Art should be available to everyone. That’s the beauty of e-commerce. Anyone can find the artwork they love at a price they are willing to pay. By 2023, online art sales are expected to reach $9.32 billion. So if you are an artist looking for your audience, an online presence is the most effective and profitable way.
There are several ways to sell paintings online. For example, you can create a personal website or partner with one or two top galleries. In this article, you’ll learn about the main benefits of selling artwork online and how you can do it best this year.
So, What Are The Benefits
Anyone relating in any way whatsoever to art can tell you the numerous pros of selling artwork online, from reaching a larger audience to a higher income. Below you’ll find out why so many artists sell their work online. And you may want to join their ranks soon.
1. Keeping Up With New Trends In The Art Industry
If you manage to get in with the currents, your chances of being in demand will skyrocket. The art industry is changing, and more and more artists are starting to sell their work online rather than through galleries. Online painting sales are on the rise among independent creators. Some of the main pros of picking up the new wave are:
✔️ Connecting with buyers around the world
✔️ Increased exposure through many popular platforms
✔️ High profits due to:
- You don’t have to pay a commission to an art gallery or art consultant.
- You don’t have to pay for advertising, as you can promote your paintings for free to art lovers worldwide through your websites, social networks, and blogs.
2. Reaching A Wider Audience
When selling their work online, independent artists can get wide distribution and reach a large audience without having a budget for advertising. Plus, you can go beyond just local clients. By placing a post about a painting for sale online, you have the opportunity to capture the attention of millions of people around the world, not just a few hundred. There are many ways to do this in the best possible way. It also will be discussed further in this article.
3. Creating An Online Website At An Affordable Price
Why not take advantage of the digital age and make your website at a fair price to attract a larger audience and make more money. Online galleries give independent artists every opportunity to do just that. Creating a website doesn’t require any particular knowledge and skills. Plus, it doesn’t take much time.
You can get a good website on platforms like WordPress with BlueHost, Squarespace, Shopify, and Wix in just a few minutes. A website, in turn, allows you to showcase your work to the world. Users can learn more about your personality and be aware of your latest announcements and press releases. You can also attract traffic to local events in such a way.
4. Using E-Commerce Platforms For Artists To Your Advantage
In addition to building a website, you can also greatly benefit from the many platforms for selling paintings online. The most famous ones are Etsy, Fine Art America, Saatchi, and ArtFire. So even without having a website, you can start your online business with e-commerce.
5. Possibility To Create Your Online Store
Today, almost anyone can create an online store. And artists are no exception. And this is another of the benefits of the age of innovation and selling art online. So how can you promote your store online? With the help of social networks, which, if appropriately promoted, guarantee a larger audience.
Create a Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter page for your store and post regular updates. Don’t forget about quality backlinks, which you can get by posting links to your store on other websites and social media platforms.
How To Sell Art Online
Here we’ll talk about specific ways to promote your work online and how you can get the most out of it.
1. Find Your Niche
Artists are constantly learning and evolving, but it’s better to start your online career with paintings with a recognizable style. If you sell your paintings, put together a collection of work you’re proud of. Some pictures never look finished, but remember that you have to convince other people to part with their money. In addition, you are responsible for marketing your art, so be prepared to sell it confidently.
- Using a specific painting technique, such as gouache or acrylic.
- Working in styles, such as photorealism, or in a theme, such as fantasy.
2. Choose Your Products
Selling artwork online has one significant advantage: you have a vast audience to get creative with your merchandise. In addition, illustrations can be reproduced on anything from scarves and food packaging to erasers. An excellent way for artists to maximize their online sales is to present art on different merchandise. It can turn into a single piece, perhaps a painting that perfectly reflects your style.
Distributing prints is a relatively easy first step to capitalizing on your 2D originals. Choose the type of printing, quality paper, and sell them framed or unframed. Work with a print shop if it’s more economical. You can also:
- Make merch — for example, stationery, housewares, or badges.
- Re-print on fabric.
- Work with other online vendors to license your art.
3. Set Your Boundaries
It is as much about price as it is about affordability. Sure, reproducing art in print can give artists a nice steady income. But consider offering limited editions instead. A limited print run inevitably adds a sense of scarcity to your art. But, even if you sell online, you sell to art lovers who look for something unique.
The main disadvantage of limited print runs is that many hate the reseller. You can take some steps to avoid having your work appear on eBay, but you can also decide that unlimited printing is best for your paintings. Otherwise, you can be dynamic and do a little of both.
When it comes to evaluating your paintings, do a little research. If selling paintings online is new to you, make sure your price is within the market:
- Consider your level of experience. Prices should reflect that.
- Don’t forget the time spent creating the painting. Return on investment is essential.
- Look at how much similar artists sell their work for.
4. Find Your Style Of Photo
It is probably the most critical aspect of selling art online. If you photograph your product incorrectly, all your hard work will be for nothing. Look for a professional photographer if you’re not good with a camera. Better yet, find someone who knows how to sell pictures online or is an expert in detailed photography. Any online product should be displayed in the best and most accurate light possible. So show your work at its best:
- Start with a frontal image of the entire piece. Then move on to shots of details.
- Demonstrate the work in context. People need to justify their purchases, so show how your art can bring a wall, a mantelpiece, or an entire room to life.
- Show it up close. Show the texture of your painting.
5. Protect Your Work
Plagiarism is an unfortunate and almost inevitable reality when you share or sell paintings online. But you can do some things to protect your artwork from copyright infringement. The obvious ones are to degrade the quality of your work. You can do this by watermarking or uploading low-resolution images. However, after all your hard work, you’ll be selling yourself short, and all of this may not be effective.
Sometimes a straightforward approach and loyal subscribers can be your strongest allies. You could even get the vast retailers who copy you to remove those products from sale:
- Contact the copycat directly. Stay calm and share proof that the work is yours.
- Refrain from publicity first. Social media litigation is not suitable for everyone.
- Check to see if you can sue under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
FAQ
Does today’s art market attract wealthy collectors?
Undoubtedly, yes. According to a study by Art Basel and UBS, 53% of affluent
collectors plan to buy art in 2022.
What are the active platforms that collaborate directly with artists?
There are several platforms today: Saatchi Art and Artmajeur.
Is it profitable to sell your artwork digitally, and how can you do this?
It is profitable, and you can do this with NFT, a unique token used to purchase the rights to digital objects. The demand for them from investors is growing. For example, according to a survey by the authors of the study, 74% of art investors purchased NFTs in 2021. This year, that number is likely to grow even more.
Why are physical galleries closing en masse now?
The new century is dictating new rules. Creators and galleries are beginning to use new forms of media to connect with art lovers, such as social media, video profiles, and blogs. Thus, physical galleries are slowly becoming a thing of the past. They are closed for several reasons: rising rental prices, the increasing number of artists selling their work online, and the popularity of pop-up galleries, in which artists, curators, and viewers come together for an event to share new work, ideas, and techniques.
Conclusion
Selling art online in 2022 is the best way to gain popularity in cultural circles, attract the attention of many people, and, of course, make a high income. However, if you want to succeed, think outside the box. Nowadays, it is not enough to be just a good specialist and a master of your craft. You have to be a skilled entrepreneur who knows how to sell your work. Selling art online is a business, and you must use every channel of communication possible to make this business flourish. And all the cards are in your hands.
Author:
This guest post was written by Nancy Howard. Nancy is a journalist and writer from London, specializing in art, literature, and business. She works with the best essay services, and one of her favorites is Trust My Paper writing company. Nancy enjoys visiting art galleries, reading books, and meeting friends in her spare time.
