Tips for applying for a residency

So you have found one or even a few residencies that you would like to apply for. Now you have to stand out from the crowd. You need a way to make your application prominent — which has nothing to do with how pretty the font is. Here are some ideas that might help.

1. Research artists who have previously been to that residency.
Look at as many as you can. What is similar about these artists? Do they all create new, very unique work? Do they focus on conceptual ideas? Is the work large or small? Do they focus on technique?

Why do this? Because you want to present work that is in keeping with or is a good fit for this residency. By that I don’t mean that you should change what you do, but you want to carefully select images of your work that relate to the residency. Since you were attracted to a specific residency, it probably already suits what you do. But be strategic about the images you include in your application.

Ceramic work by Sally Walk

2. Have professional photos taken.
I can’t stress this enough. If you are not able to take them yourself, get a photographer to help. If your work is two-dimensional, make sure the images are square and no frames are in the image. Take the photographs in natural light for the best effect. If your work is three-dimensional, use a plain neutral background and make sure the work is well lit. You'll also want a good headshot with your work in the background, and an image of you at work. Some residencies, especially in Asia, do require a headshot. If the added expense is an issue, get creative. For example, I swapped an artwork for a photo shoot and we were both happy. Now I have learnt how to take great photos and can do it myself. Aim to have 5 to 10 great images.

3. Write an artist statement.
Many of us (myself included) hate writing these, but they are usually required for residency applications. An artist statement is basically just a general introduction to your work: a couple paragraphs about your work's basic concept and how those concepts are presented in the artwork. Be genuine and don’t use too much over-the-top art talk. (You all know what I mean.) Look up the statements of some of your favourite artists to get ideas for how you might approach your own.

4. Write a proposal.
Almost all residency applications want to know what you plan to do. This is where you can stand out. Be sure to check if there is a theme or idea that you are required to address. These are usually very broad and can easily be adapted to any artwork you create.

Your proposal should be realistic about what you can achieve in the time you have. You are not expected to work 24/7. Stick with what you know, as materials and equipment can be quite different in a foreign country. Always factor in time for exploration and design. Experience has taught me to allow the place I am in to influence my creative process, so my work at each residency has changed and evolved over time. This has been such a valuable way to avoid stagnating as an artist.

Be specific in your proposal. Instead of saying 'I want to create a new body of work', say 'I want to create three large sculptures (approx. 50 cm each) and a range of smaller sculptures inspired by the textural qualities of French architecture.' This is vague enough to allow you to create anything, but specific enough to give you focus.

Packing the kiln with artists from India, China and the United States

5. Check your application for consistency.
For example, your images should relate to your artist statement and your proposal.

6. Include a resume.
Your resume should be concise and clearly organised, with subheadings like:

Personal details (including website and social media links)
Education
Group exhibitions
Solo exhibitions
Juried exhibitions
Publications
Awards
Professional Activity
Collections

7. Clarify any questions.
If you are not sure about anything on the application, email the residency and ask questions.

8. Proofread.
Proofread, proofread and then proofread again. Then get someone else to proofread your application.

Sally Walk is a ceramic artist. She holds a Bachelor of Art (Ceramic Design) and a Post Grad Diploma of Education. She has been working in clay for more than thirty years and creates sculptural work in stoneware and porcelain clays. Sally has attended twelve ceramic art residencies all over the world and has held six solo exhibitions and more than thirty group exhibitions. She was selected to exhibit at the Tokyo Art Fair in Japan, Art Melbourne, and the Florence Biennale in Italy, where she was awarded the ‘Lorenzo il Magnifico’ first prize for ceramics. For more about Sally, visit her website or follow her on Instagram (@sally_walk).

Photograph at top: Workshop in the streets of Wanju, South Korea

Show off your work: Why your local art gallery needs you

Do you regularly visit your local public art gallery? Studies of the past decade indicate that women are more likely than men to visit art galleries and have formal art training, yet less likely to have their work exhibited or acquired for a public art gallery’s permanent collection. The gender pay gap happens to be larger in the arts than in other industries, too.

Not that I raise such a topic to criticize our male counterparts or create division within our community — quite the opposite, in fact! We are all part of the solution, and the legacies of the past offer us a baseline for launching into new directions.

