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inexpensive and many hosts provide templates that allow you to create a site even if you have no knowledge of web design.

You can sell directly from your site via email correspondence with potential buyers (ask them to contact you for prices, to make a purchase etc.). If you want to automate the process with 'Buy Now' buttons, Shopping carts and the ability to accept credit card payments then Paypal.com offers all this free of charge (almost - you pay a nominal fee each time you make a sale).

Having your own site means that you can optimize every page for search engines. It also means that the viewer is not distracted by other artists and their work whilst browsing your art.

If you want to just test the water before establishing your own web site you could try uploading images of your your art to one of the many gallery web sites.

Gallery web sites usually provide space for some of your images and may handle the processing of sales on your behalf. Although that may seem ideal it easy for your work to become lost among the hundreds of artists who also use the gallery site.

Whilst you might get the benefit of combined marketing and traffic of a gallery site you'll still need to work just as hard as having your own site in order to get your work noticed. A good way to use Gallery sites is to channel people from them to your own web site.

Another option is to try auction sites like ebay. Online auctions can sometimes be very lucrative in terms of number of sales but you may find your cheaper works are easier and more likely to sell.

This is because people who buy from online auctions are generally looking for bargains. They are usually a great way to start getting people interested in your art. Any sales you make should refer people to your web site where people can view your more expensive art.

There are additional options like taking advantage of the many Print On Demand (POD) sites that allow you to sell prints of your artworks. These can be useful as an alternative to creating smaller affordable works. You could use the sale of prints as an introduction to your larger works for sale.

Summing up, if you're looking to turn your art into an investment property then selling online is a more difficult road than selling through a respected, real world gallery.

However if want to manage your own career and sales then implementing strategies to build buyer trust through varying price structures and money back guarantees can be effective.

A personal artist web site is essential whilst gallery, auction and Print On Demand sites can be useful tools in raising awareness of your art, channeling people to your web site and building trust.

There are many other tools and things to consider such as Postage and Packing options, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), artist blogs, social networks (for marketing purposes), video and more. However the above mentioned considerations are a good starting points to think about when deciding upon whether to sell your art online.

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