For businesses and individuals in the arts, crafts, and related industries, Shopify can provide a versatile and robust solution for creating a user-friendly online art store.
This is especially important for these stores given the important role visuals and experiences play in driving their customers to convert.
While Shopify has the tools needed for the jobnew founders of an online art store may have a hard time imagining the best way to make things work.
Fortunately, there are at least dozens of stores that model best practices for using the Shopify platform to build a successful art e-commerce business.
In this article, we look at some of the best Shopify art stores, including a brief explanation of what sets them apart from their peers.
They are not placed in any particular classification but rather are listed alphabetically.
Best Examples of Successful Shopify Art Stores in 2024
1. Andy, okay
Created by an artist who works with leading humanitarian organizations such as the UN, WWF and PETA, Andy Okay is a Shopify art store that strives to improve quality of life and raise awareness of environmental challenges by selling accessible art. Visitors can purchase certified limited edition artwork and at the same time donate to a charity of their choice.
Andy Okay is built on Shopify’s Prestige theme which gives it a memorable visual impact from the start. The hero banner makes a strong statement about the store’s mission, highlights the logos of the charities it works with and prominently displays statistics validating the impact of each order, demonstrating a commitment to driving change positive.
It uses a number of sales and marketing tactics, but none as important as the use of stock counters under each product to evoke a feeling of impending scarcity. This is complemented by the headlines “Almost Gone,” “Lost Forever,” and other strategically placed headlines that subtly influence purchasing decisions by triggering fear of missing out (FOMO).
Andy Okay also has sections featuring customer and press reviews, pops offering discounts, and an extensive catalog carefully organized into collections.
2. Artzé Paintings
Artze is a Shopify store that sells unique wall art. Printing is done in the UK but shipping is worldwide. It has an extensive product catalog focused on framed posters, gallery art, and matching pieces. Despite the large inventory, Artze has a clean design focused on showcasing products and avoiding unnecessary distractions.
To make shopping easier for visitors, it has a mega menu with a wide choice of categories, drop-down lists of nested links and direct navigation via collection pages. Intuitive “Quick Buy” buttons and sub-collection selectors improve the user experience by allowing shoppers to add products without having to interrupt the purchasing journey.
Artze drives cross-selling by featuring related products in sub-collections. The product pages offer a wide selection of size and frame options. Artworks are grouped into customer-oriented categories by subject and color.
3. Artxzay
Artxzay was founded by an African-American Muslim artist raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His creations aim to represent his roots, his culture and his voice in the art world. The Shopify store offers original paintings, clothing, prints and accessories.
Small and well optimized, it makes elegant and bold design decisions. The color schemes are consistent with the colors that the artist uses most often in his creations. Artxzay’s hero banner is a carousel that showcases art categories while the compact menu towards the top is intended to make navigation easier for visitors.
It has a solid lead generation and engagement strategy. For example, new visitors receive a 20% discount in exchange for signing up for a text promotion.
Such list building has proven effective for stores looking for a quick, inexpensive way to notify current and potential buyers about sales, specials, or new pieces.
Artxzay offers a large but discreet rewards promotion program, a balanced social media presence, and various lead generation giveaways.
4. Through digital art
Founded by a London-based Australian artist over a decade ago, Grace Digital Art is a Shopify store that sells the artist’s own graphic designs and photography as prints and framed art. Built on Shopify’s Dawn theme, it loads unusually fast for an art store. Grace Digital Art intentionally combines the beauty of aesthetics with the essence of good performance.
It is a clean design on a monochrome scheme that tastefully complements the artwork on display. There is a seamless customer journey, from the homepage to the product pages to the collections. The carefully designed size guide ensures customers can confidently and quickly choose the pieces that will best fit their intended spaces.
Grace Digital Art’s heroic banner uses an artistic collage that represents the artist’s work well. A carousel of testimonials is placed at the footer of the website to independently reinforce the declared capabilities of the store. The product pages are compact and all the information is grouped on a single screen.
5. James Niehues Ski Trail Map Artist
James Niehues has been hand-painting trail and ski resort maps for over three decades. His works cover mountains in various countries, including the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Japan. Visitors to its Shopify store can order prints or hand-painted works.
The driving concept of the store is simplicity. Visitors first come across a hero banner that is elaborate enough to set the right tone, but thin enough not to slow down the website’s loading speed. In keeping with James’ works, a natural color combination goes well with the pieces.
Product pages feature a clean design where details are reduced by default so visitors can focus on the most important details. The story of the artwork beneath the product images cultivates a deeper connection between the piece and the buyer.
James Niehues offers product recommendations under “Related Posts,” posts social proof on a separate page, and includes videos in the About section for that personal touch.
6. Olivia Serrill Art
Olivia Serrill creates oil paintings based on satellite images from around the world. She seeks to capture diverse landscapes from the perspective of her artistic lens. Its Shopify store is on Studio, a free theme.
The design is product-centric and minimalist, creating a striking contrast between the deep blue and white colors.
A hero banner on the homepage provides a memorable introduction to his painting style. To improve the overall customer experience, product pages contain essential information about each order as well as shipping and returns details.
One of the most notable features of the website is the inclusion of a reference photo and description of the location shown in the table. The option values are arranged as buttons to present the available variants at a glance. The store offers a time-lapse of the painting process, elaborate FAQs, and an integrated feed of its Instagram profile.
7. Studio River
As a custom watercolor studio, Riverry specializes in pet portraits. Its international team of artists uses unique portraits to depict the distinctive characters of different pets.
Built on Shopify’s Aurora theme, the Riverry store stands out not only for its adorable artwork, but also for its clever marketing and design tactics designed to boost conversion.
The pastel color palette and minimalist layout almost immediately draw attention to the art. It tactfully uses a captivating hero banner photo and text that shows users the kind of artistic quality and creativity they can expect when they place their order.
Riverry Studio sticks to best practices in the organization and layout of product pages. On the home page, the call to action (CTA) button launches the customer journey. Variant selectors make the ordering process easier. A pop-up offering a 10% discount on the first order could boost conversions.
All pages are packed with social proof like unboxing videos, testimonials, and reviews. The store offers comprehensive guides and FAQs covering ordering, framing, and shipping.
Conclusion
Shopify allows art stores to merge the beauty of creativity with the power of technology. From innovative marketing strategies to effective design elements, the best Shopify art stores have conquered their space in a highly competitive business environment.
By learning from these e-commerce success stories, new art stores would have a crucial head start in avoiding common mistakes and leveraging proven strategies.
Choose a Shopify store theme that matches your store’s vision, determine the most appropriate navigation logic, and develop a design that can best bring it all together.