Do Artists Need A Website? My Advice (as an artist)
You are an artist——a musician, DIYer, content creator…whatever. So most of your online effort or growth is probably focused on social media. So is a website even necessary?
If you go to my personal brand site, you’ll see I’m a multi-passionate artist with a pretty active website. But I used to question whether I even needed it.
Or if I should have waited until I was more established.
But in the process of building my website over the past 4 years, I fell in love with it.
Web design, SEO, blogging, portfolio pages…I experienced the creative joy and power of having a digital place (outside of algorithms) that I can call home.
So, do artists need a website?
I say yes. But I can be objective too. It’s not some hard requirement…especially if you’re just starting out (when it’s more important to just finish work and build momentum).
But if you’re serious about growing online and building a creative brand, then definitely.
Let’s unpack things.
Table of Contents
8 Reasons Artists + Creators Should Have A Website
1. It’s A Piece of Your Portfolio
Your website is the first artwork in your collection that people see (sometimes this is subconscious).
It’s like the cover to a book. It’s not necessarily where the whole story or key elements live, but it does foreshadow everything that’s inside…and love it or hate, it’s a first impression.
Your website is a piece of your portfolio (not just a place to house your work, but a work in itself).
Reframing my website as a public project in my catalog of work changes everything (and part of how I define creator success).
2. It Makes You Look More Serious
DISCLAIMER, if you don’t have a website, this does not mean that you’re not a serious or professional artist.
But when you do have a website, things get elevated.
Love it or hate it, a website enhances your public-professional appeal. It absolutely takes you up a notch or two.
Having a website screams “Okay…so person is serious.”
When you have a website or portfolio set up, it signals trust and authority to fans, potential buyers and other creatives in your field.
It’s a hub to share with people. A place to send traffic and leads.
It’s for the serious artist.
3. It’s Algorithm-free + Passive
Besides Google SEO and newer LLMs like ChatGPT, your website traffic and audience data is yours.
Put another way, you’re not at the mercy of some algorithm or social media company who can take away your account and followers at any time.
A website is yours, forever. You can capture emails, gather traffic data and fully customize everything to match your brand and goals.
It’s also more evergreen/passive.
Many of my top blog posts will rank for years, without me needing to show up or do anything (except occasional updates or responding to comments).
It’s nice to create something you’re proud of that doesn’t get buried in a social media platform.
Explore more:
➤ Social Blogging Is So Hot Right Now
4. It’s A Homebase
I love having a central spot that links out to all my other accounts, platforms and assets. It’s a homebase hub.
Your site links out to all your assets across all platforms and it’s somewhere you can easily send people to (whether that’s from in-person meets to a link in bio).
An address that all your “mail” gets sent to.
5. Secures Your Custom Domain
When you get a website, you’ll also get a custom domain (at least, you should).
Buying a custom domain for your artist persona is super smart and prevents other brands or artists from stealing your name. This sets you up for being the ultimate source and endpoint for any search related to your name.
As an example, if you search for me, Jef Quin, I dominate the results (not that anyone is searching for me…but we’re playing the long game here lol).
A website is like buying land in a desirable location before someone else does.
6. Boost Your Chances of Showing Up In LLMs
LLMs like ChatGPT and Google SGE (and even traditional Google search) rely heavily on long-form content like blogs. Social media posts aren’t indexed or used in training quite the same.
So if someone is chatting with an AI, you’re more likely to show up if you have a website with content targeting specific keywords you want to be known for.
So if you want to further solidify and future-proof your brand (by showing up in AI overviews and LLMs like ChatGPT), then an optimized website helps a ton with that.
SEO (search engine optimization) helps you show up in search engines like Google. LLMO helps you show up in AI overviews and chat engines like ChatGPT.
It involves strategically using targeted keywords (in your website copy and throughout your content) to become the go-to source within your niche.
If you’re keen to learn more about this jazz, check out my posts on SEO and LLMO.
7. It’s Creative Expression
A website is another opportunity to express yourself creatively. And if you’re an artist, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy the whole web design process.
Especially if you use a site builder like Squarespace (it’s super intuitive, but still powerful).
Whenever I hop into my website editor, I’m wearing my artist’s hat. It’s creative expression and it’s super fun.
8. It’s Great for Marketing
Your website amplifies your marketing:
Capture emails
Attract fans through blogging
Use the FB Pixel for retargeting ads
Apply to more affiliate marketing programs
Sell products without fees from third-party platforms
I think having a Stan Store is also a solid option here (for selling). But I prefer to have the full website ecosystem (like blogging, portfolio pages, etcetera).
So that’s it. Those are my biggest reasons for having a website as a creator and artist.
If you’re ready to take the next step, check out my post on the best website builders for creators and artists.
Otherwise, later ✌️
