ArtSites Updates

Geoff and I often receive emails from our artists asking about international galleries that have contacted them.

We've talked quite a bit about "spam" and I thought it might also be good to talk about these kinds of unsolicited inquiries.

We have seen art galleries, especially from Europe, essentially, spam our artists with various offers of showing work.

Sometimes these offers are just electronic showings and other times, a physical showing.

These offers aren't necessarily scams.

BUT, here are 5 Tips to Consider When Dealing with International Art Galleries:

• What's the Screening Process?
  Look at their website and do a search for clues about how discerning they are.
  
  As with many things, you do want to be careful about who you "associate" with. :-)

• Do You Have to Pay for Something?
  Some of the illegitimate "galleries" will ask for you to pay for a reception, printing costs, etc.
  
  Most legitimate galleries will use their commissions to cover such costs.
  
  So, this is a bit of a warning.

• Is Your Contact a Legitimate Representative for the Gallery?
  While the gallery may be legitimate, verify that the person you're dealing with is actually associated with the gallery.
  
  One clue might be whether they are using an email address with the gallery domain name.
  
  Or, is it just a gmail, yahoo, hotmail, or other general email address?
  
  Sometimes, it's as simple as offering to call the gallery! ;-)

• What Do Previous Artists / Exhibitors Say?
  If there is a list of previous artists, reach out to them and ask them how helpful the show / gallery was?
  
  Now, also beware, that these "artists" may be friends of the gallery.
  
  That said, it does help to get more information from fellow artists!

• Will This Benefit My Career?
  It's also really important to evaluate whether this opportunity makes sense for you and your career.
  
  Sometimes, we've seen artists use these opportunities as a way to go on a "working vacation"! ;-)
  
  So, while you may not sell any artwork, you might be able to learn more about an international art community.

In general, If people find you on the internet, look at how they contacted you and really evaluate how they talk to you.

If it's legitimate and they make their connection clear, it's not likely to be "just spam".

However, if the contact is very generic, it's probably spam and can be ignored.

If the opportunity initially looks legitimate and interesting, it might be worth further communication.

But, be very careful not to divulge much personal information.

Instead, try to investigate the parameters of the opportunity to see if you're really interested.

There's no use going too far, if turns out not to be interesting to you!

Most importantly, look for ways that they might be trying to scam you.

We do have a pretty good radar for internet scams.

So, if you ever want to send us a message you've receive, we would be more than happy to give you our thoughts on it!

Be cautious and when in doubt, please feel free to reach out to us! :-)

Over the past couple of weeks, we've talked about:

• 5 Basic ArtSites Things You Can Do to Improve Your Google Ranking, and
• 2 More General Tips to Help Improve Your Search Engine Optimization

This week, I wanted to address 5 Common Search Engine Optimization "Myths":

1. Meta Tag Keywords Improve Your Rankings
   Unfortunately, meta tag keywords do NOT help your ranking.
   
   (If you're reading an article that says so, it's probably written a long time ago. ;-)
   
   Most Search Engines, e.g. Google, ignore these keywords and tags.
   
2. Keywords Need Be Exact Matches & Repeated Often
   Google does a very good job matching keywords - even plural versions.
   
   (For example, if I search on "rose", results matching "rose" will be listed before results with "roses". Although both will be listed! ;-)
   
   Be sure to have your keywords in your page or image "Title" and ideally, at least one more time in your description or text.
   
   There is no "magic" number of times your keywords need to appear on a page.
   
   That said, you should note, if your keywords appear too many times, Google may penalize you.
   
   (Also do NOT just add keywords in the same colour as your website, i.e. so they are invisible - Google will penalize you for this!)
   
   Rule of thumb: keep your language natural and use your keywords as frequently as you would in describing your art to a potential buyer.
   
3. Spending More $$ on Google Adwords Will Improve Your Ranking
   Organic search results are derived from a very complex algorithm that considers over 200 different factors (none of which include advertising dollars ;-)
   
   So, increasing your ad budget will NOT improve your organic search result ranking.
   