To be sure, the art gallery arena is certainly changing. These spaces are no longer the domain of gilt-edged oil paintings, marble statues and awkward whispers. Instead, they are evolving into vibrant and inclusive community hubs, particularly in regional areas where they are more likely to meet an even broader variety of the community’s creative and cultural needs.

It’s an exciting time, as renewed interest in the arts and crafts has fostered a growing appreciation for the creative contributions of women, both past and present. More than ever, you will find art galleries filled with textiles, ceramics and fashion sitting comfortably alongside newer media such as digital works and graphic arts — all by an increasingly diverse mix of artists. There is an expanded vision for what a public art gallery can (and should) display.

So, why not get involved and show the world what you make? You do not need to be a full-time professional artist working in traditional media. While opportunities for exhibitions by emerging artists may be greater in regional public art galleries, larger metropolitan institutions should also offer options. This may include display cabinets within the art gallery or CBD areas, opportunities for pop-up creative events and partnership projects with library gallery spaces and community centres. Most public galleries are happy to chat about what they are looking for, the likely timelines and what you’d need you to provide for them.

Some reasons you should consider submitting an exhibition proposal?

• It’s in the interest of public art galleries to exhibit works from broad cross-sections of their communities, and gender balance is important. It’s about more than just what’s being made; it’s also about who is making it and why.

• Visibility is a key factor in career growth.

• It will challenge you to create (or gather) a body of works suitable for display.

• It offers the potential to expand your audience base.

Chaos (detail) 2017, by Liz Payne

If the idea of a dedicated solo exhibition or display in an art gallery doesn’t seem to be a good fit for you, why not try one of these ideas instead?

• Pitch a themed group exhibition to the gallery with like-minded colleagues, or offer an inventive concept of your own choosing, such as a pop-up event within the gallery spaces in conjunction with creative theme days (for example, ‘World Wide Knit in Public Day’).

• Offer to run some talks or workshops that complement their programming.

• Enquire at gallery gift shops about stocking your work for sale.

• Approach a local café or business to exhibit your work.

• Contact councils, shopping centres or commercial real estate agents about ‘borrowing’ space temporarily for curated displays in vacant window frontages (not always possible, but worth enquiring about and great fun).

• Collaborate with another creative to deliver a project that is visual and public-facing, such as a painted mural in a local community garden or other urban area. There may even be grants available to cover material costs.

Always remember: the world needs to see what you have to offer, and you need to be your own biggest fan in promoting it. There are plenty of traditional and unusual opportunities to get yourself out there, meet new people and have some fun along the way. So…what are you waiting for?

Drawing from diverse backgrounds in health, science and the public art gallery sector, Liesl Harvey’s passion lies where the creative industries intersect with business and audience development. She explores a variety of relevant topics and shares inspiration from around the globe via her Instagram account, @thedailyculturepreneur.

Opening image: "Mutual Abstraction" exhibition works by Hannah Fox and Bec Smith. Photo by Martina Gemmola.

What you need to know to host a workshop

Running a workshop or short course is a great opportunity for creatives to diversify income while sharing their skills, knowledge and passions. But before you run a workshop of your own, it pays to do a little research to ensure there is demand, a venue and that you have the time and skills for marketing to ensure your event is a success.

What can you offer?

I believe we’re seeing an increase in the number of self-hosted workshops as education becomes more democratized: learning by the people, for the people! Many creatives have mastered processes and adapted techniques to make them more easily shareable with others. Ask yourself: what can you offer? What will participants specifically gain from undertaking a workshop with you?

Does someone else already offer it? Do people want it?

Dig around the Internet and you’ll see a whole bunch of workshops being offered by retailers, artist collectives and practicing designers. As you browse what’s available, here are some questions to guide your research.

• Does anyone else currently offer workshops in your field of expertise?

• If you have competitors, great! It means there is genuine interest from others wanting to learn this set of skills. How do your competitors run their workshops? Can you do it better?

• If you don’t have competitors, ask your friends, colleagues and even strangers whether they or someone they know would be interested in taking one of your workshops.

