Selling your art online sounds exciting. And it really is. But if you’re only posting on Instagram or uploading to Etsy, you’re missing out on something big. Your own website puts you in full control. No fees eat your profits. No algorithm hides your work—just you and your art, front and center.
Let me walk you through exactly how to do this.
Why Your Own Website Beats Every Other Option
Social media platforms are great for getting your work in front of people’s eyes. But they’re not great for selling. Think about it. When someone sees your art on Instagram, they also see ten other things in the same scroll. Ads, memes, cat videos. You’re competing with all of it at once.
On your own website, visitors see only your work. No distractions. No other sellers are grabbing their attention. That focus matters a lot when someone is ready to buy.
There’s another problem with platforms like Etsy or Redbubble. They take a cut of every sale. Some charge listing fees on top of that. Over time, those fees really add up. Your own website keeps more money in your pocket after every sale.
Actually, platforms can change their rules without any warning. They can ban accounts, raise fees, or just shut down. It has happened before. When you own your site, none of that touches you.
What You Need to Get Started
Getting your own website up doesn’t take much. You basically need three things:
- A domain name: your web address, like yourname.com
- Web hosting: a place to store your site files online
- A free platform to build the site, like WordPress
With about $13 a year, you can get your own domain name, which is such a deal considering it’s less than a dollar a month. You can host your website with WordPress, which is free and powers almost 50% of the internet. It may be intimidating at first, but after a few hours of practice, it becomes second nature.
With website hosting, you can get services like Bluehost for a good price, and it is great for new users. They will guide you through setting up your WordPress site in just a few steps. You can have your website running in less than 60 minutes.
How to Set Up Your Shop
Once your site is live, set it up so people can buy from you. Here’s what works well:
- Add clear product photos. Show the print on a real wall or in a real room. Buyers want to imagine it in their own home.
- Write short, honest descriptions. List the size, the material, and how the print ships to buyers.
- Put a clear “Buy Now” button right next to each piece. Don’t make people hunt for it.
- Set up PayPal or Stripe for payments. Buyers everywhere trust both of these.
You can also sell digital downloads. A buyer pays, and the file lands straight in their inbox. No printing costs, no shipping, no fuss. It’s one of the easiest ways to earn real money from your art.
Pricing Your Prints
Many artists underprice their work at the start. Do not do that. Your time has value. Your skill has value. Your materials also cost money. Price your prints so those costs are covered. Then make sure you still earn a fair profit.
A simple starting point is this: check what similar artists charge for prints in the same size. Then price yours in that same range. As you build a following, raise your prices slowly. Buyers who love your work will pay a fair price, no question.
Getting People to Find Your Site
Having a website is great. But an empty store helps no one.
Search engines like Google are your best friend here. When someone searches for “watercolor art prints” on Google, you want your site to show up. Write real, honest descriptions of your work. Use simple words that match what buyers search for. Name your image files clearly, too. Something like “blue-wave-watercolor-print.jpg” does far better than “IMG001.jpg” every single time.
Use social media as a signpost and not a store. Put your art on Instagram or Pinterest. Link back to your site. Social media gets people curious. Your website closes the sale.
Building an email list is worth the effort. Offer a small discount for signing up. Then you can reach buyers directly anytime you want. An algorithm will not filter your message.
Start Small and Keep Going
You don’t need everything figured out before getting started. First, getting your website online. Then add some prints. Set up payments and then improve as you go.
Hopefully, this is less daunting. Many artists wait until everything is perfect. But you need to know that your website grows with you. It doesn’t have to be perfect initially. You have to start first. Learn as you go. It improves every month.
Your art deserves a home on the internet. Give it one.