As a member of the ArtFire community you have a voice. We bring a unique perspective with us when serving your needs. Our founder started as a seller on large online venues and learned firsthand the challenges that sellers face when “partnering” with a marketplace venue.
29 Reviews
Comment by Scarlet Impressions — October 15, 2009 @ 6:10 am
I only use artfire to sell online and I am so glad I picked it as my venue. Never having to worry about listing fees and knowing exactly how much I will have to pay each month with my $12 pro membership.
My favourite things would have to be the easy listing process, fusion studios allowing a greater deal of customisation, coupon codes and now the new studio blog feature. The blog is a godsend to me since I now don’t have to go to another site just to blog about my work. I get a lot of traffic from google and have adverts on the site that generate a fair amount of traffic. I will always look forward to what’s coming next.
I will (and have) recommended artfire to my friends. With all the great features and such an easy to use site who wouldn’t want to try it out and love it.
Comment by JulesArtwear — October 7, 2009 @ 6:44 pm
ArtFire passed my test today! I set up my Etsy shop first and when ArtFire came out with the facebook kiosk I couldn’t resist. I was worried about spreading myself too thin, but had to experiment with both side by side. Facebook has been a huge factor for me as I can communicate with customers and post items directly.
My facebook page was crazy today. I posted a number of new items and got a ton of comments. So, I started listing on ArtFire and letting my fans know it was available on the tab at the top of the page. How easy is that? I just got a 5 item sale because of the kiosk!
Go ArtFire! The new tools are practical and as it turns out..profitable too.
Comment by PetitPlat — October 4, 2009 @ 2:53 am
I have three online shops, one on Etsy, Dawanda and Artfire.
Etsy works the best for me, but it’s also the shop I promote the most.
I DON’T promote for my Dawanda and my Artfire shop. Though I sell good on Dawanda.
I never sold any item on Artfire, so I just gave up listing there.
It’s a very easy to use website. Listing is simple and quick (quicker than Etsy or Dawanda). It’s free (and that’s great) and you can have a premium account for 12$ per month.
If you have the premium account, you may design you shop more freely.
But as I said I never sold an item there. On Etsy and Dawanda I sold after a few days. Never did on Artfire.
I saw some problems in the searching function, when I searched for my items I had difficulties to find them, so maybe it’s due to this error. Of course, this searching tries I did a few months ago.
The community is nice and you have some teams over there.
I don’t have enough time to promote each single online shop. So if the shop doesn’t work alone, I just give up, since I don’t have the necessary extra exposure I’m searching for.
In my case opening another online shop is just to get noticed by other people who prefer this or that selling website.
Comment by silverpalacesoaps — September 30, 2009 @ 5:28 pm
I am very glad I signed up for this in February of 2009. It has opened up my eyes to internet exposure and the work involved. Everything would be perfect if I could just understand what I am doing on Facebook. What am I doing on Facebook? Anyhoo, I have my Artfire kiosk over there and my page, but, still don’t know what I’m doing. Definately not Artfire’s fault. Did I say I have ADD? ooops.
Comment by Dragonfly — September 29, 2009 @ 5:03 pm
When I started our studio, I new nothing about selling online. I went right to the forum and ask for help. All the different seller’s were so helpful and the staff at ArtFire were great. I was lead by the hand and shown how to set up my studio, how to take pictures, and how to promote on line. From the first day I have loved Artfire and still do to this day, If you are new to online selling or an old pro Artfire is the place to be it is friendly, helpful, and great place to have a studio.
Comment by Louisa — September 29, 2009 @ 12:06 pm
Artfire has been a great so far. It was easy to set up and the staff is so incredible and helpful. I think there are lots of improvements that will be made over time and I am happy to be on the site at the earlier stages because it has great potential. The main asset to the site is the super friendly and helpful staff, to me that is so important in an online venue.
Comment by Brandy — September 29, 2009 @ 6:36 am
I have been very impressed with Artfire the site and the admin. Customer service is tops, the site is well run and easy to use. The numbers keep rising, so I expect it will only continue to get better.
Comment by LInda — September 29, 2009 @ 4:35 am
I started in Artfire two days ago.
Life circumstances mean I need to sell more online than I have been doing. I’ve been content at Etsy for two years, but I have to reach further for the next 6months. The unlimited listing as a basic member may well be my saving here.
I wasn’t sure if I had the necessary emotional energy to deal with anew site, new systems, new people.
I am delighted to be in Artfire. I had one question yesterday and zing, the answer came back fast. And it was a clear answer. Not every online selling site gives quick, concise and clear answers.
I have not yet ventured in to the forums. I am wary because of my long experience with Etsy where sniping is common. Man people cannot stand the unpleasantness often encountered on forums. I run a small Etsy/Artfire team and have limited time, so I probably won’t venture there much.
http://www.lindabutterfly.etsy.com
Comment by Popnicute — September 29, 2009 @ 1:35 am
The short title (70 characters) is important for Google Base optimization. Longer than that your title would get cut out when viewed on Google.
