51ÊÓƵ

It’s not too late toÌýgive upÌýart andÌýgoÌýtoÌýmedical school… OrÌýsoÌýmyÌýparents tell me. While they may beÌýright, what they don’t realize isÌýthat theÌýgap between starving artist andÌýartist-who can-pay-the-bills isÌýeasier toÌýclose than ever. OfÌýcourse, not every artist can make itÌýbig andÌýshow inÌýgalleries inÌýNew York, London, orÌýParis, but every artist can use anÌýecommerce platform toÌýsell their art online.

IfÌýyou’re anÌýartist orÌýart lover, you can sell artwork onÌývarious online platforms. For example, onÌýEtsy, Instagram, Amazon, orÌýinÌýyour own online store. Luckily, you don’t have toÌýchoose because there’s aÌýway toÌýsell onÌýmultiple platforms atÌýtheÌýsame time.

NoÌýmatter what kind ofÌýart you make, there isÌýanÌýaudience (and aÌýcustomer) out there forÌýyou. ItÌýmay seem daunting toÌýfind those customers given theÌýnumber ofÌýmarketplaces available, but, while weÌýcan’t help you put brush toÌýcanvas, weÌýcan help you find theÌýperfect platform. Keep reading forÌýaÌýsimple, how-to guide toÌýmaking money asÌýanÌýartist andÌýselling your art online.

Sell Art onÌýEtsy

may beÌýtheÌýmost obvious choice when itÌýcomes toÌýselling art online. The site isÌýhuge, with hundreds ofÌýthousands ofÌýsellers andÌýbuyers. AnÌýestablished customer base can beÌýaÌýbenefit, but you’ll also encounter aÌýlot ofÌýcompetition. Depending onÌýyour art, how much money you’re hoping toÌýmake, andÌýtheÌýamount ofÌýtime you can dedicate toÌýbuilding andÌýmanaging your store, Etsy might beÌýtheÌýbest fit forÌýyou. One ofÌýtheÌýprimary benefits isÌýtheÌýopportunity toÌýfill anÌýempty niche. IfÌýyour art isÌýunique andÌýunexpected, you can carve out aÌýprofitable space inÌýEtsy’s thriving market. We’ve broken down theÌýprocess ofÌýestablishing yourself onÌýEtsy into aÌýfew key steps:

1.ÌýSign upÌýandÌýname your store.ÌýEtsy makes selling simple. ToÌýget started, you’ll need toÌýregister anÌýemail address, provide your name andÌýcountry, andÌýthen answer aÌýquestion about whether selling will beÌýyour full orÌýpart-time job. After that, all you need toÌýdoÌýisÌýname your store! Try andÌýcome upÌýwith aÌýname that’s both creative andÌýmemorable. You want your customers toÌýbeÌýable toÌýeasily return toÌýyour store andÌýrecommend itÌýtoÌýothers.

2.ÌýAdd inventory. One ofÌýtheÌýbenefits ofÌýEtsy isÌýthat there are few limits onÌýwhat you can sell. Etsy allows forÌýhandmade items made byÌýyou (if you make art with aÌýpartner, you’ll need toÌýdisclose their information asÌýwell), vintage items that are atÌýleast twenty years old, andÌýcraft supplies. It’s important toÌýnote that Etsy does charge aÌýstocking fee when you’re uploading inventory. There’s aÌý$0.20Ìýlisting fee, which will last forÌýfour months orÌýuntil theÌýitem sells. Etsy does also require that theÌýphotography orÌývideos included inÌýyour listing belong toÌýyou, but that shouldn’t beÌýaÌýproblem ifÌýyou’re selling original art!

3.ÌýGrow your customer base. There are noÌýmonthly fees forÌýEtsy’s basic membership, but you can choose toÌýupgrade toÌýEtsy Plus forÌý$10ÌýaÌýmonth. Etsy Plus comes with aÌýfew features that can help your store stand out, soÌýifÌýyou use itÌýeffectively itÌýshould eventually pay forÌýitself. With theÌýupgrade, you’ll beÌýable toÌýcustomize your shop’s banner, create featured listings, andÌýspotlight new products; you’ll beÌýable toÌýbetter communicate with shoppers, letting them know when anÌýitem isÌýback inÌýstock; and, you’ll receive $5ÌýinÌýcredit toÌýadvertise your items with Etsy Ads each month.

