Why Art?
What makes art special for ecommerce?
1. Diverse Product Potential
Art has a unique quality to be transferred onto multiple products and goods. What this means for business purposes is that you can multiply your product offerings almost limitlessly
For example, a beautiful pattern made by a graphic designer can be sold on both wallpaper and phone cases, as well as grocery bags and canvases. There are no barriers.
Contrast this with furniture. It is quite difficult to make a chair into something other than a chair.
Functionally, this means you only attract customers on a single plane. Meanwhile, art can attract different customers on multiple planes. A person may not like your design on a blanket but love it on a tote bag, making it versatile for ecommerce.
All-in-all, multiple planes increase selling potential. And this means more money to your bank account.
2. Low Shipping Costs
Visual art is exactly that: visual. This means it doesn’t come with shipping costs. Instead, costs derive from the good onto which the design is applied (which can be anything).
Using the same example from above, contrast this with furniture. It costs large sums of money to both import the items as well as ship them out. Both of these costs eat in your final profit, meaning you’ll have to require higher performing (ROI) marketing or move large volumes to overcome these difficulties.
Additionally, on a separate note, low shipping costs makes art available in the larger global market. Buyers are not restricted by expensive transportation, which means your potential buying pool is larger.
3. Scalability
One of the best features of art for ecommerce is how easy it is to scale.
To understand this point, first imagine the furniture maker hypothetical again. Let’s say you sell out of chairs. In this situation, you now have to order more chairs, wait for production & freight/shipping, and then verify the products with quality assurance. At times, this can be a 3-6 month process in total.
During this time, you are unable to sell products or even test new products. You are stuck in a waiting-game. And, let me tell you, this situation is a nightmare.
Art, in contrast, is fast-moving. And money favors speed.
There are a few reasons art is fast:
Print-providers hold large amounts of inventory and supplies.
Print-providers will handle fulfillment for you. This leaves you more time to create, experiment, and iterate. All-in-al, this leads to more winning-products that generate revenue.
Art primarily sells because of its unique design, not because of its base material. This means the base material is typically a standard, readily available material. Think of poster paper, for a clear example.
4. Price is Boundless
Unlike most goods, Art does not have traditional price ceilings. For example, famous paintings regularly sell in the multi-millions.
In contrast, even the most hyped-clothing brands can typically sell their goods in the hundreds.
Because of the unique nature of art, it enjoys a price flexibility almost no other type of business allows.
5. The Digital Artist is a Free Artist
The Artist was once confined and limited by his environment. Even geniuses like Michelangelo had to find a patron to support him throughout his life.
This is no longer true. Because of the internet, artists can sell anywhere in the world. No longer limited by population limitations, you can scale sales in a way artists in the past couldn’t fathom. And it’s in scale artists can find their freedom.
There is no greater time in history to be an artist. We are amidst a revolution of the digital artist. It’d be wise not to miss it.