Managing online art stores is challenging. You must think about the layout, cost, and storage of your artwork then you'll have to deal with clients, vendors, and marketing. Good thing, Shopify for artists has developed a variety of options designed especially for many artists. Everything you need to create, market, and sell your artwork online is provided by the platform.
So where to start? Great question! You're already thinking like an "artrepreneur".
Outline
- Art Market Statistics
- Why Choose Shopify Platform?
- Top 4 Successful Art Stores on Shopify for artists
- Different Ways to Sell Art Online
- How to Create your Art Store Online?
- Tips for Selling Your Art Better With Shopify
- FAQ
- Conclusion
Art Market Statistics
The art market is a place where buyers and sellers exchange goods and services related to the performing arts, visual arts, and culture. It consists of two markets: the primary market, which deals with artworks sold for the first time, and the secondary market, which handles resales.
2019 saw a 3% year-over-year increase in global art sales to an estimated $67.8 billion, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Following a sharp 31% increase in sales in 2021 from the pandemic-caused low point the year before, the results in 2022 were more inconsistent, with performance varying by sector, region, and price segments leading to more stable growth.
Why Choose Shopify Platform?
The first thing about Shopify you need to know is that it is a service. Neither a product nor a piece of software are being purchased by you. Shopify is all about assisting entrepreneurs in setting up their online stores as quickly as possible.
This indicates that the business is aware that its clients may not be the most technologically advanced people on the planet. With Shopify, anyone can create an online store by using a straightforward system of templates and building blocks, much like how Lego works.
Pros and Cons of Using Shopify for Artists to Sell Art
Pros
- Easy-to-use visual store builder
- Sell on multiple channels
- Integrated handling of shipping and payments
- Handles both physical and digital art
- Many add-on features available
Cons
- Mandatory transaction fees
- No free plan available (trial only)
- Limited theme customizations
>>> If you are an artist and want to make money from your artwork, don't skip this guide to build a Shopify art store!
Top 4 Successful Art Stores on Shopify for artists
1. FEATURE
It's simple to see why FEATURE is a fantastic illustration of a Shopify company. The market for arts and crafts is lucrative. The shop boasts an extensive selection of goods, a well-considered layout, and a chic, modern appearance.
In addition to their own label products, they currently carry over 120 high-end fashion and footwear brands, such as Nike, Adidas, and Vans.
Their team of creatives constantly comes up with innovative ways to display their products, which is one of the reasons they are able to maintain their success. Keep an eye out for this store if you're looking for one on Shopify that sells quality arts and crafts supplies.
2. IKONIK
With themes like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Muhammad Ali, NBA Legends, and Monopoly, they specialize in inspirational canvas prints.
IKONIK is notable for its ability to elevate commonplace items like canvas prints to something extraordinary. These prints could improve residences or commercial spaces. They also make wonderful gifts for fans of video games and sports.
Having a neat, expert-looking website is crucial in eCommerce, and IKONIK excels in this regard. They have a standout product in the form of a professionally made website. Additionally, they offer discounts and promotions to encourage recurring purchases.
3. Amira Rahim
The website of Amira Rahim is a perfect example among art Shopify stores with strong branding. Her work is bright and colorful, and bright magenta is prominently featured in her logo, website header, and header typography. When you hover over Shop, a list of categories, including Originals, Prints, and Recently Sold Works, appears.
When a shop's images are hovered over, the title, the medium, the size, and the price are displayed. The name and price of an item can be read without switching to a different page. Make this a very user-friendly feature in its place.
4. Marta Spendowska
Similar to many other stores, the available items are divided into originals, prints, and art gifts. You can then specify a search by color, product category, or collection using the sidebar. This makes finding what you're looking for simple.
You can see the piece title and price by hovering over each item, so you don't need to click through unless you want to see more details. Clicking through will take you to additional images and a number of tabs with additional details, including materials, inspiration, and shipping information.
The amount of details provided for each item is a considerate act that shows a sincere concern for the satisfaction of the customers.
5. NightCafe Studio
NightCafe Studio stands out among Shopify stores as one of the few that is solely dedicated to digital art. They give users of all skill levels access to what they call a "AI Art Generator" which enables them to create their own digital art. Therefore, regardless of your level of artistic experience, you can create something entirely original using their program.
