Sell Your Art Online: How to Get Started

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Are you a creative who is ready to start making your dreams come true?  With the invention of the internet, there is so much opportunity to find your creative voice and carve out a place for yourself in the art world! (not to say that it doesn’t require hard work.)

There are as many ways to sell your art online as there are different styles of paintings. Here is how to get started selling your art online.

Since there are so many different places and ways to sell your art online, you are going to want to consider what you ultimately want for your business in the long run. Check out How to write goals

Do you want to only sell online? Do you want to ship and package your paintings? Are you wanting to teach? Or Do you want to be a well known authority in the art world? Your answers to these questions will help you to form a path that will work for your goals. Related: Set yourself up for success

What type of art do you want to sell?

Are you selling original art, custom commissioned pieces, prints, products or downloads?  The types of products that you are wanting to sell will influence where you should setup shop.

The Top Places to Sell Original Art Online:

• Your Own Site:  Nothing can beat owning and operating your own piece of the Internet.  You own your list and are in control of everything that your customers see.  There are many ways to get your own site started at a low price.
• Sell art through online auctions and listings:  Creating your own listings through Ebay, Amazon and Etsy are all still great options nowadays.  These platforms are great because you will get found quicker with an already built in customer base. 
• Sell your art online using an Art website:  Sites such as Fine Art America, Art Finder, Ugallery, Saatchi Art and Artplode. These sites have lower listing fees and customers who are actively searching for original art
• Sell your Art on Social Media:  You can sell art through Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. You can make this happen automatically through the site, using different programs to integrate the buying and payment process.  Check out Spreesy to sell on all of your social channels. 

Where to sell Prints and Art Products

There are plenty of sites that allow you to upload your art to various templates in order to sell prints, pillows, mugs and clothing items.  These sites are great because of the low cost to start out and the drop shipping feature, meaning a customer can order and you don’t have to worry about creating the product or shipping it.  Check out these artist print on demand sites:

Society 6

Society 6 is a print on demand site that makes it easier to be found. It is also a trusted site among fans. The cons are that it has lower payouts and not much room for customization.

Zazzle

Zazzle has many different products to choose from, and you get to set your own percentages. It is not as user friendly to setup in the beginning.

Printify and Printful

Printify and Printful are great options for integrating a drop shipping store to your WooCommerce, Shopify or Etsy store, they have low base prices. Printful will also integrate with Amazon, but has a bit higher base prices for their products.

Cafépress

Cafepress is a lot like Zazzle. It has different product offerings than Zazzle. You can choose your percentage markups, but it seems like it is a little harder to be found.

Fine Art America

Fine Art America offers print on demand with a money back guarantee. Plus it has fast 2-3 day processing. It may be harder to be found due to the volume of artists.

Imagekind

At Imagekind, you can start a free store with three images, or pay a monthly fee to upload more. You get a store url and get set your prices.

RedBubble

Redbubble has a higher payout than Society 6, but it is harder to be found.  The platform controls sales and discounts of your products.

Threadless Artist Shops

At Threadless, you create your own store and set your prices. After the base fee is taken, you get the rest.  You control your store. The only con is that you have to market it yourself.

Where to sell Digital Downloads Online

You can sell your art in digital format as well. Some places you can list your art for sale digitately are:

• Etsy
• Creative Market
• Stock Photo sites (Istock, Shutterstock, Bigstock
• Your Own Store
• Social Media

How to get started Selling Your Art Online

Now that you are familiar with some of the basic platforms, it is time to get started selling.  Spend some time surfing each of the sites you have an interest in and see which ones seem to jive with you, keep in mind what you want to sell and who you are planning to sell to.

Pick one or two online markets to start out with and build up your store and your brand.  Make sure you have bright, crisp and clear high-resolution images of your art.  The best place to photograph is in natural daylight out of any direct sun or harsh shadows.

Making good use of a tripod and high shutter speed is also a good idea for preventing blurring in your photos. Also, always make sure to wipe your lens before taking pictures!I

Start Building up a Social Media and Website Presence

Eventually, you will want to do your own thing and own your own store without being at the mercy of a third party.  Start building up an online presence and authority for your business. You can begin this by:

• Starting a YouTube Channel:  This is an excellent way to get in front of your collectors and add a little personality to your brand. I know I always feel more connected to an artist once I see her artistic process and quirks! Check out this site for some great info on starting a successful YouTube Channel.
• Interacting in groups: Facebook groups, forums and blog commenting are great ways to get yourself seen and followed. Especially if you are helping and providing insight to the readers.
• Blogging: By blogging about art, your process, how to tutorials or your hopes and dreams, you are providing a personal understanding and story to your collectors.
• Teaching: By teaching, you will inspire others and mke the world a better place, all while providing value to others and learning through what you teach.
• Learning SEO: SEO is invaluable in getting found when you have your own site.  Learning about how to choose keywords and using them in a way that Google will find you is an art Check out Scrivs with DTC for a great course
• Advertising: With so much saturation in the art world, it may be a good idea to bring your art in front of the people who are looking for it. Targeted Facebook ads and Promoted Pins are a great way to get your art in front of the right eyes.
• Building your Tribe of loyal Fans Offline: Don’t be afraid to venture outside for some real human interaction. There is nothing that compares to a good old face to face conversation with a real artist.

Set Yourself up for Success

With the art market oversaturated and thousands of artists competing for the sale, the best way to get out there and be seen is by creating a unique brand and finding your tribe.  Finding your unique voice is probably the hardest thing to accomplish, but never give up. It will happen in time.

Once you feel like you have a style and something that you can offer your audience, they will be happy to pay for the unique one of a kind service you provide.

Art can be a tricky sale because it is not a necessity.  You need to find a way to connect with your audience on a deeper level so they have an emotional attachment to what you are giving them.

Live your Creative Life

To truly be free to live a creative life, it takes work in all areas of your life. Are you ready to get started? Check out these tips to changing your life and sign up for our free 7 day Successful Life Challenge!