Frequently asked Questions About Our Website Plans
Getting Started
How do I get my information and images to you?
For template websites and gallery membership, logon and create an online account. The system is all online so you won’t have to install anything on your computer.
You will be able to enter account information, choose a website plan, and upload your information and images. We tried to make the system as user friendly as possible but if you get stuck or have questions, click on the 
button to get more information or feel free to contact us.
Custom sites involve more one on one interaction. Please call or email us with your project. A designer will discuss your needs with you and make arrangements to gather your content.
Can I try out your Logon program before I commit?
Certainly. Logon and create an account. See how easy our system is to use.
Once you are ready to go ahead with a website, click “Publish”. We will contact you at that time with your bill. Once your bill is paid, we will put your website online.
How do your free trials work?
Our free trial allows you to see a sample of your website before you commit.
Logon and create an account. Choose the “Full Site” and then the “15 Day Free Trial” Option. The free trial is only available on our Full Website Templates but you can decide to change plans when your trial term is up.
Enter your text and upload some images. When you are ready to see your sample website, click “Publish”.
We will build you a sample website and send you a link via email. Please make sure that the email address J@LuchtStudios.com is not blocked by your spam filter.
Your sample website will be available at that link for 15 days. You can decide to go ahead with a website any time during or after that time period. We’ll then send you a bill and once it is paid, we will convert your account over to the website plan of your choice.
Do I need to give you my credit card number when I create my account?
No, absolutely not. Logon and try out our system – no obligation. We won’t ask you for payment until you tell us you are ready to have your website “Published”
Can you setup my online account for me?
Absolutely. Just contact us. For a nominal fee we can get you all setup
I’m not very good with computers. Will I be able to use your system?
Yes. We try to make or system as clear and simple as possible. If you do get stuck, however, give us a call or send us an email. We’re happy to answer any questions you might have and walk you through the system if needed.
I have a dial-up internet connection. Can I use your services?
Definitely. Our websites and Artist Logon program are designed to load quickly - so a dial-up connection should pose no problem.
How do I join the Online Gallery?
It’s simple. When you first login to your account, you will be given the oppurtunity to jury into our online gallery. Then when you upload representative images of you work, we will look at them and make a decision. We accept work in all media and of all styles. Our primary criteria for acceptance is professionalism of presentation. Photographs of artwork must be professional in appearance, in focus, well lit, and properly cropped. Poor photographs wiil not be displayed on the gallery. After all, we want your work to be shown to its best advantage.
Updating Your Website
Can I update the information and images on my website whenever I want to?
Absolutely! If you have one of our template sites, just logon to your account and make your changes. When you are finished, click the “Publish” button to notify us. Your changes will appear on your website in less than two business days.
If, you have a custom site, contact us via email with your changes. We’ll get them up on your site ASAP. On custom sites, we do ask that you limit your changes to monthly requests. Since these sites require a bit more time and attention, we cannot make daily or weekly changes.
I’m thinking of upgrading. Do I have to wait til the end of my current plan?
No. You can upgrade at any time. Just contact us and we’ll get you all set up. We will then pro-rate your bill for your remaining term.
Domain Names
I already have a domain name. Can I use it with your websites?
Yes, if you already have a domain name registered, we can still host your website for you. These sites usually take a little longer to get up and running because you will have to make some changes to your “DNS” settings. Every domain registration company deals with this a little differently, but we’ll be happy to walk you through the process.
If I register a domain name through you, who owns it?
When we register a domain name for you, we usually put it in our name. This allows us complete access to all the necessary settings for getting your site up and hosted and means any correspondence (including spam) associated with the domain gets sent to us. This will result in a “private registration” which hides your name and contact info from some of the spammers out there.
If you decide to leave our services, you may arrange to have the domain name transferred to you. We have no interest in holding onto domains registered for former customers.
If you prefer, we will be happy to register the domain for you and list you as the owner and us as the administrative and technical contact or you may register your own domain name.
How do I choose a domain name?
A domain name can only registered to one owner at a time. Therefore, a very common name like JohnSmith.com may not be available.
When you first log into your account, you will be asked for 3 possible domain names. We will check on their availabilty as well as come up with several other possible suggestions.
You want your domain name to be easy to remember. We usually recommend that you try first for a .com name rather than a .net, .biz, or other suffix, because most people automatically type .com. A domain can only contain the following: letters, numbers, and dashes. Although they are perfectly acceptable, we usually try to avoid dashes, if possible. Spaces and other special characters are not allowed in domain names.