I love ArtFire so far. I’ve been getting a lot of traffic. Since December 2008, my main studio views (I’m selling handcrafted jewelry) are over 21,000 and total item views are more than 35,000 and I haven’t done promoting like I should. I think when I can put more time in filling up and promoting my ArtFire shops (I have 2 of them, both Pro accounts), the views could be even greater! I’ve got a lot of hits from Google and a lot of my customers are non-registered buyers. I’m happy that they found my stores.
Admin supports are great also. I’ve learned a lot more in ArtFire about running business online than any other forums. The other sellers are also helpful in sharing their experiences. For now, ArtFire is my main venue. The reason my .com link is redirected to it
Comment by may — September 28, 2009 @ 4:50 pm
I enjoy selling on line…I have had few shops and I must say I enjoy AF the best…I love the look and feel not to mention the sales…I have been doing really well. Plus I had an issue with something once and called them right up I loved that!!!!
Comment by KathyL — September 28, 2009 @ 9:44 am
I have been with ArtFire since it was a “babe in the woods”. I used to sell on EBay and was being charged to death. I was a little skeptical at first but I am sooo happy I made the plunge with ArtFire. They are constantly making improvements to the site and they are very responsive to our concerns and needs.
I personally cannot beat the $7 lifetime charter membership cost. Unlimited listing, no fees….how much better can that be. On top of all the free promotions that ArtFire Admin has generously given to us..at no additional cost.
On top of it all, with everyone that has since joined, it has been a great experience for me to meet all of these creative people and to form long-lasting relationships with them.
With ArtFire…I feel more of a “family” then just a website.
Comment by Susie — September 28, 2009 @ 9:24 am
I have been a member of Artfire since November of 2008. The first I heard of it, I immediately signed up for that $7 a month membership. I still have not set up on Etsy, probably because it was so big and their fees were more than I wanted to spend. You get so much for that money. I feel that they truly do care about their members and even basic members for that matter. My greatest views consistently make the first page in Google. It’s amazing! I love it.
Comment by Buttonwilloe — September 28, 2009 @ 6:18 am
What really stands out to me is the excellent customer service and accessability of the staff. They are always hanging out in the forums ready to jump in to help us out. I personally am not very “techno” and am very grateful for that. It’s wonderful being high in the google searches without having to worry about it. Thankfully, Artfire takes care of that for us. The community of artists really are a community. The forums are friendly and fun as well as informative. I love my artfire.
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Comment by Andrea Designs — September 28, 2009 @ 5:11 am
I am very happy in Artfire, I am learning what is necessary to sell online; it is not only open a virtual store download pictures and write down description of the product and wait for a sale. It is more than that. I am learing other aspects of the business as to promote, if people do not know your product or brand how they are going to buy it, google analytics and others. An everytime a new feature is launch a trainig or guide will be provided.
I am used to learn this way on my daily work what may me feel very comfortable.
Artfire has all my support with the new promotion “Free for all”, I also believe if more people get their listing out there, that will result in more visitors to Artfire and probably more sales.
Comment by Susan A — September 28, 2009 @ 4:19 am
I love my Artfire studio,Eveything has been wonderful and keeps getting better. But the basics are what draw me in. I have been moved to list triple what I had anywhere else because the new item page is so simple and quick. I can add links to everywhere else so people can find me. The forums need some work yet but the responsiveness of the admin makes up for that a 100 times over.
The fact that everything gets loaded to googlebase really helps get found. I like that the admin invite people in for behind the scene news and opinions.
The traffic is good and I’m getting lots of views but not so many sales. Artfire is run like they want to do business and support the site while never losing touch with its sellers.
Comment by less herger — September 28, 2009 @ 3:48 am
I really like artfire. The site is easy to use. It takes a lot less time to load a piece up to artfire than it dos on other sites. The photo uploader allows for loading all 10 pictures at once. It takes some time to get used to writing description s for google base (can’t use the word free, abused, burgundy etc…) but once done the listings look great, if a little cluttered around the edges of the screen. I get tons of views but my sales are comparable to other sites thus far. I’m hoping that through time and pimping of the site, after all I’ve spent years pimping the other site, that my artfire sales will surpass those of other sites. The site is only growing and the more it grows the better it will do. The addition of the Holiday free-for-all should really take the site to the next level in terms of number of items on the site and number of views and sales. I’m looking forward to the holiday season at artfire.
