What should an effective artist website include to function like a gallery experience?

Your website should mirror the museum or gallery paradigm that’s worked for hundreds of years. Include clear pricing on everything, enable e-commerce transactions, provide visualization tools so buyers can see the work framed and on walls, and offer real options—multiple sizes, formats, framing choices, edition types. Even if buyers ultimately call you instead of checking out online, presenting as a complete e-commerce experience has a subtle but powerful psychological effect. A pretty portfolio with ‘contact for pricing’ doesn’t convey the same buying mindset. The mojo of a working gallery presentation is essential—it signals you’re a professional with real work for sale.

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Asked by synthesized from teaching · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2026-05-01