We also recommend that you first try for something that your customers will recognize, such as your name or your studio name. You can also try adding a term such as art or studio or a phrase that describes what you do. Some great examples of customers who have done just that are: www.LindaHollandStudio.com, www.JoshuaFrancoArt.com, WillowDraws.com, www.GourdArtByNoreen.com, and AbstractsByCraig.com.
Images
How large should my images be?
We usually suggest that your images be at least 1000 pixels in the largest dimension at 150dpi. Bigger images are just fine. Our system will take care of automatically sizing them for you and optimize them for display on the internet. You don’t have to worry about sizing them yourself.
How large an image file can I upload?
Broadband and DSL customers should have no problem with files smaller than 10MB. Dial-up customers may want to make their files less than 1MB if they run into problems. If you’ve reduced your file sizes and are still having problems, please contact us. We’ll come up with a solution.
What file format should my images be in?
Our logon program will accept files in the following formats: jpg, jpeg, gif, tif, tiff, png
If you have image files in a different format, contact us and we’ll make arrangements to get them from you.
Do you have suggestions for photographing my artwork?
Absolutely. There are several key factors in taking a great photograph of your artwork.
Lighting:
- We find that for most types of work, natural light is the best, and easiest solution. Shoot your images outside, out of direct sunlight- say on the north side of a building.
- Watch out for harsh glares and deep shadows.
Focus:
- Get as close to your artwork as you can and make sure the focus is crisp
- Always use a tripod or set your camera on a stable surface to prevent camera shake. Use of a remote release or the camera’s self timer can also help.
- If your artwork is small, you may need a special macro lens or filter for your camera
Composition:
- Get in close, be wary of odd angles, and really look at the framed image in your camera lens as if it is a piece of art itself.
- For 2d work, try to fill the camera frame completely if you can. If you can’t fill it completely, fill it as much as you can. If you have photo-editing software, you can always crop it later.
- Make sure the sides of your work are in parallel. Sometimes paintings and other 2d images will look warped or fish-eyed in a photograph.
- If you work is framed and the frame is not integral to the piece, consider photographing it unframed. Frames can present several problems: they often contribute the out of parallel effect, works under glass often have glares or reflections, and frames take up valuable real estate in your image that could be utilized by your actual artwork.
- Neutral backgrounds such as gray, beige or black photo paper or smooth fabric often work best. If you use fabric, be wary of wrinkles, they can be very distracting.
We realize that not everyone is a professional photographer or has the funds to hire one. Most of the inexpensive digital cameras out now are perfectly capable of taking images suitable for the web.
If you are having trouble photographing your work, contact us. We’ll take a look at your images and make suggestions on how you can correct them. In addition, we offer photo-editing services at a reasonable fee that can correct many minor imperfections.
Are my images copyright protected?
Yes, according the U.S. Copyright Office under current copyright law your work is protected from the moment it is “fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device”. You can also register your copyright – see the U.S. Copyright Office for details.
We post a copyright notice on every page of our websites. Images on the web are displayed at a low resolution which makes them rather unsuitable for reproduction and we do our best to disable image stealing techniques such as right-click and drag and drop.
If you have photo-editing software, it is also very simple to embed a watermark in your images.
Unfortunately, it is always a trade off. You want your work to been seen in order to sell it, but that means that someone may steal your ideas. For most of us the benefit of having our work seen outweighs the risks.
My images do not look as crisp on my website as when I sent them. What should I do?
Rest assured, most people are seeing high quality images on your site. The issue probably lies with your ISP connection. Some dial-up web services downgrade the quality of images in order to get a faster connection. There is probably a setting you can change to fix this problem on your computer. Check with us and we’ll walk you through it.
I’m having trouble getting my images to load what should I do?
It is possible that your file size is too large and your internet connection is “timing out” before the files can get to us. Try reducing your file size.
If you are still having trouble, contact us. We can walk you through the process or make arrangements to get your images some other way.
Do I have to have digital images to use your services?
No, if you have slides or prints of your work, contact us. We can help you get them converted.
My digital image files are formatted for Zapp (with the black bars), can I still use them?
Yes, but your work may show up smaller or have black bars. If the images you want to use are Zapp formatted, contact us. We can strip the bars off so that all that shows is your work.
Do I have to use a professional photographer?
