I consider myself to be somewhat of an intelligent person. I'm also a good person. I donate to charities, help out friends in need, you get the idea. And I have been blessed with a great husband and three great kids.
Unfortunately, just recently, my family has fallen on some really bad, really hard financial times. My hub got laid off from his job...and well, we are just not making ends meet. Don't get me wrong...we are trying. He has taken on a laboring job, here in our small PA town, (which basically just keeps food on the table) and I am looking for night work.
BUT about a month ago I finally got a website up to try to promote my art (something I had been working on for months- before our decline). I also took on a space at one of those CafePress stores where they put my art on various products to be sold to the public (for which they take a hefty commission, but I figured it was a start).
Well, EVERYONE LOVES MY ART!! Really. I have been bombarded by enthusiastic responses (and I'm not talking about patronizing friends and family) and encouraging words. You can actually view some of them at my guestbook. So what is the problem, you might be asking. (Or you might have just moved on to the next article here at gather). Well, the problem is my sales. They are not reflecting the response to the art.
Despite all the enthusiasm and kind words- the sales are just not there. In fact, Marian T (fellow gather member), with her kind words, inspired me to write this blurb of thoughts which have been bubbling over in my head. Her comments were this: "darcy-I am absolutely crazy about your work - I can't decide what to get...You are the Goddess of implementing your passion into reality! (scuse me if I'm sounding over the top) Your art is great!!" She also goes on to say..."Yes, I wanted everyone to be aware of what wonderful art you produce- you recycle- you rekindle the old days- you create new memories out of old memorabillia- wonderful work."
And I thank you Mariana! And I'm grateful for all the kind words from everyone, so please don't get me wrong.
But I just don't get it! If you love my art so much, WHY NOT BUY SOMETHING??!! (not you Mariana, I know you're still deciding, lol)
But geez people.... if you love it - then put a little art into your everyday life! God knows, there's enough products there to choose from in all sizes and price ranges. Now I don't meant to sound whiny, ungrateful, pushy, rude, bitchy, or any other negative adjective that might have popped into your brain. Granted, I'm a little stressed over our financial situation and how I'm going to keep a roof over our heads and feed my kids; but it's not like I'm asking for a mansion on the hill and a Mercedes!
I'm simply asking for a little part-time income. You know, the kind that helps keep the electric on, and food in the fridge, oh yeah and most important - a place to live! You know - the essentials. I'm just looking for a way to work from home and help support my family!
Obviously, I can't just leave them here to their own vices, and go take a full-time job. So I thought, by working on my art around the kid's schedule, maybe somehow, someway, we could get a little extra income.
I'm not looking for the American dream, or to be the next Picasso. I don't want the whole enchilada - just a little slice of the pie. We are not high rollers here. We live a simple life with the basics. And we're quite happy that way. But I do have to support my kids and keep them in food and clothes.
And yes, I am persuing other avenues to get my product out there. I know you can't just put a site up and sit on your laurels. But still the question remains- why don't the sales reflect the enthusiastic response to my art?
I'm open to any ideas, thoughts, and opinions. You can check out my art site, BlueJude Studio by clicking on the link below
and there you will also find the link to my CafePress Shop. It is at the bottom of every page. Let me know what you think the answer is, cause right now.....I don't get it.
I really appreciate any feedback on this one.
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Comments: 36
Things like price, credability, marketing, availability, advertising etc.. will play a role in your sales.
I visited you site and noticed that it takes a while to load. Also I think some descriptions or naratives of your work would help sales. You really can trigger those impulse sales just by writing really great descriptions!
Yes I'm definately a home mom! lol But one of the reasons I chose cafe press is that they take care of all aspects of the ordering-i.e inventory, shipping and handling. I simply don't have the money right now to lay out for inventory of my own products. But if you truly do like the art and product you can e-mail me at bluejude126@yahoo.com and we'll figure something out. Thanks again.
I will give some thought to the narrative aspect. Thanks so much for your input.
Well, the problem is my sales. They are not reflecting the response to the art.Despite all the enthusiasm and kind words- the sales are just not there
Been there, done that, got the t-shirt etcetera. I have a variety of ideas.
You need a manager/agent - not an art gallery run by artie-farties, they say beautiful wonderful nice to see you and talk art, they dont BUY!!!
