Why do I need my own website when I'm already selling on third-party marketplaces like Etsy or online galleries?

You do not build a castle on rented land—you need to own it. When you sell on third-party platforms, you’re at the mercy of their algorithm changes, their rules, and their terms. You don’t own those customers, that attention, or those email addresses. It’s like renting a home: you wouldn’t spend $50,000 on a backyard makeover because you don’t own the property and can’t take it with you. The same applies to your business. You need to own your own website, your own email list, and your own customer information. Nobody can change the rules on you, take it away, or set new terms. In your own house, you are the king. The same is true when you own your own website.

---

Asked by an artist concerned about platform dependence · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2018-03-27