COPYRIGHT The information contained in this e-book is the property of Helen Aldous and Sputnik. You may not duplicate, transmit, resell, reproduce or distribute the e-book or content in any form without prior written permission from Helen Aldous. Unauthorised duplication in any way is strictly prohibited.
DISCLAIMER Helen Aldous and Sputnik assume no responsibility for the use or misuse of this product or the information contained within it. Helen Aldous and Sputnik assume no responsibility for injury, damage or loss resulting from the use of this e-book or the information contained within it.
Although we firmly believe that the information within will assist you to become more successful online we cannot guarantee your results or success. We cannot guarantee that you will sell your work online. You may not sell anything at all. This book in no way constitutes a contract or promise that you will sell your work. Various factors are in play which may include your talent, presentation and the market for the kind of product you sell.
The use of the information in this e-book should be based on your own due diligence and you agree that neither Helen Aldous or Sputnik are liable for any success or failure of your business that is indirectly or directly related to the purchase or use of this information. Please respect the hours put into the creation of this book and don’t pass copies on. If you know someone who would benefit from reading this book please point them in the direction of www.sellingmyartonline.com to purchase a copy. Thanks.
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HOW TO SELL YOUR ART, CRAFT & PHOTOS ONLINE The creative entrepreneur’s complete web survival kit. How to create a website and market your artwork on the internet. Version 1:1 Written & illustrated by HELEN ALDOUS Copyright Helen Aldous 2010 © All rights reserved
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CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Who am I? A Foot in each camp Why I have written this book What you will learn from this book Some of the main things you are going to learn include... …and what you won’t learn Who it’s for And who it’s not for Explanation of terms and icons Are you a tech lover or a hater?
THE BIG SECRET The War of Art The old way The new way – now it’s your turn It’s OK to make money! Really! The 5 crucial steps to selling your work successfully online
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STEP 1 CREATING A STRONG PERSONAL BRAND 9 9 9 10 10 11 12 12 12 13 13
14 14 15 15 16 16
STOP! The #no1 cause of online failure for artists What is a Personal Brand? So why do I need to bother? The importance of controlling your Personal Brand Creating your Personal Branding Blueprint 1 - What do you value? 2 - What makes you unique? 3 - What is your speciality? 4 - How do you want others to see you? Putting it all together Choosing imagery Choosing Fonts [Typefaces] Choosing Colours Creating a logo Creating an avatar Editing images and optimising them for the web Assembling your Personal Brand Toolkit Personal brand Dos and Don’ts Logo design tips Image optimising Dos and Don’ts
18 18 18 19 19 21 21 21 21 22 24 24 28 29 29 30 31 36 23 30 35
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STEP 2 YOUR WEBSITE – THE HUB OF YOUR ONLINE WORLD Why a hub website is essential for artists But why can’t I just have an Etsy shop or Facebook page? Always keep the goal in mind. The essential elements of a great hub website Other things that will help your site be fabulous Flash-based websites will lose you sales!! Your Domain name What is it? How to choose a good domain name. Checking if your chosen domain is available Registering your domain Hosting What is it? Warning - Domain release fees Warning - Before buying hosting... Your e-mail address Webmail E-mail on your computer Setting up e-mail on your computer Essential Website Dos and Don’ts The BIG list The 3 main routes to creating a personal website 1. The Handmade Website 2 – The Bespoke Website 3 – The Off-the-Peg Website 1. The Handmade website The two types of handmade sites.
38 38 40 40 41 42 43 44 44 44 44 44 45 45 45 46 47 47 47 48 49 51 51 52 52 53 53
Warning – HTML is like hair dressing – really it is, bear with me.... 53 Building your website using Wordpress 55 Setting up a Wordpress.com site 56 Setting up a Wordpress.org site 59 2. The Bespoke Website 62 Choosing the right Web Design Company – the CRUCIAL step 62 What to remember 63 5 web designers to avoid. 64 3 Things to avoid doing which will cost you time and money 65 The process 65 3. The Off-the-Peg Website 66 A list of specialist artist website creation services 66 Paypal 69 Merchant Accounts 69 Google Checkout 70 Selling Downloads [e-books etc] 70 The #No3 cause of failure to sell online 70 Search Engine Optimisation – Making sure people visit 71 Why it’s important 71 The top 5 BIG SEO Myths 71 Some actual SEO Truths 72 10 simple things to do to improve your Google page rank 73 Beware of rogue SEO companies 75 The #No4 cause of failure to sell online 76
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STEP 3 WEAVING YOUR WEB OF OPPORTUNITIES Gallery Sites Warning - Bargain Basement Galleries Show case sites Shop sites Print on Demand sites Repeat selling sites
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79 79 79 81 84 86 87
STEP 4 MARKETING YOUR WORK ONLINE
89
Why its important to market your work Advertising is Dead Community is alive and kicking OK. So how does this work in practice? The #No5 cause of failure to sell online First Things First - Creating a marketing strategy Identifying your target audience Deciding on your marketing mix Building & Using your Mailing list - The golden goal - “Why build a mailing list? People can just look at my site.” “...But people wont give me their e-mails!” “Can I use my normal e-mail software to send the e-mails?” E-mail Marketing Services E-mail Marketing Dos and Don’ts Social Media What on earth is Social Media? So how does this help my artwork? Why you should get involved The essential Golden Rules of Social Media Which networks to use? Facebook & Facebook pages The basics 5 good reasons to use Facebook Facebook Profiles and Facebook Pages Setting it up Promoting your page Facebook Dos and Don’ts
89 89 90 90 91 92 92 93 94 94 94 94 95 96 97 97 98 99 100 101 104 104 104 105 106 110 111
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Twitter The Basics 7 Good reasons to use Twitter Real examples of how Twitter has helped me as an artist? Setting it up Following people Twitter terms Twitter Dos and Don’ts Twitter Dos and Don’ts In more depth Blogging What is it? Sounds like hard work! Why do I need one? People who shouldn’t blog Blogging Platforms Video on your blog RSS [Really Simple Syndication] Feeds Online Magazines A list of great online magazines Forums Forum dos and don’ts
112 112 112 113 114 116 116 117 118 118 119 119 119 120 120 121 122 127 127 128 128
STEP 5 MAXIMISING YOUR OPPORTUNITIES Mixing up your on and offline world Promoting your site offline
SOME FINAL THOUGHTS
133 133 133
134
5 promotional ideas to drive traffic & get people to sign up to your mailing list 129 A recap - The top 5 CRUCIAL mistakes that WILL lose you sales 130
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THANKS FOR CHECKING OUT THIS INTRO TO THE BOOK The full version is available here
All the best with your creative work
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