How to build your own artist website

Creating your own website gives you unique opportunities to share paintings, graphics, sculptures or drawings with a global audience. The more personal your artist website feels, the stronger your connection with visitors can become.

How can you create an artist website?

Thanks to modern tools, building a website has never been easier. Many options require little to no coding knowledge. Each approach has its strengths, but it’s important to pick one that doesn’t get in the way of your creative process.

Website builder

A website builder gives you ready-made layouts that can be customized to your art with just a few clicks. Since the design options are limited to what the builder provides, flexibility can be restricted. On the upside, many builders include stock photos and illustrations that fit common themes. When comparing providers, steer clear of free plans with external ads, as these can make your site look unprofessional.

Content management system

A content management system (CMS) gives you more control. Once it’s set up, you or your team can update it with basic word-processing and image-editing skills. The most popular CMS is WordPress. A global community develops and maintains tens of thousands of themes and plugins to cover almost any need for an artist website. Most CMS platforms are beginner-friendly, though a little knowledge of databases and hosting helps.

Coding it yourself

Coding your site from scratch gives you complete creative freedom, but it also requires time, effort and technical skill. For most artists, though, the time and skill required make this option less practical.

Web design agency

Hiring a web design agency involves higher costs that vary depending on your needs. The benefit is peace of mind: you can stay focused on your art while the agency handles the technical work — provided you clearly communicate your vision.

What should an artist website include?

Deciding what to include is about striking the right balance. You want to show your creative strengths without overwhelming visitors. The following elements are especially important:

• Home page: The welcome page of your artist website should immediately highlight what matters most — your art. This first impression is crucial for keeping visitors engaged and turning them into potential fans or buyers. A simple, clear structure encourages exploration.
• My art: This section is your site’s central showcase. It’s where your style and medium become visible and tangible — like walking into a digital studio. Use galleries for larger series or exhibitions. If you sell works directly through your site, make that clear here. Otherwise, provide a link to your art dealer.
• About me: Share your path as an artist — what inspires you, how you discovered your niche, and what drives you. The “About me” page should also include your formal training, master classes, awards and other milestones in your résumé.
• Exhibitions: Use this as your event calendar. When and where are your next opening receptions and exhibitions? Where have your works been displayed before? Which galleries, institutions, businesses or restaurants show — or have purchased — your art?
• Press / reviews: Have you given an interview or been featured on TV? If so, this section is the right place for an online press kit. Make sure any scans, images or video clips are used with permission and credited correctly.
• Blog / social media: A blog adds another personal layer to your site by sharing inspirations, creative processes and behind-the-scenes insights. Prominently link to your social accounts — Instagram, Facebook or Google — provided they are actively maintained.
• Contact options: Let visitors know how to reach you. Include your studio location or the gallery currently showing your work. A contact form helps manage inquiries, but you should always offer the option of direct contact by phone.
• Legal: In the US, you’ll need a privacy policy if your site collects personal data, such as through a contact form or newsletter sign-up. If you sell art online, terms of use are also recommended. Always include a copyright notice for your own work and make sure you have the right to use any third-party content. Online generators — some free, some paid — can help you create these documents.

How to build your artist website step by step

Step 1: Choose a Domain

A domain is your unique web address. A short, memorable name makes it easier for people and search engines to find you. Keep in mind:

• Use your own name as the domain, possibly with a short addition.
• The .com extension is the most widely recognized for commercial use.
• New top-level domains like .art, .gallery, .studio or .work can be a creative alternative, though some are more expensive.
• Using a category, genre or style term can be tricky — “painter,” for example, can be misleading because of its trade meaning.
• If you register multiple domains, redirect extras to your main domain.
• Avoid subdomains such as https://artist123.buildername.com for a professional site.

Providers like IONOS let you check whether your desired domain name is available. If it is, you can register it directly through IONOS.

Step 2: Showcase your art

Most artists already know how they want to present themselves. Here a “less is more” approach works best. Use a layout that highlights your work: minimal text, generous white space and large images. Many artists simply use their name as the site logo.

Step 3: Add your content

Once the design and layout are ready, you can start adding content. Review your texts for structure, clarity, keywords and flow. Avoid duplicate content. Don’t overlook correct spelling and grammar — they’re essential. For clarity — and easier updates in the future — storganize content into main and secondary pages.

Make sure your images are resized to the recommended dimensions for your website. Avoid compressing them too much, since that can reduce quality. With today’s broadband Internet and high-resolution screens, detailed images load without issue. Always assign an alt tag to each image. This is important both for image SEO and for accessibility, since it provides information to users if an image doesn’t load. In most CMS platforms, you’ll find a built-in field for alt text. The same applies to the title tag. If you’re coding manually, it might look like this:

<img src="../path/mypicture.jpg" alt="A hand-painted picture by John Doe" title="Self-portrait of John in front of patterned landscape">

For storing large amounts of high-resolution images or video files, cloud storage is a secure option. Some CMS platforms and website builders place limits on media upload sizes, which can be a problem for video files. Videos stored separately in the cloud can be embedded through links to achieve the desired result.

Step 4: Publish your artist website

Once your design, text and images are finalized and all required information is in place, it’s time to launch your website and reach your audience online. Make sure your website gets noticed. Your web address should appear on every business card, flyer and studio sign — and why not even on your car or bike helmet?

Another idea is to leave a small notice at restaurants or cafés you visit. This can help generate new contacts. Listings in regional directories are also a simple but effective way to increase visibility.

FAQs

Below are answers to some of the most common questions on this topic.

Do artists need a website?

Yes. Without a website, an artist is almost “invisible” today. An artist website helps you reach a wider audience for your work, serving as a digital studio. A website also means accessibility, visibility and more opportunities for recognition and sales.

What are the advantages of having an artist website?

Your website is a 24/7 studio. If you make or want to make a living from art, you need a public presence. An artist website is a key part of public relations and self-promotion.

How can I easily create an artist website?

Website builders make it easy and affordable to create a professional-looking artist website. A major advantage, especially for beginners, is that your domain, hosting, design tools and SEO features are all handled in one place.

Where can I find templates for an artist website?

If you use a website builder or a CMS, you’ll find a variety of ready-to-use, mostly responsive templates. Simply choose a template as the starting point for your artist website and customize it to match your style.

How can I promote my art online?

Art is often sold at auctions. You can take this approach too by offering your work in time-limited online auctions to the highest bidder, sometimes through dealers. If you’re just starting out or creating as a hobby, it’s better to begin with platforms that sell art online at set prices. Keeping your expectations realistic at first helps avoid disappointment.