Selling own prints on own site

[ROL]

Other than the obvious self promotions, I agree with everything already posted. I would just add that work for sale on-line, even if simultaneously presented in some sort of physical gallery environment, may be perceived as cut-rate, unless you are already very well known – possibly because it shares the same electronic image venue as other types of photography and art. In other words, the lowest common denominator point-of-sale that is now the internet as well as the glut of imagery, seems to affect worth, be it classically hand or machine made prints. When I have had individual enquiries, and it's been awhile since I don't stress print sales on my site, they invariably want to know how much better I can do for them than for galleries.

[Henry Larson]

I see so many members/photographers selling their prints on their own website, usually a few hundred bucks depending on the format.

I can't help but wonder, does this actually work? If it does, how frequently do you sell a print?

I have had a web presence for about 9 years. In that time I have sold 0 prints from a web search.
However I have sold to people to whom I have given business cards or other advertizing material which sent them to the website to purchase.
I use the web as a help tool and not as a primary means of generating sales.

[Moopheus]

The web and photographer's web sites and blogs and so on have allowed me to find out about a lot of artists I would not have known about otherwise. But if I were in a position to spend some money on a print, I'd still want to be able to see something besides a low-res jpg before I buy.

[Darin Boville]

Way way back at the dawn of time, somewhere around 1996 or so, I had a web page that used to get a fair amount of traffic. I also sold a fair number of prints and for good money, too. But that all faded away as the Internet developed and the poor buyers were overwhelmed with online photographers.

--Darin

[QT Luong]

To have an idea of the numbers required to make this work, read http://www.terragalleria.com/blog/20...aphy-business/

[Andrew O'Neill]

nnnnnnope.

[Bruce Pollock]

Andy Warhol said: "In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." I think everyone will be a photographer and the future is now. Everyone with a cell phone is a photographer and the number of photographs produced every day is beyond counting. Photographs have become worthless - it's simple economics when the supply approaches infinity.

I just give my stuff away to people who seem to appreciate it.

[Leigh]

Have you considered a hosting site that has the e-commerce stuff built in, like Zenfolio?

- Leigh

[jon.oman]

I used SmugMug Pro for five years. During that time, I sold about 10 images.......

[QT Luong]

Just read this confession from a former Peter Lik salesperson ("art consultant" is the title). It's not about selling on websites but I thought it was an interesting and unusual perspective on print sales: http://scottreither.com/blogwp/2012/...pher-my-story/