Whether you are a visual artist, writer, performer, filmmaker, photographer, or something beyond, you can think of an artist website as a publicly accessible portfolio and resume.
Unlike social media platforms where you are subject to algorithm changes, your website is a piece of digital real estate that you own.
A website can serve many purposes: It can be a curated portfolio for grant applications or residency submissions, a chronological archive of your creative evolution, a store to sell your work, or a central hub to connect with audiences.
This guide will help you narrow down what you need to build a successful, professional website that truly reflects your artistic voice.
Outline Your Goals
Before you get started building out a website that reflects your creative work, you must get clear on why you think you need a website. Diving into design without strategy is like building a house without a blueprint.
What specific job do you need your website to do? For example: Will you be selling original works, prints, or merchandise? Is it a space to showcase your digital portfolio? Will you update the content frequently with photos, videos, blog posts, products, etc? Is it a connection point? Do you want a simple, clear place to direct people from social media so they can learn more about you and contact you for commissions or inquiries?
Understanding how folks will interact with your website will dictate how your site needs to be structured.
Reflection Exercise
Take five minutes with these reflection prompts to help guide your brainstorming.
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1
List your top three goals for your website over the next year.
What do you hope to achieve? (e.g., sell 10 original pieces, get invited to apply for a residency, grow my email list to 100 subscribers).
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2
Identify your primary audience.
Who do you most want to visit your site? (e.g., collectors, gallerists, fellow artists, art directors, the general public).
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3
Define your site’s core action.
What is the one main thing you want visitors to do? (e.g., buy a piece of art, fill out a contact form, sign up for your newsletter, watch your films, view your portfolio).
Plan Your Website
Once you have a sense of what you want your website to do, you can move onto the exciting part: planning the actual content. Your goal-setting will help you identify what kind of content you need to create and feature.
Here are some standard pages that you might include on your website depending on your goals.
Your home page is the first page your visitors will see. Curate the experience by selecting a featured image that is strong and captivating. It sets the tone for the entire visit.
A portfolio page will help you to showcase your artwork on your website. You will need to decide which pieces best represent your current practice.
For visual artists, this means gathering high-resolution photos of your artworks and installation views. A standard minimum resolution is 300 dpi at a reasonable display size. Blurry or poorly lit photos can undermine even the best artwork. For each artwork, you must prepare its metadata: title, year, medium/surface, and dimensions. For installation views, specify the venue, exhibition title, and photo credits.
The same principle applies to a shop. Your photos need to be crystal clear, and you need detailed descriptions of what you’re selling, including materials, size, shipping information, and edition details if applicable.
Think about how to organize your portfolio. Instead of one long, overwhelming gallery, you can use categories like “Recent Works,” “Series: Landscapes,” “Works on Paper,” or “Sculpture.” Clear, logical navigation is the key to keeping someone on your site longer.
Your about page should include:
- A short biography. Learn how to craft an effective artist’s biography.
- An artist statement. Learn how to write an artist statement.
- A professional artist resume, or CV, that highlights your art-related work. Learn how to format an artist resume. Make sure to keep your resume updated!
Your contact page should include clickable links to your active social media accounts and an easy-to-find contact form, which can help filter out spam.
Keep this page up-to-date with your upcoming events, exhibitions, or performances.
If you have artwork or merchandise for sale, consider setting up a shop so that your audiences can easily purchase your work. If you have physical, one-of-a-kind items, you will have to ship these items yourself. If you are selling multiple copies of something, consider using a dropshipping partner who can handle inventory and shipping. If you offer classes or services, you can also include those in your shop.
Design and Build
For the vast majority of artists, the best route is to use a website builder platform. Options like WordPress, Squarespace, ReadyMag or Cargo Collective are low- or no-code, making them accessible for folks new to web design. They offer professional designed templates, and e-commerce integration is often built-in. The downside? You may encounter limited functionality compared to a custom-coded site, and customization options can sometimes be restricted by the template you choose.
Choosing the right platform is a personal decision. Consider these factors and take advantage of free trials to test the feel of each one.
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Ease of Use
How intuitive is the interface? Can you figure it out without watching hours of tutorials?
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Cost
What is the monthly fee? Does the plan you need (e.g., one that includes e-commerce) fit your budget? Subscriptions range from $4/month to $50/month depending on the plan.
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Design Aesthetic
Do the template galleries feature sites that look like what you envision for yourself?
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Scalability
Can the platform grow with you? If you start with a simple portfolio but later want to add a blog, a shop, and a members-only area, can the platform handle it?