You need business people to manage your art and you need people to buy. Do not devalue yourself - also 40% commission is standard HOWEVER a gallery shoulddo more than hang your paintings/art/work for that they should aggressively promote - if they discount THEY should take the hit and not YOU. I currently have an arrangement where I provide work and I say I want XXX$ for this piece and they get it - they worry about their commission they frame it they receive the RAW work and can see beyond the problems and look at the potential. HOWEVER these type of agents/galleries are hard to find and mostly will go for more established artists with a proven demand. Furthermore - forgive me for sprouting - FRIENDS - true friends will understand you have to make a living so... if you barter get value, if you sell to a fiend they expect at least 40% discount as youre not going throught the gallery - doing that devalus your work let hem have 20-25% off but no more they win you win, again HOWEVER if you do do that and sell privately or from home the galleery might get mighty dissillussioned and it is pointelss their showing your stuff. you need to market aggresively,inexpensively and fast. It is a fallacy that price is an issue p price is nver an issue it is an excuse. People will easily pay 1000$ for a nice piece for 1000-2000 they might think a little harder but make it accessible - market it widely and affordable so between 100-2000 dollars. I have many more ideas and tips having just gone through 3 years of having immigrated to Canada - not being allowed to work /earn - and therefore painting like hell now a stock to market. Turned professional in 2005 BUT it is paying off. I have lists of many sites with tips and tricks of the trade - sites where calls for artists go out etcetera. I do love you art. I would buy! Also I have a few on here who like my art and I will send them some for FREE but... I hope they will spread the word. I do leave the price on the back to let them know what I invested in giving them the piece and hope for a reciprocal promotion. where it is given in LOVE-asa agift I never mention price. Those who matter wont mind those who mind don matter. Your real friends will support you - either in buying or in promoting. Hope this starter helps a little. Kind regards -got loads more info for you if interested. sincerely "L"'
Marian, BELIEVE ME I do appreciate the comps...they keep me going...keep me doing my art (tho I'd probably do it anyway...it's what I do) By making it affordable (i.e. on the products I thought would reach a more universal audience0 as opposed to it being a luxury item....I know time, time and more time....and perserverence. Thanks
Darcy - ALSO check out artabus.com it will let you post for FREE and also sell your work - no comission it has people from all over the world. check my article - Transformation it will tell you about it. The site will catalogue your work as a rwesult of its software and then you will have a portfolio to market with prices dimesnions etcetera. All pices are thumbnailed then grow when zoomed in on there are buyers from all over the world some 500+ artists and some 15000+ pieces.
another thing............................ are you getting discount??? at EVERY ART STORE?? 25% at least on all materials and up to 50% on canvasses.
My arches paper cost $25 per sheet but i have learnt the hard way not to pay more than 40% of that!!
Canvasses should 24x16 cost about $10 also. Im talking Gothrick or windsor and Newton - quality not some useless fall to bits rubbish - furthermore.................. get a great framer and refer people to him/her and ask if you can have REMNANTS - archive quality paper from the remains of the matts - mostly 16x20 and different colours but high quality. Dont pay for a lot of holes in matts - fix a set price trather than a size price also shrink wrap and professionally present put your bio n the back and a contact number and have that built into the shrink wrap - it should[with backing ] cost no more than .050 per square inch.
Good luck - if you need more leave a message or email for me at the site www.artabus.com/rochefort please sign the guest book. ps every painting of mine you sell i will give you 25%!!!!! so i painting a month could bring in an extra $500 or so. Think about it. I am partnering with someone in a management project and you could do the same - manage some others and dont be too hut if someone goes for their work instead of yours- its all money in the bank. "L" wher's john - i miss him heehee
I know this sounds simplistic, but try ebay! People can pay with Paypal, so no credit card info changes hands, and you won't pay anything but a small percentage. I think you might be surprised.
.........love will find a way.......
I checked your site ranking on Alexa.com. It's non-existent. You simply do not have the critical mass of traffic to start getting sales.
Unfortunately, making money off a website usually requires an investment of time and/or money to get it going. Most companies *advertise*. The cheapest way of advertising is through Google AdWords, you can pay as low as $30/month ($1/day) for targeted keyword ads that will hopefully bring serious buyers.
But that's likely not to be enough. Considering your financial situation, and the state of the economy, you'll have to be super aggressive to get noticed. My advice is to try some guerilla PR. Write a press release. Contact your local media outlets. Try to get interviewed on Internet radio shows. This is going to be your best way to get attention, traffic, and sales.
The other option is to use eBay as a lead-in sales tool. eBay is used by a lot of small businesses to bring in intiail customers. HOWEVER, you must price things lower on eBay at first. Once you have sold some stuff on eBay, you'll start to get some fans who might come back and buy more at your website at regular prices.
I think that one of the worst conflicts with art is that those that truly can appreciate the majority of it, are those that also feel compelled to make it, or are some part of the "art world", which none the less equates to not being able to afford to buy it. And those are the people that if they could would pay someone what it was ACTUALLY worth in order to have it, not wanting to undermine someone's time, talent, and financial investment in the piece.
I wish that I could have those inspirational words to say, "go get em, it will all pay off in the end" but alas, the world is way to round and complex.
Just take the compliments and run, it is more than some get! And, use that inspiration to create more art! Or create some more art because you really don't know how else to cope with the thought of hating being broke.
