I’ve thoroughly enjoyed using the DPW website but I’ve had little success selling paintings here. I’m not blaming anyone but it’s just not cost effective for me to continue my active membership. As it stands right now, I’ve about broken even in my income from sales vs membership fees, so I’m discontinuing my membership for now.
Once my membership ends at the end of the month, will my gallery just disappear, or will people still be able to view paintings but not buy them through the site? If the paintings are still viewable, will I still be able to add new artwork to my gallery? I actually wouldn’t mind paying an annual membership fee at a lower cost just to archive my artwork but I’m not selling enough paintings to justify the monthly fee. If my gallery is no longer viewable once my membership ends, I plan to explore other options for a web presence.
I still intend to visit this site often and may reactivate my membership in the future if it looks like sales are improving. Good luck to everyone and I hope you have better results than me.
@tarwheel, we are sad to see you go, however we have made it easy for you to come back! When you want to rejoin, just sign in with your username and password, click the Sell with Us! link up at the top of the website, and join as you did the first time. When you do, you will find all your work and your bio just as you left it.
Until then, when your account is cancelled, your DPW Gallery and work will not be visible or accessible.
You mentioned you would like to have an archiving feature. One thing we are looking at is adding another membership tier at $4.95 a month for just the back-end art portfolio (inventory) management, which will let you track your art, sales, buyers, and venues. You will also get your DPW Gallery, however it will only be visible to you when you are signed in and not available to others. Does that sound interesting to you?
Also, you mentioned you will look for another place to put your art online. Can I ask what you are looking for? Are you looking for an artist website with the same features you have with DPW - categories, searching, eCommerce PayPal integration, and back-end portfolio management, or something simpler?
Thanks for your response. For now, I am trying to sell some larger pieces on Etsy. I may post some smaller paintings as well, but it is more complicated posting items on Etsy compared to DPW. I would be interested in another membership tier at DPW if others could view it, but not sure if I was the only one who could see it. It is very helpful having a website and I’ve actually had some people commission some larger paintings after seeing my work here, so there has been some benefit to having the gallery here.
Good to know a gallery can be restarted once we’ve left. I was going to ask that too…since no sales, means I can’t continue to pay a monthly fee. I’m hanging on but I can’t do it much longer…retirees just don’t have that kind of income.
Hi @ponypainter, good question. The primary reason is we already price the monthly fee competitively low for the eCommerce, no limits, artist website that one gets as a member. We also constantly improve and add new features to DPW and haven’t increased the membership fee in the last 10 years. On the other hand, if a small percentage of our artists were seniors, then this wouldn’t be an issue, however, a large majority are, in fact, seniors.
I think it takes time to build a following on any site just as it does if you have a brick and mortar location. I don’t have a lot of experience in that way but I have watched friends take a period a years to build a sustainable reputation in a community.
David do you have any perspective on what is a reasonable amount of time for building a following?
@kcart, that’s a good question, however, there are too many variables to allow a specific answer. Instead, I can offer the following:
Paint and post often - you will improve and will get your work consistently in front of buyers.
Post your best work - don’t let posting often mean you are putting work out that you are not happy with.
Let buyers hear your voice in other ways - buyers, and people in general, love reading about the passion that is behind what they buy. Your enthusiasm and excitement gets them enthusiastic and excited! So, write about what you have learned and love about your tools, techniques, process, and subject matter in your paintings’ descriptions and in the social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, a blog, etc) where you also post your work.
Be patient - to more directly address your question, it does take time to build a following. There are many artists competing for buyer attention. Even if you do offer what a buyer wants, it may take a good bit of time to gain their attention. This can take months or years, however, along the way, you are building and refining your skills.