|
You don't have a category for my work. Will you have more
categories?
Presently
MIXED MEDIA
can be used as a "catch all." As our
project grows, and as our user's needs change we will have
more categories. We are planning categories such as
HOME ART, WEARABLE ART, CERAMICS, SERVICES and others. We
are also planning sections on RESOURCES, EVENTS, and other
EDUCATIONAL stuff. If
you have suggestions, please let us know!
Why don't you list
prices?
We purposely
don't list prices on the art featured in AZI because we want the visitor to
click through to your website, because at that point, they
are your "customers," and you will want to deal with
customers. Plainly, we don't sell art! We bring
visitors to your website where you establish a
relationship with them.
You have no search engine.
Why?
We believe that people who like art
are snoopers and browsers. Even if we eventually
include a search engine in the website, we will
still let
visitors browse. People who like art are visually
orientated, and reducing one's interests to search criteria
(words) is efficient but isn't as much fun!
AZI looks more
like a magazine than a website/art portal. Why?
Obviously we did that on purpose!
The answer above applies here, too. We intentionally
positioned our website somewhere between an art
magazine where you enjoy browsing through the colorful and
exciting pages of artist's ads, and the efficiency and
immediacy of a web page with more information just a click
away, including the artist's or gallery's own website.
Database-driven, automated websites with everybody's art
presented in the same template has its place, but we chose
to be a ZINE, whatever that could be or become.
How does one get
featured in the Newsletter?
Good question. You can't pay for that privilege; it's
a gift from AZI. We will feature somewhere, sometime
every one of our advertisers/partners, either in the
Newsletter, home page of the website, or another place we
develop. You will get a turn, promise!
I have no website but have art
to sell.
AZI is
designed to bring inquirers/visitors to your website, with
"website" being the operative word.
This question pertains primarily to someone who has a piece
of art to sell, or perhaps a small collection, and wants to
take advantage of the monstrous, global network available on
the WWW, yet chooses not to develop an expensive website for
it. Enter our partner project, TheGalerii
(www.thegalerii.com),
which is precisely designed to do just that. Here we can build,
host, and market a "mini" website for extremely low fees.
Check it out! A number of AZI advertisers are
already using that service.
Why are your fees so low?
Several
reasons, actually. One, we have designed this project
so that it is not so costly to build and maintain, and two,
there is an ounce of altruism in this project that maybe
shows through! We think it's important to have
affordable alternatives to the mainstream way of doing
business, and we have
chosen to position ourselves as an alternative. Art is
worthwhile. And important!
Why don't you take commissions?
We have
chosen to work with fair and honest fees for services rather
than commissions.
It's kind of like buying coffee directly from growers,
paying them more, and charging less to the consumer.
Another way of doing business.
How can I get more exposure on AZI?
A standard ad
package includes two listings (one in each of two
categories) and one full change/update during the year's contract.
Additional exposure, which creates advantage for the
advertiser, can be gotten as follows:
1)
More ads. Each additional ad package doubles your
exposure.
2) More listings. Additional listings with different
art in the same or
different categories multiplies the
exposure within the site and,
consequently, the chance of a click
through.
3) More changes. Each ad package includes one complete
change/update
during the year's contract; you can
contract for up to 10 additional
changes which can allow for a new ad
each month.
For rates for additional ads, listings or changes,
CLICK.
Why is AZI so eclectic? Shouldn't
you focus more?
Maybe!
But art is big! And eclectic. Focus is nice, but
we made a choice to be an international marketplace of
extremely good art in the broad sense of the term. We
also choose to include provenance (where
applicable), history, anecdotes and good educational
information whenever possible in our presentations, because art is important and
we learn from it. Besides, art is fun.
Do you "harvest" email addresses from
inquiries to me?
Nope.
In fact we have built our site and communications systems so
that it is not possible to do so. When someone likes
and responds to your art, that's your "client" not ours.
Our job is to bring visitors to you.
Do you sell or trade my name? eg: Newsletter
subscriptions?
Again, nope.
There are a lot of ways to use all of this stuff, but
we choose not to. Not because we're so noble, but we
just choose not do. No cookies, either.
Why do you encourage us to link to AZI?
Links are
actually quite important since search engine rank and
position are enhanced by the number of links
back to one's site. The more of our artists that
link back to AZI, the higher our search engine
ratings will become. Obviously, enhancing AZI's
ratings enhances your traffic. A link can be merely a hot
(activated) url or a special hot logo that we can
provide for you. Please contact us for assistance.
Do you have advice for responding to
inquiries?
Sure do!
1) Respond to inquiries as quickly as possible. Consider an
inquiry as valuable.
2) From the very start, work towards establishing a dialog
that can lead to a
relationship with a friend, buyer,
supporter, etc.
3) Do what you can to continue a dialog. Ask
questions, offer options, be positive.
4) Prepare your responses so negative responses are
difficult. Even a negative
response doesn't have to close the
door. Offer another option.
5) Ask to put them on your mailing list; keep in touch with
the inquirer. Send
announcements for openings and
showings, new work, specials, and just plain
greetings.
6) And remember, AZI is not merely (or primarily)
about selling art. Just like a gallery
showing, getting your name and work
in front of the art world is as important as
actual sales.
|
