Top Tips for Selling Art Online

In case you inquire further, lots of painters can tell you that one of the most important issues they struggle with is learning to promote themselves and reaching new markets. The traditional gallery option is certainly not an easy one - an artist has to establish and retain connections with gallery managers who can exert a lot of influence. Nonetheless, quite a few galleries are confirming a decline in sales owing to the competition from web sales, and this is not a development which is very likely to disappear anytime soon.

The art buying public is increasingly 'time-poor', and so online sales are a natural progression. As a necessary evil, traditional brick and mortar galleries have a limited amount of space on their walls for displaying works of art. In contrast even the smallest and simplest website can easily host thousands of images and pieces of art, making it easier than ever for potential buyers to browse to their heart's content. This also means that buyers no longer need to deal with persistent gallery owners and sales people out to make a commission off of every sale. Instead they can look at as many pieces as they like over a relaxing cup of coffee!

Many artists have their own websites where they sell art online. Most of them start off on this venture with an attitude of "If I build it, they will come" and unfortunately this is not quite the way this business works. Helping potential customers find your website can be quite the challenge, but fortunately marketing yourself online is something that you can learn how to do. Making your personal website stand out amongst the crowd of millions of other websites on the internet is a tall order and not something that many people want to try to do because it can be difficult and time-consuming. Since many art buyers don't have the time or the inclination to try to look through dozens of personal portfolios and websites, you might be wondering how exactly you can sell art online and find an interested buyer?

Over the last few years a lot of online galleries and artist portals have appeared, and they have been enormously successful in helping people to sell art online that they have created.. While some are set up to charge a commission like many traditional on the ground galleries, others are funded by membership fees or a flat rate per sale. There is a huge variety of sales models, but with each comes a different degree of quality control, another major concern for artists and buyers alike.

A primary consideration for an artist who wants to sell art online is the quality of other work for sale on the site you want to join. Some sites have no selection or screening process at all which means anyone in the world can call themselves an artist, and this is not necessarily the kind of visibility to you want if you are going to be a serious artist and make a career in the industry. Without a solid submission or selection process, many sites quickly get overwhelmed with pieces of work and it can become difficult for buyers to browse the site to find quality pieces.

So what are the other options? There are a number of options available to those artists and buyers seeking a refreshing new experience with an online art gallery. Few galleries, like ours, are unique because they allow buyers to interact directly with artists and charges 0% commission on sales made through their websites. The prospect of saving as much as 50% - 60% on the purchase of a piece of art is a very attractive one to buyers looking for that perfect price for their home or office. many buyers dislike having to pay steep commissions to traditional on the ground galleries, and online galleries are leading the pack in creating a new trend in the art market.

A cautionary reminder for artists who want to sell art online; be careful of where and how you market your work. The old saying that 'the message is the medium' is very true in this situation. Of course you want to generate visibility for your work and attract potential buyers, just take care to ensure that it is the right kind of visibility. Pay attention to the details as you research ways to market yourself effectively, and look at sites where you might consider hosting your work. We hope you found this article useful.