Over 90% of my sales are thru galleries I've been with over 20 years. I rarely even meet the clients. FASO is essentially useless. While I am well known locally and to gallery patrons and have work in collections around the country despite multiple Facebook ads, following the FASO marketing plan (and more) after 4 years have only 32 subscribers, and most of those are artist friends interested in what I'm doing. I have over 500 followers on Facebook and Instagram and can't get them to follow on FASO. At $360 a year not including BoldBrush and Daily Stream costs it isn't seeming worth it.
FASO is for website hosting. We do our best to provide marketing tools and channels and to amplify efforts where we can. However, we are not an artist's agent, marketing firm, or otherwise - what we primarily provide is a website hosting platform for a price that is comparable to other website platforms (that don't provide any type of ideas, tools, etc for artists) in price and, for most, easier and simpler for artists. I am sorry you have not had success marketing outside of galleries online, however, I have to respectfully reply that I don't think it's quite fair to call a website builder that has published the site and kept it online as promised "essentially useless." We are one tool in a marketing plan. If a marketing plan isn't getting signups on a website it isn't the website software's fault, and if a marketing plan isn't getting the phone to ring, it isn't the phone company's fault.
Now, certainly it is your decision, and a good one to think about, to consider if having a website at all is worth it. It may be if you sell through galleries you don't need a website, I don't know, but that is a different thing.
To the question that was posed in the poll, which really wasn't about websites, I guess since your sales are through galleries, we'd have to ask your galleries how much of their business comes from referrals from other customers to truly know, which I understand isn't feasible.
If there are referrals, I’m not aware of them. I did have one in the last year - a woman whose deceased parents owned a few of my works. She inherited them and bought another work from my website.
I’m now showing in gallery venues. When there’s a big show (by draw), collectors hear names called of those who purchase the work and there’s an aire of competition amongst collectors. I suppose that is almost like a referral. It’s social proof.
I am currently exploring how to develp more effective ways to obtain "person-to-person" referrals to me and my art business. I get a small amount of referrals from my collectors at this time.
Over 90% of my sales are thru galleries I've been with over 20 years. I rarely even meet the clients. FASO is essentially useless. While I am well known locally and to gallery patrons and have work in collections around the country despite multiple Facebook ads, following the FASO marketing plan (and more) after 4 years have only 32 subscribers, and most of those are artist friends interested in what I'm doing. I have over 500 followers on Facebook and Instagram and can't get them to follow on FASO. At $360 a year not including BoldBrush and Daily Stream costs it isn't seeming worth it.
FASO is for website hosting. We do our best to provide marketing tools and channels and to amplify efforts where we can. However, we are not an artist's agent, marketing firm, or otherwise - what we primarily provide is a website hosting platform for a price that is comparable to other website platforms (that don't provide any type of ideas, tools, etc for artists) in price and, for most, easier and simpler for artists. I am sorry you have not had success marketing outside of galleries online, however, I have to respectfully reply that I don't think it's quite fair to call a website builder that has published the site and kept it online as promised "essentially useless." We are one tool in a marketing plan. If a marketing plan isn't getting signups on a website it isn't the website software's fault, and if a marketing plan isn't getting the phone to ring, it isn't the phone company's fault.
Now, certainly it is your decision, and a good one to think about, to consider if having a website at all is worth it. It may be if you sell through galleries you don't need a website, I don't know, but that is a different thing.
To the question that was posed in the poll, which really wasn't about websites, I guess since your sales are through galleries, we'd have to ask your galleries how much of their business comes from referrals from other customers to truly know, which I understand isn't feasible.
Thank you for your comments.
If there are referrals, I’m not aware of them. I did have one in the last year - a woman whose deceased parents owned a few of my works. She inherited them and bought another work from my website.
I’m now showing in gallery venues. When there’s a big show (by draw), collectors hear names called of those who purchase the work and there’s an aire of competition amongst collectors. I suppose that is almost like a referral. It’s social proof.
I am currently exploring how to develp more effective ways to obtain "person-to-person" referrals to me and my art business. I get a small amount of referrals from my collectors at this time.
I have my own gallery/studio in a touristy mountain town. While I get some repeat buyers not many if any are from referrals
I would say a "fair amount"
I would say a "fair amount.."
I put only a small amount, but I feel it is between that and "a fair amount." Depends on the definition of "fair amount."
I don’t really know, but my guess would be a fair amount. Selling artwork is about connections, I believe.