   ("Organic Search Results" are the ones listed on the left side of the Google search results screen. ;-)
   
   However, spending more may improve your PAID ad position (on the right-hand side of the Google search results screen ;-)
   
4. Link Quantity is More Important than Link Quality
   It is MUCH more important to have "QUALITY" links, i.e. from legitimate, related websites, linking to yours.
   
   In fact, Google may actually penalize your website if it thinks you're trying to "game" their system by having random or unrelated websites link to yours.
   
5. Social Media "Actions" Improve Your Ranking
   While it IS helpful to create Social Media accounts on various social networks, Google does NOT consider the number of likes, shares, followers, or even Google +1's your pages / posts receive.
   
   That said, these "actions" do carry weight within each social network.
   
   So, while they may not help your Google rankings, they may help your standing and discovery within that social network.
   
   One note though - links on Facebook Pages or personal posts that are "public" DO count!

Hopefully, this will help you as you think more about your website and the text on it.

Have you heard any other "must-do" things about SEO? I'd love to hear them!

We want to make sure you spend your time making your site better for potential buyers - not just mindless checklists! ;-)

Geoff and I are often asked some variation of the following questions:

• Why isn't Google showing my new text or new pages from my website?
• Why is Google STILL showing my old pages or text that I've removed / deleted?

Unfortunately, this has nothing to do with us.

Getting your website updates INTO Search Engines is completely driven BY the Search Engines!

This is because search engines decide on the frequency for "reviewing/updating" websites.

(And, unfortunately, we have little control over when or how frequently this happens.)

(However, because you are included in our ArtSites Artist Directory, your updates do happen more frequently than if you just had your own "individual" website.)

Based on what we've seen in the past, Google updates their database roughly weekly.

This means changes made to your website should show up in Google within a week or so.

That said, Google specifically states that it will NOT guarantee updates to a specific website within ANY specific time period.

So, keep that in mind and you may need to be patient ;-)

Regarding removed/deleted pages, these do take longer.

Google cannot be 100% sure if a page it cannot reach has been removed or if the website is just having some temporary problems.

Usually, Google allows for several weeks of not being able to reach a page before it deletes it from its database.

When you make changes to your website, keep in mind that your changes may take a week or more before Google shows your new information.

This is particularly important if you want to get your show announcements into Google.

Add any important information to your website ASAP, especially since it probably won't get updated immediately! ;-)

Yes, even websites require some pre-planning! ;-)

Last week, we talked about 5 Basic ArtSites Things You Can Do to Improve Your Google Ranking.

This week, I wanted to add 2 More General Tips to Help Improve Your Search Engine Optimization ("SEO"):

1. Format Your Text
   As we mentioned last week, Google uses the words on your webpages to better understand the content / context.
   
   But, how does Google know which words are more important than others?
   
   One clue is the way you format your text!
   
   Google "assumes" that more important words will be:
   
   
   • BOLD,
   • Italicized, and/or
   • Bulleted
   
   So, if you have key points / words that you want Google (and your visitors ;-) to take note of, make them BOLD, Italicized and/or put them in a Bulleted List.


2. Show Your Online "Community" by Linking to/from Other Websites
   All ArtSites websites have a "Links" page.
   
   To improve your Google ranking, create links TO:
   
   
   • Other artists you collaborate with or are inspired by
   • Art Associations, Guilds, Collectives, Initiatives you're connected to
   • Art Shows you've participated in Articles about you
   • Any other art-related websites that provide information about you or your art
   
   AND, conversely, you also need to make sure that your website address is listed on (and linked to) FROM:
   
   
   • Your Social Media Profile Pages
     (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter etc.)
   • Your Art Association, Guild, Collective, Directory or Profile etc.
   • Your bio in any articles about you
   • Anywhere you're asked for info about you!
   
   In essence, you want to have links coming FROM your website, i.e. your "Links" page.
   
   AND, you want to have links coming INTO your website, i.e. from other websites!
   
   Show Google (and your visitors) that you are an active member of your "Online Art Community"! ;-)

Once again, remember - the more context and content you can provide, the better your Google ranking will be!