• Find out where your competitors are located. Can you find alternate regions or locations to attract another demographic?

Outline the purpose of your workshop.

The more clearly you define the purpose of your workshop, the easier it will be to hone in on your target market.

• Does your workshop require prior skills or knowledge, or is it introductory and inclusive?

• Are you offering professional development or sharing knowledge or artisan skills?

• Will there be something physical to take home afterwards, either a handmade object or a set of reference materials?

• How long will the session go for? Can you condense it into one day or will you need to stretch it out over a weekend or multiple evening sessions?

• Define the aims and goals of your workshop so participants know what to expect. Tell them specifically what prior knowledge or skills they’ll need, what to bring, what’s supplied and what you’ll provide.

Find a space.

Venue rentals can easily eat away workshop profits and the ability to pay yourself after costs, so it’s worth considering other options. Could you run your workshop from your home or studio? Could you find a venue partner who will benefit from you bringing in new customers? Consider linking with a food and beverage or retail business to boost sales in exchange for free space. You could also consider profit-share so there’s a mutual benefit from cross-promotion and marketing. Make sure your venue is easy to get to, accessible to public transport and has parking options.

All images: Surface Art Symposium, run by Emily Wills

Sell tickets. Promote and share. Sell more tickets!

Give yourself six to eight weeks lead-time to book a space or find a collaborator or host. You’ll want to have the event information up with a minimum of four weeks to market and promote. If you don’t have an existing online shop, consider using a third-party booking system such as Stickytickets, Eventbrite or WeTeachme to manage sales.

To promote your event, create a flyer or image that effectively communicates your workshop outcomes. If you don’t have graphic design skills, an edited photo or simple graphic designed on Canva.com can be really effective.

Share your workshop visuals, information and booking link across social media channels. Encourage others to share the event details. Link with your target market via Facebook groups and send emails to your database, friends and family. Get the workshop information out there! Promote and share! Keep going right up until launch time.

Do a great job. Get feedback. Build a tribe!

Finally, you’re running a workshop! Give it your all to make it special and memorable. Follow up with an email to let people know you appreciated their time and interest, and ask if there’s anything you could do to make it better next time.

Building an audience takes time. Sometimes the people who would most love to come to your workshop are unavailable or simply forgot to book tickets. Have a second date ready to gauge interest and send through to any enquiries that come through.

Emily Wills is the creative director of SURFACE 1°22, a surface pattern design studio. In her various manifestations, she has worked as a fashion designer, illustrator, curator, arts educator and printed textile designer. Emily founded the SURFACE 1°22 Design School in Melbourne, offering hands-on workshops and short courses in surface and textile design. For more information, visit her Facebook page and Instagram feeds (@surface122designschool and @surface122).

Photography credits: Tendai Hatendi

One eye open (or, how I learnt to squint and survive online)

I have a confession to make. I manage four Facebook pages, three Instagram accounts, three Pinterest accounts, a Twitter account and a YouTube channel and you know what? I still love being online. So, when I read yet another (ironically online) think-piece about how creatives need to wind their anxiety back by getting offline I am often the dissenting voice in the room.

As creatives it is impossible to not have an online life. But it can be a force for good, rather than something that forces you into a fetal position. Not that I recommend becoming part cyborg like me. Instead, I’d like to advocate for a One Eye Open policy. Essentially, this means to take in what you need and avoid what you don’t. Sometimes you may have to squint at the screen, but with a few strategies and outlook adjustments you can absorb all the online world has to offer but in a mindful and positive way. This way, there’s no need to go off the grid just to escape yet another Instagram post detailing someone’s breakfast/book launch/homewares line.

If I had heeded all the well-intentioned advice and walked out on my online life, what would I have missed out on? The week I wrote this post, I learnt the Home-Work design team had a book launch coming up, Kit Palaskas (whose web page is shown above) was offering piñata workshops and Beci Orpin was delivering four events during Melbourne Design Week. I watched the latest Chanel show, learnt about a new exhibition space, saw a controversial film that had its funding pulled but went ahead and screened anyway and attended a free lecture series at the NGV. I saw there was an ARI gallery putting a call out for applications and that a high-profile magazine had some new opportunities for content providers.

