{"id":223,"date":"2022-03-07T08:40:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-07T13:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theartlist.com\/blog\/?p=223"},"modified":"2022-03-21T11:51:59","modified_gmt":"2022-03-21T15:51:59","slug":"art-marketing-101-how-to-choose-the-best-domain-name-hosting-for-your-online-portfolio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theartlist.com\/blog\/art-marketing-101-how-to-choose-the-best-domain-name-hosting-for-your-online-portfolio\/","title":{"rendered":"Art Marketing 101: How to Choose The Best Domain Name & Hosting for Your Online Portfolio"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As an artist, your primary focus should always be on your creative endeavors. If you\u2019re not creating, you\u2019re thinking about creating. But there\u2019s also the business side of being an artist. Don\u2019t worry; we\u2019re not talking about crunching numbers or paying bills. If you want your art to be seen, you need<\/em> to market it. Marketing may not be your strong suit, but the Internet was designed to bring people together \u2013 and by creating a portfolio website, your art can be seen all over the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve never launched a website before, it can be overwhelming figuring out where to start. In this article, we’ll cover the first two tasks you\u2019ll need to tackle to set up your portfolio website: buying a domain name and choosing where to host your site. Let\u2019s get started. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choosing a Domain Name<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your online portfolio is all about making a solid first impression \u2013 and your domain name is one of the first introductions people will have to you and your work. After all, before anyone gets to your website, they\u2019ll have to click on your domain name or type it into their address bar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a domain name, exactly? In a nutshell, a domain name is the location of your website online. It’s like having a username for the Internet, which visitors type into the URL bar to go to your site. A domain name consists of a name \u2013 like TheArtList<\/strong> \u2013 and an extension \u2013 like .com<\/strong> \u2013 and it points to a specific IP address for the site you’re deploying, in this case, TheArtList.com<\/strong><\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a creative professional, it\u2019s usually a good idea to use your name as your domain name. Your name is your brand, and it\u2019s how most people will naturally search for your work. But there are exceptions. If your name is exceedingly long or challenging to spell, you might want to consider other options that work for you, like using your initials or just part of your name. Or, you may want to go with something else entirely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few key things to keep in mind when choosing your domain: <\/p>\n\n\n\n