Bob Santerre on sun 24 feb 02
Tony,
I'm not sure what I'd be willing to pay for such a service - have to
think about that a bit, do some research. You might want to talk with
Tyler Hannigan at the Silverhawk site
(http://www.silverhawk.com/news/current.html) about his fee schedule.
I do have two questions I'll bounce off you:
1. Do you plan to do the actual sales online?
2. Has anyone (you) considered providing such a service with low set-up
and maintenance fees and taking a percentage of the sales?
One critical feature of such a service would be to have it load rapidly,
and be fairly quick and easy to navigate within. Nothing more
frustrating then trying to buy something online, knowing exactly what
you want, but not being able to find it (need a good search engine) or
wading through endless pages of fill-in the blanks questions. Makes you
wonder if you really need whatever it is you're trying to buy.
Regards, Bob
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Tony Ferguson wrote:
>Greetings,
>
>I am looking for feedback on setting up professional website (not a free
>one) with your own domain name/registration. You sight would include topic
>areas such as: Current Art Work Available The Artist Artist's
>Statement Artist Portfolio Kiln Pics Video Clips
>Links
>
>I am wondering what people are willing to pay for a website creation/hosting
>service? Consider the following and what would you be willing to pay for
>the creation of your own site and then a monthly maintenance fee?
>
>-initial setup/design/creation/domain registration & fees
>-monthly maintenance: changing pictures, text (you would send the pictures
>to me via disk/email)
>
>I checked with some locals and they said anywhere from $500 to $2000 plus
>monthly fee ranging form $50 to $500.
>
>
>Thank you!
>
>Tony Ferguson
>Stoneware, Porcelain, Raku
>www.aquariusartgallery.com
>Photographic, Web Site, & Marketing Services for Artists
>218-727-6339
>315 N. Lake Ave
>Apt 401
>Duluth, MN 55806
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
>
>
Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild on sun 24 feb 02
>I am wondering what people are willing to pay for a website creation/hosting
>service? Consider the following and what would you be willing to pay for
>the creation of your own site and then a monthly maintenance fee?
>
>-initial setup/design/creation/domain registration & fees
>-monthly maintenance: changing pictures, text (you would send the pictures
>to me via disk/email)
>
Tony -
Maintenance is one of the big hidden "gotcha's" of web sites. We've all seen
many sites that were terribly out of date, and know the impression it makes.
Still, I don't believe the site owner should have to pay an ongoing maintenance
fee. With some basic CGI programming, a site can be engineered so that the
owner can upload new content whenever they wish.
If I were advising someone on a web designer service, I'd include three
points (besides the usual designer qualifications):
1) Make sure the site includes provisions that allow the owner to maintain it.
2) Make sure that you get all artwork, including original unflattened and
uncompressed files, as well as full specifications for all fonts used.
3) Make sure that the site owner, NOT the designer, is the registered owner
of the domain name and the registered account owner with the hosting
company.
I've seen enough web design deals go bad that I stress the need for the
site owner to maintain full control and not be dependent on the designer
for ongoing work.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Bob Nicholson
Webmaster, Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild
http://www.ovcag.org/
Tony Ferguson on sun 24 feb 02
Bob,
I currently do sales online and it works fine. My sales from my artwork
have mainly supported us solidly for the last year, still scrapping by of
course by most standards but I get to be home with my children and wife.
Bill Farrell and I have been discussing some ways for me to help other
artists with selling their work, promotion, presentation, photography, etc.
He and Delores Fortuna are considering having me set up sites for both of
them and others have inquired. I am also considering creating a name like
"Web Doctor" as a consulting service for folks who want to do it themselves
when it comes to maintaining there own web sites, sales, photography, etc.
Yes, I am trying to put together some different packages: one where you pay
more and the other where you pay less and I take a percentage--I am sure
there are other packages I will come up with as people express their needs.
Currently the artists I have (friends) pay me 50% and pay nothing other than
shipping their work. Unforetunetly, if they don't sell, I make no money and
they end up with a free web site and exposure. I wanted to try it to see
how it works. 911 has not helped. But my collectors have been loyal, thank
God.
I have been trying to figure out pricing and options. One of my thoughts is
to have a site where anyone can post pictures to or send them to me--like
having your own page(s) under the houseing of AquariusArtGallery. You would
pay a minimal setup fee of lets say $250 for a year + $10-20month. You
would get 20 pictures you could put up, one page of text, artist statement,
contact information, etc. Maybe a commission of some sort. There could be
various options and add ons. I need to figure this out and also what people
want to be able to do. You would be allowed so many changes a month, etc.
Hard to figure out because there is such a broad range out there. I have
heard everything from $500 to $2000 to set up a site (separate from a market
housing) for someone plus monthly fee.
Getting pictures to load fast are not problem. I have all the software.