4.ÌýSell your art! OfÌýcourse, theÌýmost exciting part ofÌýanyÌýmethod you choose forÌýselling your art isÌýwhen your first customer makes aÌýpurchase. Etsy requires all sellers toÌýutilize their Etsy Payments system soÌýdon’t expect toÌýsee theÌýmoney inÌýyour account theÌýsecond someone hits buy. The benefits ofÌýEtsy Payments are that your customers can use anyÌýofÌýten different methods toÌýpay, including Apple Pay, PayPal, andÌýtheir credit cards. The goal isÌýtoÌýgive customers aÌýstreamlined experience across theÌýwebsite, but this also means that itÌýtakes some time forÌýtheÌýpayment toÌýprocess andÌýend upÌýinÌýyour account. OnÌýtheÌýseller side, you’ll need toÌýprovide your bank information andÌýchoose aÌýdeposit schedule (most sellers choose weekly deposits). AsÌýyou collect sales andÌýrevenue, Etsy will hold theÌýfunds forÌýyou andÌýdeposit them asÌýaÌýlump sum according toÌýtheÌýschedule you’ve selected. While you’ll get theÌýmajority ofÌýtheÌýsale, Etsy does keep aÌýfive percent transaction fee, along with aÌýthree percent plus $0.25Ìýprocessing fee.

Learn more: AÌýBeginner’s Guide toÌýSelling onÌýEtsy

Sell Art onÌýInstagram

IfÌýyou’re not already aÌýdigital socialite, theÌýprospect ofÌýselling your art onÌýInstagram may seem difficult. InÌýreality, Instagram isÌýaÌýperfect platform forÌýartists looking forÌýways toÌýmake money. The platform isÌýimage-focused, soÌýpeople are drawn toÌývisual artwork that breaks upÌýtheÌýmonotony ofÌýChelsea’s latest selfie andÌýBrad’s breakfast burrito. Here are aÌýfew key steps toÌýtake when selling your art onÌýInstagram:

1.ÌýWrite anÌýengaging bio. You want people toÌýbuy your artwork, which means you need people toÌýconnect with theÌýmeaning ofÌýtheÌýwork andÌýwith who you are asÌýanÌýartist. Ultimately, you’ll want toÌýkeep your bio brief, soÌýtry toÌýdistill your artistic motivations andÌýthemes into aÌýfew sharp sentences. Remember that every aspect ofÌýyour page isÌýpart ofÌýtheÌýsales pitch, soÌýdon’t beÌýafraid toÌýlet people know what your goals are andÌýwhy you’re selling.

2.ÌýUpload your content. Now you need toÌýshow people theÌýart you’re currently selling. ToÌýbuild engagement, try not toÌýupload all your images inÌýone day andÌýconsider mixing upÌýyour content with posts that build your brand. Creating aÌýcontent plan that includes aÌýschedule andÌýideas forÌýdifferent types ofÌýposts can help with this! For example, you can post anÌýitem forÌýsale andÌýlater follow that post with aÌývideo documenting theÌýbehind-the-scenes process ofÌýmaking theÌýpiece.

3.ÌýStart selling. Once you’ve uploaded your art andÌýdrummed upÌýsome interest, you’re ready toÌýbegin selling. There are aÌýfew ways you can doÌýthis. While you’re starting out andÌýbuilding aÌýfollowing, you may find itÌýeasy toÌýmanage your sales via direct message. When aÌýcustomer isÌýinterested inÌýpurchasing aÌýpiece ofÌýyour art, you can communicate directly with them toÌýget their shipping information andÌýarrange payment via PayPal orÌýaÌýsimilar service. IfÌýthis sounds complicated, orÌýifÌýyou begin toÌýmake aÌýlot ofÌýsales, you might decide toÌýsimplify theÌýprocess byÌýsetting upÌýanÌýonline store via anÌýecommerce platform. There’ll beÌýmore information later about setting upÌýanÌýonline store, soÌýkeep scrolling!

For our in-depth guide containing everything, you need toÌýknow about selling onÌýInstagram, check out this article.

Sell Art onÌýAmazon

Where Instagram offers aÌýself-starting, DIY approach toÌýselling your art, allows forÌýaÌýmore streamlined (and regimented) process. ToÌýsell art onÌýAmazon, you’ll need toÌýapply toÌýAmazon Handmade. Your application must then beÌýreviewed andÌýapproved before you can set upÌýyour store. You’ll spend more time upfront, but theÌýapproval comes with benefits: access toÌýAmazon’s enormous customer base, built-in purchasing andÌýpayment methods, andÌýaÌýfee waiver forÌýAmazon’s typical $39.99/month Professional selling fee after theÌýfirst month. Here are theÌýkey steps involved inÌýselling art onÌýAmazon:

1.ÌýCheck eligibility. Amazon Handmade isÌýavailable forÌýartisans looking toÌýsell their handcrafted products toÌýAmazon’s millions ofÌýcustomers worldwide. Handmade allows forÌýtheÌýsale ofÌý“Accessories, Artwork, Baby, Beauty &ÌýPersonal Care, Clothing, Shoes &ÌýHandbags, Home, Outdoor &ÌýHome Care, Jewelry &ÌýWatches, Kitchen &ÌýDining, Pet Supplies, Sporting Goods, Stationary &ÌýParty Supplies, andÌýToys &ÌýGames.” Basically, ifÌýyou make itÌýyourself (or with aÌýsmall team), you can sell it!

