Hidden Treasure by Mary Shepard

We all know that web sites and blogs live and die because of traffic. This puts Google, as the Internet's de facto start page, front and center in most artists minds as a traffic-driving strategy. However, Google should not be the only.....nor even the main focus of your online marketing efforts. We've written about this subject before in our articles "What if Google Went Away?" and "Google Alone is Not Marketing." This series is exploring specific ideas to drive traffic to your web site....some will work synergistically with search engines like Google....while others will not be dependent upon search engines at all. All of these strategies will work with or without search engines.

Today's strategy is post new works consistently.

People don't like to visit sites that are out of date.  You probably invite people "check out" your website.  But do your visitors get frustrated because your site has nothing but old works and information that is never updated?

We live in a busy world.  People simply won't come back to your web site week after week if there is nothing new to see.

So today's strategy is simple.  You need to keep your web site ultra-current.  That means:

1.  Post new artwork consistently
Every single time you finish a piece - immediately post it on your web site.

2.  Announce new posts to your email list.
To create spikes in traffic, send an announcement every time you post a new piece of art on your site.

3.  Make sure your event info is current.
If you were in an exhibit that is over, get it off your current exhibits page.

4.  Make sure out of date info is gone
Is there a gallery listed on your site that you no longer work with?  Get that info off your site!

I cannot stress enough the importance of keeping your site current.  Visiting an out of date web site is like walking into a house full of cobwebs and covered in dust.  It makes visitors uncomfortable, it makes them wonder if you're just lazy or if the site has been abandoned - both perceptions you don't want your visitors to have.

Sincerely,

Clint Watson
Software Craftsman and Art Fanatic

PS - If your site is out of date because you don't know how to update it or your web designer is hard to reach, check out our sister service, FineArtStudioOnline.  We make updating your site so easy that you can do it yourself!

PPS - Today's featured artwork is by Mary Shepard