How to Sell Art Online: The Independent Artist's Practical Guide

Where Should You Sell Your Art Online?

You've got three main options: your own website, an online marketplace, or selling through Instagram messages. Here's how they compare.

What works best for most artists: use Instagram, exhibitions and word of mouth to get noticed, then send buyers to your own artist website where you keep what you earn.

Wondering whether to build your shop on something like Shopify or Squarespace instead? Have a look at Showplace vs Shopify and Showplace vs Squarespace.

Three Ways to Sell

Not every artwork suits a "Buy Now" button. Most artists mix three approaches:

• 1. Buy now, for originals: Small and medium originals with a set price. The buyer pays by card or digital wallet and it's done.
• 2. Enquiries, for big pieces: With larger works (say over £1,000 / $1,500), buyers often want to chat first about framing, how it'll look on their wall, or international freight. A contact form lets them ask before they commit.
• 3. Prints: Good-quality reproductions that are printed and sent for you, so there's no stock to store and no packing. Our guide to selling prints online covers it in detail.

How to Price Your Art

Pricing is the part most artists find hardest. A simple formula takes the guesswork out and keeps your prices fair and consistent. Here are two easy ones.

1. Time plus materials

(Hourly rate × Hours spent) + Cost of materials = Price

Choose an hourly rate you're happy with (many emerging artists start around £25–£40 / $30–$50), then add what you spent on canvas, paint and framing.

2. Price by size

(Width in inches + Height in inches) × A set amount (e.g. £10 / $15) = Price

Pieces of a similar size in a series then cost the same, no matter how long each one took you.

Getting Paid

When someone's ready to buy, make it easy. Asking them to do a bank transfer over message adds hassle and delays, and sales get lost along the way.

With Showplace you connect your own Stripe account, and then:

• Buyers can pay with Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
• The money goes straight to your bank account, in the currency you choose (e.g. AUD, USD, GBP, EUR, CAD).
• The artwork is marked Sold as soon as payment goes through, so you can't accidentally sell it twice.
• 0% Showplace commission: Showplace never takes a cut of your sales. You only pay Stripe's standard card fees.

Packing and Postage

A damaged painting costs you money and a happy collector, so don't skimp on packing:

• Protect the surface: Cover the front with acid-free glassine paper. It stops moisture and sticking.
• Add cushioning: Wrap it in several layers of bubble wrap, bubbles facing out.
• Guard the corners: Use cardboard corner protectors on canvases and frames.
• Use a strong box: Double-walled cardboard boxes work well, or rigid tubes for unframed paper work.

In your Showplace settings, set up postage rates by size (Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large) for local and international orders. Buyers then see the right postage cost at checkout, with no back-and-forth.

Adding Prints

Not everyone who loves your work can afford a £500 or £2,000 original. Prints give them a way in, and give you a range of prices to offer:

• Entry level (£25 – £75): Small and medium prints on heavy archival paper.
• Mid level (£100 – £250): Large framed prints or limited canvas reproductions.
• Top level (£400 – £2,000+): One-of-a-kind original paintings.

Helping Buyers Feel Confident

People can't hold your painting before they buy, so your website needs to answer their worries for them:

• Close-up photos: Show the brushstrokes, texture and edges of the canvas.
• Show the size: A photo of the piece on a wall gives a real sense of scale. Showplace Pro creates these room previews for you automatically.
• Clear policies: Say how you'll post it, roughly how long it takes, and what happens if they need to return it.
• Your story: A friendly About page and a few studio photos show there's a real person behind the work.

Getting People to Your Site

A website is the starting point. Visitors are what turn it into sales:

1. Link to it from your Instagram bio: Use one direct link to your gallery rather than a list of links.
2. Start a newsletter: Let people sign up on your site so you can tell them about new work first.
3. Put your web address everywhere: Business cards, certificates of authenticity and exhibition labels.
4. Help people find you on Google: Give your work clear titles and say what it is (medium, subject) in the description.

Quick Checklist

• Choose a pricing formula: Use it for every original so your prices stay consistent.
• Connect Stripe: Card payments then land straight in your bank account.
• Set your postage rates: By size, for local and international orders.
• Get your packing supplies: Glassine paper, bubble wrap, corner protectors and strong boxes.
• Switch on prints: Upload high-resolution images to offer prints alongside your originals.