Hello All,
I have been attending art shows now for over 10 years. In the past I would ask the artist if they had a website and most would say No. When I asked why the most common answer was "I don't want to deal with it". So after 5 years of serious pondering over the idea, I built a website for artist to sell their work on. Now I go to shows and meet artist and discuss the possibly selling their work on the website. I normally leave each show with anywhere from 3 to 5 that are interested.
I explain that I will go all the administrated work which includes product upload and removal. Promote their artwork on the blog and channel it through face book, twitter and Utube. Then notify them when an item sells. The interested artist is excited about the idea when I leave.
Now here,s the thing......when I do my follow up calls to discuss further, most of the time I have to leave a message. I never get a call back. I will call 3 more times, no answer.
Here is the question, I will do all the leg work so "why don't artist want sell on the internet?"
Here is the website http:\\www.artdelightshop.com
Any input would be great.
Thanks
Linda
Comments
Thanks Connie, The more I get into your world I can see the time issue. Just submitting an application to attend a show has to be time consuming and comes with strick deadlines. Then there is preparing for the show, making the product, loading up. Travel to the show and setting up. Breaking down and loading up after the show. Travel back home or on to the next show. In between all that some artist have studio's and offer classes. When do you guys sleep?
I'm attending a pre-artshow receiption this evening, do you think that is a better place to approach and talk with the artist? If not do you have any other suggestions?
Linda
I so totally understand, Linda. An online gallery is a good idea and so cool to have a bunch of American Made work in the same place -- I guess I was just trying to explain the recalcitrance of the artists to participate, get back to you, etc.
I've tried to organize artists for some things similar and it is very tough! I think it really is that those who don't participate is the time issue and that they are doing so many other things, they don't see the upside of using their time to do this because they are concerned about more imminent things.
Doesn't Guild.com do this pretty successfully though?
Your views and perspectives have provided some good
information of what you deal with at the shows, who would have known?
Larry and Connie, the objective of the website is to provide
a 1 stop shop to purchase American Made Artwork. People
want variety when they shop. A community
website provides that variety and much more.
Neiman Marcus would not be the company it is today if they only had 1
designer. The blog allows me to promote
the shows you the artist will be attending and show samples of your work luring
your customers and new customers to come see you.
Nancy, the consumer pays the
shipping so if they want it shipped, ship it.
The shipping seems to be a huge setback for many artists when it shouldn’t
be. I took a job with Neiman Marcus
Direct just to get insight on running a website and retail sales. I was shocked at what people will pay for
shipping. Horchow is the home décor division
of Neiman’s and the shipping cost of furniture was sometimes 50% of the
purchase price, but people still paid it.
I also learned not to try and predetermine what a customer will want and
will pay. That experience really opened
my eyes to consumer spending habits.
I really appreciate everyone’s feedback
and thank you for taking the time to enlighten me.
Linda
Most of the time artists don't have much time to handle and update websites plus the hassle of shipping. But on the other side in my case I love to have a website because it promotes my art in many different places that I could not reach even for art shows. I seldom sell gig paintings with frames thru a website not unless the client agrees to pay a high shipping cost but most of the time prints and portrait with pencil are easier to ship which are more favorable to sell through a website. For me to have a website is the best!
http://www.learnportraitwithpencil.com
I agree with Carla's comment above, having someone in the booth trying to sell us a service when we are trying to interact with customers is not productive. I can't tell you how many times one of us have "walked" a person out of the booth whose main interest was either getting us to donate an item or discuss a potential marketing, internet, blah, blah blah opportunity.
For good causes we will donate, but on our time, within our ability. Anyone trying to "fish for busines" needs to contact us outside of show hours, shows are when we have limited time to make a profit and respect that fact that we've paid for valuable real estate in our 10x10 booth and aren't there to listen to sales pitches during our opportunity to interact with customers and actually make a living.
OK, can you tell you've hit a "sore spot"? Sorry, just sick of paying for a booth space and then feeling like we're sitting ducks for anyone who wants to come in and pitch the latest marketing technique, ask for donations or get us to sign some petition we've never heard of. We're working, this is not a volunteer effort, respect the fact that this is not a hobby, we're actually trying to make a living and there are WAY too many people who feel like their request is a one of a kind or special opportunity for us artists. OK, I'm getting off my soap box now!!
Why don't they respond afterwards? Artists wear way too many hats and pretty much focus on the task at hand and as the responses above indicate, they just don't want to deflect from their shows. They've paid the money for a booth and want to recoup it now, not maybe in the future from a site.
I agree with Larry that community sites are not the place, an artist needs to have their own site, if only a contact spot where people who are looking for them can get in touch. A basic site with a few images and a show schedule and an email signup box so people who are interested can leave their information and so that you can MARKET to those people when you go to their town. It is true that many people will not make a decision on the spot, they may have to go home to think about a purchase or some change in their life that will then predicate that they want a piece of our art. A website is the 21st century equivalent of a business card. Why not capitalize on those interested parties at a later time that is more convenient for them. Or like Nancy said above, let them know when you are coming to their town. Or post those 50 shows on a website so a customer can track you down at a show.
A website is not only about direct sales. It is about marketing, being available and collecting fans to meet you at your next show. I believe in websites for all.
http://www.artfairinsiders.com/forum/categories/marketing-sales-of-...
Community web sites where you're competing with hundreds or thousands of competitors will never be as good as selling your art from your own web site with your own domain name. That way interested people ONLY see your art.
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
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