The Better Way to Sell Your Art Online
Last week, tens of thousands of artists using Etsy to sell their work went on strike in opposition to recent fee hikes.
The new fees would have charged artists a new transaction fee on top of the existing listing fee, and for many artists, this price increase was simply too much to bear.
In response to the artist-led strike, Etsy has since retracted the new fees, but the situation highlights an important point: as an artist, it’s important to have control over your online store and the fees you charge for your work.
If you’re an artist looking for a better way to sell your art online, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog, we’ll talk about the benefits of selling your art on your own e-commerce website.
10 benefits of selling your art in your own online store
#1. Gain more control
A big part of what frustrated so many Etsy sellers about the rate hike was their total lack of control. When you sell your art in your own online store, you take back control over the entire process.
You set the prices for your work, you decide which products to sell and you manage your own inventory. This level of control is simply not possible when selling on third-party platforms.
Plus, having an artist website doesn’t mean you can’t also have an Etsy shop or sell your art on a marketplace. it just gives you the option to do things your way, on your own terms.
#2. Build your brand
Your artist website is also a great place to build your brand.
You can use your site to share your story, connect with your audience and show the world what you’re all about. When you have a strong brand, people are more likely to buy from you, and they’re also more likely to remember you and recommend you to others.
Once you establish your branding, implement it across all of your marketing materials, including social media profiles, local listings and beyond. This will create consistency and help you reach a wider audience.
Pro tip – Create brand guidelines
The best way to ensure brand consistency online is to create brand guidelines. These guidelines should include everything from your logo and color scheme to your voice and tone. Once you have these guidelines in place, it will be much easier to maintain a consistent brand identity across all of your marketing channels.
#3. Avoid platform dependency
When you sell your art on a third-party platform, you’re at the mercy of that platform. If Etsy decides to raise their fees again, or if they change their policies in a way that’s unfavorable to artists, there’s not much you can do about it.
But when you sell your art in your own online store, you’re not dependent on anyone else. You can run your business the way you want to, without having to worry about being kicked off of a platform or being subject to sudden changes.
This helps you avoid unwelcome surprises and gives you more control over how you sell your art online.
#4. Keep more of the profits
When you sell your art in your own online store, you get to keep more of the profits.
On Etsy, for example, you’re charged a listing fee and a transaction fee for each item you sell. And depending on which payment processor you use, you may also be charged additional fees.
But, when you sell your art in your own online store, you don’t have to pay any of these fees. You can keep the profits from each sale, which can make a big difference for your business.
Not only does selling your art in your own online store mean no more surprise fees, but it’s also a more cost-effective option than selling in a brick-and-mortar gallery.
Having an e-commerce artist website is one of the most cost-effective ways to sell your art and manage your business.
#5. Create a more professional appearance
When you sell your art in your own online store, you create a more professional appearance for your business.
With your own website, you can create a custom domain name and brand identity that reflects the professional image you want to project. This helps you attract serious buyers and build trust with your audience.
On the other hand, selling your art on a third-party platform can send the opposite message. This can discourage potential buyers and make it harder to build a successful business.
#6. Offer a better customer experience
Selling your art in your own online store gives you more control over every aspect of the process, including the customer experience you provide.
When you sell on a third-party platform, you’re limited to the tools and features that platform offers. But when you sell your art in your own online store, you can choose the exact products, pricing and checkout experience you want to offer.
You can also add additional features to your website, like a blog or email newsletter, to further engage with your audience and build a relationship with them.
Providing a better customer experience and building long-term relationships with your customers can help you stand out from the competition and encourage people to buy from you again in the future.
#7. Grow your business
When you sell in your own online store, you have more opportunities to grow your business.
With a third-party platform, you’re limited to selling the products that platform offers. But when you sell in your own online store, you can add new products and services as your business grows.
You can also use your website to cross-promote your other products and services, like events or workshops. This can help you increase sales and grow your business more quickly.
Additionally, selling in your own online store gives you the ability to track data about your customers and sales. This information can be extremely valuable as you plan for future growth.
#8. Get found by new customers
When you sell your art in your own online store, you can make it easier for new customers to find you.
With a website, you gain more control of how people find you through search engines, like Google. You can also use other marketing channels, like social media or email marketing, to drive traffic to your website.
On the other hand, selling on a third-party platform means you’re competing for attention with all the other sellers on that platform. This can make it harder for new customers to find you and your products.
By selling in your own online store, you can make it easier for new customers to discover your art and build your audience over time.
#9. Keep your audience engaged
When you sell in your own online store, you can keep your audience engaged with your business long after they make a purchase.
With your own online store, you can ask for an email address at checkout, making it easy to keep in touch with your customers, send out curated offers and recommend additional pieces.
You can also add links to your social media profiles on your artist website, making it easy for your website visitors to find and follow you on social media.
On the flip side, selling on a third-party platform means you’re at the mercy of that platform’s policies and algorithms. This can make it harder to keep your customers engaged with your business, which can lead to lost sales over time.
By keeping your audience engaged, you can encourage them to buy from you again in the future and help grow your business.
#10. Take your business to the next level
Selling your art in your own online store can help you take your business to the next level.
When you sell on a third-party platform, you’re limited to the tools and features that are available on the platform. But, when you sell in your own online store, you can choose the exact products, pricing and checkout experience you want to offer.
You also have full control over the design of your website. This means you can create a website that reflects your brand and helps you stand out from the competition.
Additionally, selling in your own online store gives you the ability to track data about your customers and sales. This information can be extremely valuable as you plan for future growth.
With your own online store, you can take your business to the next level, reach your goals and gain more control over your success.
By selling in your own online store, artists can gain more control over their art business, reach new customers, keep their audience engaged and so much more.
If you’re an artist who’s looking to sell your art online, consider building, managing and growing your online store with the Marketing 360® artist marketing platform.
With Marketing 360, you can design a beautiful website, manage your payments, inventory, orders and customers, capture market share with digital ads, schedule out social media posts, build a strong reputation, monitor and maximize your performance and so much more — all from one place.
Plus, you’ll have access to a team of marketing professionals behind you ready to help as much or as little as you need.