No. While professional photography is well worth the investment, it is not required. We do however, require that images intended for display on our Gallery Site are professional in appearance. They must be well composed, well, lit and in focus. Neutral backgrounds are best but decorative backgrounds are acceptable as long as the enhance rather than detract from the work.
Website Traffic and Search Engine Optimization
Can I track my website traffic.
Yes. Mini, Full and custom websites can be setup with “Google Analytics” at no extra charge. You will need to create a free Google account to view your reports. Let us know you are interested in site statistics and we will setup your site to track your traffic.
What can I do to drive more traffic to my website?
A website is a business tool, much like your business card. You cannot build a website and expect the sales to magically flow in. You need to actively promote your site in order to drive traffic there.
A few “quick tips” for getting traffic to your site:
- Search engines look for relevant text content - they want to know that you are an authority in your field. This means that websites that have more informative, relevant text are likely to perform better.
- It is much more difficult to score highly for generic terms such as “Art” or even “Abstract Painting”. By all means use these generic terms, but also include less broad terms such as “batik” or “tempera”. The more specific you can be, the better; fewer people may search for the terms, but you should rank higher when they do. Do not, however, haphazardly stuff keywords into your text, just tell the story of your work in as natural a manner as possible. If there is something particularly interesting or special about your technique or your work, talk about it. This will not only provide more content for the search engines, but also be more engaging for visitors to your site.
- Tell anyone and everyone you have a website. Print your website on your business cards and carry them wherever you go.
- Put your website address on all business stationary you have printed. This means business cards, letterhead, signs, bags/boxes, hang tags, etc.
- When you have postcards printed for a show, include your website and a line inviting customers to preview your work on the website before the show.
- Add your website address to the signature line of your email. If your website program allows, make it clickable.
- Ask any shows you are doing, galleries that feature your work, or guilds/professional groups, etc that you belong to, to link from their site to yours. Links from sites related to art and your particular medium carry the most weight with search engines. Avoid links from websites that look like “link farms” or that have no relevance to you or your artwork.
- If you have ties to an educational or government institution, see if you can get them to link to your website. Links from .edu and .gov domain names carry more weight because these domains are not for sale on the open market. Try your state or county arts alliance or the college where you teach art classes.
- Make sure you list your website on any press releases and in any newspaper or magazine article you write or have written about you.
- Some of our members have had luck with sending email announcements to their customers. Just be careful how you approach this because you don’t want people to think you’re spamming them. Don’t do it too often and give people the chance to “opt out”
- Keep your website content fresh. Search engines like to see websites that are up to date.
How long will it be before my website is “indexed” by the major search engines?
The major search engines claim it can take 3-6 months before they index a website. It usually happens more quickly. However, this does not mean that your site will show up near the top of the search for all the keywords you wish to. See our suggestions on increasing your rankings under the question: “What can I do to drive more traffic to my website?”
I received an email from someone who claims they can boost my search engine ranking, what should I do?
If you have questions about search engines and ranking, feel free to call or email us. We’re always happy to help.
There are legitimate businesses that specialize in what is called “Search Engine Optimization”. It has been our experience, however, that most of them do not send out random emails to website owners.
Be wary of anyone who claims they can guarantee you top search engine results. No one can do that. Some tactics employed by these unscrupulous companies can even get you blacklisted by search engines.
Rather than paying someone hundreds or even thousands of dollars for search engine optimization, we recommend that you look closely at the content on your website and make sure that it is keyword rich and relevant. In addition, you should seek links from organizations and associations related to your art.
E-Commerce and Selling from Your Website
Can I sell my artwork from my website?
Yes. Full website templates and Custom websites have the option to add a PayPal shopping cart for a nominal annual fee.
If I sell something from my website, do you take a commission?
No. All sales are between you and your customer.
We charge an annual fee for PayPal and Shopping Cart systems added to sites. PayPal also takes a fee to process your sale much like any merchant services provider- see PayPal.com for their terms and conditions.
Email / Webmail
What is “Webmail”?
Webmail is simply an email account that you may access through any internet browser. It is particularly helpful for artists who travel for shows because they can check their email on the road.
How do I get to my webmail?
Open your internet browser and type email.YourDomain.com in the address bar. Do not type www, it will not work. This should take you to your login screen.
Does webmail work with Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express or Mac Mail?
Yes. Let us know which program you are using and we’ll email you the instructions for setting it up.