BoundlessGallery.com Providers; Make More $$$!
We’re gearing up for the busiest time of year; the holiday shopping season!
To coincide, we’ve got a big announcement; you can now reduce your commission rate at BoundlessGallery to as low as 0% with our new Member Plans.
*Current providers must login to choose a plan or go to 'My Plan' on your account page*
There are 3 plans for artists and 2 plans for galleries. Every plan has identical features only the commission structure differs. The best part is; each of the new plans = more money to providers on every sale. Now with the low or no commission rates the harder you work to market and sell your work at BoundlessGallery.com, the more YOU make.
What happens to current provider accounts that don’t buy a plan?
Nothing, for now… You will be able to maintain your current account and sell for the 25% commission fee. These account types may be discontinued in the future. However, the membership plans were designed to benefit providers, so choosing a plan is in your best interest financially. New members will have to choose a plan.
As an additional thank you to all our current members (everyone certified and on the site as before the launch, 9/4/07) this month we are offering 25% off your first plan*. We’ll automatically apply the discount when you sign-up.
Member Plans, just another addition to BoundlessGallery.com, now an even better place for artists to list and sell their work.
Please feel free to share your thoughts, comments, and concerns.
Please send account specific questions to support@boundlessgallery.com
Sincerely,
The BoundlessGallery.com Team
*(Offer ends Sept. 31st).
To coincide, we’ve got a big announcement; you can now reduce your commission rate at BoundlessGallery to as low as 0% with our new Member Plans.
*Current providers must login to choose a plan or go to 'My Plan' on your account page*
There are 3 plans for artists and 2 plans for galleries. Every plan has identical features only the commission structure differs. The best part is; each of the new plans = more money to providers on every sale. Now with the low or no commission rates the harder you work to market and sell your work at BoundlessGallery.com, the more YOU make.
What happens to current provider accounts that don’t buy a plan?
Nothing, for now… You will be able to maintain your current account and sell for the 25% commission fee. These account types may be discontinued in the future. However, the membership plans were designed to benefit providers, so choosing a plan is in your best interest financially. New members will have to choose a plan.
As an additional thank you to all our current members (everyone certified and on the site as before the launch, 9/4/07) this month we are offering 25% off your first plan*. We’ll automatically apply the discount when you sign-up.
Member Plans, just another addition to BoundlessGallery.com, now an even better place for artists to list and sell their work.
Please feel free to share your thoughts, comments, and concerns.
Please send account specific questions to support@boundlessgallery.com
Sincerely,
The BoundlessGallery.com Team
*(Offer ends Sept. 31st).
37 Comments:
Does this mean that sales made today are under the original plan??
This commission could cover the year's plan!
Janeice
Hi Janeice,
I don't handle orders so I don't know which commission you're referring to. I do know that as soon as you buy a plan, your commission rate changes, so every sale after is on your new commission.
You can email support for specific questions, but either way you'll win big in the long run. :)
Best of luck to all,
Luke
Love the new plans!! I will make so much more money this way. I have already started switching all of my marketing to Boundless. It is a top notch site that has a professional look, quality and service team. Thanks Boundless!!
Sharon
Thank You Sharon.
We believe that we offer the best value to original artists looking to sell their work online.
We feel like we've been #1 technologically, for sometime, and member plans make us that much better.
The more artists we get to promote Boundless as the destination to find their work, the better off every artist will be.
Thanks,
Luke
Are you guys going to send out an email to announce this change to current artists? Not everyone reads the blog. Some dont even know it exists.
I do hope at some point Boundless does level the playing field and require everyone to be a "member". It is only fair to those that do pay. But I understand leaving it as is for now.
While the membership fee's are well thought out, it is unfortunate that you plan to discontinue the no-membership-fee plan. One of Boundless's great advantages has always been this no-risk way of entering the market.
There will be an email this morning, and notice on provider pages. We are trying to roll it out slowly and make sure everything is bug free.
