Websites for art groups This short article covers issues concerning website design for art groups. It is aimed at art groups who are considering setting up a website. Why does our art group need a website? The web is coming more and more significant as an information database and communication tool. Individuals, groups and small businesses are using the net to advertise their presence to a world wide audience. For an art group, the main benefits of having a website are: 1. Helps create group identity What pages should we have on our art group website? Typically, an art group's website has the following pages: 1. A home page – includes a text introduction to the group, contact details and links to the events page and list of members pages. 2. An events page – lists planned, current and previous events. 3. Individual artist showcase pages – presents the artist’s biography and source of inspiration, and about four signature pieces with links to enlargements of each of the pieces (each of these enlargement pages counts as a separate page), contact details. Optional pages can include: A links page – links to other art groups, suppliers, magazines etc. How much will our art group website cost? Each website is different. The cost of a website depends on the number of pages and the complexity of the design. Once we have received a full, brief, we can give you a quote. However, to give you some idea, here are some typical costings for a 10 person art group website. Domain name registration or transfer of existing name to our host £20 Total basic cost of a ‘bespoke’ art group website = £465 Note in the above example, each showcase page will have the same basic look and feel, text and graphic positions etc. Unique website pages can be designed for each artist (ie the layout of each showcase page is different) at a cost of £99 per page. You also need to take into account on-going costs which are hosting from year 2 (currently £39.99), domain name renewal (approximately £20 every two years, depending on the domain name). Other cost options The above example is based on a bespoke design – where the art group has input into the layout of the site at an early stage One way of keeping costs down is to opt for a ‘template based’ site. Here, the layout is pre-defined – the only input that a group can have is the colours used on the site. Any existing artwork such as logos can be incorporated into these sites – and they can still look very unique. No two template based sites will look the same. Development of a template based site does not include the initial layout stage (as this is pre-defined) or the build stage. Therefore, in the example above, the cost would be reduced by £95. Optional extras Any optional extras can be added to the site specification (visitor statistics, search engine submission etc) for a small charge. Updates Typically, art groups need to update the site once or twice a year. Updates are charged on an ad hoc basis of £35 per hour. So the cost depends on how much needs changing (images, text and so on). An average update (update of events page, replacement text and images for say 2 showcase pages) will take about an hour to implement, so the charge is about £35. We will ask you to provide an update brief and will give you a quote before we do any work. Very minor text changes can be implemented free of charge throughout the year. Managing an art group website Dealing with a group of 10 people or so has obvious logistical problems. We recommend that each art group appoints a website coordinator who will be the main contact. Typically, the website coordinator will: 1. Liaise with us on all matters relating to the website Individual members should be responsible for providing us with text and images needed for their showcase pages. What happens if an art group member leaves or a new member joins? There is no charge for deleting a member. Additional members can request a showcase page for an additional £35 (or £99 if bespoke). Managing the finances of an art group website Different art groups fund their in different ways: 1. The art group pays for the site – membership fees cover the cost of the website Related articles Artist websites
|
Tel: 01903 879362