The numbers were shocking to me: By the end of 2011, 50% of Americans over age 13 are likely to own and use a smartphone.

For many of them, a mobile or handheld device will be their primary way to access the Internet.  23% of them will access the Internet on their smartphones before they even get out of bed.

Wow! That was a reality adjustment for me.

So, I’m learning about mobile websites… what to do with a huge, graphic-intensive site like this one.  I’m experimenting with website designs (WordPress themes) and other options.

Over the next week or so, this website may go through a few (or even a lot of) design changes.

These experiments aren’t just for me, but also for a few friends who hire (or barter) with me so I help them look good online.  It’s been an adventure, and the learning curve was pretty steep at first.

I found a very thoughtful article on this subject, at Six Revisions: Mobile Web Design, Best Practices.  That article is nearly a year old, but it includes some important things to consider if you’re going to make your website more mobile-friendly.

For Aisling.net, I’m deciding whether a mobile-friendly theme will still look good to people who visit this site from desktop and laptop computers.  I’m beginning to think that I may create an alternate (second) website that’s more bare-bones for mobile access.

It’ll be weeks until I make up my mind, but this is something you may need to think about, too.  I’ll report back when I’ve chosen the option that seems best for this website.

Are you selling art at eBay, or planning to?

First, see my article, eBay, Facebook and other artists’ dilemmas.

If you decide it’s worth selling art at eBay, despite their new rules, here’s my best advice:

Keep in mind that eBay can enforce its rules at any moment, without warning.  If that happens, your account (and/or your bidders’ accounts) could be closed.

If that’s your only point of contact with people who buy and collect your art, you’d be back to Square One, rebuilding from (almost) scratch.

So, here’s what I’d do if it was lucrative and convenient enough to try selling art at eBay.

0. Start with the basics when you’re selling art at eBay.

Of course, have an “About Me” page at eBay and make it juicy with details about yourself and your art.  People are buying the energy as much as the art, so give them plenty of reasons to want your art more than anyone else’s.

Add great (and big) photos of your art.  Include a photo of yourself.  Feature your artist’s statement, and tell people why they should buy that particular work of art.

1. Have an art-related website.

No matter how successful you are at eBay, your friends, fans & collectors must be able to find you elsewhere online, easily.  I recommend a website with your own domain name (that is  your name) on it.  (See my article, How to Choose a Domain Name.)

If you use a free website, I recommend a Blogger site (in your name) or a WordPress.com site (in your name).  So, my site would be AislingDart.Wordpress.com or something like that.

(Do you need more than one website?  Probably not, when you’re getting started.  However, when you’re selling art at eBay or Etsy or anywhere else, you need more than just a MySpace page or a Facebook account.)

Some artists have one website that’s specifically about their newest art, and one or more other websites that actually sell the art, or talk about personal news, or share how-to information for other artists, and so on.

(However, I tried splitting off topic-specific sites, and it reduced my name recognition in the art community.  That may not happen to you.)

At the very least, link to your art website from your “About Me” page at eBay.

2. Also link to your website from your auctions.

As I’m writing this, when you’re selling art at Bay, they allow you to add a link within your auction description as long as you’re not selling at that link.

The precise wording is:

“…your listing can’t include links to: Websites where you can buy, sell, or trade items outside of eBay.”

So, be careful about linking to a website where you’re selling anything.  (This is one reason why you might have one website that shows the art, but another site — such as Etsy or Artspan — where you sell it.)

Be sure that your link leads to a page that features, according to eBay’s rules:

“An item description, photos, or terms and conditions.”

In other words, the page should provide:

• More backstory to your art.
• Details about the materials or techniques you used.
• Additional photos of the work, etc.

If you do include a “buy this art” link on that page, make sure it links only back to the auction (or store) page where you’re selling art at eBay.

3. Be sure they’ll bookmark your website.

When you’re selling art at eBay (or anywhere), it’s not enough to just have a website.  When your friend, fan or potential customer arrives at your website, they should be dazzled.

Look at others’ websites and see what you like (and don’t like).  Here’s a good article, as well: Dear Artist, Blog Like You Mean It.

Generally, your friends & fans should be so impressed, they bookmark your website and check back regularly, or add it to their RSS feed page.

For example, I regularly offer free, one-day downloads.  Usually, that’s art in a print-quality JPG, but sometimes it’s a free ebook, report, or… well, something cool and free.  It gives people a reason to check back regularly or follow me at Facebook, and tell their friends about your freebie of the day, too.

(Tip: If you get into massive bandwidth issues, Amazon’s S3 file storage is easily the cheapest.  However, there is a learning curve in setting up your account there and adding files.  I liked Wilson Mattos’ webinar about this, but you can probably find enough free tutorials at YouTube, etc.)