Happy SEO-ing! :-)

Recently, I was asked by a new artist if I thought her website was "done".

My honest response was, "Your website is never 'done'!" ;-)

The best artist websites are ones that reflect the dynamic nature of an artist's journey!

So, while your website may start at a specific point in time, it's really important that you continue to update and share your artistic journey!

(AND, not only do updates make your website more interesting, they also help your website ranking on Google!

Yes, websites that change frequently and have new information tend to rank higher on Google.)

So, perhaps, once a month or once a quarter, look back and think about what you've accomplished.

Not sure what to "put" on your website, here are some ideas ...

Have you recently:

• Been in a show / exhibit / gallery
• Received an award and/or representation
• Completed a new artwork
• Taught a workshop
• Spoken at an event
• Discovered a new technique, process or material
• Sold some new pieces

And, depending on what you've done, you can now:

• Update your bio and/or artist statement
• Add a new Gallery (and/or rearrange your images)
• Write a new Blog Post
• Upload your latest images, including Exhibit Posters
• Create new "Workshop" or "Event" pages
• Share a video of your new technique, etc.

If your website doesn't have the latest and greatest about you, how will your fans find out?! ;-)

Remember - your website is YOUR living "document"!

Make sure it truly reflects what you're doing and all the beauty you are sharing with the world! :-)

Speaking of Google, I wanted to write a series of articles about Search Engine Optimization ("SEO").

According to Wikipedia, Search Engine Optimzation ("SEO") is the process of affecting (usually increasing) the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine's "natural" or un-paid ("organic") search results.

Geoff and I are often asked why a particular website isn't ranking better on Google.

While we're not SEO experts, there are many technical elements we have already included in the ArtSites system to improve your Google ranking.

BUT, if you're not using these built-in ArtSites "features", you may be missing out on some opportunities to increase your "Google Juice"! ;-)

Here's a list of 5 Basic ArtSites Things You Can Do to Improve Your Google Ranking:

1. Use Your Name and/or Artistic Title in Your Website Header, e.g. Title or Tagline
   Most people will do a search on your name or maybe a "type" of artist.
   
   After your domain name, your website "header" (click on image below) is weighted very heavily.
   
   
   
   Also, since this text appears on EVERY one of your pages, make sure it has the key words that are critical to people finding you.
   
   (FYI - even if you have a "Title Image", go to the Layout tab in your Admin Panel and fill in the "Website Title".
   
   Although it won't be visible to your visitors, it IS part of the website "code" and Google uses the website code to index your website - NOT just what you see!)
2. Fill-In All Your Page Titles
   Another important "element" on your webpage that Google weights heavily are your "Page Titles", e.g your "Home Title" or "Bio Title", (see image above).
   
   (In most layouts, these are the bold webpage titles you see.)
   
   If you don't enter text into your "Home Title", for example, Google has no key words to weight (and you lose some Google Juice ;-).
3. Fill-In All Your Image Titles
   
   Similarly, give all your artwork titles - descriptive is fine (and probably even better than "cutesy" ones)! ;-)
   
   Give Google a "pointer" as to what the image is about.
   
   (If you don't use a title, Google will only know that it IS an image.)
4. Use the Title of Your Artwork for Your Digital Filename
   When you upload your files, our system uses the name of the file to create a webpage address for that image.
   
   So, if your file comes from your camera and is called: DSCN2014, the webpage address for that image will be http://JaneExample.com/image/landscapes/dscn2014
   
   However, if you rename your file to "Lake Country Sunset", the webpage address will be http://JaneExample.com/image/landscapes/lake_country_sunset
   
   Clearly, that's much easier to read, but more importantly ...
   
   If someone does a search on "lake country sunset", your image is more likely to match those key words than the "DSCN2014" filename.
5. Add More Detailed Descriptions to Your Images
   Many artists only put artwork dimensions in their description fields.
   
   However, Google uses the words AROUND an image to better understand the "context" and "content" of that image.
   
