Artists, looking for some fresh ideas to revitalize your profile on Voottoo?  We’ve provided plenty of ways to make yours shine, so take advantage of them!  Here are 5 easy steps:

(1) Upload art!

Simple yes, but absolutely critical.  Your profile will be hidden until you upload images.  But once you do, visitors to Voottoo can find your profile in the “Artist” tab under “Buy”.  Remember, how you use Voottoo is entirely your choice.  For each of your copyrighted images, you can set the royalty-free license price to any dollar amount, or make it unavailable for sale. (Be sure to read the Content Submission Agreement.)
– Do it! Go to “Upload art”

(2) Even upload commission images!

If you accept commissions, Voottoo provides a unique way to showcase your portfolio.  On your public profile, a “Commissions” tab will appear if you upload commission images (different link than regular art upload).  These should be examples of finished commissions, which builds buyer excitement and confidence.
– Do it!  Go to “My Account” and click “Upload Commission Images”

(3) Give it character with a profile image.

You know how important a personal signature is, so why not add one to your Voottoo work?  This is the only image that appears when visitors are browsing through the “Artist” tab, so choose something evocative!  The uploaded file will be automatically resized into a thumbnail.

– Do it!  Go to “My Account” and click “Edit”.  Upload the image and “Save” your changes.

4) Spruce things up with a profile banner.

This is the easiest way to add some personality!  Whether yours is professional or wacky, the banner gives you a simple space to frame your site without detracting from your art below.  Just don’t leave it blank – who wants to be generic?  This image will not automatically resize, so be sure to upload an image that’s 860×100.

– Do it!  Go to “My Account” and click “Edit”.  Upload the 860×100 image and “Save” your changes.

5) Boost page views with a Goodie.

If you’re a numbers junkie, a quick way to drive more hits is to promote your Voottoo market on your other popular sites.  Customize a clickable html tag with images from your own Voottoo gallery and embed the code on any other website (like Deviantart, Facebook, or your personal site).

– Do it! Go to “Goodies.” Choose your favorite badge, generate embed code, select text, copy and paste into your other site.

If you’re looking to sell something, you’ve got choices out there.  The simple trick is finding the right market!  Few of us have the time, tenacity or talent to build an algorithmic-savvy personal site to sell stuff, especially when someone else already has, and even drives hits.  If you want to sell used electronics, a desk or handmade items, the choices are pretty obvious.

But what if you’re an artist?

What if you want to sell a killer illustration you just finished?  What if you’re really talented and can draw whatever someone asks you to, well enough to get paid for it?  How do you strut your stuff where the right people are listening?

Enter Voottoo.  It’s an open platform that’s not a museum of images, but a robust store-front for your license, commission, and product business.  We’re geared for commerce, so we provide a professional, modern environment for interaction among buyers, sellers and branded-product companies (i.e. SkinIt).

So now you’ve got the marketplace… what about the interaction?  With good art, a human element is already there, because the maker is intrinsically embedded.  Art lovers crave  connection with the ‘man behind the curtain’, which is why it’s so cool to get autographs! (And why originals cost big bucks.)

And it’s also why this industry stands to reap serious benefit from social networking – buyers already want to connect with artists!  On Voottoo, post your art and tell your friends on Facebook, Twitter, or even other art sites that it’s for sale here with one of our Goodies.  Follow your favorite artists, and get their work on your cell phone and laptop with skins from SkinIt.  Automatically manage a commission, post the final work in your gallery, and use it as a promotion for more jobs, like she did.  We’re constantly putting new ideas into action!

At Voottoo, we’re artists and art lovers with a serious passion for helping create more of it, by making art, commerce and community collide.