What are the three ways to grow an art business?

If you don’t have a service-based aspect to your business, there are only three ways to grow: First, acquire new customers — this is what everyone focuses on. Second, get existing customers to come back and purchase again — this is much easier than getting a first-time buyer. Third, increase your average order value (AOV). You can raise AOV by increasing prices, but another easy way is through add-ons. When someone buys a print, offer a photo book. When someone buys an original, offer coasters or greeting cards. Your AOV goes from $1,000 to $1,100-$1,300. The most important metric predictive of revenue potential is the number of new customers you acquire per year. When you have a range of prices and products, you have numerous ways to increase AOV through bundling, packaging, and offering additional items before or after purchase.

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Asked by artists seeking business growth strategies · Answered by Patrick · Art Business Webinar · 2026-08-05