A website frozen in time
A potential client finds your studio on Google and clicks through to the artists page. Two of the five artists listed left last year. The remaining three have eight photos each, uploaded when the site was built. One artist has since moved almost entirely into fine line work, which is not shown at all. The client leaves the site, finds an artist's Instagram by searching, and messages there, bypassing the studio's enquiry form.
Nobody updated the website because nobody has the login, and the web designer charges per change.
Artists' work moves on, the site does not
Instagram is where artists keep their portfolios, because that is where they post. The studio website sits apart from that and needs someone to update it by hand.
- Updating the website is a job nobody owns.
- Photos are uploaded once and never refreshed.
- Artists who leave are not removed, and new ones are added late.
- Styles are not tagged, so clients cannot find artists who do the work they want.
- Artist pages do not link to booking or enquiries, so clients go to Instagram instead.
Clients who choose the wrong artist, or another studio
Out of date portfolios send clients to the wrong artist, or to another studio whose site looks more current. Enquiries bypass the studio's form. Search engines see a stale site. And the studio's own reputation for quality is represented by old work that the artists themselves might not choose to show.
How we build self-updating artist pages
- Each artist gets a portfolio page on your website with a short bio, styles and a gallery.
- Artists choose which of their Instagram posts appear, using a tag or hashtag you agree, or by approving posts in a simple screen. We use the official Instagram tools for this where available.
- Posts are copied to the website as images with alt text, so the site does not rely on embedded feeds that break.
- Work is tagged by style, so clients can browse fine line, blackwork, colour realism or whatever styles your studio does.
- Every artist page shows whether their books are open and links to their enquiry form or waiting list.
- When an artist leaves, their page is hidden in one step, and a new artist gets a page the same day.
| Website today | With self-updating pages |
|---|---|
| Photos from the launch | Latest chosen work from each artist |
| Departed artists listed | Hidden in one step |
| No style filter | Browse by style |
| No enquiry link | Enquiry form and books-open status |
We work with your existing website where it allows, including WordPress, Squarespace and Wix. If a new site is the simpler route, we will say so and explain why.
A website that shows what your artists do now
Clients land on a site that looks as current as your Instagram. They find the artist who does the style they want and go straight to that artist's enquiry form. Artists do nothing extra beyond tagging or approving a post. The owner stops paying for small website changes, and the site keeps pace with the studio.
There is a search benefit too. Pages for each artist and style give Google something specific to show when people search for a style of tattoo in your town, and each new piece of work adds fresh content without anyone writing a blog post. When a guest artist visits, they can have a temporary page for their week, linked to their guest spot booking.
The studio keeps control of what appears. Only posts the artist has tagged or approved are shown, so personal posts, memes and unfinished work stay on Instagram and off the studio site.
Is your website showing old work?
- Artist galleries have not changed in a year or more.
- Former artists are still listed.
- Clients cannot browse by style.
- Artist pages do not link to enquiries or booking.
- Nobody knows how to update the site.