My credentials for creating this page are that I've probably inspected and reviewed information on over 10,000 art websites while blogging about art on my main art blog Making A Mark. I've often got the impression that artists managed to get their images online and write something brief about themselves and then rather ran out of steam - or were not too sure what to do next.

As you know this website is about the art business side of art. I've also noted that some artists have a number of different ways they interact with others - but lack the relevant business pages that really need to be present as well. 

So this page aims to provide a resource and get people thinking about how they can improve their website. It also maybe highlights some issues some artists have never thought about.

The new page Web Content for Artists covers and provides brief guides to and TIPS about:

• essential pages
• website menus and navigation
• content for home pages
• content for image galleries
• content for news
• content for "about the artist"
• content for a contact page
• Terms and Conditions Content
• Privacy Page

The Privacy Page is especially relevant to all those artists who have dealings with anybody living in the European Union - given we are now just over a month away from the new General Data Protection Regulation coming into force (see Data Protection for Art and Artists).

The reason for emphasis on the Terms and Conditions pages is that I see far too many websites which neglect the fact that any business interaction with customers via the website involves explicit or implied contracts and all the relevant legislation and regulations relevant to such business. In particular, I see far too few which really get to grips with their terms and conditions of business.

This is intended to complement other pages in my Website for Artists sub-section of MARKETING which are (at present):

• Website for Artists  (general advice)
• Why websites matter
• Options for websites
• Web design for artists
• Writing for the web

In the interests of updating and improving content, I'd be interested to have your FEEDBACK about the new page. You can either comment on this post or use the feedback form on my "contact" page

The Best Art Business Books for Artists is the new home for information from another site I developed with the same name. It's a work in progress at present but now has enough content to make it worth highlighting and my other site is about to be closed down.

Initial categories cover:

• Short Art Business Guides - for a quick read
• Starting Out - for those who aspire to an art career
• How to have a career and make money as an artist
• How to sell your art 
• Understanding Art Galleries
• Copyright
• Art in Transit
• The Artists' Resale Right
• Art Legacy Planning

Interestingly most of the books on the new page are EITHER new OR new editions of books that have been around for a while.

So much has changed in the past few years. In particular the emphasis on business online is now much more important. 

I'm finding that I really need to look long and hard at content as I do the transfer - and I'm needing to buy new editions of books I've loved in the past.

Plus I know than a few authors have recognised the need to update and have new editions in the pipeline.

​For example, a couple of days ago I was contacted by Caroll Michels - author of How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist (a book I really rate!) - about the NEW edition of her book which is published later this month. This has got a LOT of new content to reflect the changes in the workings of the art market and the new challenges for all artists - even established ones. For example:

• the use of social media and website development as marketing and publicity tools – what works and what doesn’t work;
• the confusions between the “art-buying public” and the “consumer market”;
• neighbourhood gentrification and the growing challenges of securing a reasonably priced work/live space; and
• the pros and cons of the new business models for artist career development.

So I hope you'll join me in my investigation of what's currently on offer and the best books about the art business for artists which offer both great content and good value for money!

There's a lot more to come and this page will be continuously updated over the next few months - and years!

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I'm also interested to hear about what new art business books you've been buying and getting value from.

If you'd like to share your recommendations with fellow artists just leave a comment on this blog post - or contact me and give me a recommendation.

An artist asked me a question about PayPal and GDPR this morning.
The nub of it is as follows...

• she sells art through her website - and accepts PayPal for payments
• she checked on her account and the past history (from way back) still includes past customers' names, addresses and email addresses. Plus their payment method may or may not have stored by PayPal.

It immediately struck me that this is a question that a lot of artists are going to be asking given the way PayPal is now entrenched as a form of payment for art being marketed and sold online.

​ What she wants to know is 

1. what has PayPal done about GDPR?; 
2. whose responsibility is it to keep this personal data safe?
3. how should she tell customers about whether or not they are compliant if she doesn't know!)?  
4. who is responsible re. data protection if somebody hacks into her Paypal account which carries all this data?

This is a really good question! Also one which it appears LOTS of people would like answers to.

• If you insert GDPR into their Help System it comes up with precisely zilch!
• If you put PayPal and GDPR into Google you don't get a lot of help.
• However there is one PayPal Stories Article called Getting GDPR Ready (relevant to those in the UK - I'm guessing everbody gets their country equivalent if they look online). Interestingly it says NOTHING about what PayPal will be doing in terms of processing your customer's personal data!

I  was told that PayPal has updated its legal agreements. See PayPal's Policy Updates page for the upcoming changes.

