How to sell paintings on the internet

How to Sell Your Paintings on the internet: Useful Information and Tips from Artist Daniela Stoykova

Every artist carries within them the spark of creativity that drives them to create worlds on canvas. However, this passion often comes with a dream – for their work to be sold, purchased, and appreciated by others. In the past, it was a simple and romantic formula: art galleries managed sales while the artist immersed themselves in their craft. Today, the reality is different and far more complex. To turn painting into a profession rather than just a hobby, the artist must adopt a new role – that of an entrepreneur, marketing expert, and salesperson.

Living solely from painting means developing qualities that have nothing to do with brushes and canvases.

To succeed, today’s artists must become multi-skilled professionals who understand marketing, accounting, customer service, and, importantly, online commerce. Every artist wishing to succeed must learn how to build a website or invest in having one professionally created, how to use social media for promotion, understand SEO optimization, maintain active customer relationships, manage bookkeeping, and create compelling descriptions of their paintings.

This isn’t just a job – it’s a new mindset. It’s about seeing yourself as a brand and investing in that brand with patience and perseverance. Challenges are inevitable, and sacrifices innumerable. In the first few years, you need to invest almost all your time into developing your business and work long hours daily, whether it’s late at night, during weekends, summer vacations, or holidays.

Many artists must work full-time jobs to support themselves, with painting relegated to an evening hobby – a moment of return to oneself. But breaking this cycle to make art a primary income source requires exceptional dedication. This is the new form of creative vocation – to paint and sell to live in harmony with what you love. You must dedicate yourself fully and invest all your time in it.

Here’s how to step by step turn your creativity into a successful online business:

Have Enough Paintings to Sell on the internet

Before you start selling, you need to have enough finished works. Create at least 20 paintings to offer your audience. Research what the market is looking for and what you can offer – landscapes, portraits, abstract compositions, etc.

Research keywords and phrases related to paintings. They will help you understand what potential clients are searching for.

Starting an Art Business

To sell your paintings professionally, you need to register a company or become self-employed. Here are the pros and cons of each option:

Registering a Company:
• Pros: Allows renting spaces for studios, galleries, etc. Enables hiring employees, participation in large projects, and a broader scope of activities. Permits applying for project funding. You can receive invoices for expenses and only pay taxes on actual profits. Any business-related materials you purchase can be written off as expenses. Profit tax is 10% + 5% on dividend payouts.
• Cons: Higher accounting costs, annual reporting, and maintenance. You are required to have a year-round accountant. Includes potential inspections by various institutions. Initial investment for opening a company. Involves dealing with documentation and inevitable challenges during operation.

Becoming Self-Employed:
• Pros: Lower administrative costs, easier registration. Rarely subjected to inspections, exempt from issuing receipts. Accounting is managed through an annual tax declaration, not requiring a year-round accountant.
• Cons: Limited business scale, harder to enter the international market. Only 40% of your income is considered as expenses. If your monthly income and expenses almost match, this option might not be suitable.

Consult an accountant to choose the best solution for your goals and needs.

Creating Your Own Website for Selling Paintings Online

A website is your virtual platform accessible to clients worldwide. It is the most effective way to showcase your work and sell directly. Based on experience, I recommend never renting a ready-made online store with a low monthly fee. Ready-made stores usually lack sufficient optimization opportunities and restrict functionality, design, structure, and more.

Advantages of having your own website:

1. Full control over pricing and sales conditions.
2. Complete control over design and site content.
3. Constant advertisement of your art.
4. Opportunity to build a personal brand.
5. Sales across the country and internationally.
6. Professional image.

How to Create an Art Website – Steps:

• Choose a domain and hosting: Pick a memorable name for your site and a suitable hosting plan. Ensure the domain is short and uses popular extensions like .com, .bg, .net.
• Select a platform: WordPress, Shopify, Opencart, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, etc. Research these platforms to choose the one that meets your needs. Consult companies and developers for their pros and cons. Changing platforms later can be costly and difficult.
• Design and functionalities: Choose a professional design that highlights your art. Functionality, accessibility, and user-friendliness are more important than design alone. Invest in features like a gallery, purchase buttons, and payment system integration. Add a blog with useful information for visitors.
• Pricing: Start with affordable prices to attract clients and build a reputation.
• Marketing: Invest in ads, social media, and content creation to attract an audience.

