Visiting a website is like traveling on a plane.

You are excited to get to your destination, and you want the ride to go as smoothly as possible. But, when something goes wrong on the flight, it takes away from the joy of the trip.

Having a mistake-riddled website is like a grounded flight brimming with frustrated customers. It could really hurt your art business and sales. Visitors can become confused or angry when they can’t find the most updated information or your site isn’t working properly. That takes away from their experience with your art and the career you’ve worked so hard on.

By making your artist website the best it can be, your potential buyers can now devote their attention to learning all about you as an artist and your artwork.

From finding links that don’t work to making sure your inventory is updated, here are five things to double check on your artist website.

1. Do Your Links Work?

The worst feeling is when you go to click on a link you are excited about and then it doesn’t work. We know how hard it can be to keep up with every link when there are so many, but it pays to double check–literally!

Potential buyers use these links so they can learn more about you as an artist. But, their research and willingness to buy your art can come to a screeching halt when they don’t have access to what they want to know.

So, how can you avoid dead links? Check if your spelling is correct or that you’ve copied the entire link when entering it in, and actually click through each link on your site to make sure it pops up to the correct page. It may take a little time, but the end result will be a professional, working website for your fans.

Don’t forget to check the website and social media links on your Artwork Archive Public Page, your artist social media accounts, the blog posts you promote, and your contact information.

Better to be safe than sorry!

2. Are Your Sold Pieces Updated?

Telling your fans which pieces have sold is a great way to build excitement for your artwork.

Not only is it strong proof that your career is flourishing, but it lets potential buyers know what is still available to buy. That is why it is so important to mark pieces as sold as soon as possible. You can easily do this with the click of a button within your Artwork Archive account - which automatically updates your Public Page as well.

You can even sync your artist website with your Artwork Archive portfolio so it's always up-to-date, too!

Updating which pieces are sold is also a great way to track the success of your art business. Knowing your sales statistics allows you to see what’s working and strategize for the months ahead. Not to mention it helps a TON come tax time.

3. Is Your Current Work Uploaded?

Once you are done updating your past pieces, take the time to upload your current work. It does your art business no favors to have a finished piece just sitting in your studio.

Instead, get into the habit of putting your artwork up on your site right away by viewing this task as the last step to creating your art. Like with your sold pieces, fans want to see what you have been working on, and potential buyers want to see what is available.

Your new piece might just be what they are looking for that day!

Now focus on your branding.

4. Is Your Bio Current?

Have you recently gained recognition at a show or achieved gallery representation? Do you have workshop spots available or big news to share from your studio? You’ve already planned and done the work, now you just need to share it with the world.

Why does it matter? Promoting the events happening in your art business makes you relevant and professional. Build credibility as an artist by adding any new information to your artist About Me section that shows you are out in the artist community and thriving.

Help potential buyers and fans get as much information about you as possible so they can eventually buy your artwork.

5. Do Your Pictures Look Good?

Finally, make sure you display your art in a way that doesn’t distract from its beauty. Artist and blogger Lisa McShane believes the first step is taking high-quality photos of your artwork. With a good camera and tripod, Lisa suggests you use the early morning light to capture your images.

Artist Victoria Veedell showcases her work with well-lit, high-quality photos.

Another tip from Lisa is to update your site to display your work in a clean way. She says,  “Be clear about who your buyers are. A gift shop aesthetic and a gallery aesthetic are both valid ways to approach buyers.”

For instance, if you are trying to market your artwork as very high-end, displaying your work on a website with a white background like you would find in a gallery may be the best option.

Learn how to taker professional photos of your work here.

Why double check?

Simply creating an artist website or Artwork Archive Public Page is not enough. In order for it to be useful and help grow your business, it must be up-to-date, high quality, and working correctly.

Don’t forget that your artist website is a big extension of your art business. It is on the internet for your audience to see whether it’s updated or not, and people will judge your brand from it. Double checking these five things will ensure that the brand they come across is professional and that you are serious about succeeding as an artist.

Want more marketing tips for your art business? Check out 8 Marketing Tips from Successful Working Artists.