When I first started online selling, (having had stoppedandstared.com help create my website using Squarespace.com) I signed up to several outlets including Etsy, Artfinder, Saatchi as well as ArtMarketDirect.com, the latter is now my ‘go-to’ because its ease of use and I feel I know the chap who runs it.

ArtMarketDirect.com has resulted in not only direct sales but also commissions. Uploading photos of my work to the site is easy and the form for each piece is straightforward to fill out.

I also like the fact that the owner is an artist who has his own work on the site. When I was signing up, I was having a bit of trouble setting up the PayPal. He called me on Skype and talked me through it, he came across as helpful and keen to make things work for me. Which was great as I didn’t need a lot of help but feel I can call him again.

That means that I have a relationship with ArtMarketDirect. I like dealing with someone who actually knows me, rather than the feeling I am dealing with a computer who has no idea who I am or what I do; which I suppose is how a lot of people feel about the larger online galleries.

As I regularly use ArtMarketDirect.com, I asked if I could blog about them and they asked whether they could use Cedarbank studio as a case study to help other artists who use their site.

ArtMarketDirect.com want to start showcasing an artist every month. They’re using the case studies to show how artists promote and market their work. I think it’s a great way of sharing ideas and learning new techniques. Here’s the helpful link:

www.artmarketdirect.com

www.stoppedandstared.com

www.squarespace.com