Friday, April 14, 2023

Do You Need a Website? on Off the Wall Friday

Paul's latest coffee Table

 Shhhhhhh, can you keep a secret? My husband, Paul is turning 58 this week and I decided it was

The man, the myth

high time he got his own website.  You see he became a full-time artesian woodworker when he retired a couple of years ago and he really needs an online presence.  So with a lot of help from my daughter, Tessa, we put together a portfolio site.  A portfolio website is a site that is primarily there to showcase you and what you create.  Not only can it include a gallery of your work but also a resume and even a blog.

So all of this got me thinking.  I've been writing this blog for 13 years (that's a bit scary!) and I never felt the need for a website.  On the other hand, I never felt the need to market myself and I definitely never felt the need to bolster my brand.  (I mean do I even have a brand?)  But you might!!  I mean do you want to sell your work?  Teach nationally?  Build a fan base?  Or just have a place to direct family and friends to what work you've been up to.  There are several host websites that can teach you how to build your own website and cost about $100-$150 dollars a year.

Sound daunting?  Well like anything, according to Tessa, it's an acquired skill!  Since I'm the one that will have to fine-tune and maintain Paul's site, I'll let you know how big the learning curve is. Things to think about as you design it:

  • Curate:  Use the best of your work.  Not everything needs to be on there
  • Simplify:  Make it easy to navigate and read.  Remember less is more
  • Modify: Update and grow the site as you grow 
  • Promote: Add links to your social media accounts, exhibits, and ways to contact you
Need further inspiration?  Here are some sites I thought were amazing!!
So remember, Paul's new website is a secret!  I promise you that I'll add a link as soon as we've fine tuned it!

Got a Website?  Let me know your experience with it

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

No comments: