Promoting Art On The Internet - Why Would Anybody Do It?

Shared Visions Unlimited has been presenting artists on the Internet for a few years.  This article is based on our experience and is intended for artists thinking about promoting themselves and their work on the Internet. 

The Good News

• A web browser is a perfect place to present visual artists.  You can combine high quality photos, text, and multimedia elements to create stunning presentations. (See the Shared Visions Unlimited Art Gallery or the Shared Visions Gallery, Delray Beach Florida for examples)
• Anyone in the world with access to the Internet can see the online presentation.
• Online commerce can make it easy for someone to purchase an item.
• Relative to standard print media, the Internet provides very inexpensive advertising and presentation space.  Some sites will allow you to upload photos and descriptions to their site for free or for a small monthly charge.
• The web site can be a very good tool for the artist in their daily contacts with prospective collectors.  A simple business card with the web address in it can give the person the opportunity to view selections of the artists work at a convenient time.
• Potential dealers can view the works online, which can avoid much time and expense in sending materials to galleries, publishers, etc.  The dealer or publisher may ask for extra materials, but the artist is way ahead of the game if the material is requested rather than received unsolicited.

The Challenges

• It is getting increasingly difficult to get noticed on the web.  There are now many thousands of sites presenting art.
• The search engines are getting to be so huge that it takes a lot of work and time to get well listed.
• Many people have a resistance to buying anything over the Internet, though we have had fairly good success with the video, How to Coach Baseball To Kids, and with plants offered by The Perennial Gardens.
• We have had some sales of art that were facilitated by the web site, but few that were fully inspired by the presentation.  we think we present art as well as anyone, so we are inclined to believe that art is simply a tough sell on the Internet.
• It seems that purchasing art is a much more personal experience than the Internet can provide.  People like to touch the art, or like the artist, or like the gallery, or experience the smile of the salesperson to make a purchase.

Recommendations

• Treat an online presentation as an online brochure that will support other marketing efforts. 
• Do not use the web presentation as an excuse not to do personal presentations.  
• Get involved in your local art community.  People buy from people.   And getting out of the studio can be a good stretch for even the most shy among us.
• Start building a database of people interested in your work.  I once saw a presentation by an artist who had great success with small arts and crafts fairs.  He didn't always sell that much at the event itself, but the follow-up sales and commissions were sometimes substantial.
• Do everything you can to make it easy for someone to buy online, but do not sit back in the expectation that the checks will simply start rolling in.  It is not likely to happen.

So, Why Would Anyone Do It?

In general I suggest to all artists to leave no stone unturned.  Try everything until something works.  Then try some more things.  A presentation on the Internet requires little commitment in terms of time and money.  So why not include it in the career toolkit?

What Shared Visions Unlimited Can Do For Artists

• Create a presentation of the artist and works in the Shared Visions Unlimited Art Gallery.
• Offer specific works for sale.  We can handle online purchases using all major credit cards simply pass on the order.
• Promote the site with over 300 search engines and lists.
• Facilitate a marketing network where artists can earn commissions by selling the work of other artists. 
• Discuss other marketing options with the artist.  We have sometime arranged local exhibitions and mailed brochures to galleries and publishers, but nothing replaces the personal efforts of the artists themselves.
• Please see the 20 / 20 Art Marketing Services for more information.

What Shared Visions Unlimited Can Do For Galleries

We can create an online presence for your gallery or business.  We build the online presentation and online catalog for the Shared Visions Gallery, Delray Beach Florida.

Where Else To Look?

• The best single resource that I know of for artists is How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist: Selling Yourself Without Selling Your Soul by Caroll Michels.
• Also see Resources For Success.

Article by Greg Dixon, Founder of  Shared Visions Unlimited
E-mail: gdixon@shared-visions.com
Voice: 604 985-8261
Fax: 603 947-8214