What I Learned by Visiting Artists’ Online Shops

by Rena Klingenberg.

When I was new to selling my jewelry online, I used to look at other artists’ shops much differently than I do now.

Back then I visited their online shops as part of a research mission – trying to pinpoint the “best way” to sell handmade items on the Web.

And although that’s no longer why I visit artists’ online shops, here are some insights I gained from that research:

6 things I learned from
visiting artists’ online shops

1. There isn’t just one best way of making sales in an online shop. Many different approaches can be successful.
2. What works for one artist online may not work for others – even if their work is in the same genre.
3. When you see an artist charging particular prices (either high or low) – that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily making sales at those prices. Or that they wouldn’t make more sales by raising those prices.
4. Artists whose work and online presence have an authentic originality tend to accumulate dedicated followers.
5. When you visit an artist’s online shop, you may be seeing some experimental strategies they’re testing – not necessarily tried & true things that have worked for them.
6. Artists who work consistently on building their online following and directing it to their shop tend to sell their work a lot more regularly.

Now I visit artists’ online shops
for a different reason.

Instead of doing research, I now visit artists’ shops simply because I love visiting them!

I love seeing the artistry, the photography, the “personality” of a shop, how the artist writes product descriptions, and everything.

I enjoy wandering around – admiring, appreciating, and sometimes making a purchase! 🙂

What do you learn or enjoy
when you visit other artists’ online shops?