Comment by Michelle Adkins — September 28, 2009 @ 12:38 am
ArtFire is the second online venue I’ve sold at and I absolutely love it. If I have a question or problem it is addressed promptly (often within minutes). They are constantly coming up with new features to help the artists gain more exposure, and make more sales. Even though I knew very little about “tech stuff” when I started, I had no problem setting up my studio, and have learned tons of new things in less than a year on the site. The community of artists are truly wonderful people and the forums area great place to voice your opinion, get feedback, and just chat with like minded people. I could go on for days singing the praises of ArtFire. I really can’t think of anything I don’t like about this site!
Comment by CreativelyJeweled — September 27, 2009 @ 11:18 pm
I love Artfire! I think the Artfire staff really know what they’re doing and are very good at explaining things.
Comment by JewelledTrellis — September 27, 2009 @ 9:06 pm
I have been on Artfire for quite some time. I love Artfire. I feel like I am getting my money’s worth in cutting edge promotional tools and ease of use. Administration is FANTASTIC. They communicate with the sellers and are very accessible. Traffic continues to increase to this fantastic venue and it has already done 10 times better in its first year as other venues. Go Artfire!
ArtFire’s (free!) Basic account, with unlimited active listings for the holidays is a fantastic bargin but the Pro-Verified Accounts can’t be beat. At 12.00 a month, and offers a fantastic Facebook Kiosk, global product Editor, Premium studio set up, as well as even more great features the Pro Verified account is the best of the best! It is so easy to set up your studio.
You don’t need to take my word for it. Come on over and try it out. You will love it too.
Comment by Bonnie — September 27, 2009 @ 8:53 pm
I opened my studio in mid February 2009. I have found the site easy to use. I am very pleased with the community atmosphere and the responsiveness of the administration and staff.
The price for the verified/pro studio is an excellent value. They have great features like the Facebook Kiosk, rapid cart, marketplace promoting, coupons etc. I especially like that there is never a fee for listing and never a fee for selling. No percentage is taken from the sales. Artisans can also choose to have a free studio, yes totally free. They can sell and list with no cost.
My views and sales are above what I expected. I am happy with my experience at ArtFire.com and recommend it to buyers and sellers.
Comment by Lil Brit Knits — September 27, 2009 @ 8:50 pm
Overall I’ve been very happy with Artfire. They offer many tools for selling, are always coming out with new ones, listen well to their customers, and make it pretty easy to buy and sell handmade.
Comment by Michelle — September 27, 2009 @ 4:34 pm
I love Artfire. The site still has its quircks butincredible changes are being made, and at such a quick pace. Admin listens to requests and answers questions pretty quickly.
Sales on both Etsy and Artfire have been slow, but my views on Artfire have gone up over 370% in the last month compared to ~40% for my Etsy shop.
The $7/$12 montly fee is nothing when you add up listing and relisting costs, plus fees for selling an item.
I have high hopes and am focusing my promotions on my Artfire shop.
Comment by domina — September 27, 2009 @ 4:26 pm
Overall I do like the site. I like the pricing for sales and the fact there are no charges for additional listings or percentages taken for your sales. I think it is a rip off to have to pay percentages versus flat fees. That dictates how you price your work and the sites should have no say in that.
I wish they would spend more time on promotion. Driving buyers to the site would be a great thing. Right now it is mostly sellers buying from each other. I do see this possibly changing in the future.
Some of the great features of this site are the fantastic search engine. It really works! And it narrows things down perfectly. Also your listings are not swallowed by new listings. Unlikes other sites. Also the guilds are much friendlier than other sites. Very willing to help and very active.
If you can afford to grow with the site I think it will be a big seller in the near future. Or a model for future sites at the very least.
Thank you
M
Comment by El — September 27, 2009 @ 2:00 pm
If I could make it happen, I would make my artfire shop my number one priority. Unfortunately, the bulk of my customers are on other venues so I have to prioritize my time accordingly.
I do love the concept of Artfire and am hooked on the $7/month verified membership.
The great thing about artfire is that its $7/month (now $12/month for new members). Compare this with what I pay for etsy and I’d say use the extra savings on promoting your shop! Once you get customers to see your shop on artfire I don’t think they’d want to try you at any other venue. They have the option of not having an artfire account and they have the potential to pay by various means (and not just stuck on paypal).
The most negative aspect is of course the traffic. Artfire doesn’t bring much traffic to your site just by being on artfire. But with the low cost and all the features that help you promote your shop, its still well worth it – use your savings to promote your shop.
Lately I have had a lack of help from admin. I’ve asked them why the banners for the guilds have disappeared. That was several months ago and I still haven’t seen the banners come back.
I’ve also asked if a customer could purchase more than one item through the rapid cart. I received a quick message that they will check it out but even after repeated follow ups, no response back.
I highly recommend joining a guild – but only verified members may join. I run the Crafting for Animals guild (and highly recommend animal lovers to join). Unfortunately, its somewhat difficult to keep in touch with guild members because of the somewhat unusable guild forum system. I try to keep in touch with a monthly newsletter but I feel that may often end up in the spam box.
