10 Best Selling Tips For Artists

If you visit the hundreds of articles I’ve written for you on this website you’ll probably find thousands of sales tips for artists. In the interest of saving you time I like to occasionally offer bite-size morsels of information with links to further reading.

This article includes 10 Best Selling Tips for Artists. Each tip has links to related articles to give you more ideas! The title of this article could have also been Hundreds of Best Selling Tips for Artists!

Dive into many ways to increase your art sales.

Help Your Customers Visualize Their Purchase

If you want to sell art directly to art buyers you must have an in situ page on your website where you post high-quality, accurate images of your art installed in homes, offices, public spaces, hospitals, etc. Potential buyers want to be able to visualize your art in their own interiors relative to scale, balance, color, and other elements.

You’ll find a great article I wrote on the subject here: “Show Images of Installed Artwork on Your Website To Increase Sales”.

Add Detailed Images of Your Artwork

If you have a lot of detail or interesting texture in your art that isn’t easily interpreted in your full scale images, add details of your artwork in your gallery or portfolio section of your website and also on social media. Otherwise, what might be some of the best features of your art may go unnoticed.

If you’re a 3-D artist, don’t forget to supply various views of your artwork.

Consider adding a short video that includes close-up views of your artwork.

Keep Sold Art on Your Website

Don’t remove “sold” work in your online gallery. Identify it as “sold” and mention any other useful information. For example, if you do commissions supply a link to your commissions page or F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions) page about how they can order a similar work of art.

Informing visitors that your work is selling is a good thing! In fact, psychologically, when the potential buyer sees your sold works of art they will feel more confident in making a purchase and their interest and respect for you and your art will increase.

Beneath your sold piece, you could add a description, such as “The original painting has been sold. It is in the collection of Advent Corp. Limited edition prints of this painting are available. Please visit my limited edition prints page for details.” Or, you could add, “Although this painting has been sold please inquire about my commissioned paintings.”

Exceed Your Customers’ Expectations

Have you ever heard of the Pareto Principle? It tells us that 20 percent of your clients will bring you 80 percent of your business. So, if you’re smart you’ll pay close attention to that 20 percent. In fact, you’ll be wise to treat them with “white glove service”.

Look for ways to build customer loyalty from the very beginning of your relationship. Offer to hand-deliver the work, give them written instructions on how to care for the art, offer a reduction on their next art purchase, and remember them on their birthdays and anniversaries.

For more ideas, read “How Smart Artists Treat their Art Buyers”.
Also read “Ways to Ensure Ongoing Future Art Sales”.

Add A Praise Page

If you have admirers, followers and fans and have sold artwork, share those words of praise. Ask for permission or use first names and last name initials. Better yet if you have received accolades from jurors or curators in exhibitions you have been selected for, or leading art professionals who have made comments. You can also include positive quotes from publicity you have received in print or online.

Read Add A Praise Page to Your Art Website

Seek New Venues to Multiply Sales

Don’t get stuck in a rut by only trying to sell in one market niche. Vary your outlets and venues. Many artists have sold their art through a range of different locales such as cafes, doctor’s waiting rooms, furniture stores, hotel lobbies and yoga studios. Or they have connected with interior designers and art consultants for increasing sales. Furthermore, one fast-growing field is the healthcare art market which includes not only hospitals but also medical treatment centers, out patient clinics, rehabilitation centers, and more.

Read “Selling Your Art to Interior Designers and Art Consultants”.
Read “Resources for Artists Interested in Selling to The Healthcare Art Market”.

Keep Your Credentials Up to Date

Few things are worse than having outdated About / Biography / Resume/ CV / Pages. It’s important to show off your most recent career achievements.  It’s also a good idea to add future events such as upcoming scheduled exhibitions. Also provide prominent links to this important page on all other pages and your art blog.

And, if you have an Artist’s Statement page remember to update it to reflect your current creative process.

Read “How to Write Your Artist’s Biography”
Read “Quick Tips For Writing Your Artist’s Statement”
Learn about my Writing Services For Artists

Start An Email Newsletter Now!

You’re missing a very powerful way to sell more art if you don’t yet offer an email newsletter.  Most artists I know who send email newsletters to their subscribers on a regular basis see an increase in sales and other benefits.  If you’re like many artists I know you’ve thought about adding this step to your art marketing efforts but  you don’t know how to write your artist email newsletter or what to write about. And, when you start the program, set a schedule for it, such as weekly or bi-monthly.

Read How to Write Your Artist Email Newsletter.

Set Up A F.A.Q. Page on Your Website

Time is a precious and valuable commodity for both you and your potential buyer. Anticipating your customers’ questions will be much appreciated. They’ll know you take the extra effort when you address their inquires on your F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions) page.

Answers about shipping procedures and costs, turn around time for commissions, your procedure for working with galleries, agents, and art consultants, are all very helpful. Also invite visitors to send you questions via email that you could add tot he page.

Update Your “New Art” Page

If you have a “New Art” section on your website, make sure you update this page often. “New Art” should be taken literally and your visitors should expect to see the page revised at least every few months and the older pieces moved to another page. It’s good to let potential art buyers know you are continuously producing art. That’s the sign of a true professional artist.

Also, a “New Work” page gives visitors more reason to see what new art they can add to their existing collection and they’ll visit more often. After you update the page post an announcement on social media and in an email newsletter inviting them to visit the page.

Bonus Tip
Begin Your Holiday Art Marketing 12 Months a Year

Don’t wait until November to scramble for last minute holiday art sales. Start by announcing in your email newsletter and social media campaign how your art makes great holiday gifts. Every week or so send an email showing special holiday pieces that may be ordered in advance, especially if you do commissioned works of art or sell limited edition prints.

You might want to write an art blog post about it or create a separate Holiday Art Ideas page on your website.

Read “Plan For Your Holiday Art Sales Now With Email Marketing – 7 Steps”
Read “Simple Steps to Writing Art Blog Posts”

Check Out My Writing Services for Artists