As you build, keep the user experience (UX) front of mind. UX is how a person feels when navigating your site. Is it frustrating or fluid? Your website should be streamlined and easy to use. Don’t make your visitors hunt for information.
This includes setting up your website for mobile. Mobile-friendliness is non-negotiable. Most people will browse your site on their phones. Use your platform’s preview function to check how your site looks on a small screen and make adjustments so it’s just as easy to navigate as on a desktop.
Many website builder platforms have built-in accessibility tools, but one critical task you must do manually is write alt text for every image. Alt text is a written description of an image that is read by screen readers for visitors who are visually impaired. It also helps search engines understand your content, boosting where you show up in search results. Be descriptive but concise: “A close-up detail of a blue and gold abstract painting with textured brushstrokes” is better than just “painting.” If you want to dig deeper, we recommend checking out this guide on how to write alt text from Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
Choose and Register a Domain Name
A domain name is like a website’s home address. You will need to register a unique domain name with a registry, such as Namecheap.com or GoDaddy.com. Remember those random GoDaddy commercials? They were selling domain name services! As long as you pay for the domain registration, you own the domain and the content hosted on it. A domain name typically costs $10–$20 per year.
Styling Your Site
Beyond the template, your website should reflect your artistic brand. This is the visual and emotional identity that makes you recognizable.
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Choose a Color Palette
Pick two to three colors that complement your work. If your art is vibrant, a clean black-and-white site might let it pop. If your work is monochromatic, a subtle accent color from your palette could tie everything together. Not sure where to start? Here’s 100 color combinations from Figma.
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Select Typography
Choose one font for your headings and another for your body text that are legible and match your aesthetic. A ceramicist might choose a warm, hand-drawn style font, while a conceptual photographer might prefer a clean, modern sans-serif. Not sure where to start? Check out Figma’s Ultimate Guide to Typography.
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Create a Favicon
This is the tiny icon that appears in the browser tab. It could be a simple version of your signature, a logo, or a detail from your work. It’s a small detail that adds a layer of professionalism. Want to know more? Squarespace answers What is a Favicon?
Set Up SEO and Analytics
Building a beautiful website is a significant achievement, but for it to be effective, people need to find it. This is where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and analytics come in. They are the tools that help you attract visitors and understand their behavior. Most website builders have built-in tools for both, but you need to know how to use them.
Optimize Your Pages with On-Page SEO
Every page gives you an opportunity to tell search engines what it’s about.
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Manage the Meta Data
For your homepage, always include your artist name in both the SEO title and meta description. For specific portfolio pages, ensure your focus keyword (e.g., “abstract tufted rugs”) is in the title and description. Place the most important information at the beginning. If you’re based in a specific city, include local tags like “Twin Cities muralist.”
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Choose Smart Keywords
Put yourself in the shoes of someone looking for your art. What would they type into a search engine?
Think beyond single words. Use specific, descriptive phrases like “watercolor landscape tutorial,” “bronze figurative sculpture for sale,” or “emerging textile artists Detroit.”
Use free tools like Google Trends to see what people are actually searching for and how competitive those terms are.
Most importantly, write naturally. The best SEO copy is simply describing your work the way you would to a friend or collector.
Track What’s Working with Analytics
You don’t need to guess what your audience likes; you can see the data.
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Set Up Google Analytics
This is a free integration that is easy to set up with most website builders.
It will tell you:
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How many people visit your site (traffic).
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Which artworks or blog posts get the most attention (popular content).
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Where your visitors come from (Instagram, Google search, a direct link).
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Launch and Maintain Your Website
You’re nearly ready to put your website out into the world! Before hitting publish, a few final checks are essential.
Ask a few people you trust to use your site and provide feedback. Can they navigate the information easily? Can they effectively send a message through the contact form? Does the information flow correctly? Are there any broken links?
Once everything is tested and polished, it’s time for the big reveal. Promote your website through your social media channels and you can even send a big email to friends, family, colleagues, and professional contacts–just make sure to BCC everyone!
Launching is just the beginning. An abandoned, outdated website can be worse than no website at all. To keep your site effective, you must maintain it. Set a recurring appointment in your calendar specifically to update your content. This could be adding new work to the portfolio, writing a short blog post about a current project, or simply checking that all your links still work.
Building an artist website is a journey, but by following these steps, you’ll create a powerful tool that showcases your work and connects you to audiences worldwide. Outline your goals to determine the goals, audience, and purpose of your website. Then, get started designing and building your website.
Go In-Depth with Anniessa
Watch our hour-long webinar on artist websites featuring approaches and tips for success.