3. Know (and be nice to) your friends, fans and collectors.

When you’re selling art at eBay (or anywhere else), maintain a list of people who’ve bought your art, contacted you there, etc.  Thank them and stay in touch with freebies, big or small.

If your art will be in a gallery or show, invite them to the opening, or a pre-opening art show in your studio.

Also know who’s interested in your art, whether they’ve bought your art or not.  If someone comments at Facebook or Twitter (or especially reposts or retweets your art link), thank them and remember who they are. Treat them like valued friends, because that’s what they are!

Be sure your website visitors have a way to stay current on your latest additions.  Don’t rely on them to remember to visit your website.  (They probably won’t.)

• Keep an (email) mailing list to update people, or use a free automated service (as I do) such as Feedburner.com.

• Consider sending out announcements and freebies regularly, via the post office.  (I’m increasing my activity with snail mail, aka postal mail.  Most people love to receive free art in the mail.  I highly recommend postcards from VistaPrint; that’s where I buy mine. Watch for their regular sales, offering free postcards, business cards, etc.)

4. Selling your art is a marketing opportunity.

When you sell your artwork, be sure to give your customer an attractive brochure about your art, your creative process, and so on.

You could create a simple brochure and print it at home.  That’s okay.  It doesn’t have to be fancy.

However, just as Vistaprint offers great (and sometimes free) postcards and business cards, they also offer special deals on brochures.

Your brochure should show your picture, your logo (if you have one), your website URL, good photos of your art, your artist’s statement, contact info, and… well, anything else you’d normally include with a press release or an application to be in a show.  (In fact, you may use these same brochures for those purposes, too.)

If you have some extra art postcards, sign one or two and add them to the shipment to your customer, too.

Just as your website should dazzle people, your shipments should, too.

5. Be ready with a Plan B.

Whether you’re selling art at eBay or somewhere else, have a Plan B ready.  Even better, don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Online and offline, businesses change, galleries change their styles or move (or go out of business).

Web Bot (and a few scientists) suggest significant Internet interruptions, possibly due to solar flares, between late 2012 and mid-2013.  If you had no access to the Internet, or extremely sporadic Internet service, would you still be in business?

If you’re already selling your art at multiple galleries, regular shows/fairs, and several websites, you’ll be okay.

You don’t have to go to extremes.  It’s just a peace of mind issue, like locking your front door at night; once it’s locked, you don’t have to think about it again.

In other words, even if everything goes right (and I hope it does), selling art at eBay cannot be your only outlet.

With several ways to sell your art, and with each of them running smoothly, you can focus on what you do best: Create art!

Though I can’t recommend selling art at eBay, these tips can help you use eBay as an effective springboard for greater success as an artist, online and off.

(Please leave comments below if you have questions or additional tips for selling art at eBay.)

See larger image The Handmade Marketplace: How to Sell Your Crafts Locally, Globally, and On-Line (Paperback) By (author) Kari Chapin List Price: $14.95 USD New From: $8.48 In Stock Used from: $8.24 In Stock

After three weeks of eBay experiments, I’ve reached an obvious conclusion:

eBay may be fine if you’ve already been selling there and have an established customer base.  Otherwise, your results may match mine.

History: I’ve sold art at eBay — off & on — for over 10 years.  I discovered eBay when it was just a few months old, and hardly anyone had heard about it.  Each time I relaunch art sales at eBay, I have to build from scratch.  That’s okay; usually, I just have to remind my friends, fans & previous customers that I have art at eBay, and prices return to normal.  This time, I’d been away from eBay for several years.

Week One: I listed two pen & ink drawings and started them at what I’d consider a wholesale price.  That is, it was about 50% of what the art would sell for, if those same pieces were in a gallery.

They were 7-day auctions. I linked to the auctions from a couple of websites where my friends & fans would see my announcements.

Results: Both pieces sold, and I received several emails from people who want more of that kind of art.

Week two: Encouraged, I listed four oil paintings in 7-day auctions.  However, since the previous week, I’d stumbled onto eBay’s new rules about where you can promote your auctions, and who can bid on them.

I listed a wide range of art, from “just okay” sketches starting at $5, to one lovely piece that I listed at $40.  I did no promotion on social media, and barely mentioned the art at my websites.

Results: Few views, a few people “watched” those auctions, but nobody bid.  Several people told me that, without direct links to the auctions, they couldn’t find my paintings at eBay.

Week three: I placed two really good paintings in 3-day auctions, and started them at $15, including shipping.  (Since shipping would cost $11 and most of the remaining $4 was consumed by eBay and PayPal fees, that was a break-even point.)

Framed and in a gallery, either of those paintings would sell for $125, easily.

Like the previous week, I did not list my auctions at any social media, and limited my marketing to slightly obscure links from my websites.

