Check out this Business Week Online article which looks at the ups and downs of selling art online. Go To Article
While it’s a good read, it misses the point of the major value of having an online art presence: the tremendous cost and time savings in NOT having to prepare, mail, and track conventional portfolio packages to galleries and dealers which can add up to thousands of dollars and hours every year for an active artist.
A key component of any artist’s marketing strategy should still be to submit samples of work to galleries and dealers. Having an online art showcase means that you can just send a letter with an invitation to visit your website. It also helps to include a brochure or card with an image of your work. We estimate that the cost of preparing, mailing, and return shipping of a traditional portfolio is at least $10 – and that doesn’t include the cost of your time to prepare it. At 37c per letter, you can send 30 letters for the same price. Its simply more bang for your marketing bucks!
The article refers primarily to websites which host the work of many artists for low monthly fees. It fails to mention the value of another option – a fully customized artist website. This allows you to completely craft the environment and showcasing of your work – something of great importance when presenting your work to an arts professional.
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