These include:

• Notice of amendment to the PayPal User Agreement. Effective Date: May 25, 2018 (i.e. GDPR Implementation date) - this includes changes relevant to the 1. Control and protection of personal data
• Notice of amendment to the PayPal Privacy Policy Effective Date: May 25, 2018 - find the amended PayPal Privacy Policy by clicking here

I don't think Paypal has any option - in processing personal data for EU residents it must by default comply with GDPR and all its requirements

All uses of PayPal accounts are also responsible for using appropriate means for keep access to the account limited to those who should have access eg using two levels of protection - password and a code sent to your phone.

Anybody else got any thoughts on this - or seen anything relevant?

I guess we have less than 60 days to find out the answers!

I have no doubt there will be answers - it's very evident from the policy changes so far that GDPR applies to them. The question is how many more changes are they likely to make.

Both are - for their respective "ways in" to the system.

Comments are very welcome on this topic as are links to helpful articles or webpages on this topic. I'll add them into the DPDR Resource Page if we get a lot.

On the 25th May 2018 - in less than 60 days - The General Data Protection Regulation comes into effect. It affects everyone and every organisation having data transactions with individuals who live/work in the European Union.

This blog post is about resources I've been trying to pull together about GDPR - for artists and art organisations - societies, charities, schools, galleries etc.

This means it INCLUDES:

• ART SUPPLIERS - all those artists / art organisations - wherever they are located - aiming to market art and art-related services to people located in the EU
• SUPPLIES FOR ARTISTS - all those organisations - wherever they are located - aiming to market their goods and services (eg art materials, websites) to artists and art organisations located in the EU.

NEW PAGE Today I'm launching my new resource page about General Data Protection Regulation ​for Artists and Art Organisations. - which is very much a work in progress.  You can find it in the Office Practices section of the website. The art organisations include: art societies, art galleries, art dealers and art schools.

Previously, I've written two long blog posts on Making A Mark: 

• Got the GDPR Jitters? 10 things you need to know as an artist / art society / art gallery
• Is your art organisation or business ready for GDPR - the replacement of the Data Protection Act? ​

The NEW PAGE includes links to useful resources not included in the blog post and builds upon what I've previously written. I'm still looking and still finding new resources which might be helpful - but you may have to do a lot of reading.

RECOMMENDATION: Besides the links to the publications and resources produced by the Information Commission (first section), the section I'd suggest people take a look at is that relating to Issues for Art Organisations. It includes a very useful document written by The Arts Society providing guidance to its branch societies.

I'm also hoping to develop a section for "Artists as Sole Traders".

The one thing I have discovered is that more and more information is being published the closer we get to 25th May - and it's likely that a lot more will emerge as issues are tested in the courts thereafter.

​Bottom line - this is a live issue for anybody who is creating transactions involving the personal data of anybody living in the EU.

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I read a post by Barney Davey on Facebook yesterday which I thought highlighted some really  key issues about selling art that would:

• resonate with quite a few artists who working hard at trying to sell their art. 
• provide a great briefing for those starting out in terms of "need to know" factors.

So I asked Barney whether I could reproduce it on this blog and he said 'Yes' (for which many thanks) - so here is it. Except I added in some bold which you can't do on Facebook to make it a slightly easier read!

How to sell your art in 2018 and beyond? Use galleries or sell directly to patrons? Here are my thoughts.

Galleries come and go. They don't share buyer info. Nothing comes between the relationship of patrons who buy directly from the artist. It might be easier at first to market to galleries, But, doing the work to build direct patronage is the best long-term solution. Own as much of your distribution as possible. Then you are in the cat bird's seat in choosing who and where you let your art get sold by third parties, including galleries. There were never enough galleries to go around in the best of times for galleries. Now, there are fewer with less clout than ever. I don't see a future without galleries. I see a future where smart marketing artists and galleries collaborate. An artist with a list and social media tribe of their own is a much hotter prospect for forward-thinking galleries than one with no following.

Just 50-100 patrons who buy directly from the artist might purchase up to 250 - 500 originals over the course of a career. A devoted direct buying collector base is the most valuable business asset an artist can possess. Those relationships can't be taken away on a whim with no remorse or recourse like deals with a gallery, licensor, publisher, or agent can. When artists market one-to-one with direct mail or email, they have no competition as with a gallery, publisher or licensor for their work. They own the relationship and the pipeline.

REFERENCE:

• You can find Barney Davey and his books and courses on Art Marketing News and on his Facebook Page
• Read about my take on art galleries on A Guide to Art Dealers and Art Galleries
• This is my guide to Open Studios
• This is the website of Henry Hudson who makes paintings out of plasticine (see above image) - hence why my studio visit was so informative! Interestingly this was an event for collectors organised with the help of a magazine that helps promote art to collectors.

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