As far requiring everyone to choose a member plan, it is a very delicate matter. All new artists have to choose a plan, so it only affects 'old' providers. For now, 'old' providers may continue to use Boundless in the way they've come to know, however the plans really are designed to benefit artists, so...
One of the major factors behind this decision is that it makes the already great value of Boundless even more appealling, and we beleive will help make Boundless the primary site where original artists market & sell online, which helps every artist on the site :)
Daniel-
This was far and away our biggest concern. However, we believe that we are helping our artists. While the free entry was extremely appealing to new artists, the 25% commission was costing our sellers way more in the long run, and limiting the number of artists who chose to point back to BoundlessGallery.com, as the #1 place to buy their work. Now, you can earn 100% of your sales here, and if this are sales generated by your marketing efforts, you should. The more artists who point here, the better off we will all be.
thank you for sharing your concern,
Luke
A life without risks....isnt a life worth living.
I personally feel that you have to take risks. And I KNOW you have to spend money to earn money.
I dont feel bad for those who are looking for risk-free venues. Their are plenty of free sites out there. I should know....I am on all of them. BUT...and this is a huge BUT....those venues are not going to make you a steady income like Boundless will.
Boundless really markets us. And you know what? That costs money. And I for one am not pleased to constantly pay my 25% so that "freebie" "no risk" artists get a free ride on the marketing wagon. Everyone should contribute. And to me the new "membership" option is a way of obtaining this.
I think Boundless will only "grow" with this new plan. And I think that artists that take the easy route might leave. This leaves more room for serious artists who are dedicated to selling their art.
This is all good.
Thank you to whom ever left this comment for defending our plans.
However, I'd just like to add that 'The Warhol' was specifically designed to cater to the needs of those who wish invest less upfront, and we certainly aren't trying to cut anyone off the 'free marketing bandwagon'. The 15% commission difference from the old 'Free' plan to the (at most) $5 a month 'Warhol' can cost the artist way more money in the long run.
I suppose if you are "using" Boundless as a clean professional place to list your work for free. And that you send people to it just to look at your portfolio. And you inform them to not buy through Boundless....but to contact you directly for sales. Then this new plan is NOT attractive.
For those of us who are actually selling...this new system is a dream come true. :)
And if you really cannot afford 5.00 per month and a 6 month investment (30.00) IMO you will not succeed in art as a career. Hobby...yes....career...no. Why? You have to make an investment in yourself to succeed. Even if you have to borrow that 30 bucks. This is what business is all about.
I think these new plans are great, now to choose which one..... of all the sites I have tried, this is the only one that I have sold well on. And Boundless is always looking into making it better. I have not seen the changes on the other sites like here. Thank you
Barbara Furlong
I LOVE the new marketing approaches on Boundless Gallery.
Since I work in both realism and abstract.....I now have a good solid market for both. I live in an area that prefers traditional, but Boundless gives me a chance to show and sell the more Abstract as well. I have tried to design my website to convey this concept.
Sales are building.
Go Boundless!
Janeice Silberman
I agree with Barbara. I picked the Picasso because it would (did) pay for itself in my first sale. Now I just make profit for the next 12 months with only 3% taken out.
This allows me to offer my buyers "sales" and "discounts" that I couldnt offer before.
Thanks Boundless!
Sharon Cummings
Anonymous- Obviously Boundless has been concerned about people 'using' us to sell elsewhere, and this is actually another benefit of the new plans, as now we can more freely allow artists to link to their other spaces, we're working on something...
Barbara & Janeice- Thank you, your statements are exactly what BoundlessGallery strives to do.
Sharon- I think you mean the 'da Vinci', but thank you, and yes now that you no longer share your commission you can pay it forward to your customers...yet another benefit of the new plans.
oops!! Got my famous artists/plans mixed up....LOL
But yes that is what I meant. It is nice to offer my buyers some savings.
Sharon
very cool indeed I always charged up front gallery prices, and rarely commanded that, not concerned with the low 25%.
This is wonderful! Christmas should be a hit, and now I plan on having paintings for 100-300 each,
as people love a good buy as well.
Now I dont have to worry about the pecentage. Which I did!!