Right compression is the key with out losing picture quality. There are a
ton of artists websites where the compression could be better as well as
picture quality. They are really hurting themselves by not having good
pictures. There are lots of ways to market work on the internet. Search
engines are just one way and apparently after talking to a consultant, the
game has changed and its pay per click that seems to be working in terms of
search engine placement as well as partnerships. Thanks for the inquiry and
please don't hesitate to ask anymore questions or provide advice.
Thank you!
Tony Ferguson
Stoneware, Porcelain, Raku
www.aquariusartgallery.com
Photographic, Web Site, & Marketing Services for Artists
218-727-6339
315 N. Lake Ave
Apt 401
Duluth, MN 55806
> 1. Do you plan to do the actual sales online?
>
> 2. Has anyone (you) considered providing such a service with low set-up
> and maintenance fees and taking a percentage of the sales?
>
> One critical feature of such a service would be to have it load rapidly,
> and be fairly quick and easy to navigate within. Nothing more
> frustrating then trying to buy something online, knowing exactly what
> you want, but not being able to find it (need a good search engine) or
> wading through endless pages of fill-in the blanks questions. Makes you
> wonder if you really need whatever it is you're trying to buy.
>
> Regards, Bob
>
>
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//////////////////////////////
>
> Tony Ferguson wrote:
>
> >Greetings,
> >
> >I am looking for feedback on setting up professional website (not a free
> >one) with your own domain name/registration. You sight would include
topic
> >areas such as: Current Art Work Available The Artist
Artist's
> >Statement Artist Portfolio Kiln Pics Video Clips
> >Links
> >
> >I am wondering what people are willing to pay for a website
creation/hosting
> >service? Consider the following and what would you be willing to pay
for
> >the creation of your own site and then a monthly maintenance fee?
> >
> >-initial setup/design/creation/domain registration & fees
> >-monthly maintenance: changing pictures, text (you would send the
pictures
> >to me via disk/email)
> >
> >I checked with some locals and they said anywhere from $500 to $2000 plus
> >monthly fee ranging form $50 to $500.
> >
> >
> >Thank you!
> >
> >Tony Ferguson
> >Stoneware, Porcelain, Raku
> >www.aquariusartgallery.com
> >Photographic, Web Site, & Marketing Services for Artists
> >218-727-6339
> >315 N. Lake Ave
> >Apt 401
> >Duluth, MN 55806
> >
>
>___________________________________________________________________________
___
> >Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
> >
> >You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> >settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
> >
> >Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
> >
> >
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
Fabienne Micheline Cassman on thu 28 feb 02
>Maintenance is one of the big hidden "gotcha's" of web sites. We've all seen
>many sites that were terribly out of date, and know the impression it makes.
>Still, I don't believe the site owner should have to pay an ongoing
>maintenance
>fee. With some basic CGI programming, a site can be engineered so that the
>owner can upload new content whenever they wish.
Maintenance of the site content is the owner's responsibility and should be
paid as it goes unless you have recurring updates, e.g. minutes and agendas
of villages which come out on a weekly basis. The other side of updating
it yourself is that its just one more thing that takes you away from your
passion, as if keeping the books was not enough. Also, just like putting
away savings every month, can you commit time to updating the content and
be disciplined about it. That is something that should be weighed when
searching for the right web hosting service for you.
If you don't want annoying advertisement on your site with a window popping
in front of the content every few minutes, you will pay a monthly
fee. Monthly fees go toward unseen maintenance and monitoring; that's how
you can sleep on your laurels at night and focus on your passion. Hardware
and software doesn't appear magically on the server and when it "burps"
someone has to be there to soothe it. Think PC, it's no different for
servers just more complicated and touchy. Vendors are making sure that
upgrading is a must lest you wound up with slow dated soft/hardware for
which they stop making necessary maintenance parts for it (e.g. Windows
XP... it's just a matter of time before Microsoft dumps Win 98 and 2000)
There is more to it, but it's boring stuff and I'd rather pot :)
Cheers,
Fabienne
Fabienne http://www.milkywayceramics.com/
WARNING: I cannot be held responsible for the above
because my cats have apparently learned to type.
Sharon Villines on fri 1 mar 02
> I currently do sales online and it works fine. My sales from my artwork
> have mainly supported us solidly for the last year, still scrapping by of
> course by most standards but I get to be home with my children and wife.
> Bill Farrell and I have been discussing some ways for me to help other
> artists with selling their work, promotion, presentation, photography, etc.
> He and Delores Fortuna are considering having me set up sites for both of
> them and others have inquired. I am also considering creating a name like
> "Web Doctor" as a consulting service for folks who want to do it themselves
> when it comes to maintaining there own web sites, sales, photography, etc.
http://www.artisthelpnetwork.com/
This is an excellent site for advertising your services and finding other
services for artists. It's run by Caroll Michels, author of How to Survive
and Prosper as an Artist (5th edition just out).
Sharon.
--
Sharon Villines, Arts Coach
http://www.artscoach.ws
ArtsCoachFAQs Newsletter
http://www.artscoachfaqs.com
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