I choose to take only what I need from this content (information, inspiration, opportunity) and close myself off to things that don’t help (envy, overwhelm and self-doubt).

I also assert mindful consumption of social media. Here are some strategies that have helped me reclaim some much-needed work hours that would otherwise be lost to viral cat clips and Busy Phillips’ Insta stories.

Pinterest

Think of Pinterest as a library rather than a gallery. Decide what you are ‘looking up’ before you get in there, make yourself a dedicated board, search and get out. Those who scroll endlessly are doomed to suffer image fatigue with the added bonus of insomnia.

Facebook

Notifications — while deemed a danger by many — ultimately save me a lot of time. Just because you get a ‘ping’ doesn’t mean you need to react to it. I can see if my business boosts are working, if workshop tickets are selling or if a student or client has a query. I don’t have to respond straight away, but my phone acts like my little silent secretary, keeping me informed. I only look at my personal page once a day because, really, how many Guardian articles on Meghan Markle can I justify reading in any twenty-four-hour period?

Instagram

Beci Orpin's Instagram page

You love it. I love it. We all love it. But the recent shifts in algorithms and added functionality mean that looking and posting require far more babysitting than it used to. That little square is the most curated gallery on the planet, and is the most effective means of reaching your audience — or even just learning who they are in the first place. Dedicate two sessions a day and trust me, in fifteen minutes you can see your feed, comment and even post without coming to any undue harm or image exhaustion.

Twitter

Content providers of all walks are on here, but wordsmiths (for obvious reasons) use it in the same way visual creatives use Instagram. Find your tribe and define your voice. If it’s not for you, don’t add it to your already crowded alphabet soup of social media commitments.

YouTube

Stay off it unless you need to learn something or you’re there just for LOLs. (This is where the cat/hedgehog/film trailer lives.) It’s like brain sugar: addictive and no good! YouTube is an amazing learning tool but it’s also riddled with distractions and fake news. Buyers beware!

It can be easy to think that creatives with high profiles and beautiful online content have all their ducks in a row while the rest of us are floundering around trying to wrangle Snapchat filters. You’ve heard the term ‘curated’ content and you may believe successful content is hard work. But in all honesty, fellow creatives don’t put things online with the express purpose of making you feel badly about yourself or igniting your imposter syndrome. Sometimes it’s there to entertain, advertise, inform or inspire, so put your defences down a little and let it do all that for you. Take the time to share, comment and applaud people’s online efforts, even if they are creative superheroes. They aren’t stealing your oxygen. Those lucky enough to have made it to the top of the pyramid are more often than not the most generous with their knowledge and content.

Jess Wright and Lara Davies from Home-Work

Creatives with successful online profiles have worked out their voices and who they are pitching to, but that doesn’t make what they present any less authentic. Jess and Lara from Home-Work really do like each other and celebrate each other’s creativity. Kitiya Palaskas is as colourful and expressive as her work implies. And Beci Orpin, while now at superstar status, only got there by being her generous (albeit genius) self.

Online life can be a force for good, change, inspiration, networking and all-round motivation. But it’s important to recognise that the One Eye Open policy also means one eye closed.  Rest and reflection will always be an important part of the creative process; your mental and even your physical health will suffer if you run at it 100 percent of the time. If online content is coming at you as a wave of blue-light midnight anxiety rather than morning coffee happiness, your mind and body are telling you to back away from the devices. Every now and then we all need to turn down the volume no matter how great the music.

Ramona Barry is a writer, curator and maker based in Melbourne. She is currently coordinating the Art, Craft and Cookery Competition and the Makers’ Pavilion for the Royal Melbourne Show; curating a series of workshops, design field trips and public conversations for RMIT University; and running a creativity course in partnership with the Bundoora Homestead Art Centre. Ramona is also co-author of The Craft Companion (Thames & Hudson).

The importance of a professional headshot

You only have to spend a few minutes looking through LinkedIn to see how much of a difference a professional headshot can make. No longer are your shoes the first thing a person notices. We live in a visual time and your headshot is the new first impression.

