If you're an artist, you should already be familiar with the importance of having an online presence, but you also might have questions about how to maximize your sales potential. This article explores some ways for you to use your website for promotion and sales.
Having a website presence improves how professionally others view your art. That builds credibility and trust which are key elements needed when someone decides to buy art from you.
Why Do You Need An Art Website?
A website is a great hub that reflects the work you as an artist produce. It’s an excellent place to express who you are and make it your “home” online.
How artists make a living is constantly evolving. An art website can be a powerful tool for selling your work and building your brand. It’s a great location to keep your contact details and portfolio for people to easily find you online. It can also be a platform to sell your work to collectors.
Benefits Of Having An Art Website for Sales
One of the main benefits of having an art website is that you can set it up to easily sell your art online. It’s a great way to let people know how they can purchase work from you. All too often artists I work with wonder why they’re not selling more art and one reason is that the purchase process is missing. It easily gets overshadowed by making the work and getting it posted.
This sales process may be as simple as telling buyers to use the contact form to inquire about a piece they’re interested in. Or, if you really want to make it easier for someone to buy your art, you can implement a shop on your website that functions as the sales mechanism. This way you have more control and speed up your sales. And you make it easier for your buyers to spend their money on your art.
You also have full control over your website platform, unlike social media platforms or gallery platforms that can evaporate overnight.
Even if you don’t want to sell your work, there are plenty of other reasons to have one.
An art site makes it easy for collectors to browse and buy what they love without any fuss or hassle. And, no middleman which means you earn the commission instead of a gallery. It also gives you a chance to show off your best pieces in one place.
Websites allow you total control over what gets featured on each page. They offer templates with different layouts and styles. They can be set up to be flexible enough that they don’t look stale or boring even after a good bit of time goes by. This means that you can use these website elements to better merchandise your art for more sales.
Should You Sell Art On Your Website Or Use A Third Party?
There are many different types of art websites to choose from. Some are more focused on creating beautiful displays for your work while others make it easy for people to buy things from you.
There are several pros and cons to selling art on your art website, as well as the pros and cons of using a third party.
Just like if you work with a gallery, a third-party website can decide to take any fee or commission from the sale. There's usually not much chance of being able to negotiate with them.
Selling your work through your own website allows more room for negotiation with buyers and lets you shop around to find better merchant fees. You also don’t have to worry about paying a third party like a gallery or shop a commission fee since everything goes into your pocket.
Though, if someone wants something, they're going to buy it. Whether it's from an online gallery or from an artist's website or a brick-and-mortar shop front. - Art buyers only sometimes think about where the commission goes when they make a purchase. It can come down to how much they trust the online shop they’re considering entering their credit card information into. So if you don’t want to do the work to build that trust with potential buyers, a third-party shop for sales may be best.
How To Set Up And Start Your Online Store
It’s not hard to begin. Start by choosing a web hosting service, purchase your domain name, and finally determine if you’ll offer an online shop. Some website options with shopping carts are Shopify and SquareSpace.
Shopify has more functionality. SquareSpace comes with a full website but offers less customization without web developers. Both are good for beginners who want to have tutorials available, and who need to get started with minimal hassle.
Should Artists Have Their Own Website?
It’s important for artists to have their own art website. Your website should be professional, easy to navigate, and simple to update. It’s your online portfolio so yes, you should have one.
Social media sites alone limit how you can display certain pieces at specific times. Having a website allows you to show your artwork in whatever way you want on the web.
When you sell your art online, this makes it easier for customers to contact and buy from you. They can see more than one piece at a time and view galleries or collections as they search through individual pieces before deciding on which one they want.
Do You Have An Art Website?
Knowing how to set up an e-commerce store is a crucial part of selling your art online. A website can be a powerful tool for marketing your work and connecting with new clients to make a sale, even if they usually buy in person.
I’m a firm believer that one of the best ways to sell your work online is with an art website of your own. If you have any questions or want more advice on how to set up an e-commerce store, don't hesitate to reach out.