Do These 4 Things To Sell Your Art Safely Online

It can feel like everyone wants to be an artist these days, leaving no room for you and your talents, but there's also never been a better time to be an artist than right now. You have the tools to send your art halfway across the world and make a name for yourself all from the comfort of your computer chair. This can be harder than it sounds, and there are risks, but there's no reason you can't make money off of your art. If you're ready to make a career from your passion, here are some tactics to do so safely.

1. Use a Secure System

There are plenty of places you can sell your art online. While this takes the work out of building a system yourself, it also means you have little control over the safety features. Network security is essential to protecting yourself and your customers. A data breech could cost you not only cash, but also your reputation. Even if you use a popular selling platform and lapses in security are not your fault, you could lose customers that become too wary of the site. Do your research and consider consulting with some professionals before making your final decision.

2. No Personal Information

This may seem like an obvious tip, but it's one that gets overlooked. Using your first name can make you seem more accessible and relatable to your customers, but sharing too much info can put you in danger. You may not use your last name, but if you're shipping from your house, you're telling any number of strangers exactly where you live. Sharing photos and usernames across accounts can lead people from your website, where your name isn't visible, to your Instagram or Facebook, where a wide range of information is on display. Make sure your personal accounts aren't linked to your business accounts. Set up a separate email. Consider creating an online persona, and invest in a P.O. box. You can easily rent one at your local post office or other shipping company. There are options for any price point, size requirements, and contract length, and this simple tip can go a long way in making you feel more secure.

3. Shipping Security

If there's one thing customers love (aside from your art), it's fast, reliable shipping. This is an easy way to stand out among the competition, but a solid shipping procedure can also help protect you in more ways than one. Paying for tracking means you can keep an eye on your shipments and give customers an anticipated arrival date, but it can also help when people try to take advantage of you. It's hard for someone to claim the package never arrived when the package required a signature upon delivery. Insurance can also help when something breaks and customers demand that you fix the issue for free.

4. Network

Many artists enjoy selling online because it means that they can operate out of their own home, on their own schedule, without leaving their house. However, there are some major benefits to networking, even if "putting yourself out there" means introducing yourself on a popular forum. Your fellow artists can give you tips and tricks as well as warnings. For example, scam artists are constantly evolving their tactics. Someone may ask where an order is, when in reality they never ordered. They want you to be flustered and panic when you find no record of their order so that you send one out for free without taking the time to think it through. When you make enough friends in the business, you can warn one another about shady customers or practices you see online.

Being an artist may feel like a solitary career from time to time, but that doesn't mean you have to go it alone. With the proper support, you can safely and successfully share your talents with the world.