| Author | Message | ||
  Whitewatercolor Senior Member Username: Whitewatercolor Post Number: 383 Registered: 10-2006 |
Yessy is $60 per year. It is very easy to sign up. Very easy to manage. They act as an escrow agent. People purchase the item. You are notified and provide the shipping costs. The buyer then pays Yessy. Yessy holds the money until the buyer notifies them that they have received the item. Yessy deposits the money directly in your bank account minus 10% for escrow fee. Yessy puts you high in the search engines. I sell a lot of stuff and it is very easy and convenient. I first set up a site where I had control of the background colors and layout. It was nice, but took way to much time. I decided to get rid of it and just use Yessy, which I don't think you can beat for the convenience. | ||
Lauraposs New member Username: Lauraposs Post Number: 3 Registered: 2-2009 |
Thanks for all the warm welcomes everyone! I set up my site also primarily for marketing, but I did add paypal buttons so that if someone wanted to purchase through my site, they could. I know some people do sell a lot through their sites, but so far I have not. (It's only been a few weeks, though!) I went through website palace and got my site with templates and whatnot and unlimited pages for about $200.00 a year. I'm really glad I did it. I feel much more professional now, I have somewhere to direct people I meet who want to view my work, and I sent links to all my family and friends who live far away so they're able to see what I do also. I would definitely recommend a website to anyone who was considering it!  | ||
Marie Senior Member Username: Marie Post Number: 478 Registered: 8-2006 |
I use godaddy.com for my web hosting. $10 a year for a domain, $10 a year for private domain registration, and about $30 a year (or maybe a little more --- I think they raised their prices) for an economy hosting account. They are great if you do your own development. I haven't tried their more user-friendly tools. Oh, and their technical support is always good. | ||
Grizrev Senior Member Username: Grizrev Post Number: 686 Registered: 8-2006 |
Marie, can you tell us where you obtained your site for $50. a year and what was required (the steps you had to take and the things you had to set up) to make it work? | ||
Marie Senior Member Username: Marie Post Number: 477 Registered: 8-2006 |
I have had my website since 2004, and it costs $50-$60 a year. I build everything from scratch, and so I don't need many bells and whistles from a hosting service. It's definitely worth the money, not so much for direct painting sales as for basic marketing. I think of it as being more like a brochure than an e-commerce application. When someone wants to know more about my work or my classes, I can refer them to my website. When folks want to buy my work, they usually contact me directly. I have never shipped anything from my website. For payment, I would recommend PayPal. It's easy to set up a "Buy Now" button with PayPal. I have also heard good things about Google checkout, but I have never used it. Anything more sophisticated than PayPal is probably more cost and trouble than it is worth. There is a lot of hassle in dealing with merchant accounts and secure servers. Also, I don't want the liability of dealing with folks' credit card numbers. And, welcome Laura! I like your website. Good job. | ||
Eugene Senior Member Username: Eugene Post Number: 495 Registered: 8-2006 |
I've had my web site for just over 2 years. The only thing I've sold has been one $500. commissioned piece.-- sold unframed and without a mat, so shipping was no problem. The web site costs me about $215 a year. Sounds like a lot for no sales but I think of it as advertising costs, and I think it's worth it. I don't know of any artists that sell much original art on the web...prints, maybe. However, I have made some gallery contacts and have become better known.. | ||
Deecubed Member Username: Deecubed Post Number: 27 Registered: 12-2007 |
Laura, Welcome to the forum! I visited your site, and it looks lovely. My question to you and to others is one I have been meaning to bring to the board about websites. I have seen several of the sites of forum members, including Marie's [which is terrific!] and the site that Bonnie whitewatercolor uses, Yessy. I am curious as to what it all entails as it relates to promoting [selling] artworks. I am a realtor in my other life, and certainly am familiar with cost, maintenance, set-up thru a template provider, but I am guessing these art sites are different in terms of formatting, cost, maintenance, and distribution of one's work. I have sold my art in local shows, and folks from around the country have asked if I have a site from which to order. I am somewhat intimidated and "overwhelmed" with the prospect of what to "sell," and how. Example: How do you ship, how do you collect funds, do you mat, etc. Whom do you use to deliver, what sort of insurances, etc. Is it all worthwhile? Do any or all of you make enough from having a site or a presence on a site to make the effort worthwhile? Does it impact your selling your art locally? When I started painting, I was painting for the pure joy of it. Friends talked me into showing and selling, which can become a "cost" unto itself. [Commissions, show entries, etc] In this economy, to enter a show cost "X," and I am making only "Y." One could argue that my paintings aren't saleable, but the market is the market for everyone right now, and my fellow artists locally are all axperiencing the same thing. Also, I was told by a very successful local artist that one of the dangers of making your art a business is that the BUSINESS takes about 60% of your time. I currently teach at the local Senior Center which affords me just about enough income to "support my habit," with supplies, workshops, etc. So, again, that brings me back to my presenting questions about art and websites. It is understood there are costs involved, but I am curious as to the cost-benefits ratio. Would love to hear some of your thoughts and experiences. | ||
Lauraposs New member Username: Lauraposs Post Number: 2 Registered: 2-2009 |
I just wanted to say hello to fellow watercolor artists! My name is Laura. I live on High Rock Lake in North Carolina. I am beginning my career as a watercolor artist. I have a new website, and I want to invite you all to have a look, and maybe sign my guestbook and let me know what you think! (Criticism is welcome as well as compliments!) Thanks! Laura http://www.lauraposs.com |