Best wishes to you and I hope that some day your wishes will turn to caviar dreams......
namaste
Anyway, I'd buy 'em.
And John, yes I am trying to pursue the commercial end as well- one step at a time. I'm trying to get them into some of the local shops to start.
And as for you Stephen......well, after we've already touched on those "abstract" smudges on your cup....well.....I'd be interested to see just what kind of art you do make......thanks everyone for the input...hope you're all staying cool wherever you are!
NancyB
I've done some online stuff and want to echo that it's difficult to get a sale. Your counter at the bottom of your page says 1319 (which I think means 1319 people total have visited your website). That is a really small amount of traffic. If you've had ANY sales off that site, I think you should consider yourself lucky.
For the website, make it easy to buy. I didn't spend that much time looking at it but I don't remember seeing a "Buy it Now" button next to any of your art. That may seem tacky but you need to make it REAL EASY for someone to buy.
I think Stephanie's idea about eBay is a good one. Have you considered getting some of your prints made into T-shirts? That would be a probably not very big investment and would allow you to sell them cheaply on eBay and get your feet wet in the eBay process. I wouldn't plan on making much money off T-shirts but as Stephanie mentioned it might pay for itself and help you build interest in the original pieces.
Also, some of your work reminded me a little of those "cute/meaningful" quotes images that New Work City posts every single day on Gather. Why don't you try some of that?
If you post the images on Gather, make sure that the description of the photo includes a link back to your website (Check out New Work City and copy what they are doing).
Also, consider making screen saver versions available for download for a buck or two (I could possibly help you set that up if you want to do it). Think of ways to go for lots of little sales instead of a few big ones.
Make a free spot on MySpace and start putting your stuff up there, too.
TagWorld is another new spot similar to MySpace.
Start finding sites on the internet that have user forums for people that like art and start posting something about yourself and your work (I would stay away from the "I'm really broke and my husband got laid off so please by my art" approach -- I totally understand it and sympathize but I don't think it's a good sales technique).
I DO think it's ok to put some sort of "Help Support The Starving Artist" button on your website as long as you present it in a light-hearted way and give the "donator" something in return -- such as a high rez download of one of your works for a $5.00 donation or whatever. Don't freak out about the $5.00 download impinging on your ability to sell higher priced products.
Gotta go. Hope some of that is helpful.
BUT I did not make this post with the intention, of please buy my art...my hub got laid off.....It was truly a - give me some input - kind of post, with - I guess, what is a real life situation, (I tend to be a bit vivid- as a good friend pointed out) But you're comments are very well-thought out and very much appreciated. (And of course your kids and photography is adorable...but well, thats for another post/comment)
First, I get you. At the end of last year, after putting on the obligatory huge bar mitzvah for my oldest, BOTH me and my wife were layed off from our jobs.
I put my hat in my hand and went back to the employer I had left to join my traitorous ad agency, and asked for my job back. Lucky for me, I hadn't burned too many bridges. But, I didn't get to go back until January and both of us were unemployed from October until January.
We were one mortgage payment from homelessness.
As of today, my wife has just started her new job (thank goodness) and now we look like we might be able to stay here, sans any savings.
So, I get you.
As for the art, there's "Wow, I like that" as in, that's really cool in the gallery, and then there's the "Wow, I must own that" which is really a different person completely.
Speaking just for me, I don't have any burning desire to buy art. Don't collect it, have lots of bare walls. Nothing against you, of course, because if I woke up tomorrow with a desire to own art, I'd come to you first. (See, Gather's good for something!).
So, as a marketing guy, I see lots of really great advice here already, and I won't repeat it. But, I thought it would be important to tell you that you ain't alone in your situation, and there are just the great unwashed like me who don't buy art, but sure like to see it once in a while.
Good luck.
But really thanks. I know we're all struggling...I guess I just had to vent....
I saw the link to Cafe Press and it is completely logical the way you have it set up but you need to keep in mind that you might get someone's attention for 3 seconds (literally). You need to keep them clicking or at least make it so they don't have to look around and figure anything out if they want to keep clicking.
I really think you should do the New Work City approach also -- Post one of your pieces as an image here every day, or every other day or whatever, and make sure to include a link to your site in the description of the image.
Good luck with this. Persistence is key!!! It takes a long time to build traffic to a website, especially if you can't afford to advertise.
Consider adding a mailing list feature if you don't already have one. That way people that like your stuff can sign up for updates when you put up no material -- don't send them emails more than once a month or so (i.e, don't spam/annoy them). When you do send an email, talk to them like they're your friends and be very upbeat about all of your work and what you're doing!
Anyway, my apologies, and to make up for it I bought a little something to try it out. I'll show the site to my wife when she gets home. Thanks again.