If you have any questions, you can ask me. I love to help out.
You can reach me by sending me a message at my store:
http://tantalizingstitches.artfire.com
Comment by folkandfiber — September 24, 2009 @ 12:44 pm
I have not been selling on ArtFire very long so I will reserve comments on the sales side of the site. From a setup perspective, it is quite easy to set up although at first I found it to be less intuitive than I expected. I sell from handmade market sites to supplement my own website sales and promotion, so I did not list many items and I have not had any sales as yet. For that same reason, I remain a Basic seller for now, but I must admit that many of the features I would like to use are only for paid sellers – I really would love to be able to use the Facebook Kiosk feature! The overall look of my shop there is also very limited by the Basic level.
I am sure traffic will increase as they get through beta and really start advertising. In the meantime, sellers should link their ArtFire shops to as many places as possible (websites, blogs, social networking, etc.) and talk up the site to help generate awareness and interest.
Comment by BodyLuminosity — September 24, 2009 @ 12:24 am
Ok, Artfire. I had a Verified membership that was $7/month. I paid for two sites (my soap and my supply side) for at least 6 months. Not one sale. Nada. Zip. I listed all of my items concurrently on my Etsy sites and Artfire sites, and there was almost NO traffic on either of my Artfire sites while I had loads of traffic and pretty good sales on my Etsy sites. Please don’t think I’m bashing…I have to tell you it really broke my heart. I think Artfire is really on to something wonderful! Super easy listing, EXCELLENT Admin support & communication, super friendly community, cool layout, and that Facebook Kiosk thing…WOW! Now if they could just get the buying traffic in there I’d definitely give it another go (even tho their verified membership is now $12/month). As you can see by my star rating the only detraction is the lack of traffic…unfortunately it’s the most important piece of the pie.
Comment by Colleen — September 23, 2009 @ 10:26 pm
Artfire seems to be very cutting edge on ideas and ways to integrate with other social networks. I like the facebook kiosk and the many different ways to accept payment. Little things like being able to have a more detailed bio page are nice too. Administration seems really involved in their sellers and I have seen them posting alot in forums. It is nice to list items and not have to worry about renewing them. The basic account is great for beginning sellers-it is really a no pressure way to sell when it is free! I have noticed that items listed on Artfire seem to show up fairly high in google searches as well.
I do think that the shop setup is a bit confusing-it took me a little while to figure it all out. And the forum format is a little different. It takes some getting used to, but there is great information there once it is figured out.
I am still relatively new to Artfire, and have not had any sales there yet, but I enjoy the atmosphere of the site. It has a friendly vibe.
Comment by Jeanna Mandeville — September 23, 2009 @ 9:52 pm
I have been very impressed with the admin support on ArtFire. Answers are super quick. I love that ArtFire is on Facebook and if we have a question, we can post it on their page and it WILL be answered! When the ArtFire Kiosk launched, ArtFire created a fan page just for this tool….we could go to their page for help and answers. It was great. I also like that ArtFire is on Twitter too. I get a more personable experience at ArtFire.
I love the fact that we pay a monthly fee for verified accounts and can list all we want! I feel I can create freely because of this. I also love that we can have lots and lots of tags, and at least 10 photo spots. The one thing about listing that I dislike is the short title that is required.
I find the forums on ArtFire really confusing and overwhelming. I have been there lots more recently, but initially it was too much to tackle. I wish there was a simplier way to post our questions.
I do find the karma/kudos feedback system lacking. The fact that anyone can buy from ArtFire (no account is needed)…I get a feeling of “drive by” creating and selling at times. I want to be able to receive feedback from everyone and be able to leave feedback for them as well. But unless the buyer is verified, this cannot happen.
All in all, I am pleased!
Comment by Danielle — September 23, 2009 @ 9:36 pm
ArtFire is everything I am looking for in an online selling venue. The Admins are always quick to respond to a question, suggestion, comment, or concern. Once you start participating on the forums, you can immediately sense the strength and support of this community. I haven’t had a sale yet in this shop, but already my item views have far surpassed what I had on another site…and I’ve had more traffic to my blog and have made new friends along the way.
You can’t beat ArtFire’s generous (free!) Basic account, with 12 active listings at a time and a host of other benefits, which is great for someone who doesn’t have a ton of items to list at once. Their Verified account is a reasonable 12.00 a month, and offers UNLIMITED listings, as well as even more great features! Either way, AF makes it easy to set up your studio.
Now, I do have to say that ArtFire can be a bit on the busy side, as far as appearance goes. But, they’re still in Beta and they are continuously working to improve the site, always taking the suggestions of ArtFire members into consideration, so I can live with a slightly less streamlined look! I’d recommend this site to anyone looking to sell their handmade items online.
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