Why Creatives Need a Website

When it comes to selling or promoting your creative work, a website is essential. And I’m not just saying this because I’m a web designer. You need a home base that you can point to. A lot of creatives, especially visual artists or photographers, rely on social media platforms like Instagram to be their home base. I cannot stress enough how much I do not recommend this. Regardless of what type of creative you are, you need a website, so let’s break down why.

You need an online home base

Let’s start off with the big one, just in case there are any of you who still have doubts about whether you need to be online. You do. Even if you’re having success at in-person events or targeting local markets, you still need an online home base that you can point to. Having a website allows you to create a personal brand that people can learn about and recognize. It gives you a place to show off all your work and sell your services. They can learn more about you, which helps them feel more interested and attached.

Plus, if you have an online presence, potential customers are more likely to believe you’re legit, especially those people in younger generations. Overall, it’s so much easier to make money as a creative if you have a website. If you’re doing the social media thing, that’s great, but you need a real website. This is because…

You don’t own your social media

Your home base should never be a social media platform because you don’t own it. Your social media accounts can get shut down at any time. I’ve heard horror stories of people losing their accounts for seemingly no reason. They lose years of work and all of their followers overnight, and they just don’t get their accounts back. You don’t own your followers, and your content can just go away with no explanation.

However, if you create your own website and blog, you do own that. No one can just shut it down on you. Even if you decide to close your business or switch hosting, you have the ability to download everything. You’re not just going to lose all your work. This is the biggest reason why you need a website as opposed to just social media accounts.

You can do more with a website

Having a website gives you so much more power. First of all, you have complete control over the look and content of your site. You can write about what you want and sell what you want. You’re able to dedicate real space to what you’re doing and sell your personality/services without needing to worry about someone flagging your content. Even if you’ve got an Etsy store, a website gives you a place to actively promote that content through blogging and a shop page. You can build more trust, which makes people more likely to buy from you. This can be essential for a busy place like Etsy.

Plus, if you have a website, you can create a landing page for social media. I don’t recommend products like Linktree, even if you’re using the free version. Having your social media bio link go to your website helps get people to your site, and it means you’re hosting your own links – not relying on someone else to do it. It makes it much easier to track your analytics, too. All you need to do is make a page on your site with all the important links, and because you own it, you have more control over the look and content.

You can repurpose your website content

Websites give you the opportunity to create long-form content (a blog) that you can easily turn into social media posts. Once you create a blog post, you can break it down into smaller pieces and post them on Facebook, Instagram, etc. It’s so much easier to batch out Instagram content if you’ve got a blog already written out.

You can increase your reach using other platforms

Once you have a website with gallery pages, a portfolio, and/or a blog, it’s much easier to create content for other platforms. For example, Pinterest likes your content to go towards an actual link. This helps them know that you’re not spam. So, even if you’re a visual artist, you can link to a portfolio page, a product page, or a blog post when posting an image of your work.

As a creative, you need a website because your website is the cornerstone of your marketing strategy. It’s your home base that everything points to. It’s your place to post all your content, so you can branch out and use it elsewhere. It’s how you build trust, cultivate an audience, and create something that you exclusively own.

If you’re struggling to create a website that works for you, let me know! I’d be happy to help you figure it all out. If you want to create your own, just make sure it has all the essentials!