NightCafe Studio is a fantastic illustration of a Shopify shop that has identified a niche and exploited it. NightCafe is in a good position to capitalize on the rapid expansion of the market for digital art.
We were immediately drawn in by the NightCafe store's stunning and modern design. Everything from the color scheme to the product arrangement is thoughtfully planned and aesthetically pleasing.
6. Matt LeBlanc
When you scroll over Shop Art you can choose the price range you want to see. It's because Matt LeBlanc caters to all kinds of collectors by offering art at various price points. A separate category is also available for accessories.
The idea of scarcity is emphasized by the marking of both items that are on sale and those that are sold out. Each image has a price underneath it. Additionally, when something is on sale, the price decreases to highlight the fantastic deal the customer is getting.
As soon as your business launches, you can learn how to sell online with this type of art gallery on Shopify. Smart sales strategies include promoting sales and making it simple for clients on a budget to appreciate your work.
Read more: Top 50 Shopify Art Stores (Latest Updated)
Different Ways to Sell Art Online
You Can Make Money Selling Art Online
You probably already know that you can make money selling art online if you found this article through a search engine. The numerous digital art galleries and individuals who are already doing this make this obvious.
Depending on the platform you select and the features you require, the cost to launch an online art store varies. Other platforms charge a monthly fee, while some are free to use. E-commerce systems are available for less than $30 a month. Then, just cover marketing, merchandise, and shipping costs.
1. Photographing and scanning art online
2. Open vs limited edition
3. Printers and printing
💡TIP: Seek out a print on demand and dropship company for a completely hands-off approach such as Printful.
4. Gallery shows, pop-ups, and offline events
Take your work offline to connect with fans and reach new audiences. To encourage customers to return to your online store, use in-person experiences.
💡 TIP: Sync your online and offline sales by using Shopify POS for in-person selling.
5. Working with galleries
If you’re interested in having your art represented by a gallery in addition to selling prints on your own site.
How to Create your Art Store Online?
1. Pick a Name
For your Shopify business, you should choose a memorable name that is also professional-looking and easy to remember because it will represent your brand online, highlight what you sell or who your ideal customers are, and most importantly to have an effect on SEO.
- Stick with the .com domain extension
- Keep it simple and short
- Make it unique and brandable
- Make it easy to remember, spell, and pronounce
- Add a keyword in your domain name if possible
- Don’t repeat letters
- Avoid using numbers and hyphens
- Use domain name generators to get ideas
- Check that it’s not trademarked
- Register your domain before someone takes it
Read more: 300+ Art Business Names That Will Capture Your Customers’ Attention
2. Sign Up for an Account
Creating a Shopify account is the first thing you must do. It only takes a few clicks to get started by going to their website and selecting the 'Start Free Trial' button. Shopify provides a 14-day free trial account to all users. Your email address, password, and store name are all that are required.
You can experience the entire process of setting up your online store during the free trial period, but you won't be able to launch your site or start selling products with it just yet.
If you are unsure of the answers, you can click the "Skip" button.
Shopify will begin your experience with a brief question and answer session as soon as you have finished the registration process. This is so that Shopify can get a better understanding of how you envision your store to function.
This is the main section to lead you to the next step.
Customers will need to access your online store through its domain name, which is its public address. Consider it a digital address that people can use to find you online.
3. Adding Products
Here's the page where you fill in the information about your art.
You should be thrilled about the prospect of adding the first piece of your artwork to the shop! When you click the "Add Product" button, a form allowing you to enter specific information about the item you plan to sell will appear.
We've added some sample text to the screenshot above to demonstrate what you could enter for the product detail fields. The data you enter here serves more uses than just those of display. You can organize your artwork using fields like product type, collections, and tags. Additionally, it makes it simpler for customers to find art on your online store.
You will have a record of your very first item for sale once you have completed filling out all the required information on the page and clicked save.
4. Choose a Theme for Your Online Store
Pick the right theme for your online store.
From the home page of your Shopify account, click on ‘Customize Theme’ to start the process. Themes are pre-designed templates that you can use for your online store. If you don’t want to spend time on this, you can simply choose one and start using it.
We do recommend you customize yours so that you can give your online store that personal touch. To choose a template, click on ‘Visit Theme Store’. This will display a pop-up gallery of free themes and paid themes you can choose from such as Blum.
