Has your website outsold your gallery sales?

[Tired Iron]

Has anybody out there found that their website has now become the leading source of sales of their artwork?

Will the internet put a huge crunch on galleries? Have gallery sales actually improved because of THEIR advertising on the web and THEIR website?

I know there are gallery owners on this forum. Could any of you give answers or tell us of your experiences on this subject?

[evaldart]

Currently negotiating my first web sale, a 500 dollar painting (dont spend it all in one place). Needless to say my site is not a source of direct sales. It has always been referals, art shows, word of mouth. The site helps with imagery and info, and aids in application procedures. It is a validator in the eyes of many these days though.

[danthoman]

I've had my web site up for several years, but have only had two web based sales. I usually tell people to look at the site to see what I can do (if they can't come by my studio) then call me to discuss what they want. I've made may sales using this method. I guess you could call them pseudo-web-sales.

[weseye]

I’ve sold a few pieces from my website, but nothing to brag about. Sales usually result if the artwork is where it can be seen in person. Art shows, group shows, private (invitational) shows, commissions, galleries, repeat sales and referrals—work best for me.

Keep Arting!
Jeff (weseye) Wesley

[desertrock]

2 sold this weekend from a web inquiry, resulting in a visit from the buyer.
I kept what would be the gallery price with a substantial discount for the purchase of 2 pieces. I'm linked to 3 other art sites which has helped traffic to my site.

Mark

[robertpulley]

I've had a web site of one sort or another for quite a few years. I have had one $500 sale last year. Another offer of $600 for a piece marked $800 (I wish I had taken the offer). I finished a self designed site last year with the idea of trying to lead people to it by direct marketing using a series of post cards to targeted designers in South Eastern and South Western markets. I sent out my first 600 cards last week and plan on sending out 3 or 4 more groups of cards before I pass judgement on whether it was a good idea or a waste of time and money.

I plan on using the web site not as a catalog of available work, but rather an on line brochure that explains the range of my work, processes and background with hopes it will induce someone to ask about prices, available work etc. We'll see. But I feel the need to get out of the Midwest in a way that makes economic sense. I have decided that given the sporadic sales of my work, loss of 50% of retail price to galleries and cost of shipping or several days on the road to deliver/pick up work from galleries I need to find a way to make sales to distant markets other than through galleries.

[Baraka]

We've had our website for many years, and consider it a useful tool. I don't remember a sale that came from someone stumbling across the site, but we do maintain one page that consists of the paintings that we have in the studio. There is not a link to that page on the site, however. It is there for our clients and galleries to refer to when shopping for another piece. My reason for no link is due to the fact that some galleries do not accept artists who sell on the internet. I'm not sure why this rule, but we are about to approach one of those, and don't want to hurt our chances.

Our best tool has been an ever growing email list. I have an html page that is changed regularly and mailed out as new pieces are completed. This is done both for myself, and my husband's work. The list includes clients, addy's of inquiries, acquaintances, and galleries. It's currently a little over 1000 email addresses. In addition, when it relates to horses (my work), I also have a much larger list of horse breeders.

Most of the time, the galleries call and ask for the new piece, but sometimes a client will beat them to it. I find that when these mailers are sent out, the hits to the site increase as people tend to go to the website and refresh their memories on other paintings, or to see if there is something they have missed.

Keeping a website current is the downer. Finding the time to redo the pages with new work on a regular basis is sometimes impossible.

[Baraka]

AH, after I sent that I remembered something. I was thinking of original work only when I wrote my post. Fact is that I have sold several Lithograph prints (horses) directly from my website, without the benefit of the mailers.