Name of your website?
Atkisson Art
Your name?
Eric Atkisson
Your Location (city, etc)
Sioux Falls, SD
Please give us a short summary of your website?
Freelance sibling artists that specialize in storyboards, fx makeup, painting, illustration, face painting, body painting, graphic design, and concept art. Site also offers original work and prints for sale.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
I was laid-off from my corporate graphic design job, so I decided to go into business for myself, a way to control my own artistic and financial destiny rather than the dictations of a corporation!
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
This is my first website, and with a low budget, I learned how to design a website myself. I'm pretty happy with it.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
My sister and I are both artists with different specialties, and it seemed fitting to use our name for our business. I'm hoping it's wasy to remember!
What makes your website different from other, similar offerings?
I've made it very easy to not only view our entire portfolios, but to also purchase prints of work that you like. There is also a simple form to fill out for any projects you would like a quote on, alot of other artists' sites are very confusing and hard to maneuver. My site is very easy to get around.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
I would like to be able to develop a large client base that uses our talents, and retain a steady income from doing what I love to do: drawing and painting.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
After the massive layoffs, I had plenty of time to create our business, which luckily didn't require alot of financial investment. I feel that my only direction is up, and with every sale and client that I gain, I am successful.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
I would probably start to include other artists under my umbrella, and create a worldwide network that would be available for hire.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Of course, I am very good at delegating. :) Obviously though, I would allow enough time to continue drawing and painting.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
Nothing so far, everything has been going pretty smoothly.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Definitely designing the site, I had to learn a whole other language with HTML codes and php scripts, etc.
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
So far, word of mouth has been the most successful for our promotion, though I'm hoping to eventually get more hits on the search engines.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
I definitely thought it would be more complicated; once the site was finished, all I get to do now is actual artwork for hire. Sometimes I do get addicted to checking how many visitors the site has had, though!
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
I'm sure I will keep it up indefinitely, I like the idea of putting my artwork out there in world.
As a customer, what if my project doesn't have the budget for a major commission?
I'm willing to work with all sorts of clients, like college students, private collectors, and businesses. I can adjust the timeframe or scope of the paintings and film work to fit the needs of the customer. If you like our art, we can work around your financial needs. I know what it's like to be on a budget!
What is your website address?
Atkisson Art