   If all you have is "acrylic 18x20", your image will only match searches using those words - pretty generic, huh?! ;-)
   
   Write something descriptive about your artwork!
   
   Material and size are fine, but also include colours, location, subject-matter, history of the object, etc.!
   
   Not sure what to write?! Ask a friend to describe it and see what words s/he uses ;-)

As mentioned above, when Google "reviews" your website, it's done by a computer (NOT an individual).

So, if the only cues for context on your website are visual, please note that Google will not "see" this.

The more detailed and ultimately, more words you use to describe your artwork, the better!

Next week, I'll share 2 More General Tips to Help Improve Your Search Engine Optimization!

If you have any specific SEO questions, please let me know and I'll gladly include them in this discussion!

Happy "SEO-ing"! :-)

(click to enlarge)

This week, we received an email from an artists asking us to clarify How to Best Use the Events Page.

As part of our discussion, we realized that we really haven't explained How the ArtSites' Events Page Works.

In short, your Events page is really optimized for "Upcoming Events" (in fact, you may want to rename it "Upcoming Events" so it's clear ;-)

In other words, the Events page displays posts based on the earliest event being at the top and later events further down the page.

For example, if you have 2 Exhibits coming up, the one that is happening sooner will show up first and the one happening further in the future will show up below it.

The date used to sort your Events is the Start Date associated with each Event (see image above).

Now, in contrast, your Blog page displays posts based on the most recent entry first.

Older blog entries (or events) will be further down the page.

If you want to create a list of "Past Events", our advice is to use your Blog.

(You can simply rename it "Past Events" (or whatever you'd like ;-).

So, in summary ...

• Use your the Events Page to talk about activities that will happen in the future.
• And your Blog Page, to talk about activities that have happened in the past.

I do hope I haven't confused you further; if you have any questions, just let me know! ;-)

We just want to make sure that you're marketing and publicizing all your activities and accomplishments to your website visitors!

Want more details?! Here's a mini-tutorial ...

How to Create and Modify ArtSites Events

(click to enlarge)

Your Event Title and Details (which can include images, text, etc.) will be displayed below (or next to) the time, depending on your layout.

The Expire Date is the date after which the event will no longer be displayed publicly on your website (although it will still show up on your Administration Events Page).

(Please note we have the Expire Date to allow you to display your events for a short time after they've finished. This gives you time to consider creating a blog entry and generally, lets people know what they "just missed" when looking at your Events. :-)

The End Date does nothing other than display a date range, if the event is a multi-day event.

The bottom part is the list of events that you've already created. (see below)

(click to enlarge)

You can edit or delete an event by clicking on the pencil or X beside the event title.

When you click on pencil to edit, the contents of that event will automatically appear in the top part, where you can modify it.

Here's how you Create a New Event on your Event Page:

(click to enlarge)

1. Go to the Events tab in your Admin Panel
2. Fill in the all the applicable fields, i.e. Title, Details, Start Date, End Date (if it's a multi-day event), and Expire Date.
   (see red boxes in above image)
3. Click the "Add Event" button when you are done.

Default dates for a new Event are "today" (for your Start and End Dates) and the event's Expire Date is in one week.

These are unlikely to be the actual dates so adjust these to match your actual event dates.

That's it!

I do hope this mini-tutorial has helped and if you have any further questions or are still confused, just let us know! :-)

It's come to out attention that some of you may still be using computers running Windows XP.

If you are, you should know that as of April 8, 2014, Microsoft has announced that they will no longer support Windows XP and Internet Explorer 8!

(Please note that if you are NOT using Windows XP, you probably have Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8 and will be using Internet Explorer 9 or above. So, you can skip the rest of this article! :-)

Not sure what version of Internet Explorer you're using?

Here's a link: How do I determine the version of Internet Explorer I have?

So, why does this matter?! Because, if you're using Windows XP and Internet Explorer 8 ...

1. You will no longer get ANY security patches or fixes for your computer!
2. Your computer will be at risk and vulnerable to hacks, viruses, and other "malware".

Now, what can you do to avoid this looming security deadline?!

Here are our recommended solutions ...

