Artists have come a long way since the days when they used to paint and sculpt and die poor. Nowadays artists from all niches have the opportunity to be acknowledged and recognized.
Exhibitions in Art galleries or online galleries create a great medium for artists, both prestigious or unknown.
Online has become a great channel for selling and exhibiting art in the past few years. A study made by Hiscox from Uk, states that consumer behavior towards buying and selling art changed a lot during the last 10 years. For example, the market for selling art online has grown by 7.5% in 2020 from 2019.
So, if you are wondering how to sell art online, we are here to tell you it’s possible and it’s not that hard.
We’ll give you some insights, tips and tricks to make the sale as well as advice on how to build a great online presence with the help of our developers from Helix Solutions.
Make It Legal
When we say legal, we mean that before thinking of selling your art online make sure you establish yourself as a business entity. There are several ways of doing that:
Register as an LLC – a Limited Liability Company
You can hire people and have some liability protection, for example, the income generated on an LLC is taxed separately from the owner’s income.
Sole proprietorship – this is a business with one owner, yourself
It is a good form of business for freelancers and you can even hire people if you have an EIN. But keep in mind that the profits you make are taxed as your income.
Corporation – are complex business structures and needs investors.
General partnership – it usually takes place between two partners and each of them is liable for their common obligations.
When you are ready to launch yourself into the online selling art business, start the paperwork and be legal.
Decide What to Sell
There are several ways of selling online and they all depend on what you are selling.
So, when asking yourself how to sell art, you should think about what kind of art you’ll be putting out there.
There are three forms of art you could sell:
Original Art
This kind of art selling is quoted at a higher price because every piece is unique and created based on an idea.
It is a great start and it’s what makes you an artist. However, you’ll need to find an audience for whatever you are creating and that could be trickier.
It is not an impossible task and today’s online channels are showcasing talents worldwide.
We’ll tell you all about how to sell art online and make money. Stay with us throughout the article.
Digital Art – Prints or Copies
Digital art can be both copies or prints, for example, photographers can sell their photos for an unlimited amount of time. It’s true that the price it’s lower than the original and unique content, but there’s potential for residual income.
Other types of digital works are those printed on T-shirts, mugs, notebooks, and bag packs, and you can work on demand to not make things and keep them in storage.
There is a great market for printed shoes, and unique designs printed on casual shoes. Learn about how to start a business by selling interesting shoes online. (attach hyperlink once the shoes article is online)
So if you want to find out how to sell your art follow us for more information.
Work Of Other Artists
This is the work of a curator. Selling other artists’ art is mostly the job of a custodian than an artist. However, you can have great diversity if you choose to share the online space with other artists and host them on your website. For example, if you are a painter, you could also sell photographs or sculptures from other artists on your website. This way you benefit from all those different art fields.
Decide Where To Sell
After opening the business and determining what you’ll sell, it’s time to find the proper selling channels.
Online offers a great selection of channels, from your own eCommerce store to third-party online channels, you can have your picking.
- On your Website
Creating your eCommerce website has many pros, but also some cons. So if you want to know how to sell digital art, let’s examine them further.
Having your website and selling art there is a great way of promoting yourself or other artists. You can design the website to suit your needs and make it everything you want it to be. With the help of our developers, we can design and implement your online store on one of the platforms we work with.
The best part about selling on your website is that there are no restrictions on what you can sell as long as everything is according to the state’s law.
You can create promotions and discounts, and choose the pricing yourself. Also, you can display whatever you’re selling as you see fit, just like in an actual gallery, and not compete with other artists.
The hard part of having to sell the art on your website is promoting the said website. Luckily for you, we have some advice on how to sell your art online and advertise properly. Just read on. - On third-party marketplace
Selling throughout a marketplace is sometimes difficult, but it can be a good option, especially for a beginner.
For photographers, stock photo websites are great for displaying the art and selling them as digital copies.
Places like Etsy, Amazon, or Folksy are also popular among artists that have physical art pieces to sell and also for those who create original pieces of art.