I also plan on using and marketing towards boundless wholeheartly!
Robert R
Artists lowering prices hmmmmm I had not thought of this and the ramifications to Boundless Gallery.
I hope Boundless doesnt turn into another eBay with tons of cheap art. Everyone here knows what has happened to eBay. 100 dollar paintings are a dime a dozen. And it is hard to sell even those.
I have always thought of Boundless as being more exclusive and letting us have pricing that is reflective of higher quality fine art.
I hope the perceptions of the buyer/collector dont change if they see nothing but cheap paintings on here. eBounday. Gosh I sure hope not. I left eBay for these reasons!!
Yessy is also overrun with el cheapo art now. And my sales have dropped there just like eBay. If this happens to Boundless then I think the only one left is Picassomio. You have to be juried in, but it is very "exclusive" and you can get the prices you deserve.
I wouldn't suspect that too many artists will be lowering the prices they know they can deservedly charge. The idea is that artists will now make more at BoundlessGallery, and in return make Boundless the preferred destination for original art online.
We have developed a record of respectable sales prices for quality art and don't anticipate that changing because we offer artists the chance to earn more $! There are many artists on the site who i would like to see charge more for their talent.
I dont want to comment to specifically on other websites, but I will say that our features and technology seem vastly superior in my opinion, and if there was any question before, with member plans we now clearly offer the best value price wise.
You may be able to list a peice for less than the 5$ a month plan, but you will not find another site where you can list ALL your art, have your own customizable site, and have your work seen by customers. Not to mention all the features we have for customers, that increase the likely hood of your work selling.
"only time will tell"
We are working hard to make time tell a great success story,
Best of luck to all,
Luke
Im going to throw in my 2 cents here. I think the new plans are great!
Yes, some artists will lower their prices. But in the end they will not come out ahead.
I have been selling online for a little over 4 years now. I have done eBay, Yessy, Artspan, Boundless and EVERY free site available. Each year my income goes up. And each year the amount of paintings I produce go down. This is the right direction folks!
What I have found is that I actually sell more (as in make more money) when I charge prices that are reflective of the quality and talent of my painting. I made less when I was schleping out 100 paintings. Way less! And I was tired.....
Basically every year I have doubled my prices. It isnt easy. And you go through self-doubt. But once I increase them and see that the sales keep coming, I feel energized and so good about myself and what I am doing. I dont go back down. And why should I? My work is worth more than I charge. My buyers are delighted and keep coming back. This isnt ego talking. This is my reality.
As long as I have happy buyers and I continue to use the best materials, I will keep my pricing where it belongs.
Sharon Cummings
Mmm. I don't like the way Boundless keeps changing things, adding things, deleting things, setting up plans without actually waiting long enough to see what works. It makes me wonder how stable you are. And I'm especially wary of sites that charge artists up-front. Once sites do that they tend to stop worrying about making revenue off of sales and just concentrate on recruiting more artists. 35% commissions should cover your costs. If not, raise the commission level. Too many artists on the site? Start jurying them.
As for site features, your website feature is not flexible enough to use for my purposes (the designs are... Not good). I already have custom sites out there - But I'm stuck with an unused site here.
You guys do try hard, I'm not saying you're bad or dishonest. But up-front fees do have a way of causing a business model to "creep" towards being a portfolio farm instead of sales venue.
Also, all the artists talking about "being a REAL artist means spending up front money places" and "Charging everyone to be fair to people who bought in now." Get over yourselves. Plenty of artists are far better than you will ever be and are too poor to go to the schools, live in the houses and have the computers/supplies that you are so privileged to have. They also lack the spouse who just happens to work at the stock brokerage firm that supports your art. Am I generalizing without any facts? So are you. I trust I made my point.
Endeth sermon.
I just hope Boundless doesnt get taken over by the Chinese rip off artists like eBay and Yessy have. That 5 - 20 per month might look very attractive to them. :(
-anonymous said...
