A a craft art magazine publisher I've spent months trying
to learn web marketing as it pertains to our special
interest group. It appears that most galleries still believe
that you need only to "publish" a "pretty" site and visitors
or buyers will flock to your site. Wrong!!! First you must
research the "common usage" of the words you choose to use
For instance... do most people call it "art glass" or
"glass art? After you've settled on your vocabulary then you
must MARKET your site. You'll need a quality site to get
worthwhile links exchanged with other significant sites.
Our site provides links to our "Preferred Galleries" which
requires a $25 membership fee and a buy-in of magazines for
galleries to resell or give to customers. Banner advertising
seems to quickly becoming a thing of the past... to you'll
need some good oldfashioned "direct mail" to bring traffic
to your site... guess what- now you're in the physical not
the virtual publishing business. The most successful sites
are spinoffs of TANGIBLE, bricks and morter or paper and ink
businesses with good branding. I think a virtual gallery
owner has about as much chance of success as any other type
of gallery in a POOR! In any business your relationships,
customer lists and marketing saavy make it work... even if
you're selling Chihuly's at $500! Try to establish a presence
with the auction sites first is my best advice!
Good luck-- see you in Philly (July 30-Aug 1)
Wendy Rosen
Publisher, AmreicanStyle Magazine
http://www.americanstyle.com
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