1. Replace Your Computer
   We do understand that not everyone can do this - often for cost reasons.
   
   However, computers and laptops have come down in price significantly and you can now purchase a very good (new) laptop for $400 - $500.
2. Upgrade Your Operating System
   This means installing something like Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8.
   
   Unless you can find an older (unused) licensed version of Vista or Windows 7, you'll probably only be able to purchase the current Windows 8.1 version, which means, once again, an additional cost :-(
   
   (Please note that some older computers may not have the technical "power" or "specs" to upgrade. So, this may or may not be an option.)
   
   (Also, FYI - upgrading your Operating System is a fairly technical procedure. So, keep that in mind! ;-)
   
   That said, see if you can find any one of the above choices to replace Windows XP on your computer (and someone who is willing to install it for you ;-)
   
   Once you've done this, you can then start using more modern web browsers, e.g. Internet Explorer 9 and above, which provide constant security updates.
   
3. Install a Different Browser - Chrome or Firefox
   This is probably the least "traumatic" and most reasonable option (though not perfect).
   
   Your web browser is, by far, the "weakest link" in terms of getting hacked.
   
   (Yes, as you surf the web, you may (even unknown to you ;-) click on something that downloads a virus directly to your computer.)
   
   We suggest installing Google Chrome or Firefox and making one of these your default web browser!
   
   Chrome and Firefox will keep your web browser up-to-date and secure and will minimize the security risk of Microsoft dropping support.
   
   That said, there still may be inherent "vulnerabilities" in your underlying Windows XP operating system.
   
   For example, if you open an "infected" file (say, via email) and it downloads to your computer, your computer may still be at risk.
   
   That is why using a different browser is not a foolproof solution, but definitely a very good one (and it's FREE! ;-)

Last fall, we wrote another lengthy article about Why You Should Update Your Web Browser.

Please do read through that article because it highlights many other reasons your browsing experience will be better with a more modern web browser.

FYI - here are also a few more links that you may find helpful / interesting:

• Dear Web User: Please Upgrade Your Browser
  (a GREAT detailed article - I strongly recommend you read this! ;-)
• How do I determine the version of Internet Explorer I have?
• How Can I Update Internet Explorer
  (scroll down for IE 9 and 10 options)
• Download the Latest Web Browser Version(s) at Browse Happy

In short, by upgrading your browser and operating system, you will have a safer and better computing experience!

We simply want to make sure that your computer (and all your files ;-) aren't at risk.

We also want to give you enough time to prepare for this upcoming deadline!

If you have any more questions about Windows XP, Internet Explorer 8, and your "upgrade" options, simply ask us!

It has come to our attention that several of our artists have been receiving "Asking Price Needed" inquiries from an "Anna Starikova", as well as a "Nicholas Parry".

Unfortunately, these "persons" are taking advantage of the Holiday Season and trying to get you to engage.

The first clue that you should NOT respond is their statements:

"kindly get back to me with your recent web site where your work can be viewed"

They are sending their inquiry directly FROM your website!

Since they're on your website, they can see what works you have available.

Another sign, is the "Hello Artist" greeting.

They should be able, at the very least, to address the email to you personally! ;-)

While they do offer to use PayPal, there still are ways that PayPal payments can be reversed and refunded.

So, just because they offer to use PayPal is not a 100% guarantee.

We strongly recommend you do NOT respond to these inquiries!

For more tips, please do check out our previous online post, More Art Scams Information & Warnings!

Geoff and I simply want you to be informed about these Holiday Spammers!

If you have any more questions or suspicions, please feel free to send us ANY inquiry you receive and we'll gladly share our thoughts with you!

Be diligent and if something looks suspicious, it probably is! ;-)

Last week, we launched our NEW "Tiled with Top Menu" Layout.

Many of you gave it a try and also had questions ...

So, this week, I wanted to go into a little more detail about "Responsive Web Design".

As I said last week, Responsive Designs are designed to work fluidly across large desktop monitors, laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc.

But what does "Fluid" really mean?!

This approach creates a different, but optimized layout, depending on the screen size and resolution.