Whether it’s Facebook, LinkedIn, Tinder or Instagram, different platforms have different audiences and therefore require different headshots. You know that photo of you drinking wine on the beach in Mexico? As good as you look in it, is not going to land you your dream job. I’m not saying that your professional headshot needs to show you sitting nice and straight in a sharp suit against a plain background — though that might work for an IT professional or a CEO — but even creatives like photographers and graphic designers need professional images, albeit with a little more creative license.

The beauty of working with a professional photographer to capture your headshot is that he or she will talk to you about your job and what style of image might suit your needs. You may need a few different styles to cover your online presence. Your photographer can help you determine what you need.

Some things to consider when thinking about your headshots are:

• What length images do you need? Some options include full length, head and shoulders, or waist up.

• Do you need a particular crop for your images? Some websites work best with a square crop, others with a standard crop.

• What industry are you pitching yourself to? Are you in a corporate environment where a plain background and a head-and-shoulders style image is common or do you work in a creative industry where more relaxed images are acceptable?

• Does your company have a style guide that needs to be adhered to? If so, are you able to obtain a copy to give to your photographer?

• If this is your first time in front of a professional photographer, consider hiring a stylist or makeup artist. While these are not necessary, they can make a big difference if you are unsure about what to wear or how to do your makeup to get the look you are after. Your photographer will be able to recommend stylists and makeup artists if you are interested.

Different industries tend toward different types of headshots.

‘Okay!’ you say, ‘but how do I choose the right photographer?’

Good question. The most important thing is that you are comfortable with whomever you choose. Ask friends for recommendations, then look online for examples of the photographer’s work or ask him or her to send you some examples. Talk to the photographer about the style or any reference images you have seen to give her a good understanding of what you are after. Questions to ask your photographer may be:

• How many outfit changes are included?

• How many images will I receive?

• Will they be edited?

• How long is the session?

• Will I receive both high-resolution (for print) and low-resolution (for online) image files?

Now have fun with it! Getting a headshot should not be a torturous experience. No one likes getting their photo taken but with the right photographer you’ll not only enjoy yourself, you’ll get some great images out of it, too.

Amanda Shackleton is a Melbourne-based emerging photographer with a focus on documentary-style imagery. She is currently exploring the relationship between people and their smartphones. To learn more about Amanda, visit her website or Facebook page, or follow her on Instagram (@amandashackletonphotography/).

Photography by Amanda Shackleton

What creatives need to know about the new Instagram algorithm

How does the Instagram algorithm work? This is a question I get asked a lot, as if I’m the KFC colonel with the secret herbs-and-spices recipe.

It’s only April and already there have already been so many changes. Each time I can’t help but shout ‘Instaaargghhh!’ in the hopes that Insta HQ hears me and stops meddling with the recipe.

So how do you keep up when you’ve also got a business to run and people to delight? It can be tough, so I’ve distilled what every creative should know about the algorithm along with five simple actions to take your Insta presence to the next level this year.

1. Engagement matters

There’s no way around it: Instagram is still growing fast and it’s becoming more and more saturated. More than 95 million photos are posted every day, but 70 percent of them are never even seen, let alone engaged with. This can be incredibly frustrating for anyone trying to grow her business.

For a long time now, the algorithm has been based mainly on engagement. This includes numbers of likes, comments, video views, saves, shared posts, DMs and any other type of interactions with a post. In a nutshell, when a post gets a lot of engagement, Instagram deems it high quality and engaging, so shows it more. This hasn’t changed, but it now also includes all the interactions you receive on Instagram Stories as well, such as views, replies and shares. In short, the more a user interacts with your stories, the more likely it is that your individual posts will also show up in her feed.

I also have a theory (but can’t confirm it) that variation in engagement type matters, too, to combat the fact that you can now easily buy thousands of likes or views in the time it takes to order a cup of coffee.

ACTION #1: TELL STORIES
If you haven’t got on the Stories bandwagon yet, it’s time to jump on board. Instagram Stories now has more than 300 million daily active users, almost double the number on Snapchat! More importantly, it’s a great way to connect with your followers and share a behind-the-scenes, unfiltered view of your business.

Here are some simple ways to maximise engagement with Stories:

• Share progress shots of work.

