Top Tips For Selling Prints Online Using Fine Art America

Are you looking for a way to make money with your photography by selling prints online? The process is easier than you think.

After 11 years of selling my art in person and on different online platforms, I can say without a doubt that Fine Art America is the easiest platform for selling online. It was a slow start for me, but now I’m a best-seller on Fine Art America with over 1025 sales online, hundreds of images licensed to clients, and over 2.4 Million visitors to my website. 

Liesl Walsh has sold prints in a local gallery, but has found that selling online has many benefits that outweigh a gallery. 

Why is it good to sell your prints online?

1. Selling online is the best way to get worldwide exposure for your art.

You only reach local people selling in a gallery or art show, but you get worldwide exposure online. It’s good to diversify by selling both in person and online. Selling online helps you reach more people 24 hours a day and increase sales.

2. Selling online is less expensive than selling in a gallery.

It is expensive to be in a gallery. You pay for the print to be made, pay rent, and pay commission when you make a sale. This lowers your profit. You will need to raise the price of your art to cover that, so it will be more expensive for your clients than from your shop online.

When you sell online with Fine Art America your only expense is $30/year for a personal website. There are no fees or expense when you make a sale. And you choose your profit amount.

A local client ordered a 30 x 20 canvas print of the Venice Fishing Pier from Liesl Walsh as a treat for her 50th birthday. Liesl made a custom black and white edit of the image just for her. Print made by Fine Art America. 

This is what I love about selling online using Fine Art America:

• You can live anywhere in the world and sell on Fine Art America, if you can get a Paypal account.
• You can sell internationally with no trouble finding a reliable printer in another country. Fine Art America ships worldwide.
• Fine Art America is print on demand. Orders are printed and fulfilled for you so your site runs itself and you don’t need to worry about deadlines.
• Prints are museum quality, made with acid free materials and archival inks that resist fading, made to last a lifetime.
• The types of prints offered are canvas, acrylic, metal, wood, and matted and framed photo paper prints. The types of paper prints are archival matte, glossy, luster (most popular), semi-matte, picture rag, somerset velvet, watercolor paper, and metallic paper. 
• Prints are made to a custom size to the exact dimension of your image, so you don’t have to crop or distort it. So you can print 16 x 9!
• It is easy to set up your site on Fine Art America with a simple upload process. You can be up and running in minutes.
• Fine Art America makes the mock-ups instantly for you when you upload your image. And you can use their free mock-up generator in their Shopify App to create mockups for your social media posts. 
• There is no risk. Fine Art America gives a 30 day money-back guarantee for buyers which protects the seller. They will cover any art damaged in transit, no questions asked, and handle customer service issues for you.
• With Fine Art America you have access to thousands of designers worldwide who spend millions on art each year. 

24 x 16 canvas print with black floater frame of the Big Red Lighthouse in Holland, Michigan by Liesl Walsh. Print made by Fine Art America. A variety of different colors of floater frames are available for canvas. 

A local client purchased two matted and framed photo paper prints from Liesl Walsh's Fine Art America website (a 48 x 27 print on the left and a 24 x 24 print on the right). Clients can choose the color and size of the mat and choose from a variety of styles and colors of frames to customize the print to match their decor. A variety of photo papers are available. The client will see a mockup of their choices so they can visualize how the print will look before purchasing. Prints arrive ready to hang. The frames pictured here are navy blue. 

One of the room mockups by Fine Art America. These are instantly created for you when you upload your image to your page in Fine Art America, saving you a lot of time. They also have a sitting room, a living room, and a close-up view of an area of your image.

A 3-D view of your print is also created by Fine Art America so clients can see what your print will look like on all sides before purchasing. You can download room mockups and 3-D views of your images to use for marketing your art online.  

Here are my top tips for selling prints online: 

1. Have a strong portfolio with images that stand out from the crowd.

Create images with emotion that easily attract buyers online. Buyers buy with feeling so show a feeling that they would want to hang in their home. Develop a style and niche over time with your art.

2. Follow home decor trends, colors, and styles to increase sales.

Create art that would look good with popular colors, and avoid colors that do not sell well. Visit local furniture stores to get inspired.

3. Build a strong website and post only your best work.

Create a strong impression on visitors to your site and make them want to keep browsing your site for more. Weak images encourage visitors to leave your site. 

4. Arrange your website so the eye buys.

Make a very strong first impression. Put your best images at the top. Rearrange images so they look good next to each other by color. Arrange images in collections.

5. Connect your website with your social media.

On your website place links to your social media. In the bio of every social media page put links to your website. Say in your bio on every platform that you sell prints. Don’t assume that people know you sell prints! Make it easy for people to discover you and your art. Invite people to buy from you.

6. Drive traffic to your website - Most important! 

This is the number one thing to do to get sales. If you wait for people to find you, not much will happen. You need to actively encourage people to visit your website. Get eyes on your art as much as possible. 

7. On social media posts share links to your Pixels website (personal website with Fine Art America). 

Share the link to a photo and not the homepage. Make it easy for people to get to your image in one click. On Facebook put the link in the comments.

8. Connect with people and develop trust.

Create meaningful posts on social media that educate, entertain, and inspire. Posts that are authentic, informative, and meaningful will do better in the algorithm than if you only promote your brand. Focus on stories that engage with your audience, that they will want to watch and talk about.

A local dentist who had been following Liesl Walsh on social media for a couple years became a fan. When she renovated her office she ordered a 60 x 34 metal print of the Venice Fishing Pier for the lobby. Liesl met her in person and signed the print to build more connection and trust. Metal print made by Fine Art America. 

9. Do a variety of posts about you, not just selling posts.

Create a variety of content: attraction, nurture, and then selling. It’s more social and conversational than just selling. Let your audience get to know you and develop trust, which leads to sales. It’s building a human relationship. Show how you make your art behind the scenes. Present the message of your art, what inspires you, and what topics are important to you. Share career news, stories, and what you are working on. Educate your audience about what you sell. And invite people to browse your website to see your portfolio. 

Things will start to happen when you connect with people on social media. I started making more sales, was published many times, grew client relationships, became more well known locally, and received new business opportunities.

A local business purchased two 72 x 40 metal prints of Liesl Walsh's "Skyline of Sarasota, Florida".  The client's business and home are pictured in the image so he purchased a print for his office lobby and a print for his home. He has licensed multiple images from Liesl for his website and marketing. 

A local business in Sarasota purchased a digital copy of Liesl Walsh's "Skyline of Sarasota, Florida" photo to print a 19 foot vinyl mural in their office after they discovered Liesl in a Google search for the Sarasota skyline. When you upload images to Fine Art America your art can be discovered in a Google search. Liesl has gained many clients from this.

A variety of prints Liesl Walsh sold online using Fine Art America. Clients love the print quality and enjoy sharing photos of her art in their homes. Some clients become collectors of her work. 

I want the same success for you! Follow these tips to have an easier and faster start than I did selling prints online. 

To learn how to boost sales online using Fine Art America and build an audience that collects your work, check out my masterclass, “Selling Photos Online: How I Broke The Code”, and join my live coaching videos:

https://www.lieslwalshphotos.com/selling-photos-online-how-i-broke-the-code-BONUS-30-DAYS-COURSE

It would be a pleasure to work with you! If you have a question about my class you may send me a message on my contact page. 

~ Liesl