If you want to know how to sell your art online then look no further! I spent years by myself devouring podcasts and books, learning how to get my art to reach a wider audience (other than my friends and family, as much as I love them), and now I want to share that knowledge with you.

Sharing your art with the world can be exciting but daunting! That's why I've put together this helpful list of my tried and tested methods to help you sell your art online.

Choosing the right way to sell your art is an important first step. Galleries and agents can come in very handy if the thought of selling your art yourself can seem stressful, they do all the hard work for you, getting your art in front of the right audience and getting you a strong platform to sell your work. 

But they'll also take 50% of your sale price (and rightfully so!).

This is why more and more people are opting to sell their artwork independently online. By learning to create your own exposure through various platforms and systems, you keep 100% of the profit!

But it’s important to note that this takes serious work and commitment. You may not see instant results, but once everything is implemented and working you will see a fantastic transformation in your sales (I now make 6 figures a year selling my art online!)

Related blog post: My Chinoiserie Journey: How I Built A 6 Figure Art Business

These are some of my tried and tested ideas to sell artwork (successfully!) online:

Building an email list of people to connect with is so important when selling artwork online. Always remember that even if you have followers on social media, your content is likely only reaching a tiny percent of them. In addition, you could lose your followers suddenly, it is not common, but it certainly happens. It is important to have a way of connecting with your audience outside of social media, and with a more reliable method, such as email marketing.

Email marketing generally converts more compared with all other marketing activity, and you can start building your email list before you even have a website!

Collect email addresses from people you meet in person, your social media followers, or guide your website viewers to join your mailing list with a sign up form (but make sure they’re happy to be contacted for marketing purposes).

Once they are on your list, you'll want to set up a simple welcome flow of 3-5 emails to introduce your brand, you can learn more about how to do this and what to include in your emails in my ebook.

There are many other providers out there, such as Mailchimp, Flodesk, or Klaviyo, but I suggest researching them until you find one that best suits your goals.

Creating your own website or online store to showcase and sell your art is an essential step for any artist. It allows you to express your unique artistic vision through customised branding and design, and you have complete control over how your art is presented, priced, and sold.

In most cases I wouldn't recommend hiring out control of your website as you'll want to be able to make changes as and when you need. I find myself amending my website on a daily basis, take the time to learn the system and it will become second nature (plus they make it SO easy, there is nothing to fret about I promise).

Note - A dedicated website enhances your professionalism and credibility, and improves your visibility on search engines like Google.

Your choice of website provider depends on whether you're selling products, offering services, or showcasing a portfolio of work. There are plenty of options when it comes to building your website. Some of the leading platforms that can help are Shopify, Wordpress, and Squarespace.

Your customers' website experience is SO important! You’ll need to be crystal clear about what you’re offering, so keep this in mind when building your website. I share lots of helpful information in my ebook about how to optimise your website to get people buying!

Selling art on Instagram or any other social media platforms is a great way to get your name out there and build an audience. 

I’d advise signing up to all the main social media platforms, but you can start by building a presence on Instagram or TikTok. Focus your energy on creating high quality, inspiring, videos and images of your artwork.  

Ensure your post includes some information about the artwork, as well as a clear direction to the bio link for more information. Or you could even use the app Many Chat to make it super easy for your followers to be sent the info they need directly to their inbox!

Learn more information about the amazing app Many Chat and all the other apps I use in my art business in this free app guide!

For most followers, watching your content and exploring what you create is enough. Not many will think of making a purchase (unless you specifically ask them to!) and that’s why it's important to set up your systems such as email marketing where you have a better chance of converting them.

Social media can be one of those love/hate things - but if used it in the right way it can completely change your life, just like it changed mine!

A blog with regularly updated content is a great way to engage and inform your audience, plus it has the added benefit of helping you rank higher in Google’s search results!

Think about your audience and your art products or services, and create inspiring or attention grabbing articles that are both valuable to the viewer AND promote your work!

You can promote these blogs across your social media and even send it out to your mailing list to encourage sales. 

As an independent artist, your time outside of creating new work can be limited, so why not consider transforming your original paintings into on-demand art prints. 

This is an online fulfilment service that prints, packs and ships your art, removing a lot of stress from your life. These companies have access to high-quality papers, printers, and inks and they are printed specifically with colour quality and longevity in mind.

Depending on your location you can choose to go with a local company, or you can take a look at some well known print-on-demand platforms such as The Print Space.

Related blog post: The Making of my Botanical and Bird Print Collection

Selling art on Etsy or other online market places are great sales avenues to have alongside your website!

These platforms are used all around the world to support independent artists and creatives, and they provide access to a huge global audience allowing you to reach new potential customers - perfect for anyone who wants to sell art without social media.

Partnering or collaborating with a bigger brand can help to take your artistic success to new heights! It gives you exposure to a much larger audience, while strengthening your reputation at the same time.

Showcase your art and put yourself out there in whatever way you enjoy most to grab the attention of brands and their employees.

When engaging with your followers online, always remember they could be the director of your favourite brand, so how you communicate with them is very important. You never know who you are talking to!

Related blog post: The wait is over! Affordable chinoiserie wallpaper and matching fabrics available now! 

If there's one thing that's more important than creating your artwork, it's making sure it's seen by as many people as possible, and you can be in control of that!

I created a guide for artists who want to scale their creative business by selling art organically online to a global audience. I’m beyond excited to share my knowledge with you, because this strategy truly changed my life. 

I get to live a life doing what I love, working only 30 hours a week, whilst making a six figure salary.

So if you're ready to take your art business to the next level, download my eBook 'The Art of Marketing' to help get you there!

Myself and thousands of other artists are living proof that it’s all possible, and great marketing is at the heart of it.

If you want to know all of the apps and software I use to grow my art business and increase my productivity, download my free marketing apps & software guide!

Be sure to sign up for free art and marketing tips to help you on your artistic journey!