Are you finding that a lot of people are visiting your online art gallery but your sales are flat? Maybe it is the quality of the images you are showcasing on your site. In this post, you will discover why professional quality images are a must for art websites.
Graphite Drawing by Dave Nevue
Quality Images are a Must for Art Websites
I am lucky enough to say that I have met and watched many visual artists, as well as musicians, grow during their career. It brings me great pleasure to be able to help and coach them throughout their journey.
I have been involved with music for over 25 years and online art sales for over 15 years and there is one thing that has not changed over the years.
New artists and musicians promote themselves and their work online with poor images. This has not changed over the past 15 years.
I get it. I was new to online marketing at one point too. I can still remember how exciting it was to post my first image online over 15 years ago on eBay. I thought at the time the image was good enough, but if I looked at it now I would be shaking my head with embarrassment. I can honestly say that the image did not accurately represent the art I was showcasing. However, I was lucky enough to have the buyer contact me and say that the original art looks so much better in person.
When an artist comes to me for help on selling art online, the first thing I emphasize is the importance of learning how to take great images of their artwork.
The money and time spent on learning how to take great photographs will be well worth it in the future.
Here are some courses that I recommend to my clients:
31 Days to Becoming a Better Photographer
Lightroom Mastery: People & Portraits
These courses will help you get started and will have you proud of the images you are sharing online.
5 Reasons Why Professional Quality Images are a Must for Art Websites
Here are 5 reasons you want to take the time to learn how to take high-quality images.
Professional
The better your images are the more professional you will be perceived as.
Remember, people do not know you personally. They only know what you are sharing with them via images and blog posts. It is important for you to always provide the best content and images you possibly can.
When a visitor sees your artwork online they will make a decision to make a purchase or not. If the quality of your image is blurry or it was photographed at an angle, the viewer will assume you are an amateur. More often than not the visitor will not feel comfortable purchasing from you.
However, if your images and website are professional looking, the visitor will feel that your site is more reputable and they will feel more confident purchasing from you.
It is all about a person’s perception of you through the content you provide on your artist website.
What you See is What You Get
One thing is for sure, if you want to lose a customer, give them something they didn’t expect.
If the image does not accurately represent the original painting or drawing, do not upload it to your blog and definitely do not post it for sale.
You do not want a person to open up their mail and be disappointed.
Not only will they never purchase from you again, but they will go out of their way to tell everyone they know about the experience they had with your site.
Keep in mind, it is very easy to share a story on social media.
Avoid Distractions
Have you ever seen an image online that had a reflection or a glare?
What is the first thing you look at?
My eyes go directly to the reflection or the glare. In fact, I have a hard time concentrating on the artwork itself.
If I have a hard time focusing on an image of art because it has a glare on it, can you imagine how quickly a buyer will leave the page?
You want people to see your talent and be swept away by your art. Not be distracted by a low-quality image.
Make sure there are no distractions on your images. If there are retake the photograph.
Increase the Value of Your Art
Professional photographs that are cropped precisely and the color balance is accurate will increase the value of your art.
How will a professional photograph increase the value of your art?
People are willing to pay more money for art from a reputable site.
If your site is professional looking with high-quality images you will be able to charge more for your artwork.
It is all about perception.
Would you spend top dollar on art that is being displayed on a website with a blurry image?
If I were to guess, I would say you probably wouldn’t
After you have photographed your art ask yourself if you would buy it based off of the image you have just taken. If you answer no, go back and take some more photographs.
For more information about pricing art visit, How to Price Art – Ultimate Art Pricing Guide
Generate More Traffic
It will be easier for you to generate traffic from your social media sites if you post high-quality images.
People will fall in love with your art when they see it in their newsfeed and they will visit your art blog to see more.
People also like to share things they like on social media, This is a great opportunity for you to build a larger following.
Conclusion:
You can learn how to take great images of your artwork. It just takes learning and practice. Spend some time every week to learn how to take images that accurately represent your art.
In time you will become a master at photographing your artwork.
You might also be interested in:
- How to Become an Expert Marketing Your Art
- How Artists Get Found Online?
- Organize Images for Social Sharing
- 5 Content Marketing Benefits for Artists
- Artboost Introduces Artboost Crowdfunding – New Way for Artists to Sell Art Online
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Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links on this post are affiliate links and will be clearly marked as so. I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you choose to purchase through those links. I will only recommend products I have used, found helpful to my business and are companies I trust.
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