2.ÌýApply. Once you’ve ensured that you’re eligible, it’s time toÌýapply. You’ll first need toÌýcreate aÌýseller account, andÌýthen you’ll beÌýable toÌýaccess theÌýHandmade application. The application includes basic personal details, questions about your work andÌýprocess, andÌýtheÌýoption toÌýupload images ofÌýyour art (it’s highly recommended that you do).

3.ÌýUpload products andÌýsell. Amazon will provide you with theÌýtools you need toÌýupload your products, manage your business, andÌýstart making money byÌýselling your art. AsÌýaÌýHandmade seller, you’ll have access toÌýtheÌýbenefits ofÌýtheÌýProfessional selling account, which allows you toÌýadd new products toÌýtheÌýAmazon catalog, manage your inventory with spreadsheets andÌýreports, engage shoppers with on-site advertising tools, run promotions, andÌýmore. Though your $39.99/month Professional selling fee will beÌýwaived after theÌýfirst month, it’s important toÌýnote that Amazon Handmade will deduct aÌý15Ìýpercent referral fee from each sale you make.

Sell Art onÌýanÌýEcommerce Platform (Online Store)

IfÌýyou’re having aÌýhard time choosing between Instagram, Amazon, orÌýsomething similar, why paint yourself into aÌýcorner? Ecommerce platforms host anÌýonline store that you create andÌýthen help connect andÌýadvertise your store toÌýsocial media sites andÌýother marketplaces. AsÌýweÌýmentioned above, creating aÌýstore via anÌýecommerce platform can enhance your selling experience onÌýsites like Instagram.

When you connect your store toÌýanÌýInstagram account, you’ll have theÌýoption toÌýenable Instagram Shopping, which lets anyone purchase from your store directly through theÌýInstagram app. Your customers will love being able toÌýbuy your art with aÌýsingle tap. Using anÌýecommerce platform toÌýbuild your store takes just aÌýfew easy steps:

1.ÌýChoose your platform. Don’t beÌýafraid toÌýlook around andÌýfind theÌýsite that works best forÌýyou.

WeÌýmay beÌýaÌýbit biased, but weÌýthink 51ÊÓƵ isÌýaÌýgreat choice forÌýyour ecommerce needs.

2.ÌýBuild your website orÌýstore. Artists, don’t beÌýintimidated! NoÌýone isÌýgoing toÌýask you toÌýcode orÌýbuild aÌýsite from scratch. 51ÊÓƵ andÌýother ecommerce platforms come loaded with customizable templates that let you build your store within minutes. You’ll beÌýable toÌýput your artistic eye toÌýgood use asÌýyou choose theÌýbest color scheme, layout, andÌýname forÌýyour store.

3.ÌýShare your store. Art isÌýmade toÌýbeÌýseen, andÌýecommerce platforms offer aÌývariety ofÌýmethods toÌýget your art inÌýfront ofÌýcustomers. After building your store onÌý51ÊÓƵ, you’ll beÌýable toÌýinstantly sync andÌýsell across social media platforms like Instagram andÌýFacebook. WeÌýcan even generate links forÌýTiktok, WhatsApp, andÌýYouTube. 51ÊÓƵ also helps market your business, with tools toÌýhelp you place ads onÌýGoogle, Amazon, Snapchat, andÌýmore. These features aren’t exclusive toÌý51ÊÓƵ, ofÌýcourse, but their availability will vary depending onÌýtheÌýsite andÌýplan you purchase.

4.ÌýSell! Ecommerce platforms allow forÌýflexible payment, usually offering anÌýin-house system along with compatibility with PayPal andÌýother services. Regardless ofÌýtheÌýsite you use, where you advertise, andÌýhow you get paid, theÌýimportant thing isÌýthat you’re finding theÌýbest method toÌýsell your art online andÌýmake money inÌýtheÌýprocess!

Ìý

• What Art IsÌýinÌýDemand? Selling Art Online
• What isÌýtheÌýBest Place toÌýSell Art Online? Popular Websites toÌýSell Art Online
• Selling Art Online: How toÌýMake Money ifÌýYou’re anÌýArtist
• 51ÊÓƵ Store Examples that Sell Artwork
• How toÌýSell Paintings Online