• If you’re self-branded (i.e., photographers and designers), don’t be afraid to share more human moments to give insight into who you are.

• If you sell products, use it as an opportunity to be transparent about your products and supply chain.

• Take advantage of built-in engagement opportunities, like the polling feature.

• Tell followers to ‘DM us for a 10% off code!’ (or similar). This is a great way to build relationships and drive people to your inbox, boosting engagement figures through more DMs.

• Include the ‘Swipe up’ option if you have a business account with more than ten thousand followers.

• Include links (again, only available if you have a business account with more than ten thousand followers).

2. Speed matters

Not only does the algorithm factor in the amount of love your post gets, it also cares how quickly you get it. If a post gets a lot of engagement shortly after it’s posted, this signals that it’s quality content, so the post will be shown to even more of your followers.

ACTION #2: POST DURING PEAK TIMES
Take two minutes right now to find out when your followers are most active, then schedule your posts during this time, when you’re most likely to get engagement.

To find this out, click on the Insights graph for your business account. Scroll down to Followers and click ‘See more’. At the bottom you can see when your followers are online each day, and at what times. Easy!

 3. Lingering matters

Since Facebook bought Instagram in 2012, it’s been rolling out features that ‘work’ in Facebook-to-Instagram, and this is one of them. It’s not just about how many people view your post, it’s about how long they view it for. So how do you stop followers in their tracks?

ACTION #3: SLOW IT DOWN
There are two simple ways to do this: write longer captions, and use more videos and carousel images.

If your post has an in-depth caption, your followers are more likely to actually read it or click the ‘more’ button, which increases the time spent on your post. Try spending a few minutes to write your captions for the entire week when you’re feeling creative or in the zone, then schedule them using a tool like Later or Planoly.

One of the reasons why videos perform so well in the Instagram algorithm is because they take longer to view than an image. So post more videos. If videos aren’t part of your visual strategy, try carousels (multiple-image posts) every now and again.

4. Hashtags matter

Instagram recently rolled out the ability to follow hashtags, which means your posts could show up automatically in the feeds of potential new followers. The downside is that users also have the power to mark your hashtagged content as irrelevant, marking it ‘Don’t show for this hashtag’ and potentially raising a red flag on your account.

ACTION #4: STAY RELEVANT
As we learned from the Shadowban scare last year, posting the same block of hashtags over and over can have a negative impact. Instead, switch it up and use hashtags that are hands-down relevant to what you’re posting.

Tools like Planoly or Later allow you to save a library of hashtag blocks. Or you can use this amazing hack using the text replacement setting in your phone.

5. Your interaction matters

I’m (sadly) not the KFC colonel with the secret recipe so can’t confirm this for sure, but it’s believed that Instagram may also restrict exposure based on your engagement with your followers. I know, keeping track of Instagram comments can be hard if you have a lot of followers, but to get engagement, you’ve got to give.

ACTION #5: STAY ON TOP OF COMMENTS
Social media should be just that: social. Treat comments like a conversation and avoid comments like ‘Great pic!’ or ‘Nice feed!’ that can be seen as coming from a robot.

Instead, include a question or some sort of meaningful response. At the very least, show some love with an emoji. Try to respond to comments within the first hour if possible, as this is likely to lead to more comments and, in turn, increase your post’s visibility.

Keep your eye on the prize

When using Instagram for your business — whatever your industry — your end goal should be to get customers to buy your products or services, not to increase followers. Sure, your initial aim might be to grow brand recognition or do more collaborations, but the overall aim is to grow revenue.

At the end of the day, the harsh reality is that your follower count is a vanity metric. Focus instead on measuring engagement and making incremental improvements as you go, and you’ll be well on your way to a strong, highly engaged account.

Courtney Goes is a Melbourne-based digital marketing and brand consultant with experience across a range of industries in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Since leaving the corporate world in 2016, she’s been on a mission to help women make smarter marketing decisions to elevate their businesses and personal brands through simple, effective strategies. Working mostly with creatives, freelancers, and female-owned startups and small businesses, she provides clarity, structure and accountability to get real, tangible results. She has also launched Marketing Emporium, a resource hub designed to provide simple and straightforward marketing advice. Contact her at courtneygoes.com

How to choose the best platform for your website

When it comes to designing a website for your business, which platform should you choose? To keep it simple, I’ve narrowed it down to the three platforms I use most: Squarespace, Shopify and WordPress.

