THE ART OF WEB MARKETING AND SALES
presented by Marlene Rantanen president of the Fallbrook Center for the Arts Group and Heather Marsh of the Nimbletoad Co.

When the Fallbrook Village Association spun off The Fallbrook Center for the Arts Group and its five arts-related entities earlier this year, key to the new group’s success was integrating the various pieces of the new organization.

Over the past nine months under the direction of Marlene Rantanen, president of the Fallbrook Center for the Arts Group, the Fallbrook Art Center, Fallbrook School of the Arts, Brandon Gallery, Fallbrook Art in Public Places and Fallbrook Arts Alliance have joined together to give art a stronger focus and higher profile in the community.

Equally challenging for Rantanen was giving the new organization a unified Web and marketing presence. Over the past nine months the arts group and Nimbletoad Co., a Carlsbad web site developer, have worked to complete the marriage of the various art groups with a virtual presence that will help brand the community as an art center and communicate the message of the arts.

"We are thrilled with our new website(www.fallbrookcenterforthearts.org),” Rantanen said. “ It allows each entity’s website to function on its own, but also be a part of the whole.”
She said previously their web presence consisted of two or three separate websites that did not have a consistent design or functionality.

Bringing all the arts groups together under a single web umbrella was complicated because all the groups had operated online autonomously and had different ideas of who they were what they wanted their image and message to be.

A unified Web design platform and attention to the three Cs of Web success changed all that, according to Heather Marsh, Nimbletoad co-founder. Rather than use outdated html or stacked Web page design, the new unified Web design platform allowed the Art Group get its message out in a clear, concise and consistent manner, Marsh said.

The design platform also allowed the various art groups to easily keep their web site content fresh and up to date. The site also had more functionality.

“We are able to keep an up to date calendar, take donations and show off the latest projects, shows and classes,” explained Rantanen. “ It is very exciting."

At the heart of the new look and functionality were the 3 Cs.

“Communicating on the Web is different than writing a novel or creating a TV show,” Marsh explained. In the virtual world it’s important to get to the point quickly and make your purpose clear. Key to that process is using short sentences and a common layout that brings together the various parts of the site. She said it is also critical to be consistent with the message through the use color, fonts and images.

“It should have the same look and feel and a simple design that is easy to read,” Marsh said.

Part of the Web redesign is a store that will allow the art group and its entities to sell art. Rantanen said the store is still being developed but will be helpful to the “long life” of the organization.
A successful Web site also sets the stage for Fallbrook to become a leading art district. Ultimately Rantanen would like to see a permanent art collection at the art center, an art walk and even a performing arts component.

Fallbrook Revitalization Advisory Council Newsletter

August 2009
Volume 1, Number 7