[See the resources below for getting a registered domain for your studio]
The reason for the "own domain name" rule:
EC Gallery has become one of the most visible of all the online galleries - we regularly get over 60,000 unique visitors every month. Because we attract so many people who are interested in original art/craft, there are a lot of benefits in being listed here, so we add new exhibitors on a weekly basis.
Many artists use free hosting services when they first go onto the web, then switch to a paying hosting service at a later date when they get their own domain name. Unfortunately, too many folks are not telling us that their web address has changed, so we end up with dead links, which drives visitors crazy. So to avoid the deadlinks problem, we must now require that each new exhibitor have their own registered domain name.
It is easy to get a domain name...
Your own domain name will look something like this: http://www.yourstudio.com
When you have your own domain name you can switch servers whenever you want, but your address remains the same.
You can register domain names for as low as $15 per year; and depending on your requirements, you can get a website hosting account for as low as $4 per month, so for less than $100 per year, an artist can be truly independent on the WWW.
Having your own domain name can also give you a better ranking in the search engines; and your own ISP will generally mean faster download time for your pages, which makes your visitors happy.
Resources:
If you'd like to find various options for domain registration, and/or reasonably priced hosting choices, check these resources:
If you are considering getting your own domain name, here are some [TIPS] that you should read first.
As soon as you get your own domain name, please do submit your site information for inclusion at EC Gallery...
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