When I first decided to start selling my photography online, I was excited to explore the potential of sites like Fine Art America and Smugmug. I thought these sites would be great for connecting with potential customers and making some extra money. Unfortunately, my experience has been incredibly disappointing.
Before I delve further into this, let me first explain what these two sites are.
Fine Art America and Smugmug are two popular websites that offer artists and photographers a platform to showcase and sell their work online. Both sites have their strengths and weaknesses, and users’ experiences can vary based on their individual needs and expectations.
Fine Art America is primarily focused on selling prints, canvases, and other types of artwork. It has a large community of artists and photographers, and users can create their own profile, upload their artwork, and set prices for their pieces. One of the biggest advantages of Fine Art America is that it handles all aspects of the printing, shipping, and customer service, making it easy for artists to sell their work without having to worry about the logistics of fulfilling orders.
Smugmug, on the other hand, is more geared towards photographers, offering features such as unlimited photo uploads, custom galleries, and the ability to create and sell photo books. It also allows users to integrate their own domain name, giving them greater control over the branding and presentation of their work. Smugmug offers a range of pricing plans, with higher-tier plans offering more advanced features such as customizable themes and e-commerce options.
The first issue I encountered with both sites was the lack of customer support. I had numerous questions and concerns about how to set up my shop, but there was no way to reach out to customer service. I had to search through various forums to find answers to my questions, which was incredibly frustrating. Tip: search the forums, find someone who specializes in customizing the site, and then hire them, especially if you have a main site and want the two sites to mirror each other or look seamless. Even if you are good at web design, free up your time to work on other things.
The major issue I had with these sites was how difficult it was to make sales. Many of the people who visited my shop were simply browsing, but there was no way to convert them into actual customers. This made it extremely difficult to generate any meaningful revenue from the sites. I found it highly unlikely considering the tons of views and likes our photos had. But alas, none of those translated into any kind of sale. At times I wondered if people were just finding a way around the watermarks and downloading the photos for free. Or if there was some loophole, or perhaps we did have sales, but the sites didn’t report them. It’s common to entertain all these thoughts, especially when you see other pieces that are selling. Art and photography are subjective, however. So, the thought that always came to mind was, “Is my work not good enough?”. (Still comes to mind actually.)
Overall, my experience with Fine Art America and Smugmug was incredibly disappointing. They both can be great options for artists and photographers looking to showcase and sell their work online. However, it’s important to carefully consider your individual needs and goals before choosing one platform over the other. You may also want to try both platforms to see which one feels like the best fit for your work and style.
I have been using both of these services for over a year to showcase some of my work and others. I/we have not had one sale. Zero, zip, zilch.