Finding Clients Online

By Maria Piscopo and Danielle Morookian

Given the constantly-increasing volume of online research and hiring, knowledge and application of new and growing internet trends will help to keep you in the forefront of the industry. How does one remain visible in the virtual world which seems infinitely full of choices for the client? There are ways to increase the odds that their quest will lead to your web site and services. When executed properly, a website communicates your image (your brand) at a glance. In our “microwave” society, a site needs to be fast-loading and easy to navigate or the client will move on.

When planned well, a website is a hybrid marketing tool. It is a portfolio, gallery, storefront, a mass communication device, an intimate one-on-one presentation tool, an advertising and public relations campaign vehicle, a point-of-sale kiosk and a direct mail medium – all rolled into one. Using your web site to simply display your art is an underutilization of a very powerful marketing instrument.

• Design Issues

In a poorly designed website, 80 percent to 90 percent of the people who visit do not make it past the home page. Don’t be afraid to add a bit of intro copy on your home page-it will stop clients in their tracks if what they are looking for is reflected there.

Next, clients look for navigation tools, so make them easy to see and use. Allow for “pick and click” and develop a site map with text links so more interested clients may promptly search for more specific pages.

Offer multiple tiers of navigational bars for maximum effectiveness on your home page: top navigation, bottom navigation and left-hand navigation. At the top of the page, place the name of your studio or gallery. Follow this with a list of items that present more information, giving them a reason to stay. Top navigation suggests what information is obtainable on your site. Left-hand navigation details what links, articles or e-mail newsletters exist. Bottom navigation simply repeats the three to four items listed at the top along with links to your site map, privacy statement and contact information.

As a creative professional, the most important pages will be the portfolios. No matter the images, they all tie together with your unique niche, specialty, technique or style. To keep clients on your site, think of having multiple portfolios based upon the different subjects, themes and uses of your images. Some images can be repeated in different portfolios. These cross-over images are very valuable!

The best way to create a contact page is to use a form that allows the client to e-mail you without leaving your site. Be sure to put a “contact information” button that links to the form on each web page. Do not just list your e-mail address; this is passive and not interactive, and it makes you visible to “spam-spiders” that search the web for e-mail addresses. Besides, clicking an e-mail link just opens a blank message to you in the client’s e-mail program. 

• Content Issues

The more useful and dynamic the content you can place on your site, the more likely your site will get more visits (clients staying and looking) instead of just hits (clients looking and leaving). Give clients a reason to page through your site with content beyond the usual images and artists statement.   Good examples of content include: client testimonials, success stories, editorial pieces, educational subjects, current events, news and virtual demonstrations. Keep your web site fresh and current with interesting, thematic topics.

Some artists have found that a blog brings to digital marketing a missing link – who are you? Maintaining a blog is a subject of its own but suffices to say that you do not have to reveal every aspect of your personal life. Whether the blog is a based on project case studies or your vacation stories, it is a great new media for helping clients get to know you and get closer to hiring you.

• SEO Issues

Many of the suggested search engine optimization (SEO) techniques correspond with building an accessible Web site. This includes using alt tags for images, avoiding Flash or JavaScript based interfaces or ensuring a page is usable by browsers that don't support these technologies, and using clear language.

SEO has ballooned over the past few years into a science for increasing your site's visibility. Surprisingly, the techniques utilized in SEO are basic.  SEO entails designing, writing, and coding (in HTML) a Web site to increase the chances of your Web pages appearing at the top of search engine queries for selected keywords and key phrases. The key ingredient of SEO is the text or keywords on a page. This text includes the page title, Meta tags, headers, and page copy.

Once upon a time, the sole use of Meta tags could ensure success with search engines. Currently, it is important to have relevant text or keywords throughout your pages. You need to utilize words and phrases that users will include in their search queries to increase search engine visibility. While you shouldn't overdo placement of this text on your pages, they should appear frequently and prominently on the appropriate web pages.

At the time of this publication (we are talking about a constantly evolving technology), one of the most popular ways to increase your visibility is to cross-link with other websites. Search engine order (1^st rank, 2^nd rank, etc.) is often based on “popularity” meaning the number of web pages with links back to your website. Look for people and firms with which to exchange links to bring you up to the top of any search for your services.

Another way to stay high in search is to refresh your content on a regular basis. To keep people coming back to visit your site, it is important that you regularly change the information. This includes the images, information on exhibits and art shows, interesting articles or links to articles, conferences, trade shows, art fairs and festivals.

You can purchase a “sponsored link” from a search engine company that will ensure that your site will be found high on the keyword search hit list. Contact companies that will take the steps to submit your site to the search engines. Check with your web designer or host company for their recommendations.

• Image Theft Issues

There are many methods of protecting your images when posted on the web. Some basic methods include proper sizing of images and file compression, watermarking and the use of proprietary software.

IMAGE SIZING AND COMPRESSION: These are two different techniques which accomplish the same goal. Both moderately sized images and well compressed images allow reasonable download times and present a pleasant appearance on screen. When enlarged, details are blurred limiting the usefulness of the picture when printed.

WATERMARKING: Visible watermarks can be effective to preclude most casual image pirates from accomplishing their goals. A very common technique is the use of faint text or logo overlays. Another option is metadata; a meta tag containing descriptive information is embedded permanently into the image. This could include copyright information, a caption, credits, keywords, creation date, source information, or special instructions to assist a client to purchase.

SOFTWARE: Software is readily available to convert images into proprietary formats that are viewable only with the corresponding plug-ins. The plug-in verifies that the viewer’s request is originating from an approved web site.

Review all of your technology options with your web designer to ensure that you exercise the most current options for protection while maintaining the integrity of your images as seen by the end user.

BIOS

Maria Piscopo is a full time Art/Photo rep and part time Sunday School teacher. Her experience dealing with clients and four year olds suits perfectly for her work as a professional speaker and author.

Danielle Morookian is a graphic designer and freelance writer.  Her current project is a humorous book about the lives of women with small children and full-time jobs.

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