foliotwist

What’s included in the free trial? Are there any limitations?

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:37:53 +0000

It’s not limited at all—you get full access to your own foliotwist website, just like a paying member. If you decide to quit before your 10 days are up, your credit card won’t be billed.

If I need help, how do I reach someone?

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:36:14 +0000

We offer 24-hour email support—there will be a link in your admin panel—and you’ll always get a personal response from one of us, the founders of foliotwist. (We’re Dan and Zac, by the way.)

There’s absolutely no problem we can’t solve with our system, so no matter the question, we’ll be able to help.

What happens inside the foliotwist forum?

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:34:30 +0000

Mostly we answer questions and talk with our artists about how they can get the most out of their websites. It’s a great place for our artists to share information, give us feedback, and learn from each other.

What if I don’t know anything about running a website?

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:33:32 +0000

That’s OK. Foliotwist websites are unlike any other—we’ve already taken care of the programming, the hosting, the domain purchasing, etc.

All you’ll be doing is adding things to your website, like artwork and blog posts, and customizing your website. We’ve tried to make it incredibly easy to do all of these things the very first time, but we’ve also included detailed instructions in the “Tips and Tutorials” section of your admin panel, just in case.

How will an email newsletter help me sell art?

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:29:28 +0000

The more contact you can have with the people who visit your website, the better, and an email newsletter is a great way to maintain contact.

That’s why each foliotwist website offers an easy way for your visitors to subscribe to your email newsletter. You can send out discount offers, information about upcoming shows, or send them images of your newest work. You KNOW they’re already interested, so it’s a win-win situation for everyone.

What is “social networking” and how will it help me sell my art?

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:27:12 +0000

Social networking is pretty much like traditional business networking—basically, the more people you know, the more chances you have of meeting people who might want to buy your art. :)

We use the phrase “social networking” to refer to online networking, so of course, it’s not always about business. Websites like Facebook, Twitter, Digg, StumbleUpon, and Delicious are great ways to meet people and promote your artwork in a natural, socially-acceptable way.

With foliotwist, you can link to your profiles on Facebook and Twitter, and we’ve made it easy for your visitors to help you promote your blog posts through Digg, StumbleUpon, and Delicious.

Why should I have a blog on my artist website?

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:25:32 +0000

Search engines (like Google and Yahoo) can’t “see” images. Instead, they rely completely on words. The fewer words your website has the less likely they are to send you any visitors. So once you start writing a blog your website will get a lot more traffic, especially from Google.

Of course, there are other ways to market your art through blogging, too. With your own blog, you can connect with other artists online and keep your fans up-to-date. You can post images of your latest artwork or just write about yourself and your life. No matter how you use your blog, your artwork will always get more attention because of it.

Will my website be submitted to Google?

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:20:04 +0000

Yes, and not just once, but on a regular basis so that Google will always be aware of all of the pages on your website.

Will I get my own email address based on my domain name?

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:19:00 +0000

Yes, if you’d like. We offer all of our artists the option to have theirname@theirwebsite.com.

What is Google Analytics, and why do I need it on my website?

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:17:56 +0000

Google Analytics is a powerful tool for ANY website owner—basically, it allows you to learn more about the people who visit your website.

For example, if you want to know why you had 150 more visitors last week than this week, you could log into Google Analytics and find out where exactly those visitors came from (search engines, other websites, etc) how long they stayed, and what pages they visited on your site.

This information will help you understand how your site is appealing to your visitors, and give you insight into what you need to do to attract more people to your website in the future.