Common Questions about Web Design For Artists
Do we need a face to face meeting?
No, not at all. Phone and email contact are fine. It’s how we keep our prices competitive.
How long does it take to design an artist’s website?
About two to four weeks depending on the size and complexity of your site.
Do I really need a domain name and hosting?
Yes you do. Your host is where the files that make up your website are stored and your domain name is the address of that storage space. Your website address will be something like www.studiowebs.co.uk or www.studiowebs.com.
I already have a domain name. Can I use that?
Yes, no problem.
Can I have a domain name to match my website’s address?
Yes you can. Your email address can be something like info@mywebsite.com. You will need to set up your mailbox with a third party provider. It is a good idea to keep your website hosting and your email completely separate – i.e. from different providers. If you ever decide to change your website designer, your email will be unaffected.
What platform do you use to create websites?
WordPress – one of the most popular website development platforms around. It’s versatile, easy to expand, easy to update, and your content is portable, which means you can change the whole look and feel of your site without having to input all your content from scratch.
What do you need from me to design my website?
1. A brief – how many pages do you need (home, inspiration, gallery, contact etc.)
2. A style guide – how do you want your website to look? Links to sites that you like are a good way of letting us know how you want your site to look.
3. All content for your website – this includes any text that you want to display on your site and all the images that you want to show in your galleries (all as computer files).
Will I be able to update my website myself?
Yes you can. But you do need to have a reasonable grasp of computers (handling folders, files, re sizing images, saving for the web, uploading to a web server etc.), or be prepared to learn. Updating any website can be a time-consuming exercise. Allowing us to do the updating is often a more time/cost effective solution and not as expensive as you might think.
I don’t have much time. Will you manage my website and do the updates for me so I don’t have to worry about it?
Yes, we offer full maintenance service if you need it. Just tell us what needs doing and we will give you an estimate.
Will my website appear on Google?
We will do all we can to make sure that your site appears on Google for a search for your name or site name plus perhaps the search term ‘artist’. This is known as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Remember though, it is Google and Google alone which decides what sites to show in its search results, and apart from building a search engine friendly site, there’s not much more a web designer can do influence your Google ranking. However, there are things you can do outside of your site to improve your position. For example, having a social media presence (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest) is very important and can give you priority over other sites that do not get involved in social media.
Please could you change the text on my Google listing on its results page?
Google chooses what text to display in its search engine results listings. Google is an independent company. It scans your site and selects what it thinks is appropriate. The secret is to make sure that all the text on your site is appropriate and relevant, so that whatever Google chooses, it will be correct.
I already have a website. Can you change it for me?
We can certainly take a look to see if we can help. We offer a free website review service. It’s a website health check really. We look at how it has been created, whether or not it is mobile responsive, how it rates with regard to social media and whether or not we can help you update or re-vamp your website. Changing or adding to an existing website that someone else has created can be tricky as different people program in different ways. But we won’t know if we can help until we have taken a close look at your site. Send your website’s URL to info@studiowebsitedesign.com and ask for a review.
I already have hosting set up. Can I use that?
Sorry, but that’s not possible. We we use our own host for all our sites. There are several reasons. First, they are reliable and offer very quick support. This is not true of some of the cheaper hosting providers. Second, they use modern servers (computers) which means that your website will load quickly. Again, this is not true of all hosts. Thirdly, we understand their systems inside out, so we are able to offer you free support if you have a issues. The good news is hosting is free for the first year for any website designed by us, so it won’t cost you anything to transfer. After the transfer has been made, you can simply cancel your existing package.
Why should I ask Studio Websites to design my website for me?
1. We are specialists in designing websites for artists, makers and art groups.
2. All the feedback we get from existing clients is very positive – our sites are admired for their apparent simplicity but powerful web presence.
3. We are a small company, so you get a very personal service which is friendly, respectful and patient.
4. Our prices are very competitive.
5. All our websites follow the principles of excellent website design – and they look good too.
What are your principles of good web design for artists?
– Simple navigation systems (our websites are easy to use)
– Minimal use of background images (the art and content should do the talking, not the website design)
– Quick to appear (no annoying flash animations that take forever to download and add nothing to the visitor experience)
– Easy to read text fonts
– Excellent graphic design (ensuring a positive impression)
