Hi everyone. I've read a few of the testimonials about the artists web, and I'm just a little confused about when people say how pleased they are that they have sold "x number of paintings today". Do they literally mean paintings or do they mean prints?

They mean paintings.



http://www.leylamurr.com

fair enough. in which case, the people who sell paintings, do they arrange payment/postage etc. themselves?

Sambrett, the basic answer is "yes" but there's a whole help section in TAW with FAQs which explain how you go about setting up your site to sell. You need to read through that then probably browse through historic forum posts (again there's a whole section on selling). A lot of this has been covered quite extensively before so the best way to get helpful comments and advice here if you've already been through the basics.

cheers and welcome
Elise

thank you very much. will do

Hi Sambrett
I have been online with TAW for the best part of two years. Through TAW I have sold nothing. I just get a buzz out of visiting my statistics.
I sell through live presentation, galleries and my own contacts. It's hard work, but I don't think you can expect the internet to do it for you.
Your work is interesting but it will have to be more personalised.
I wish you good joy
Jack

Hi All,
I have been on this site for nearly two years and I think that after this year I shall call it a day , looking at my stats in April I had 2654 Visits and in May 2187 and the most I have ever received is scam mail which I can do without so I don't see this site as viable for me cost wise so after this years dues are up I shall move on, their are plenty of free site where I can get the same deal.

My View is a different one.
May has seen the highest viewing figures yet,over 5000 for me, but that doesn't mean sales!It only takes one viewer the right viewer maybe to get the sale.
It takes any website approx 3 years to start gaining momentum.I was with Minigallery they started in 2003 and their bouyant sales time started in 05/06. My own website too has taken approx the same time.

If you paid for a website it would cost over a thousand pounds to have something decent designed and an average yearly hosting fee is around £120.00 p.a. then you have your own search engine and marketing to do.
So it is well within your average hosting fee.
Free sites have an added exposure to the above.

So if you wan't to sell your work be prepared to work bloody hard at it and if you love what you do it shouln't pose such a problem.

The website hosts are not responsible for your sales.

Wendy Puerto

Hi Sam and welcome.

I agree with Wendy and it is worth looking around the sites of established painters here to get an idea of the effort poured into web activites alone. In my short experience, you need direct, live involvement with potential buyers/venues and your website is a valuable back-up resource. Most of my website enquiries come from people who have viewed my work live. I would not expect to sell much directly from my site alone until my work starts to establish itself. I believe this takes at least two years for your average independent artist. Good online galleries, specifically promoting sales, take commisions from 20% upwards and artist's work is vetted prior confirming registration. And your still competing for the viewers' attention with zillions of good products in cyber space.

If anyone out there knows where I can find a host offering the equivalent package and equally established and pro-active, please let me know.

thanks a lot everyone. really helpful tips. I'll try to bear it all in mind

It's not easy is it We all try our best to get our work 'out there' and get it seen and you have to become a pushy person even when it's not in your nature. Just got to keep plugging away at it and everything that has been said above is the way it is. No magic formula unfortunately. Wishing you all the best

What would help is if everyone on this site used their meta tags and discriptions to the full in their admin are and also their small discriptions in the a-z of artists just imagine the power of so many in the search engines.

This site could be the best if we want it to, also the new look site has been postponed because not everyone has updated their info.

I am not just being pushy I am passionate about making this website the best.
Because I know having been on minigallery what it means,you can get your work noticed and sell it.

I like your enthusiasm and concur. I'll stick around in the hope that the two year getting started timetable actually works.
Lol
Jack

I absolutely agree with Wendy.
I hummed and hawed about carrying on when my membership was up in January because I had not sold a single piece of work.
Being as it is hand crafted jewellery and not strictly 'art' (whatever that is) I considered this also might be a factor.
Due to a mistake I did renew and very glad I did!
Have had several sales and a commission in the past 3 months and it's an excellent venue to direct people to when they express interest in my jewellery or beads.
I recently noticed that someone has joined TAW to display her jewellery and soap and so I have included my soaps here now too. If I am able to leave it on it will be a great start without the £1000 plus cost of a new website at the moment )

I'm on it Wendy