Should Artists Sell Products Online
Are you still contemplating selling your art online?
Website platforms, galleries, and artist networks allow emerging artists to sell their creative products online.
Even artists selling their art in local galleries or art fairs are taking advantage of the online tools available.
In this article, you will discover the benefits of selling art online so you can decide if selling your artwork to people worldwide is best for your art business goals.
Benefits Of Selling Art Online
There is no better time than now to start an art business. If you are an avid reader of my blog or follow me on social media, you have heard me say “There is no better time to be an artist” over and over again.
You can start a business today for little or no money. To own a website, you will have to pay a yearly fee for hosting and a domain name, which is relatively inexpensive. Most popular hosting services are less than $5 per month.
Before the internet, an artist would work with an agent, sell their art at craft shows, or if they were lucky enough, they would have their art displayed in a gallery.
An artist’s agent is a person who represents an artist. In most cases, art agents work with multiple artists at the same time. An artist would hire an agent to market and sell his/her work and pay a commission based on a sale. You would need to have a healthy relationship with your agent and trust that he/she would represent your brand appropriately.
If the agent knew that they would profit more from selling a particular artist’s work, they would heavily promote that over other artists’ work. The more art they sell, the more money they make. They do not care who created the art.
Galleries work the same way as agents do income is earned based on the commission of sales. The employees play a significant role in what art sells and does not sell. In most cases, the employees do an excellent job representing the artist. However, they will not be able to tell the story behind your creation as you can. Your art will also be competing against all of the other art in the room.
Craft shows can be an excellent way for an artist to sell original artwork or prints. An artist pays for a space at the craft show to display their art.
The cost will vary depending on the show and can be quite costly.
Many variables will determine the number of sales an artist will generate during a craft show. Weather, location, and the type of crowd the fair attracts will affect how much an artist will sell at a show.
What are the common factors among the three traditional ways of selling art
- Traffic is a common factor that will significantly affect sales.
- The cost of doing business is high for all three. To make a decent income, you will either have to sell large quantities or have a high price tag.
- Marketing to your target audience is relatively impossible.
It would cost less to operate an online website for one year than it would be to work at a couple of fairs or to sell a couple of pieces of your art at a gallery or with an agent.
Why are so many brick-and-mortar businesses opening an online website?
Because they can reach more people, location and demographics affect the traffic, a brick-and-mortar business receives. An online store can receive traffic from anywhere around the world as long as there is an internet connection.
Besides the amount of traffic an online business receives, the overhead cost is lower. I will not go into too much detail about the cost of running a brick-and-mortar business, but I will say it is more than twenty dollars a month.
What are the benefits of selling art online
The cost of operating an online business is inexpensive, and the traffic that an online business can receive is unimaginable. The more people who see your art, the higher the chance you will sell it. The lower the overhead cost is for you to sell your art, the higher the profit will be. To sell more art with lower overhead costs equals more money in your pocket.
I remember starting an online business in the early 2000s. I told everyone that this would be the way people will do their shopping in the future. Everyone looked at me cross-eyed when I shared my thoughts.
In the early 2000s, people were afraid of sharing their bank account info or credit card info online. However, platforms like eBay and Etsy made people feel more comfortable buying art online.
Every year that went by, online sales increased. Statista reported that the net sales of Amazon in 2015 were 107.01 billion dollars. I can almost guarantee that everyone that did not believe me in the early 2000s is now shopping online. There is no better time than now to start an online art business. The benefits of selling art online are higher than ever.
More Selling Art Online Benefits
- Digital Portfolio
- Inventory
- Motivation
Digital Portfolio
If you have an online Art Gallery, you can showcase your artwork wherever you are. Along with your elevator pitch, you will have your entire collection of art available to show. All you will have to do is load your site up on your smartphone, and people interested view your art.
It would be a great time to give your galleries URL and ask them to join your email list if they show interest in your work. Instead of handing them a business card that will never be looked at again, they can load up your site on their smartphone and join your email list right then and there.
Inventory
You will have an up-to-date inventory list that will be accessible at all times. This will make it easier for you to sell your work at fairs or try to answer emails inquiring about your artwork. Just go to your online gallery, and see what is in stock.
Motivation
If you have an online gallery, you will be able to see your growth as an artist. An artist’s website will motivate you to better yourself and enhance your art skills.
You will notice your weaknesses, which will allow you to address them sooner than later. Your artistic skills will improve quicker than you could ever imagine.
If you are feeling down about your artwork, you will be able to lift yourself by seeing how much you have grown as an artist within the past year or two.
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Reach A Broader Audience
Selling art in local galleries and craft fairs has its pros and cons.
One benefit of selling art locally is that artists can build name recognition where they reside. The downside is that if people are not interested in the artist’s artistic style, their artwork will not sell.
Selling art online allows artists to market their paintings and drawings to people worldwide. Artists no longer have to create art based on their demographics.
The Benefits Of Selling Art Online Final Thoughts
There are many benefits of selling art online. You will be able to have your art seen around the world. The costs of operating an online business are very low. You will make more profit selling your art online versus hiring an agent or selling your art at a gallery. There is no better time to start than now.
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