Selling digitally can have a ton of perks, from making extra cash to getting in front of big studios and companies. While these benefits can make it worth the effort, there are several pitfalls that new artists commonly make when first setting out with digital selling. 

Make some of these major mistakes and you may lose the trust and confidence of customers who will quickly move on to other options. Here’s what to avoid. 

Digital Selling Mistake #1: Poor Images

When running any type of business, it’s important to keep your product quality standards high to attract customers—and digital art is no different. Ensuring you only publish high-resolution images is critical to the success of your online shop. Customers expect consistency and quality. 

Make your product pictures as attractive and clear as possible every time. You can also show off art that was made with the product you're offering to give customers a taste of what's possible if they purchase it.

Think about marketing… 

When selling assets, use high-quality pictures without text on them. Pictures without text do significantly better on social media. The best marketing for your product is that which helps your customers visually see your work in all its glory, so try to avoid any distracting text on your product images.

Digital Selling Mistake #2: Not Enough Information

Write a clear description for every product you offer–what's included and how to use the product. Don't leave your descriptions empty or without additional details—people want to know what they're buying. 

For example, when selling a pack of 100 urban reference photos, don't show only one photo of a car. That could look as if all 100 photos are of that same car. Some sellers on Cubebrush show all 100 photos as miniatures in a collage–too small to see what those pictures look like exactly, but enough to give you an impression of what you can expect to get.

Think about marketing…

Add social media links to your seller profile and every product description. You want your work to be accessible to as many potential customers as possible. 

By using Cubebrush, our social media team can feature and tag your profile, giving you even more coverage.

Digital Selling Mistake #3: Not Testing Out the Product 

The last thing you want is to sell a faulty product. And with a world of access to other shops and artists at customers’ fingertips, there’s no telling how forgiving a customer will be. Take this customer experience, for example:

One annoyance I've encountered with a material I bought was that it had a mistake in it. The seam in the texture was visible because a height generator was added (by the seller) which made the texture by itself prettier, but not acceptable for a final asset. This was material from an experienced seller. They need to check if their materials are compatible or look alright with different models and different versions of Substance Painter (or whatever program it's for).

This goes to show that no matter how experienced your business is, or even how many times a customer has returned in the past, there is little room for error. Make sure that whatever you are uploading is perfect. Small mistakes can cost you big business.

Think about the marketing... 

No platform would share products that have mistakes, as it could make them look bad too. It's easier to maintain a good reputation than repairing one, which is why it's always good to take preventative steps to ensure that you don't reach that point. Try to make quality checks a part of your core business practices.

Digital Selling Mistake #4: Using Materials or Music You Don’t Own 

This is a major legal issue. If caught, not only will you likely be cut off from whatever platform you’re on, but you could also face legal ramifications. Remember, this is applicable to the material you are posting and selling, as well as the music you potentially add to it. Plus, you could lose the trust of your followers.

Think about the marketing…

Once you begin selling, you will find your work is shared by others–if you do use copyrighted materials without the licensing, it will likely be caught. This behavior can also run the risk of tarnishing your reputation by associating your brand with unethical or even illegal copyright infringement.

Digital Selling Mistake #5: Using Watermarks That Don’t Match the Platform 

The use of watermarks can be a good thing as it protects your work from people trying to use it without licensing or worse, claiming it as their own. But if you’re a seller on another platform and use the same images with that watermark for your store on Cubebrush, not only does it look unprofessional and unorganized, but you definitely won’t get any added promotion. 

Think about the marketing… 

Cubebrush prides itself on sharing the work of all the talented sellers on the platform. But with a watermark promoting another one, your products, no matter how good, will be skipped. You wouldn't expect to unbox your new iPhone, switch it on and see that the default background is the Samsung logo. 

Companies have to consider their own survival too, and promoting a potential rival platform isn’t the most encouraging way to earn their brownie points.

Let Us Do the Work 

Ultimately, this is about your art, the products you create and sell, and what they can do for others. You shouldn’t be spending more of your time promoting your products than you are creating them. Leave that in safe hands by using platforms like Cubebrush. 

Cubebrush works almost like a boutique art gallery—we help your success. And when you do market your own assets it’s a 95/5 split. With other advantages such as beautifully designed e-stores and easy customer-seller communication, Cubebrush is the ideal all-in-one platform for CG artists to sell digitally without a hitch.

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