[Lindy]

Hi everyone,

I need your help. I want to start getting a wider audience for my work and I'm really unsure how to do that. I already sell the odd piece privately but I would like to get to a larger audience and simply don't know where to start.

I would also ask you to review my website to see if you feel I'm ready for a larger audience and if you do perhaps you could suggest people for me to contact.

Please remember that I am always open to critiques so your input would be really, really helpful.

I look forward to your thoughts, critiques and suggestions.

Thanks!
Lindy

[Irish]

Hey Lindy,

Love the color scheme of your site!

My first impression is that there is no artwork on your home page. The web is totally visual ... no one ever reads either the big print of the fine print ... it's all by sight. It is estimated that the average surfer takes less than 3 seconds to decide whether to stay and look over your site or to click the "Back" button.

So, in my opinion, choose what you belief to be your best piece. Get a clean close up scan of it and paste it as your splash screen. Grab them visually by the collar and scream at them "Look at me - look at what I do - look at what I can do you YOU!"

You can write the greatest poetic epic that the world has ever had and No One on the web will ever read it!

Just my opinion, that and 50 cents won't buy you coffee at Micky D's, so take what you want and throw the rest away.

S.

[doris]

hi lindy, i too like the color scheme and pattern you used for your webpage, very nicely fiiting to your topic... i am one (may be rare) person reading webpages, but as susan i also would like find the pictures of your work easier. i mean, for example, when i first click "gallery", i expect to come to a page with images of your work, and not to see a form. or, when i click then "first nations" i need scroll long to find the images...i would suggest put them on top of the pages, and your text follow the images. this way interested people can read, and all do see images first. ... besides these, i think your webpage is very attractive, only needs a little more comfortortable for the user.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Remember....you ask for the opinion so here it is.

Your website as it stands now has nothing to draw the surfer into it. The first page doesn't show anything but a bunch of words which, on an artistic site mean nothing. The web is a visual medium to the surfer and you have only a brief instant to grab their attention before they move that mouse arrow onto something more interesting. If they come looking for woodburnings and only find words or photos so small that they can't decern any detail they won't stick around for long.

Here's a suggestion that will really help you get a grasp of just what others are doing across the full spectrum of artistic websites. There is a program called Stumbleupon that goes out and randomly brings in websites of subjects you choose to look at. You have complete control of the subject matter that comes up but the search is so broad it literally becomes hypnotic to the point that you just can't help hitting the stumble button to see what comes up next. Here is the link: http://www.stumbleupon.com/

If you download the program it will install a toolbar at the top of your page which will give you instant access in case you feel the urge to Stumble. I love this site and set here hitting the stumble button like some websurfing junkie.

I've used the web for about five years to market my work. While it works it only works if the person thats possibly interested in buying something from you knows where to go look for you. This means that they have to hear about you from somewhere else. How do you do that? Conventional advertising. A magazine add showing your work along with your website fills that requirement as does any free exposure you might get. If you think you can successfully sell your work through a website without any other kind of advertising you can pretty well forget it.

The saying "It takes money to make money." is right on the money as far as marketing goes. The more money you spend advertising is in direct relationship to the amount of money you can make from it. I've done quite a lot of national advertising in well known magazines and the response is immediate and broad. The counts on my website counter really climb after an add appears. It costs a hellava lot of money but I have yet to have not made enough to pay for the advert plus a little extra and to me thats enough to make it worthwhile. To give you an idea of just how much it costs ... a 1/6th page add in a national magazine runs anywhere from $700 to 1500 dollars, and that's just for a one issue add. Do you have that much faith in your work? That's a real tough question to answer.

I hope you take these comments in the positive manner that I mean them to be.

[susieq]

Hi Lindy,
Your work is beautiful but I agree with some of the other comments... I clicked on the "galleries" link and got a form to fill out. Not what I was expecting to see. I was looking for your gallery of work. Pictures, pictures pictures....of your very best stuff. Also, contact info. Another form to fill out. I wanted to know where you are located, not an exact address, just what part of the country. A nice bio would be a good thing too. People are not just buying your work. In a way, they are buying a piece of you. They want to get a feel for the artist. I have found that many patrons like to feel they have somewhat of a relationship with the artist. It maked them feel special.

The other suggestion I have would be to try to get into a high end gift shop in a resort area or a gallery. You do wonderful and unique things but you have to get them out there in front of an audience. Good luck....you deserve it.

[Lindy]

Thank you so much for your suggestions - I have made some changes and would like your input on it.

Susan - how did you do that? I really like that idea but I don't know if my software will let me do it????

[wood-whittler]

lindy,


i must say the revamped website is alot better to get around in and to veiw your artwork. this is going to make it easier for folks to see your art.

bart

[susieq]

Hi Lindy,
How did I do what? I have to confess that a very good friend built my website for me. She does it for a living and is terrific at it. There is a link to her site on mine as well.... lisaeng.com She is also a working graphic artist and does a lot of posters for rock concerts. She is featured in a book on the subject. We talked about what I wanted to do and then I sent her tons of pictures. I know that she uses Dream Weaver software. I have a version of Dream Weaver and hope when I quit my regular job to carve full time (this year sometime) that I can learn how to use the software and do some minor things to my site, like add pics and links the gallery that carries my work. Personally I envy your computer skills....green with envy I am.......

You know more about site building techniques than I do and DreamWeaver would probably be a piece of cake for you. I do know that it is a wysiwyg software. What you see is what you get....meaning (and I am sure you already know this) that it allows you to work in either HTML view or in actual view so that if you are not an html wiz (and I am not) you can still build the site in the other view and this software does the html for you.

But what ever you wanted to know from me, I can ask Lisa and get an anwer for you.

I like your website a lot but home page needs a photo of your best piece or several pieces. Bio page should have a photo of the artiste' herself! Your credentials are impressive but folks want to actually see you too. It's that thing of wanting to get to know the artist.

[Lindy]

Wow, what a wonderful response and I really, really appreciate all your suggestions. I am trying to incorporate all of them in.

SusieQ - I have made the change to the front page but you may need to hold down the shift key at the same time you ask it to refresh.

Again thank you everyone and if you have more suggestions I would sure love to hear them!

Lindy

[susieq]

Lindy,
I love the changes you have made to the website. The minute I got to the home page, I wanted to settle in and look around. Huge improvement. And wow, Susan Irish's suggestions are also terrific! Go for it!!!!