara Veera Venkata Satyanarayana). In that case, it may be better to stick to your initials.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      I always choose a .com<\/strong> address because it’s easy for people (such as clients) to remember, it looks more professional and I strongly believe Google prefers it over .club, .online, .design and even the popular .net<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

      I can never remember if a domain ends in anything other than .com. If that applies to you too, you can be sure that your clients are the same as well.<\/p>\n

      You can use the search box below to check if your domain name is already taken:<\/p>\n