Q: I’ve created my own website, but I don’t sell off of it. How often should I update it: every week, every month or quarterly? I’m not sure what buyers expect, or what the industry is dictating right now. I usually change it when the changes needed are worth the time it will take from my schedule.

To be a successful marketing tool, a website needs the same attention as any brick-and-mortar business.

You don’t say why you have a site if you don’t sell from it. However, if you mean customers have to call you to make a purchase, you are truly selling from your site.

I also don’t know if you are a production artist or one-of-a-kind maker. These are factors that would influence the frequency of updates.

A craftsperson producing a line that changes once or twice a year may not have much to add in between. On the other hand, a one-of-a-kind maker would want to get each new body of work online as quickly as possible.

Either use makes sense under the right circumstances. But neither use will achieve the full selling potential unless you keep them current.

Each time you make changes to your site, you will want to send an e-blast about it to your mailing list.