A question about the business of selling art on-line

Hello All,

I'm working on a term paper for my business class about sucessful
artisan websites. I'm gathering information and have several questions
I'm using to gather information. If you have any insight on these
questions, I would appreciate a thoughful response. So, here goes
with the questions

1. Have you been to or engaged with a successful artisan website? By
successful, I mean one that turns a profit. If so, do you have a
link?

2. What are the marketing strategies used for successful websites?

3. How long is an artisan website in existance before becoming
profitable?

4. What are the classic pitfalls of marketing art on the web?

5. Have you used an on-line auction service, such as ebay or
sotheby's, to market your art? Did you get the price you expected
from the auction houses?

6. What is the size of the on-line art market? the entire art market?

7. Do you have any horror stories or success stories about on-line art
galleries, stores or auction houses?

8. What is the most used method of payment fo on-line transactions?
Paypal? If a credit card is used, whatis the most used merchant
account and gateway combination?

Thanks in advance

Stevo

"SDW" <sdwix@threerocks.com> wrote in message
news:clr7hd02ctg@enews4.newsguy.com...
>
> Hello All,
>
> I'm working on a term paper for my business class about sucessful
> artisan websites. I'm gathering information and have several questions
> I'm using to gather information. If you have any insight on these
> questions, I would appreciate a thoughful response. So, here goes
> with the questions
>
> 1. Have you been to or engaged with a successful artisan website? By
> successful, I mean one that turns a profit. If so, do you have a
> link?
>
> 2. What are the marketing strategies used for successful websites?
>
> 3. How long is an artisan website in existance before becoming
> profitable?
>
> 4. What are the classic pitfalls of marketing art on the web?
>
> 5. Have you used an on-line auction service, such as ebay or
> sotheby's, to market your art? Did you get the price you expected
> from the auction houses?
>
> 6. What is the size of the on-line art market? the entire art market?
>
> 7. Do you have any horror stories or success stories about on-line art
> galleries, stores or auction houses?
>
> 8. What is the most used method of payment fo on-line transactions?
> Paypal? If a credit card is used, whatis the most used merchant
> account and gateway combination?
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> Stevo

Please see my reply to Dubs and stay in touch with us. Do what I suggested
to Dubs to get a good start on answering your questions.

Wayne

>

Short Answer:

Selling "Art" online is really all about successful branding. The goal
is to demonstrate depth, uniqueness, and control of the properties of
the mediums.

But selling "Crafts" online is all about pricing and exposure, and sense
of familiarity and informality.

You are probably more interested in crafts. Otherwise read on.

Long Answer:

Define "artist", "artisan" and "crafter" so that we know how you are
using the term artisan.

One of the more common mistakes made with art marketing is the
mis-definition of "product".

Mass marketing style business models are not a good match for artist
promotions... although they (mass models) may be ok to help sell
established prints.

An artist should have a strong conviction of what constitutes his/ her
"product" and of what is only the "end result" of this product.

If by using the word artisan, you are speaking of creators ad opposed to
technicians, you can't encapsulate a true creator , no way Jose. The
best you can hope to do is to look over his shoulder while he does his
thing.

This is why it's important to nail the definition of product just right.
In craft, the economics of the product (or the work) play a larger
role. In art, the product is not the WORK. It's the spirit of the work.
(!). If the marketing apparatus - be it a gallery, e-gallery, festival
or what have you - fails to define and redefine the spirit in which the
artist creates, then the "artisan" must risk being seen as working for
the masses as a crafter. At this point, you no longer have an artist,
but an automaton (or a commercial artist), no matter how you spin it.

Seems that it is the role of the artist to introduce visions of order
into chaos, and visions of chaos into prevailing order. And although
they don't mind getting compensated for it, and well should they be,
they do not work primarily for the money, but from a passionate drive.

How many websites are content to merely show the finished works of art
and the prices, (maybe a short bio and resume) and think they have
marketed the product? Many! How many of those sites have lots of sales?
Not Many. And that's understandable because in those cases, the true
product has not been unveiled...

The spirit of the work helps define the worth of the work. That a
connection between viewer and the piece viewed is sufficient to define
the art must now be recognized as myth in light of slumping original art
sales, which demonstrate lack of interest in most of what's out there,
and slumping interest in art in general.

Consider that a key value which separates human from beast is his
capacity to create an original work of art, then ponder why the teaching
of creative arts has been all but removed from our public school system
in North America. The days of art are almost over, my friend.

Remember the brilliant marketing campaign by Bartles and James? They too
(Napa Valley) will see that selling two dollar wine to go with your
hamburger does not fit well with winemaking as an art, and will wake up
one day in competition with Pepsico.

Unlike the crafter, whose job it is to BREED FAMILIARITY, The role of
the artistic artisan is not just to make pretty pictures to sell.

A well know artist once said that "once an artist finds himself, he then
is lost".

To put the fire back into art, you must show the artist as vulnerable to
his work again. Whether it's wrapping up a building or re-interpreting a
near forgotten historical event... An artist ought to always be able to
look at his work, and say "Oh my God... what have I gone and birthed
now".

You may feel we are straying away from your questions, but I ask you to
consider. Why has the need for original art dropped off in this country?
In the answer to this is the key to a website which is of more use and
will me more successful in the long run.

In a lot of ways post-modernity ushered in the death of nobility...
because of class association with art, we mocked the virtuous... and
nihilism because the undercurrent of the day. This allowed us to
relegate great art into the category of puffery, much to the demise of
great artists and in turn the viewing public. As I said, I think I see
the same thing happening in the wine industry.

I personally would like to see a photo of the artist with his hands
gritty... or hair messed up in some way. Full of.. something. If he
won't get his hands dirty in his medium, I won't buy his work. In
otherwords, let him lose himself to his vision in the same way the moth
losses himself to the flame. Right on camera. And don't even THINK about
an artists (or artisan) site without a blog. I want to be all up inside
of his head.

Where did real art go?

I'm now thinking of the dancing "Pink Lady" of Malibu California circa
1970 something. She lived for awhile on a overpass before the beach. Is
Graffiti the only true pure art form left? Is spray painted overpasses
the only one that is still auhentically motivated? The only art left
which still finds us where we are and stirs us, raises social
consciousness, makes us laugh, angers us, and places the artist at risk
of reprisal?

Perhaps you will be able to change this in some small way with your
projects.

Or you could just say "the hell with it. It's all about the money". if
so, no problemo. Welcome to the crowd... See ya on ebay :^)

~zion~