Most likely, you want a website that will promote your business, generate leads and ultimately sell your products or services. It might be tempting to only focus on what you want your website to look like — and aesthetics are indeed important to generate an emotional response. But your website ultimately needs to convert visitors into customers, and for this it needs to work well.

What would you like people to do on your website?

Take some time to reflect on the following questions when you start planning your website:

• What do you think potential customers need to see and read to start engaging with you?

• What do you want them to do (such as buy something, sign up, make a booking, etc.)?

• Is there anything you are likely to need in the future?

Once you work out what you need on your website, you will be better able to assess which platform will be most suitable, both in terms of design and functionality.

Squarespace website for Creative Women’s Circle, created by CWC board members

How tech savvy are you?

Assuming you will DIY your website, think about how comfortable you are online, especially when it comes to:

• custom design

• CMS (Content Management System) interface

• customer support

All three platforms offer both free and paid ‘themes’ (or ‘templates’, as they’re called in Squarespace), which you can customise to a certain point using the CMS.

If you choose a Shopify or WordPress theme, make sure you do so from a reputable source. Read reviews and check the developers. The theme needs to be well coded and well supported; otherwise you might end up with a slow site and conflicting plugins.

As far as interface is concerned, WordPress has the steepest learning curve and, unless you have access to a developer, you are pretty much on your own! Being an open source platform, it requires you to take care of everything to build a website. There are lots of how-to resources out there, but think about how keen you are to learn and how much time you have.

Wordpress website for the Grace Files, created by Studio Manusha

Squarespace and Shopify, on the other hand, are ‘hosted’ platforms, which means that not only do they take care of the technical side of things, but they also provide customer support. This is part of your subscription fee, so make the most of it! There is a certain comfort in knowing you are not alone.

Note that with these hosted solutions, you need an active subscription to run your site and you cannot download a full copy of your site. If you decide later to leave Squarespace or Shopify, you will be able to download some of the content but you will need to rebuild your website. You cannot just switch to another host.

Shopify website for Maapilim, created by TVP NYC

So, what do I recommend?

Squarespace is a great solution if you are just starting out, need an information or portfolio website and are on a tight budget.

Advantages:

• Squarespace offers a good range of templates that you can customise with your branding.

• All templates are responsive and work well on all devices.

• There is enough functionality to set up beautiful pages, have a blog, build a mailing list and even run an online store.

• The drag-and-drop interface will appeal to those who are not tech savvy, and you won’t need to worry about technical maintenance or updates, which are included in your subscription.

Limitations:

• You have to work within their templates and functionality, which can be frustrating if you want something specific.

• On the e-commerce side of things, it is not possible at the moment to display multiple currencies, which can be an issue if you sell internationally.

Despite these limitations, the initial investment (in time and money) is usually lower than with other platforms and you can achieve great results.

Shopify is best for retailers. Whether you already have a brick-and-mortar store or are just selling online, Shopify is a comprehensive e-commerce platform.

Advantages:

• It is easy to navigate your way around.

• There are lots of themes available to purchase and customise, and with so many apps to choose from (including free ones), you can really push your online store.

• Unlike with Squarespace, you can access and modify code to design and develop custom layouts. You may need a pro for this but there are plenty of Shopify ‘experts’ available.

Limitations:

• The focus is on the products and the homepage. Any other page apart from those can be bland and a bit difficult to manage, though there is the customization option noted above.

WordPress will suit you best if you want flexibility and are tech savvy.

Advantages:

• You can essentially do anything!

Limitations:

• The flexibility often requires more time and more expertise. However, you can always get help for the initial setup and then learn to manage the site yourself once it is up and running.

Emmanuelle Harrington has been a website producer for more than twenty years. Her focus is on helping small creative businesses find their voice and connect with audiences by creating beautiful websites and providing personalised training. Based in the Adelaide Hills, she works with clients all around Australia. Visit her at studiomanusha.com or follow her on Instagram (@studiomanusha).