I just hope Boundless doesnt get taken over by the Chinese rip off artists like eBay and Yessy have. That 5 - 20 per month might look very attractive to them. :(
Boundless still certifies each and every new account. And, any account with suspcious activity such as drastically low prices will be reviewed on an individual basis. And, while I know of the negative impact 'rip off artists' had on artists trying to sell on Ebay, I like to point out that we have a number of wonderful, legitimate, quality artists registered in China.
Lastly, if $5-20 looks appealing I wonder how attractive we were at $0? :)
This is all new. I think good business people have to try new things to see what works.
The Boundless team has to earn a living just like us artists. You cannot blame them for trying things.
Stable? They have had the same business model for years. This isnt like they have been willy nilly all along. The last few months have been when they have started making changes. AND ALMOST ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN ON ASTHETICS AND UPGRADING THE SERVER, BETTER FEATURES FOR ARTISTS, ETC. NOT CHANGING THE BUSINESS MODEL.
Geesh!
If it doesnt work out then I am sure they will make a change in a different/better direction for all concerned.
They did an artist survey to find out what we wanted. I really think they are trying for us and for themselves.
As for the bitter people who feel nervous/wary when things change too rapidly for their unstable and technologically deficient lives, I say get over it too.
You either grow with a business as it changes and tries to improve or get out.
Endeth Sermon.
Seems to me it is more of a "portfolio farm" when it is FREE. no risk
Every Granny and 12 year old that fancies themselves artist can list here. And list an unlimited amount too at that. All that to wade through. Not good for anyone.
Maybe it shouldnt be a FREE RIDE for anyone.
5.00 per month covers marketing fees, server fees, employees salery, etc (and all that upfront stuff Boundless has to pay for you whiners who use the site and never make a sale). then you pay 25% commission on the work.
10.00 per month gets you down to 15% commission fee
20.00 per month gets you down to 5% commission fee
Dont forget that Boundless is offering us artists a service. I for one dont have the time/skill or wherewithall to create my own website like this one and pay to market it. Boundless does this for me. I dont mind paying.
In My Opinion making artists pay upfront doesnt mean squat. My goodness!! Do you see how much eBay charges artists upfront?
A 200.00 painting listed featured is over 20 bucks just to list one peice for a week.
Now, now, there's no need for attacks or name calling. While we love the passionate defense; We believe the plans are in the best interest of the artists, but certainly understand apprehension from some artists too.
Anonymous said...
In My Opinion making artists pay upfront doesnt mean squat. My goodness!! Do you see how much eBay charges artists upfront?
A 200.00 painting listed featured is over 20 bucks just to list one peice for a week.
I'm glad someone mentioned this. While I personally prefer to not comment on competitors; to list and sell with any volume at EBay or Etsy artists will pay way more than at BoundlessGallery.com, and you will be much less likely to be able to charge a respectable amount.
Anonymous said...
Mmm. I don't like the way Boundless keeps changing things, adding things, deleting things, setting up plans without actually waiting long enough to see what works. It makes me wonder how stable you are.
We are constantly working to improve. While it may take time to adjust to some of the new changes, know that everything we do is done with much planning and always with the goal of making it easier for our users to buy and sell art online. I don't know what you mean when you say, "setting up plans without actually waiting long enough to see what works." Again, we are constantly working to improve, but we are also constantly evaluating and revising. Please send us an email whenever you feel we’ve made a misstep or you don’t understand something. We love to here from our users and put great weight into your opinions.
And I'm especially wary of sites that charge artists up-front. Once sites do that they tend to stop worrying about making revenue off of sales and just concentrate on recruiting more artists.
This is a very valid concern and I'm glad that you brought it up. I always argued to artists that BoundlessGallery.com was the best place to be because we only made money when they did, and therefore our focus was purely on selling art. But the truth is our focus has and will always be on selling art, regardless of how our revenue is generated. Furthermore, with the plans BG is actually encouraging more artists to refer their customers back to BG. This in turn increases the chances that other artists will be seen by the increased traffic. The site works only when everyone puts effort into making it a success – that includes our artists, galleries, and employees. By lowering the commission we actually encourage artists to work more with BG and that is and will always be the primary key to our success. Our new plans actually make us less money off each individual artist, but should in turn make us more attractive to other artists who were previously turned off by our relatively high commission. This helps build our community and that helps everyone. Finally, if you don’t want to pay for your account, there are lots of options that can help you:
1) Refer new artists back to BG and we’ll send you up to 40% of their membership fee as a thank you.