How to Create an Art Website – Steps:

• Choose a Domain and Hosting: Select a memorable name for your website and an appropriate hosting plan. Keep the domain short and choose popular extensions like .com, .bg, .net.
• Choose a Platform: WordPress, Shopify, OpenCart, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, etc. Spend time researching platforms and choose one that suits your needs. Consult different companies and developers about the pros and cons of each platform. If you decide to switch/update your website and platform in the future, it may become difficult and costly.
• Design and Features: Choose a professional design that highlights your art. Contrary to what some colleagues say, I believe design is not the most important aspect of a website. The most crucial factors are functionality, accessibility, ease of use for visitors, and proper search engine optimization! The design can be through a ready-made template or custom-built — meaning each page is structured and designed based on your idea. Invest in features like a gallery, purchase buttons, and integration with payment systems. Create a blog with useful information for your visitors.
• Pricing: Start with affordable prices to attract customers and build a reputation. Avoid setting exorbitant prices for unknown works. If you aim for frequent sales, a balanced pricing strategy will yield better results.
• Marketing: Invest in advertisements, social media, and content creation to attract an audience.

SEO Optimization – Ensure Your Site is Optimized for Search Engines

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is key to attracting organic traffic to your site. This includes:

• Conducting keyword research. Use terms like "original paintings," "hand-painted art," "oil paintings," and others relevant to your art.
• Investing in link building to enhance your site's credibility with high-quality backlinks in articles with suitable anchor text.
• Regularly publishing unique blog articles related to art. Write unique descriptions for your paintings to avoid copied content.

Selling Paintings Online Through Direct Advertising on Your Website

After creating your site, paid advertising is the fastest way to reach new clients. Main advertising platforms include:

Google Ads:

• Pros: Highly effective with proper targeting, leading to potential buyers.
• Cons: Requires skills for setup and management, along with a significant investment.

• Pros: Excellent for visual content.
• Cons: Requires regular and creative ads. Often attracts traffic without significant buyer intent.

Other Ways to Sell Paintings Online Without a Website

Collaborate with partners – offer other websites to publish and sell your paintings online for a commission. Write to galleries, art platforms, or register on free ones.

Facebook and Social Media

• Create a professional page and regularly share your creations. Do not rely solely on this, as many artists post daily, and competition is high. Facebook also limits the visibility of posts unless sponsored.
• Participate in thematic groups to showcase your art. Publish regularly, ask friends to share posts, and tag acquaintances.

YouTube Channel

• Create videos of your painting process or present your artworks.
• Pros: Great platform for personal branding.
• Cons: Requires significant time and skills to create engaging video content.

Email Marketing

• Collect emails from clients and send regular newsletters with updates, offers, and promotions.

Amazon, eBay, Etsy

• Register as a seller and offer your paintings internationally.

List of Popular Websites for Selling Paintings in Bulgaria and Abroad:

1. artonlinebg.com – free
2. dea-art.com – free
3. Classified ad websites like olx.bg, alo.bg, bazar.bg, etc. – free
4. Etsy – paid
5. ArtPal – free
6. Saatchi Art – paid
7. Redbubble – paid
8. Society6 – paid
9. ArtFinder – paid
10. FineArtAmerica – paid
11. DeviantArt – free
12. Amazon Handmade – paid
13. Zatista – paid
14. UGallery – paid
15. Vango Art – free
16. Artmajeur – paid
17. Singulart – paid
18. Displate – paid
19. Artsy – paid
20. Bluethumb – paid
21. Pixels – paid
22. 1stdibs – paid
23. eBay – paid
24. Amazon – paid

Live Events

Participating in exhibitions, fairs, auctions, and bazaars is an excellent way to promote your art.

Consider partnerships with:

• Hotels
• Art shops
• Galleries
• Venues or institutions that display art on a commission basis

Client Studio

Creating a physical studio where clients can view and purchase your works in person is a fantastic way to build long-term relationships with your audience and boost sales.

By following these steps, you can sell your paintings and build a successful and sustainable business. A combination of creativity, business skills, and strategic thinking is the key to success!

Wishing you success!