How to Sell Art Online

Interested in learning how to sell art online? These days, it isn’t very difficult to get started with your online store. Technology has made it simple for consumers to find the art they’re looking for online, and social media and online databases have made it simple to publicize your art. Whether you’re selling your original works or plan to act as a broker for clients or your personal collection, following a few simple steps will get you well on your way to starting your own online art store.

While there are plenty of art brokers out there, the DIY ethic of today’s business gives you the opportunity to sell your own art without a middleman. You’ll want to do some research on how to sell art online and a good shopping cart software solution to help you get started. Below you’ll find a few more tips for establishing yourself as an online business in the art industry.

1. Submit to an online art database

Selling art from prolific artists? Online databases like AskArt.com give you the opportunity to list your pieces so art enthusiasts can find what they’re looking for quickly and efficiently. You can help publicize your digital gallery and sell more art quicker when you submit to one of these databases. Working with the pros will help you learn how to sell art online quickly and correctly.

2. Find the right shopping cart software platform.

If you want your website to double as your online gallery, you want a shopping cart that gives you full control over design elements so your website reflects the unique style of your art. You should also be able to display multiple images for each piece and leverage the ability to enlarge or zoom into these images. If you sell one-of-a-kind pieces, then you want to make sure that when it sells it's listed as “sold out.” Some carts give you the ability to create a waiting list for upcoming work. You might want the ability to add options to each item, such as frames, autographed pieces, reproductions, canvas styles or sizes. Finding the right shopping cart will help you establish your site and learn how to sell art online along the way.

3. Understand your audience and define your brand

Especially if you’re selling original art, you have to understand exactly whom you’re selling to. If you’re selling edgy, provocative pieces, you’ll probably want to target a younger demographic and tailor your brand to sell more effectively to that market. More traditional pieces require a more refined, polished brand for a more refined, polished crowd. Whatever you’re selling, you want to develop a brand that represents your style of art and appeals to your audience. Accomplish that and you’ll know exactly how to sell art online in no time.

4. Know your history

You want to be an authority on your art, so the more you know, the more people will trust you. Selling art requires a passion for your work; taking the industry too lightly won’t help you sell anything. Bring thought leadership to the table with every sale and you’ll build a loyal following.