Scroll through them and click on the one you like to view more details about it. If you like the theme, click on ‘Add to theme library’.
5. Customize the Theme
Go back to the home page and select the desired theme by clicking the 'Customize' button. The 'Theme Library' section will contain the themes that you previously chose. By doing so, the theme editor will appear.
You can choose how sections are organized, where images and text are placed, and even the font size and color. However, keep in mind that it is simple to become lost in the design process, so make the most of your time by finishing adding items to your inventory before beginning to design your store.
Once you are done with the design, click on ‘Save’.
6. Exploring Shopify Features
We have only covered the very fundamentals of how to set up an online store and add products to it up to this point. Shopify is a complete eCommerce platform, so it's made to support your sales.
There is much more to the sales process than merely setting up a store. For instance, you can use analytics to understand your customers better, manage marketing campaigns to bring in more visitors, and even create discounts.
7. Add on Apps
From the left navigation menu, select "Apps" and then "Visit the Shopify App Store" to view the additional apps that are offered. Small scripts or programs called "Apps" are being used here to enhance specific Shopify store features.
But keep in mind that you might need to pay extra money to use some of the apps. The costs are determined by the prices the developer sets for those apps. An online retailer can find almost anything they could need or want in the Shopify App Market. Applications are available to assist you with shipping, shipping activities, and more.
8. Extending Sales to Social Channels
You can expand your sales channel with Shopify by connecting to well-known social media sites.
The ability to expand your online store's capabilities beyond the site itself is one of Shopify's most potent features. This means that you can use other platforms to increase sales, including well-known ones like Facebook, Instagram, and even Amazon.
Click the "+" sign next to "Sales Channels" and pick from the list to add more sales channels. This will help you connect with a much wider audience than just the customers of your single online store.
Tips for Selling Your Art Better With Shopify
If you're thinking about selling art online for the first time, you might not yet be aware of its beauty. You can broaden the audience for your Shopify art store in a variety of ways, like:
Add a Blog
Typically, search engines are where the most profitable internet traffic originates. Although it's free and natural, you still need to have the content to entice people to visit. The blog is helpful because search engines like Google rely on the content of your site to determine whether it's worthwhile sending visitors your way.
You can tell search engines how valuable your site is by writing about art, not necessarily your own particular works.
Use Social Media
Your online art store can’t live in a vacuum. There are many other websites around, all competing for attention. Make use of social media channels to promote your site, or even individual pieces being sold.
In general, art is attractive and can perform well on some social media platforms, like Pinterest. To grow your following on social media, pick one or two channels and post frequently.
Digital Marketing
The good news for you is that Shopify integrates well with many third-party services and programs. You can increase your reach by using digital marketing tools. Platforms for email marketing, like MailChimp, can be easily automated and customized.
FAQ
What is the best way to sell art online?
The best way to sell art online is by building your own branded ecommerce site with a platform like Shopify. You can also sell your art on a marketplace like Etsy or on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook Shops. Understand where your target customers like to shop to find out the best place to sell your art online.
Is selling art online profitable?
Yes, if you're deliberate about your pricing and marketing tactics, selling art online can be profitable. Platforms that support e-commerce, like Facebook and Etsy, have made it easier to sell art online. You don't have to pay marketplace fees when you sell on your own online store created with a platform like Shopify.
How do you price your art?
When determining how much to charge for your artwork, take into account the costs involved in both its creation which includes your time and its sale which includes website, marketing, and payment processing fees. When you have a figure, contrast it with those of your rivals to see how you fare. You can run tests to see what price your customers will accept from you and still make a profit.
What art sells the most?
Popular works of art are widely varied. Customers have varying tastes, particularly when it comes to art. Popular forms of art include comic books, pop art, abstract paintings, inspirational quotes, stock photography, landscape paintings, and photography.
Conclusion
Due to this, you might notice that the pricing structure is a little more expensive than that of the straightforward website builders. The benefits you receive, however, far outweigh the monthly fees you pay.
However, you should be aware that Shopify will deduct transaction fees from your sales when customers use credit cards to make online purchases. Due to lower rates for higher plan tiers, it makes financial sense to upgrade your Shopify plan as your sales grow.
