Assuming you’re an artist looking to sell your work, you may be wondering why selling art online is a good idea.
Here are a few reasons:
- You can reach a wider audience than you would through traditional methods like galleries and art shows.
- You can sell your artwork to art buyers all over the world.
- There are no middlemen or commissions to take a cut of your profits.
- You can set your own prices and keep all of the profits.
- You have complete control over how you market and sell your artwork.
Now that we’ve gone over some of why selling art online is a good idea, let’s talk about what you need to get started. This includes setting up an online shop, pricing your art correctly, and finding the right marketing channels to reach your target audience and increase your art sales.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase by clicking on an affiliate link, Nevue Fine Art Marketing may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate relationships include, but are not limited to, Bluehost, Tailwind, Skimlinks, SareASale and StudioPress. To learn more visit Affiliate Link Disclosure Policy
Why Sell Art Online
These days, more and more artists are making money selling art online. Starting an online art store or gallery has never been easier, allowing independent artists to sell original artwork, limited edition prints, square prints, and digital art to potential buyers worldwide.
There are many benefits to starting an online business, including reaching a wider audience, setting your own prices, and controlling the sales process.
However, perhaps the most important benefit is keeping more money from each sale.
When you sell through galleries, art consultants, or dealers, they typically take a percentage of the sale price.
But when you sell art online directly to customers through your own website or online marketplace, you can keep all of the money yourself.
This can be a significant advantage for artists struggling to make ends meet.
So if you’re thinking about selling your products online, keep these benefits in mind. It could be just the thing you need to take your career to the next level.
What An Artist Needs To Sell Art Online
If you’re an artist looking to sell your products online, there are a few things you need to do to get started. This includes writing out business goals, setting up an online shop, pricing your art correctly, and finding the right marketing channels to reach your target audience.
When you sell art online, you’re launching a business. Before you can build your online store and begin selling original art online, you’ll need to create a business plan.
Vision And Goals
If you’re an artist interested in starting an online art career, it’s important to have a vision of what you want and develop specific goals for accomplishing your vision.
Vision: What do you want your business to be known for?
Goals: Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely.
Starting an online art business is a big project, but you can build your business into something successful and memorable with a clear vision and well-defined goals.
Some questions to ask yourself when defining your vision and goals include:
- What do you want your business to be known for? This can be anything from the style of artwork you create to the types of customers you cater to.
- Are there any specific trends in the art world that you want to follow or stay ahead of? For example, maybe you want to focus on popular digital art on social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest.
- How will your business stand out from competitors? Many emerging artists are selling artwork online, so what makes your business unique?
By taking the time to answer these questions, you’ll be well on your way to developing a clear vision and attainable goals for your online art business. The goals you write will be the blueprint to create marketing decisions to increase art sales.
Pricing Art
When you’re an artist selling your work online, it’s important to price your art correctly. This means charging a fair price that covers the cost of materials and time while also making a profit.
Most artists mistake pricing their work too low, thinking they need to sell their work cheaply to move more products. However, this can lead to decreased sales and a loss of profit.
When it comes to pricing your art, there are many factors you should keep in mind. Some of these include materials, time spent on a piece, the market demand for similar work, and your experience and skills as an artist.
But before you start pricing your work, it’s a good idea to research the market conditions. By comparing your prices with those of other artists and outside factors like the economy, you can understand the value of your artwork.
Once you’ve researched and set a reasonable price for your artwork, stick with it. This will make managing your inventory and orders easier and keep your customers happy by offering competitive pricing. You can increase your prices when your paintings are in demand and your art sales increase.
Different Ways Fine Artists Price Their Artwork
There are several ways an artist can price their work, and they include:
Pricing by the hour: If you’re an artist who creates art on a commission basis, this is a good way to charge your clients. This means charging an hourly rate for the time and materials used to create a piece of artwork.
Pricing by size: Many artists prefer to price their work based on size. This can be done by charging per square inch or per square foot.
Pricing by product type: You can price them differently by selling different products, like art prints or originals. For example, you will want to charge more for an original painting than an art print of the same painting.
Pricing by edition size: Many artists who produce limited edition prints often price their work based on the size of a particular print run. This is called pricing by edition and can be helpful for artists who want to offer different sizes or types of prints.
Pricing your artwork is an important part of running an online art business, so it’s essential to research how other artists price their work and consider all these factors before setting your own prices.
