Website Considerations by Suzette Franck

Social Media Networks vs. Having a Website PROS ● Single Portal for Followers ● Own your own content ● Leverage Search Engines ● Complete Control ● Global Audience ● Can be automated ● Branding - central repository for all things you CONS ● Wrong web hosting can be costly ● Development can be costly ● Requires technical knowledge, maintenance and upkeep ● Software needs to be updated regularly ● Backups and security are your responsibility FURTHER READING ● https://suzette.pro/do-i-need-my-own-website/

What is Needed for a Website? ● Domain name (.com, .net. .org, etc.) ● Web Hosting on a reliable server $3-$thousands/month ● Your Text, Images, and Video Content ● WordPress.org or other Content Management System ● Commitment to website upkeep FURTHER READING ● http://wordpress.tv/2014/02/ 01/suzette-franck-setting-up -and-maintaining-your-wordpr ess-site/

Domain Names and Registrars REGISTRARS SELL DOMAIN NAMES ● Buy domains from Hover.com or https://domains.google/ ● As a rule, avoid buying domains at web hosts, as transferring later is difficult ● Important to keep registrar personal information up-to-date ● Avoid Yahoo Small Business Domains, Network Solutions, and GoDaddy ● Privacy of your registration data is important, some charge extra for this FURTHER READING ● https://suzette.pro/domain-names-dns-ip-addresses/

Different Kinds of Web Hosting THIRD PARTY WEB HOSTING ● Wix ● Weebly ● Tumblr ● WordPress.com ● Blogger ● Squarespace SHARED WEB HOSTING ● SiteGround ● DreamHost ● BlueHost ● WPEngine ● GetFlyWheel ● Page.ly VPS/DEDICATED WEB HOSTING (ENTERPRISE) ● SiteGround ● DreamHost ● BlueHost ● WordPress VIP FURTHER READING ● https://speakerdeck.com/suzettefranck/wp101-hosting-and-domains-2013 -chicago-wordcamp

WordPress Artist Website Examples ● https://thejasonmecier.com/ ● http://thinkspacegallery.com/ ● http://www.skibsart.com/ ● http://www.joshuapetker.com/ ● http://www.anthonyclarksonart.net/

WordPress Resources ● WordPress.Meetup.com ● WordCamps Yearly WordPress Conferences ● WordPress.tv: http://wordpress.tv/speakers/suzette-franck/ ● http://wordpress.tv/2013/10/28/suzette-franck-resources -for-reaching-your-wordpress-potential/ ● https://speakerdeck.com/suzettefranck/resources-for-rea ching-your-wordpress-potential-vancouver ● My Slides: https://speakerdeck.com/suzettefranck

General Website Tips for Artists ● Use Alt Tags on ALL images & relevant naming conventions (Uniquely title + put your name in the filename title if it’s your work) ● Adding/changing text content on a regular basis, blogging relevant content for your audience ● People return for content, not a nicely formatted nothing content website ● Don't be afraid to use obvious keywords in your writing, imagine describing to a non-sighted person ● Start building a legit emailing list ASAP, mailchimp.com is awesome ● Preventing theft of images (sorry, you literally can't, if you publish to public internet) ● Learning coding is NOT required unless you intend to be a developer, focus on marketing yourself on social media ● Google all the things ● Don’t overcomplicate, keep it as simple as possible ● Automate where you can! https://ifttt.com/

How to Reach Me North Hollywood, California ● http://suzettepress.com ● [email protected] ● https://www.linkedin.com/in /suzette/