Top Tips for Great Listings
Sometimes it's difficult to know where to start when writing descriptions for your pieces. It is vital, however, that you don't pass up on this opportunity to draw your customers in. If in doubt, make sure you've ticked off the following 5 simple steps to ensure you are writing descriptions that do your artwork justice.
Make sure the basics are covered
Aim for a strong, descriptive first sentence or two detailing the style and composition of your piece. Make sure you include key words or phrases that people would be likely to search by if seeking a artwork of its kind- for example, 'Abstract', 'Bold', 'Painting' or 'Print'. This will make potential customers more likely to find your work when searching Artfinder, as well as the internet as a whole.
Top example: " A beautiful three dimensional artwork in a pure and classic white. The symmetry and repetitive relief design gives this artwork an abstract, modern feel from afar and reveals the butterfly design on closer inspection."- Lorna Doyan. See the full listing here.
Keywords abuse and artwork title
Keep the artwork title as just the title. Do not add any repeated keywords, medium or size as this is deterring to customers and will get flagged by our Curation Team. The same goes with irrelevant keywords or overuse of keywords without a proper sentence in the description. This would be flagged by our Team and also penalises you in terms of SEO.
Secondary Images
Customers need to be able to understand what they are buying, and a 'picture paints a thousand words', as they say. Make sure that every single listing has at least two images, ideally up to 12 images. As well as a 'full frontal' shot, showing your artwork clearly from the front, also include images of the back of the piece - the sides to show the depth if the work is on canvas or board, a close up, the piece framed (if it is framed), an in-context image of the work in a room or your studio and also images of your packaging and or certificate of authenticity if you supply these.
Top Example, Ronald Hunter. See an example listing here.
Global Shipping
Most of our customers are in the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and across Europe. You should make sure that you can provide a shipping rate to these countries, as a minimum to be considered for promotion by our marketing teams. You might want to consider a catch all 'global shipping rate,' - if it turns out to be cheaper to send your item than stated, it is quick and easy to offer a partial shipping refund to the customer through the site.
Share your inspiration
Buyers are much more likely to connect with a piece if they are given a window into the inspiration behind it. Whether the story behind your creation of the artwork makes people look at things in a new way or speaks to a years-old memory, telling it to the full will help customers engage and fall in love with your art.
Top example: " This is a semi-abstract treatment of a favourite subject. I wanted to use intense colours to capture the essential elements. I love the pop of the fresh greens against pink, and the milky white of the sky in Summer. "- Jane Kell. See the full listing here.
Explain your creative process
Let the customer know how the piece was made- this helps emphasise the ingenuity and effort that has gone into your piece and really brings home the value and uniqueness of your hand-crafted work.
Top example: " This etching was created on two copper plates - tiny grooves and pits were made on each using a variety of resists and ferric chloride. Both plates are inked up in several colours then wiped back carefully before being printed onto damp paper on a traditional etching press (a bit like a mangle if you can remember mangles!) "- Rebecca Vincent. See the full listing here.
Help give customers peace of mind
When buying art online, customers ultimately want to know that they are buying a piece that they will love to live with. Include any details that will help convey the artwork's presence in a physical space, as well as practical details on the piece's framing and hanging specifications and clear guidance on what delivery time and packaging the customer can expect.
Top example: " My paintings are dispatched carefully packaged between sheets of plywood, sent via a tracked courier, insured to the value of the artwork. Shipping inside the UK is provided by TNT or UPS (approx 1 working day from dispatch. Shipping inside Europe is provided by DPD or UPS (approx 2 working days from dispatch). Kev Munday. See the full listing here.
Invite questions
Unfortunately, you're never going to be able to anticipate all the answers each buyer will be looking for- so make sure you let visitors know they're welcome to ask! Finishing off each listing with an invitation to click the 'Contact' link on the right hand side of your listing page with any special requests will ensure that potential customers get in touch, giving you the opportunity to win them over, turning them from just another visitor to your latest collector!