How To Sell Art Online

The 21st Century age of technological advancement has allowed the art world to develop new innovative ways of business, trade and commercial opportunities. Like never before, artists can sell their work via various platforms across the worldwide web. From creating their own website to social media strategising, the selling possibilities are limitless. The online art market is booming, as its artists are becoming more business savvy.

It’s obvious there are many ways you can sell art online, but finding the best place to do so depends on a variety of factors. From the type of art you sell to the market you’re looking to attract, each online selling tool is best equipped for different needs. Each artist should consider the four major ways to sell their art.
 

Pseudo Cromático – Grán Espiritu.
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Create your own website

Creating your own website is universally considered the first point of call for every artist. It must be designed as a full-featured online store to make it easy for customers to buy your art. It would be useless in today’s market if you didn’t represent your unique brand in a clear and accessible manner. Artists are not short on options for creating their own website online. There are various platforms to start up from and it should be the easiest method to begin with.
 

Art Marketplaces

As well as your own website, the internet is home to a wide variety of online marketplaces. By registering an account, artists can access large websites to advertise their work to potential buyers. The downside is there will be increased competition alongside many other sellers. Depending on your type of art, you can usually find a platform that best suits you. Although, in many cases there are costs and limitations. Marketplaces are just like online galleries so the deal must work for the host as much as for its seller. The traditional artist would prefer to take these direct, mainstream approaches, whereas a graphic designer may take alternative methods. Print-on-demand websites and stock houses would be more specific to selling digital downloadable art.
 

Social Media

Social media is becoming the central hub for online activity and can be used as a major way to promote your brand. With a strong and coherent marketing strategy, the artist can become hugely successful. Reaching out to people on their personal platforms must be done in a professional manner. The artist could be in danger of falling into the trap of being spammy and sounding like a money-grabbing salesman. Instead, it should give you an opportunity to reveal your true self from behind the canvas. This will help amass a better following of people if you make yourself known on a human level, aside from what you’re trying to sell.
 

Leo Juvier – Carta Semantique
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Self Publishing

Self-publishing photobooks have become another innovative way to sell art. Via online platforms, photographers and illustrators alike can arrange for their work to be processed and sold through different markets and websites. Photography sites can also be useful for selling professional quality photographs. With a whole host of stock image sites to choose from, it’s easy to access the work. Unfortunately for the artist, it also means it’s difficult for them to sell the unique originals.
Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is another option available to the artist but is seen as a more complex route to success. It involves raising funds for a project by rewarding people who back you financially. With high risk comes high reward, but many people tend to fail with this approach. Advertising on large websites is also a dangerous method with no guaranteed success. For a safer option, you could try tying links with those around you locally. Building a network offline will lead you to find it all online. In this new age, everybody realizes the importance of the internet. Local art galleries, print shops, art fairs and art collectives will all double up their presence online. The more you can build your network up, the more opportunities are going to become available to you.

 

If you would like to know more or have any concerns, feel free to contact us at Azucar Magazine
or on Stephan van Kuyk, lead curator of Azucar im@yourartconsultant.net