Results: More viewers and “watchers” than the previous week.  One painting sold at the opening price.  The other one didn’t receive any bids, but was scooped up by a friend as soon as the auction closed.

So, eBay auctions aren’t a red-hot place for me to sell art.  Surveying other art selling at eBay’s auctions, I can see some ridiculous bargains (gorgeous art selling for under $30) in a sea of “starving artist” (made in China) paintings and some ho-hum work by pre-teens.

My next experiment will be Etsy, where my fine art shop is under my (real) maiden name: Eileen Morey.  My wild art — the collages, art dolls, etc. — will be at my Santa Flamingo Etsy shop.

However, I can already see that Etsy has added tremendous (and free) tools for artists, to help them promote their art to friends & fans, and be “discovered” by others.

See larger image Craft, Inc.: Turn Your Creative Hobby into a Business (Paperback) By (author) Meg Mateo Ilasco List Price: $16.95 USD New From: $5.94 In Stock Used from: $4.22 In Stock

Yesterday, I mentioned that the rules have changed at eBay and they can significantly impact those of us who’d like to sell art at eBay.

In the past, artists — even experienced, full-time artists — would sell art at eBay as their first step, online.

They’d start with a ridiculously low price and watch the bids climb.  It was a fine way to see what the work should sell for, online.

That’s how I established my prices in the mid- and late 1990s.  Small works sold from $40 – $125, medium for about $250, and large works went for around $550.  (When a few collectors had my work appraised, it was valued at about double what they’d paid.)

I continued to sell art at eBay, and later through Etsy as well as direct sales. Everyone was happy.

Now, re-entering the online marketplace, I planned to follow this same process:

1. Sell art at eBay auctions.
2. Use those selling prices as a starting point for all of my online art sales.
3. Continue to sell art at eBay, but also add direct sales, Etsy, etc.

Then, I saw new rules at eBay.  Basically, I’m not allowed to let “family members, friends (including online friends), roommates, or employees” bid at my auctions.  (Ref: Shill bidding policy)

Oh, I understand the problems of shill bidding.  (Hey, “Random Shoes” is one of my favorite Torchwood episodes, and it involves disastrous shill bidding as a plot device.)

However, with my level of visibility online — as one of the first bloggers, ever, and as a prolific artist — I have a lot of wonderful online friends… many of whom I’ve never met in real life.  (Blocking bids from all 1000+ who follow me at one of my Facebook accounts… that’d be crazy. How could I possibly know their usernames at eBay?)

And really, unless someone clicks from a link at Facebook, Twitter, etc., how does eBay even know who’s bidding from a link in a forum or via social media?

Well, I’m the kind of squeaky-clean person who plays strictly by the rules.  I wish I wasn’t such a perpetual Girl Scout, but… well, I am.

If you’d like to sell art at eBay, here are the rules in plain English, in a screenshot from eBay:

So, what’s an artist to do? If someone knows us online, even as a former successful bidder at eBay… well, technically speaking, they can’t bid in our auctions.

And, if we can’t tell others about our auctions via social media — unless we offer items at a Buy It Now price — how do we promote our auctions?  How can we viably sell art at eBay?  We can’t use our mailing lists (after all, the person knows us online), only advertisements, and usually that costs money.

For the average new artist who wants to sell art at eBay… what’s the answer?

I’m not sure.  That’s why I’m testing eBay this week with a few ridiculously low priced auctions.

Currently, my art at eBay starts at about 10% of it usual selling price.  Of course, the only way I can afford this is to sell the work unframed.

(Also, I’m only willing to do this for a few days, as a test.  My rationale is:  If I can’t sell art at eBay when it’s far underpriced, I don’t think an average new artist can, either.)

So, that’s this week’s experiment in art marketing.  As of this morning, I’m getting more views than last week’s efforts, but still no bids.

Stay tuned for updates.  If you’re planning to sell art at eBay, it’s important to know about this.

Currently, I’m exploring online markets for my fine art… mostly the paintings I create under my maiden name.

Wow.  Things have really changed since I last did this, and I need to update my marketing articles as I see what works.

My initial entries at eBay were a rude discovery.  I’m giving it another try this week, with ridiculously underpriced works, just to see if there’s any hope for new entries at eBay.

After I see what happens during this experiment, I’ll share my results and advice.

People who’ve been at eBay for awhile and have built a steady following… many of them seem to be doing okay.  In fact, some are flourishing.

However, I’m also seeing fine artists — especially painters — leaving eBay to focus on other markets such as Etsy.

Since so many people are exploring the option of building a homebased career in art, it’s important to know what works and what doesn’t… particularly for beginners and those re-entering the online marketplace.

The basic concepts of marketing will remain constant.  What changes is where to sell your work and how to achieve the best results with the smallest investment of time & money.  (After all, you’ll want that for creating your wonderful art!)

Stay tuned for updates.