How To Market Your Art Online
When you’re an artist selling your work online, it’s important to market it in the right places. This means getting your work in front of the right art buyers and using the proper channels.
One way to do this is by creating a solid social media presence. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are great for sharing your artwork, connecting with other artists, and building a loyal following.
In addition to social media, there are many other ways to market your art online.
Some of these online tools include:
Participating in online art communities: There are many websites and forums dedicated to art where you can create an account and share your work. This can be a great way to find new clients and connect with fellow artists.
Creating an artist website: Your website can be a great way to promote your art online. This can include displaying your artwork, creating an online shop, and offering tutorials or other educational resources for aspiring artists.
Reaching out to bloggers or other influencers: If you have a particular blog or website that your ideal customers are interested in, you can reach out to them and see if they’ll mention or feature your art. This can help you get more exposure, ultimately leading to more sales.
As an artist selling your work online, it’s important to be creative and think of new ways to market yourself and your work. You can use different channels and methods to reach new customers, so experiment and find what works best.
Marketing Materials
There are several marketing materials artists can use to sell art online. Many artists create an art portfolio and website to showcase their work, and they may also use social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to reach potential buyers.
In addition, many artists create promotional videos or podcasts to give potential buyers an insight into their work.
Artists may also use print materials such as flyers and brochures to promote their work.
However, one of the most important marketing tools to sell your art is word-of-mouth. By networking with other artists and art collectors, artists can generate interest in their work and reach a larger audience. Ultimately, the best marketing strategy for an artist is tailored to their specific goals and audience.
Tracking Your Marketing Progress
As an artist, you know that tracking your progress is just as important as developing a plan. No one creates a plan that is perfect for the first time.
The plan is just the start. After implementing the plan, you will want to analyze the results and find ways to improve it. You will always be tweaking and revising your plans. The same goes for marketing. You need to track your progress to see what is working and what needs improvement. Revising your marketing strategy regularly will help you sell your art online and offline.
There are a few key things you should track when marketing your original art:
1. Online portfolio traffic
2. Social media engagement
3. Email list growth
4. Sales and streaming figures
5. Press coverage
Let’s take a closer look at each of these metrics.
Website Traffic
One of the first things you should track is e-commerce site traffic. This will give you an idea of how many art collectors are coming to your site and what pages they are looking at. You can use Google Analytics to track website traffic. Simply create a free account and add the code to your website.
Social Media Engagement
Another important metric to track is social media engagement. This includes likes, shares, comments, and other interactions. This will give you an idea of how well your content is performing and what type of content is resonating with your audience. You can use a tool like Hootsuite to measure social media engagement and track growth over time. A social media promotion’s success relies on previous promotions’ research.
Email List Growth
In addition to tracking website traffic and social media engagement, you should also focus on building your email list. This lets you stay in touch with your fans and keep them updated on new original art, new art prints, shows, or other news. You can use CakeMail or ConvertKit to create an email list and grow your subscriber base.
Sales and Streaming Figures
Finally, you should track the sales and streaming figures for your online sales. This will give you a sense of how well your marketing strategies perform and which platforms see the most engagement.
By tracking these key metrics, you can gain valuable insights into how well your marketing efforts perform. You can then use this information to make the necessary adjustments and improve your results over time. Whether you are an independent artist or working with a gallery, tracking progress is essential for success.
Tracking Tools
There are many tools available to help make your work more productive.
The two tools I highly recommend starting with are. Google Analytics and Google Console.
Both Google Analytics and Google Console are free services Google offers.
Google wants to see you succeed. Take advantage of the free tools they offer to help grow your online art business.
Read this article to add a website to Google console:
Add a Website Property by Google Support.
Read this article to add a website to Google Analytics:
Add an Account by Google Support.
Google Analytics will give you valuable information about your content’s performance.
You will learn your audience’s interests and who your target audience is.
You will be able to provide valuable content for your audience once you start to see patterns in what is working and what is not working.
Tips For Shipping Artwork
You’ll undoubtedly need to deliver your work to customers when you’re a visual artist selling your artwork online. This can be a difficult job, but it may be accomplished with a few helpful hints and methods.
Always package your artwork securely. Use heavy-duty packing materials like bubble wrap or foam core to prevent damage during transit. If you are selling art prints, place in the middle of cardboard to prevent them from bending. You’ll also want to purchase insurance to protect your shipment against loss or damage.
