Making an Artist Website in 2023

[Geoffrey Mégardon]

Hello,

I have done a few websites in the past for my video game business using Hugo, which could be quite involved in terms of programming but very much free (even hosting was free, as I hosted on Github) .

I would like to use a no programming solution this time, as I want the possibility to add advanced features without hassle in the long term.

In a first phase, I want to start with a simple portfolio website. Then, in a later phase, maybe a blog/webcomic with email registration and free/paid digital products to download. And in a later phase, a e-commerce page where to buy physical products (e.g. t-shirts, mugs) with shipping to UK and EU (and who knows, the world!).

In other words, I want no limits to my imagination in the next years

So I have seen that Wix and Squarespace are the big names, but I also see that Artstation is having a Website building service.
Which one do you personally use and what are the stenght and weaknesses of these services in your experience?

[NessIllustration]

@Geoffrey-Mégardon I like Adobe Portfolio because it's free with the Creative Cloud However you can't add a blog or products, it's strictly portfolio.

Wix supports blog and products though, it's easy to use and I think it's cheaper than Squarespace. My current portfolio is on Wix and it was ridiculously easy to build. Took me about 2 days: https://www.vanessastoilova.com/

[Mimi Simon]

@Geoffrey-Mégardon Art station's websites are strictly portfolio with pretty much no customization so I don't recommend it. I use wordpress because its free (you still have to pay to host) but it does require a little bit of programming depending on what you want to do and isn't super intuitive. I have a friend who uses weebly and likes it though i don't know how much they offer in terms of shops and other options.

[Melissa_Bailey]

@Geoffrey-Mégardon I use Squarespace and in the past I've used Weebly. Weebly is more affordable but I didn't find it as user-friendly. However, this was a few years ago, so maybe that has changed. I've been with Squarespace for 2 years now and really like it. I have a website email (connected with Google suite) and even though I'm paying for the business plan, I've yet to open my shop -- it's on my to-do list. I'm currently in the process of overhauling my website to do more of the things that you also want to do. So far, it has been very easy to use. The only downside to me is the price, but it's a business expense and I'm willing to pay it because of the user experience.

My illustration website through Squarespace: mbaileyart.com

I'm also launching a second website using Wix -- this one will be focusing on graphic design rather than illustration, which is why I'm keeping the two separate. So far, it also has been super easy to use. I went with Wix because I wanted to compare the two services and Wix also felt like the better choice because this site will be more basic and won't have a shop attached to it.

In either case, if you pay for the annual plan rather than monthly, you will save a significant amount in the long run.

[Geoffrey Mégardon]

Thank you for all your answers

I did not know about the Creative Cloud option!

@Mimi-Simon it seems that Artstation also has a real website builder service here: https://www.artstation.com/about/artists/website-builder where you can sell digital products and prints, and have a blog.

I still thinking to start with a Hugo website during my first year as it is (almost) free, and I can do Portfolio, Blogging, Contact Form and Email List (see this template). The charge will be basically 10 pounds a year for the Domain, and 0 pounds a month for the free version of Mailchimp (email list/marketing manager).

The thing is if I need advanced email marketing features and selling product, then Wix or Squarespace will be more advantagous as the paid version of MailChimp is as expensive and only cover email marketing. And then there is the cost in time to convert my website in 1 or 2 years from Hugo to Squarespace/Wix.

I still have a few days to decide so we will see. I need to go back working on my portfolio.

[danielerossi]

Webflow is another service you can look at. A little pricey as you add features though.