As artists you would think that we have a really good handle on the power of design.  But the fact is that design skills are as specific as the skills required for photography, oil painting, or designing clothes.

Therefore too many artists’ websites are missing the mark, placing their online sales prospects at a severe and unnecessary disadvantage.

Art is a luxury item that one can liken to a gourmet meal.  As with gourmet meals, there are certain expectations around the presentation.  We often only notice the presentation when something is missing or it’s off the mark.  It’s much like sitting down for an expensive gourmet meal only to then notice that the plate is dirty. Ick!

I write this critique from compassion and appreciation for the challenges that artists face, not to make my jewelry designer coaching client Cheryl Rowe feel badly!

Pictured above is a before shot of her current Bellacarisma.com home page and an after shot of her new semi-custom ArtistsWhoTHRIVE ecommerce site, currently under construction.

Here are some of the design considerations:

1. Bellacarisma jewelry designs celebrate color.  The strong teal background of the current site only competes with this. So we eliminated this competing background and made it white so that the color of her jewelry could shine through, replicating the look and feel of an art gallery or museum.

2. The current home page image hardly shows the earrings.  It’s about the model’s head, ear, hair, and a wild letter ‘B” intersecting her neck.  Now the current home page image simply features Cheryl’s newest collection which is where we want to focus her potential buyer’s attention.

3. “Bellacarisma.com” is not a logo.  So we created a logo that communicates the emotional brand message of Bellacarisma, “beautiful, flirtatious, and joyful.

4. The previous site is missing any navigation, so we included and emphasized it at the top.  Now it’s easier to get where you want to go.  If your site is hard to navigate your visitors will leave.  You’ve experienced this, haven’t you?  They are also less likely to take you seriously, to trust you, and ultimately to purchase from you online.

5. The previous site designer’s logo is taking up significant real estate and attention in the lower right hand corner.  Although design credits are necessary, they should not compete with the primary presentation.

6. The current home page is dominated by text.  The copy is fine but on the home page of an artist’s site don’t tell me, show me.

Now Bellacarisma will have an ecommerce site that the owner’s talent deserves, that more accurately communicates the quality of the offering, and no doubt will increase online sales.

Interested in the ArtistsWhoTHRIVE ecommerce solution? Click here to learn more.