Include all the necessary information with your shipment. This includes your name, address, phone number, email address, and website. You should also include a note thanking the customer for their purchase.
Be sure to use a reliable shipping service. UPS and FedEx are both good choices. You’ll want to track your shipment to be sure it arrives safely.
Always keep good records of your shipments. This includes the tracking number, date shipped, and shipment value. This will come in handy if there is ever a problem with the delivery.
You can ensure that your artwork arrives safely and on time by following these tips. You’ll also be able to track your shipments and keep good records in case of any problems.
It takes a lot of effort to get your work in front of art lovers online. Make sure you take the time to ensure their investment arrives at their destination safely. Doing so will increase your online art sales over time.
Handling Customer Inquiries And Complaints
There are many ways for artists to handle customer inquiries and complaints when selling their art online.
One strategy is to provide clear and well-organized information about customers’ questions and how they can be resolved. This can be done through a detailed FAQ section on the artist’s website or a support email address that people can use to get in touch with the artist.
Additionally, it can be helpful to respond quickly and courteously to customer queries and complaints, as this will help foster a positive relationship between the artist and their customers.
Ultimately, the best way for an artist to handle customer inquiries and complaints is by being proactive, empathetic, and organized in client interactions.
By taking these steps, artists will also build trust with current customers and attract new clients.
Start An Art Blog
As an artist, one of the best ways to sell your work is by blogging about your business and products. You can reach a wide audience of potential buyers and build up a following of interested people in your work.
Additionally, blogging can help you connect with other artists and professionals in the industry, leading to collaboration or joint venture opportunities.
Furthermore, blogging can be a great way to promote your work and generate buzz around your brand.
In short, many benefits can be gained from blogging as an artist, and it is well worth considering if you are looking to sell your work online.
Focus On SEO
If you’re an artist looking to sell more art online and increase your website traffic, you’ll need to focus on SEO.
SEO is an abbreviation for Search Engine Optimization, which is optimizing your website so that Google and other search engines can scan your content and understand it. Once they understand what your website is about, it’s easier for them to rank and index (or place) your website higher in search results.
You need to focus on a few key things to improve your SEO rankings on Google and other major search engines.
First, make sure that your content is high-quality and relevant to what people search for online.
Next, optimize your images and other multimedia content with appropriate keywords.
Finally, include authoritative backlinks from reputable sites in your niche to your site.
Sell Your Art By Building An Email List
There are many benefits to building an email list as an artist selling artwork online.
An email list can help you reach a wider audience for your work. By having a list of email subscribers, you can quickly and easily send information about new pieces or exhibitions to everyone on the list without contacting each person individually.
Additionally, an email list can provide a degree of stability in terms of income. If you sell art online through your own website or a third-party platform, there is always the risk that the site could shut down or change its policies to make it difficult or impossible for you to sell your work.
An email list gives you a direct way to contact potential buyers without relying on a middleman.
Finally, building an email list can help create closer customer relationships. By sending periodic updates and exclusive offers to your email subscribers, you can foster a sense of loyalty and connection with the people who buy your art.
In short, there are many good reasons for artists to build an email list – money, reach, and relationship-building. So if you’re not already doing so, start collecting those email addresses today.
Related Post – How Cakemail Can Increase Online Art Sales for Artists
Grow Your Art Career By Revising Your Plan
Any artist who wants to succeed in today’s market needs a well-rounded business plan. This means knowing how to create and market their art and how to sell it.
The good news is that many resources are available to help artists achieve this goal.
However, the bad news is that many of these resources can be expensive. This is why artists need to revise their business plans regularly.
They can ensure that they make the most of their money and sell as much art as possible.
In addition, an updated business plan can help an artist better understand their target market and what type of art they are most likely to buy.
As a result, revising one’s business plan is essential to being a successful artist in today’s world.
Conclusion
Follow these selling art tips to build a solid foundation for your business.
It does not matter if you want to sell art part-time or full-time. Online marketing is the same for everyone. If you want to sell your art, developing a plan is necessary.
Instead of asking, why isn’t my art selling? Always strive to do better.
Learn from everything you do and learn from others.
Now that you know these online selling tips, it is time to act and start building your online art business. If you want to increase your online revenue, you might consider working with print-on-demand companies or selling custom art.
Related Articles:
How Tracking Your Time Will Help You Sell More Art
Facebook Fan Page: How Often Artists Should Post
7 Steps to Creating a Business Plan for Creatives