5 Simple Tips For Selling Art Online
Successfully Selling Art Online is Easier Than You Think!
More and more art is being sold online these days. If you’re an artist who isn’t selling art online, you may be missing out some pretty big sales!
Every artist at some point is faced with the challenge of selling their art. There are both in-person and online opportunities, and each comes with its own unique advantages and challenges.
You most likely already have one of the best, most useful tools for selling art at your disposal: your website. That, and your ability to scour the internet for the most recent, relevant information to help you as you develop your fine art practice and career – like listening in to The Artist Business Plan, our weekly 30-minute chat with art industry pros on all things art and business.
Don’t be fooled into believing that selling art online is a waste of time – there are thousands of collectors waiting for you!
Selling Art Online, Real Time.
Dallas, Texas based painter and Superfine exhibiting artist Abi Salami is no stranger to the world of continuing education. After spending years working in public accounting and real estate, Salami began to dedicate more time to her true passion – creating art. She learned how to paint on YouTube (how cool is that?) and soon began showing and selling her art more frequently, including at art fairs for independent artists like Superfine.
But she didn’t just teach herself how to create art – she has also been teaching herself how to sell art.
Salami has turned to more than a few e-learning techniques including tuning in to The Art Business Plan Podcast, to stay on her toes so she can sell art online with expertise and ease.
Abi Salami isn’t alone in the pursuit of learning. Many professionals are self-taught, turning to YouTube and other online platforms to learn and grow their skill set with online businesses classes. Plus, with an abundance of educational resources available like online classes for artists, helpful resources and more materials designed to help you sell your work online, you’ll be on the fast-track to sales success in no time.
Here are 5 practices Abi Salami uses to improve her art business skills and sell art online!
Superfine! exhibiting artist Abi Salami at our Washington DC art fair in 2019.
5 Simple Tips For Selling Art Online
“A lot more people would ask for commissions if they knew what the process was!”
1. Add a sales landing page for selling your art.
One of the biggest lessons of sales and marketing is that the easier you make it for someone to purchase from you, the more likely they are to do so.
As Abi Salami put it, “A lot more people would ask for commissions if they knew what the process was!”
This could not be more true. In fact, demystifying the commission process can reap big rewards. Not too long ago, Abi added a landing page specifically for commissions requests and “Literally the next day I got a DM from someone asking if I did commissions.” From there, she’s able to direct interested collectors to the landing page where they fill out a form specifying dimensions, budget, and other factors.
2. Research your target sales demographic.
Do you make art for a specific kind of person? If so, that’s your “target demographic!”
Maybe you’re not so sure where to even start in this research process; you’re certainly not alone in that! Market research can appear to be daunting and time-consuming but in reality, if you have a good grasp on what type of person you want to sell your art to, this task gets much easier.
Here’s how to find your target audience, so you can sell art online.
Start by finding out where your target demographic hangs out online, and get to know them there! Most people these days have a few social media profiles: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. Depending on age and interest, they’ll be on one or a few of these platforms.
According to Abi, it pays to find out “what do those people like, what do they like to do... Genuinely engage with those people and post about your art when relevant. I made two commissions just by doing that!”
Two commissions, acquired by organically interacting with a community of like-minded individuals! The main takeaway here: build your audience and your network for a mutually beneficial exchange. Sell your art online by building your community!
3. Make time for personal development for your art business.
By personal development, we mean dedicating time to e-learning, taking classes, connecting with your network and investing in your art business! With a strong foundation, you’ll be selling art online in no time.
Abi dedicates a set number of hours per week to professional development so she can work on her business and brand. Since allocating more time to her personal development online, Abi has gained over 1000 organic followers in just over 3 months!
She suggests starting by asking yourself the following question: “What specific aspect am I willing to work on today?” This could be anything from understanding the Instagram algorithm, understanding who your audience is and where they exist online, and even how to make better content.
“You’ll find better information and more actionable information [online],” Abi notes. “You’ll find information like ‘posts that have blue in them do better.’”
Find 5 hours a week to get on the self-development train. You will be surprised by how much you’ll learn in such a short time period!
Bonus: Abi Salami listens to Superfine Art Fair’s The Artist Business Plan podcast to up her art game! Be like Abi and listen now:
THE ARTIST BUSINESS PLAN | WEEKLY PODCAST
4. Identify your goals for selling art online
We love this sentiment of Abi’s: “finding a goal can be a goal!”
Simply determining what your goals are is an accomplishment in itself. This can go for selling art, personal development, and any other projects you happen to be working on.
“If you have a problem, try to break it down into different components. I try to have goals for each week,” Abi says.
Sometimes, problems or obstacles (like wanting to grow your Instagram following or fixing your website) are bigger projects than we anticipate. Try breaking down those projects into smaller, more actionable steps that are less overwhelming and more easily remedied or researched.
A list of goals doesn’t necessarily equate to a “to-do” list. Try thinking of your goals instead as intentions, or things you can train your mind to consider throughout the week, without feelings of guilt or inadequacy if you can’t or don’t achieve them.
Here are five simple goals to set for artists who want to sell more art:
Research your target demographic of collectors.
Create a dedicated landing page for selling work online.
Identify at least 3 areas of your art business (social media, website, networking) that you would like to improve on.
Set aside 5 hours per week for personal development, taking online classes, and more art business building activities, like networking!
Research 10 artists you can support and follow online to grow your community.
Having Trouble Selling Your Art Online? Fail Upwards!
Every single experience is a learning opportunity – including selling your art!
Probably not a word you were expecting to see on a blog about selling art online, but one of the most important learning tools at your disposal is the ability to try something and fail.
If you try 10 new things and only 3 of them work, that’s 3 new skills that will help you upgrade your art business. The important thing is that you keep trying, keep failing, and keep making artwork.
10 Websites Where Artists Can Sell Art Online
There are thousands of websites where artists can sell their artwork online. The best part about these websites is that they already have an established customer base, which means that you are tapping into a guaranteed community of art lovers!
Here are 10 websites where artists can sell art online to art lovers: