Selling art online can be completely different to selling in person or through galleries and can come with its own set of challenges. If you’re finding that you aren’t selling as much art online as you’d like to or you’ll looking to sell your first pieces on the internet, take note of these great tips to boost your sales.
Good Clear Photography
Ensure you have good, clear photos of your pieces to put online. Photos from a range of distances and angles will help potential buyers to see all the details of the piece, and placing the piece in a room will give a sense of perspective so viewers can imagine the piece in their home. One of the main reasons potential buyers prefer to buy in person is because they believe that they can’t inspect the piece properly online, so make sure to do the best you can in inaccurately representing each piece.
Be Honest in Your Descriptions
If you’re selling prints or reproductions of your original work then make sure to say so in your product description. Also state any interesting points or important details in the description to make sure buyers know exactly what they’re getting. Don’t forget to include accurate measurements so that everyone is clear on the sizing of a piece too.
Be Imaginative in Your Descriptions
The product description is your chance to sell the piece as best you can, so a visual description and list of measurements won’t do. In order to sell more art online you need to think imaginatively and describe the texture and materials with adjectives to make them come alive. Also be sure to tell the back story and inspiration behind the piece, explaining to the viewer what you wanted to achieve along with a line or two about you as well.
Be Clear About Shipping Arrangements
Large, heavy art can often be pricey to send, so make sure to get postage estimates and be clear to the buyer about the shipping arrangements and costs. For prints you will also want to state whether they will be sent flat or rolled in a cardboard tube. Remember that art will need to be packaged very carefully with bubble wrap and other protection so make sure to factor this into the shipping fees. In order for you to sell more artwork online, buyers will also want to know how and when the item will be shipped so they’ll know when to expect it and by what means.
Join A Variety of Online Sales Platforms
You don’t need to stick to just one platform when selling online. You can choose platforms dedicated to crafts and gifts right up to professional online galleries that demand monthly or yearly fees in addition to commission. By offering your art on a range of sites you will be able to reach more people and make more sales, then check to see which platform is doing the best and which isn’t worth continuing with.
Have Your Own Website
Having your own website is essential for online art sales, even if you don’t sell through it directly. Here you will be able to showcase your portfolio, add information about yourself, your techniques and how you work as well as contact information. You can use your site as a sales platform, or use it to direct people to places online and offline where they can view and purchase your art.
Write a Blog
Having a blog connected to your website is a great way to ensure it stays fresh and updated as well as helping out with search engine optimisation. Through your blog, people will be able to follow along with your progress through new pieces and projects, learn more about your techniques and see how you work. A blog is a great platform for boosting art sales online through your own website or another site.
Promote on Twitter and Facebook
Twitter and Facebook are brilliant places to promote your work and increase online art sales as there are communities of artist and art lovers who love to chat and find new pieces to purchase. Posting updates and images as well as using hashtags will help to get your work noticed.
Encourage Sales Through Instagram
Instagram is an image based social networking site that can be used to your advantage to encourage sales. Regularly posting photos of progress and finished pieces will help to expose your art to the world. On Instagram you must make use of hashtags with every image and by using the hashtags for your town you can make some great local connections. Also be sure to use hashtags that describe the materials, imagery and ideas that make up each particular piece.
Use Online for Additional Sales Not Alternative Sales
Using the online marketplace to try to move bad quality work or prints won’t help your reputation. In a similar way, using your website and online platforms to undercut the prices of the galleries that represent you offline is bad manners in the art world should never be done. Your online profiles should support and complement your offline presence rather than conflict with it in order to make more art sales on the internet.
