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 Summer Developments |
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Shopping Carts . These are now available for integration into your sites. For instructions on how to do this, go to your Control Panel and click on Shopping Cart Instructions below the Shopping Cart button.
New Servers . We have had problems with our servers over the last few months with a couple of brief service interruptions. It has become clear that we need new servers and a new server configuration to handle the number of sites and the volume of traffic. We have decided to make this our number one priority. There is quite a bit of programming necessary to complete the project, so time estimate for completion is August.
Prints-on-demand. We will work on this at the same time as the new servers, but do not expect full integration before the end of August.
New templates. The new C templates have been coded and the new associate member templates are being coded at this time. One of the big differences with the C templates is that there will be a "Quick View" enlargement pop-up of 250 pixels and also the big enlargement which will now be up to 700 pixels. Each image on your site will thus have 3 sizes, a thumbnail and the two enlargements.
The next step is to integrate the new templates with the backend programming that allows you to manage your sites. This should be completed in September.
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Search Engine Rankings for your Website
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Many members have asked why we don’t allow batch uploads of images. The answer is simple: each image page is optimized for Google and the other search engines, and, to enable that, members need to enter unique info for each image.
Incidentally, we are the only website provider to optimize the individual image pages – the result is higher rankings for your site.
Here is how it works:
- We have a search engine friendly way of naming images (for our database). Thus the page URL’s incorporate the categories and subcategories you have specified for that image. The enlargement page for an image that is a portrait color photograph could have a page URL something like this:
YourDomain.com/Portraits/28953-1-551/Photography /Color/Figurative.html
- The Alt text. This is the text that appears when you hold your mouse over the image and includes your name, the image title and the category and subcategory of the artwork. For example, the Alt text could say “Photography-Color-Your Name – Image Title”
- We have a link back to the portal that is closest to the kind of work you do. For example, you could paint landscapes and you would see in the lower right corner, “painting – landscapes.” This will link back to the Landscape Painting portal. The links back to the portals increase rankings for the portals and funnel more traffic to your sites. The more links back and forth from your site to the various Artspan pages (directories, portals, etc), the better for both Artspan.com and for your site, as all the Portals pages have good rankings.
Here is what you need to do :
You need to highlight the category, medium and subject for ALL images on your site. This is VERY important for your site optimization and will take no more than a few minutes of your time .
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Scam Warnings |
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We sent posted a warning on your Control Panel main page regarding a scammer who was targeting our members (as well as a lot of others on the Internet). Unfortunately, this warning was missed by some members.
For information on scams and doubtful offers of all kinds, check out this Forum thread: http://www.artspan.com/community/forumdisplay.php?f=35
The most common scam is an offer to send a bank or certified check for more than the amount specified (the balance to go to a “shipping agent.”), we suggest that members follow 3 simple rules:
1. Know your buyer. Get full contact info and hopefully some business references.
2. NEVER do anything until the funds clear. This is not the same thing as having funds credited to your account and can take 7 to 10 days. If in any doubt, ask your bank to verify the funds.
3. And always check the Forum.
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Member News |
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Here are some responses from last month’s plea for member news:
"I recently got a full page photo published in Light Leaks magazine, 'Road Trip' edition. Keep up the great work!" Maura Brennan www.maurabrennan.com "The spring edition of Studio Visit Volume 6 has been published, my work is on page 16, and the fall edition will also include my work- this is a juried competition to get into the book. I have been selected to appear in Volume 2 of the Best of America oil Painters I will let you know when it is published. They selected me on Artspan. Also I am with Art Rent and Lease, which also selected me from Artspan.” Rosemarie Bloch www.roseblochart.com
“I have some cool news! I posted two small paintings on my website, and they sold within 24 hours! While the customer did not use the shopping cart (they are former neighbors that moved), without my website, I never would have made that sale so quickly! The paintings were barely dry when I shipped them out.”Cathy Harville www.harvilleart.com
“One of my pendant beads is featured in the Women in Glass gallery in the 2008 winter edition of The Flow magazine. You can find it in the upper left hand corner of page 21.” Rose Klapman http://beadshaper.artspan.com
Marge Levine made Signature status with the Pastel Society of America, and was accepted as an artist member at the Salmagundi Club in NYC. http://mlevine.artspan.com
We would like to hear from more of you!
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Featured Members |
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| Cynthia McVay |
| Abstract and Conceptual Art |
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| "I've always loved the process and results of creating things. I am particularly excited by my most recent art-- Human Sundial Project #3, The Braille Project, the triptych of The Gates as well as Negative Brain, and Ritualistically. I am working on another multimedia piece now which will require a large gallery space, that promises to be provocative and extravagant.
I am exploring form versus function, using “found” objects (and people) in photography, sculpture and painting as the language. By taking these objects out of context they become artistic expressions in their own right, with textures, colors, rhythms and personalities all their own." |
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| Jeni Lee |
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Paintings and Collages |
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Jeni Lee's paintings are reflective of the environments in which she has lived and traveled, including the northwest rivers and the sea, the magical lands of the southwest, and the golden hills of her northern California childhood.
Collected images and colors, found writings and text, and documented memories all inspire her work. Her application of techniques, including rich color washes and subtle layers of paint and crayon, with acute attention to shadow and light, result in a series of calming, ethereal works.
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Legal and Other |
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Copyright 2009 Artspan LLC. All rights reserved.
All /images are the property of their respective owners. The opinions expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect those of artspan.com members.
Thoughts or ideas for future newsletters? ask@artspan.com
Technical questions or problems? www.artspan.com/help
Visit www.artspan.com today! |
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