The amazing part about selling on these online marketplaces is that people already know about them and they have a good reputation.
Some collectors know these websites are always stocked with interesting pieces and are ready to connect with the artists.
The downside is that you will be charged a commission from every sale and you need to compete with hundreds of thousands of artists that also sell there. For example, in 2019, only Etsy had over 2.5 million sellers. So, the competition there is though if you want to stand out and gain the deserved attention. The lack of personal touch to the page’s design can be a bit of an inconvenience, depending on what type of art you’re selling and the vision behind it. - Other solutions
For a beginner or an established artist, there are also several other solutions for selling art online. So if you consider how to sell art prints or how to sell artwork and want to do it online, here are some other platforms you might try.
Online art galleries
Several reputable art galleries operate online. Not all of them will take you on, especially if you are an up-and-coming artist, but some of them will. Let’s see which ones are the good ones and can help you achieve your dream.
Saatchi Art is the biggest online gallery in the world and the most well-known. The website looks like a gallery with its clean design and structure in categories. They take care of everything from showcasing your art to creating promotions, advertising, and delivery.
Another great online gallery is Artfinder. This is a UK art gallery started in 2005 and promotes over 4000 artists.
Social media
Advertising yourself on social media marketplaces is another good option for a beginner. Instagram and Facebook along with Pinterest can make a channel for selling your art. But before you do that, there are several rules you need to follow. We’ll get back to that soon.
Decide The Price
This would be the next logical step in the whole “how to sell my art online” business. After making sure you have the right channel, and that you know what you are selling, try to determine the price.
Consider what you are selling, if it’s an original piece, digital art or if it is a reproduction.
Another factor to consider is your history on the market. Do people know you, have you sold any pieces before, how much time does it take to make a piece and what kind of materials are you using? All that can reflect the final price.
Try researching how others value their work if you cannot have your pieces appraised by a curator.
Also, keep in mind the cost of delivery and add that to the final price. People tend to not buy things that have a big shipping cost.
Promoting Your Art Store
Now it’s time to see how can you make yourself and your art more visible in online space.
Depending on what channels you use to display your art, there are specific marketing actions you can take to promote yourself.
Advertising your website
You have built your website and you have showcased your art, but how do you get people to see it?
Here are your options:
- Google ads along with SEO can help your website be visible for those who love art and look for it by searching on google. Our developers can help you with your content writing, and make the best descriptions and titles for your products using keywords that will attract the right kind of customers.
- Social media – some social media are great for displaying products, services, and…art, while others are great for communicating. Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn can be amazing media for you to promote your website, among other types of information. Joining relevant social media communities and sharing new art pieces you showcase on your website can be a good way of promoting it without much effort.
- Keep your website up to date – working with an eCommerce developing and managing company allows you to relax when it comes to updating your website. At Helix Solutions we provide performance and SEO audits whenever the situation calls for it and we monitor your website regularly. Our services are a whole package deal so your online art store to convert clicks into customers. See here the area of services we can help you with.
- Email marketing – having your own website makes it easier to send newsletters to a database. Add a subscribe button to your website and encourage visitors to subscribe by offering discounts.
- Blog – Bring relevant and interesting information and build your credibility with a blog attached to your website. Be sure to tell your eCommerce company to add a blog to the list of categories your website will include.
Advertising On Social Media
If your store is integrated with Facebook or Instagram, then make sure to keep your page up to date. Connect with a social media manager and create relevant content to build trust and credibility.
When your social media page is at a certain level you can begin advertising campaigns to attract clients and build your brand’s image.
Post regularly about interesting subjects connected to arts. Not all of the posts need to be about selling your art, but some of them can be.
Use good-quality photographs. If you need to display your art pieces, make sure you have a professional photoshoot.
Invest time in communicating with your fans and answering their messages and comments.
Also, try to be active in social media groups and engage with other artists.
Selling your art online has never been easier and we can help you accomplish that. Just put your talent to work and we will do the same. Together we’ll help you become successful.
