A proper big wormy-bloggy decision to make... would LOVE your thoughts..

[andapartridgeinapeartree]

Hello everyone...

I have question for you all, one that keeps rattling around and around my head and I just don't know the answer...would LOVE your opinion..

I am an artist, Samantha Barnes and here is my website samanthabarnes.co.uk/home.php. I also blog about all things craft and arty, and teach art workshops to adults and children under the name of Artypops. My artypops blog is here artypops.blogspot.co.uk/ and the visitor stats are good at about 30/50 a day when I post (about twice a week).

My question is... My website was made bespoke for me about 4 years ago now, its lovely and I paid lots for it. Although it has paid for itself over time, my sales from it are low and my visitor stats are v low too, no matter how much work I do for it. (have tried everything) So..am wondering if I should work under the name of Artypops pretty much full time? and therefore change my Samantha Barnes artist website into that of Artypops? (would cost about £600)

As I see it, the benefits are:

Artypops, is a catchy name.
I can use this site to entice new clients for both children and adult classes.
I could sell artwork of other artists relevant to my clients, not just my own.
I could source and sell some art-kits along with other bits and bobs I like.
Artypops says more of a shop/place to visit.
Artypops sounds like more of a 'centre' to visit than Samantha Barnes artist.

The con's of morphing my website are:

Losing my identity as an artist?
Having a dedicated place of selling of my own.
It costing money.

So there you have it dear readers...I would love your thoughts...this feels like a big decision for me...thank you SO much.

help!

x

[andapartridgeinapeartree]

Oops that is 'worky' not wormy! Curses spell-checker-as-you-type-type-thing!

[TeeElfOnTeeShelf]

Well, I'm not sure what to tell you about Artypops, but I do think your Samantha Barnes website loads incredibly slow. Are you using full size images on it scaled down in the code, as opposed to web optimized graphics? But that could be why you don't get many hits, because people don't stay long enough for it to load.

[andapartridgeinapeartree]

ahhhhh...could be..thank you indeed...hmmm.

I thought that when you load images, however enormous, they get resized automatically by the loading system...perhaps not....

hmmmm.

Thank you so much x

[gardeningmum]

Hi Notice that your artypops blog is also your website. So you should be getting the SEo benefits on your website everytime you update your blog. I don't get this on my website because my developer just did a cut and paste - but then i didn't pay too much for it. Perhaps you could check with your developer.
www.kidsinthegarden.co.uk

If you lost your website would you be able to sell on etsy or NOTHS?

[suzannemumofthree]

Have you got a Tween at home? I would love to hook up and discover other bloggers with children in this age category (8-12), I have three of them! I regularly converse with bloggers of a younger age but it's always good to share tips of someone in a simlar circumstance to you.

Today I blogged some tips that I gained on a parenting course, for this age group: 3childrenandit.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/top-tips-on-parenting-tween.html

Leave your blog URL below, I'd love to check yours out :)

[andapartridgeinapeartree]

hello there - I do indeed, DS is 8 and DD is 5 so its up and beyond the tinies stage for me!

Will dip in now to your blog post...mine is artypops.blogspot.co.uk/ and my own art website is //www.samanthabarnes.co.uk

Will email soon x Thanks for responding x

[MerryLindor]

I agree with Tee that it is terribly slow to load, which will certainly put people off.

I also think that using your flyer on the front page doesn't look good - too much info, too small print, and the 'tear off and put on your fridge' bit.

You have your work showcased on the blog anyway, so I am not surprised that people are not bothering to look at your website.

Tbh, I would bin the website. It is only costing you money and you could have a website much cheaper if you went self-hosted and did the work yourself.

I built Jump! Mag on Wordpress with a paid theme. It doesn't cost much and looks quite good (if I say so myself!)

Jump! Mag is for preteens (tweens) so might be of interest to you both.

[andapartridgeinapeartree]

Thank you so much MerryLindor...valuable advice indeed.

Will have a look at your blog for sure.