2) Earn credits toward plan renewals. Days you would have purchased on the artist showcase are now credited to your account – so you get more than just homepage exposure, you get money off your next plan.
3) Refer customers to Boundless using links, banners or if they come through your custom site and you’ll get 5% of sales.
4) Sign up this month and as a current artist you’ll save 25% on your plan.
We know that without sales no artists will stay with us, and we are in this for the long haul. Furthermore, we anticipate that the majority of new artists will sign-up for our entry level plan, The Warhol. We still earn 10% commission on these sales. Don’t you think its in our best interest to continue to make as many sales as possible? ;)
35% commissions should cover your costs. If not, raise the commission level.
One of the major reasons we are adding plans is because many artists send people to other sites because they don’t pay as high a commission elsewhere. While free to join and stay is appealing to some new sign-ups, it is not appealing to pay 25% continuously. 35% would make us even less attractive to quality artists and deter even more new artists from signing up.
Too many artists on the site? Start jurying them.
If we reach a point were we feel we have more artists than we can find customers for, we may. But we feel we still have lots of room to grow, and lots more customers to reach first.
As for site features, your website feature is not flexible enough to use for my purposes (the designs are... Not good). I already have custom sites out there - But I'm stuck with an unused site here.
We couldn’t allow artists to link elsewhere in the past because we were solely dependent on commission for sales. The new plans are opening many doors, and allowing artists to link offsite is something we’re considering. The custom websites may not be as flexible as you would like, but there is no pressure to use them if you have another you prefer. A) The primary benefit of being a member is being listed on BoundlessGallery.com. Where else do you get to be listed on a professional gallery site, AND get a customizable website? B) They were completely FREE, while we work extremely hard at BoundlessGallery there are only so many hours in a day, we have to prioritize tasks. Many of our artists have said that they already use a different personal site, and C) For the artists who take the time to build them, they can be very attractive and professional. So, while it may not be personally appealing to you, there are many who love their custom website. Having said all that, we of course will be working to improve as always.
You guys do try hard, I'm not saying you're bad or dishonest. But up-front fees do have a way of causing a business model to "creep" towards being a portfolio farm instead of sales venue.
Again, our focus is and will always be on facilitating art SALES
Also, all the artists talking about "being a REAL artist means spending up front money places" and "Charging everyone to be fair to people who bought in now." Get over yourselves. Plenty of artists are far better than you will ever be and are too poor to go to the schools, live in the houses and have the computers/supplies that you are so privileged to have. They also lack the spouse who just happens to work at the stock brokerage firm that supports your art. Am I generalizing without any facts? So are you. I trust I made my point.
Endeth Sermon.
I wouldn’t dare enter a debate on what it means to be a REAL artist. But to make a living at selling art, you must invest a lot be it time, energy, or the price of one Starbucks a month :).
Thank you Anonymous,
I know that there are other artists who share your concerns. We appreciate the opportunity to communicate.
Sincerely,
The BoundlessGallery.com Team
That was great Luke!
Just sittin back watching the festivities.
It can get snippy at times (just how artists can be) but overall no matter what is said it can be constructive. Bashing aside.
Thanks,
This reminds me of an advertising class i took. We had brainstorming creativity meetings and we all had paper wads and if anyone made a negative comment without some constructive criticism they got pelted.
So, be forewarned all you anonymous commentors, I've got a rocket arm and a handful of crumpled up papers ready for anyone who is negative without merit;).
PS, If all of you anonymi are artists, and you don't yet, you should have your own blog. Post a painting once a week if thats all you do, but I bet you will find it very rewarding.
Why not satisfy everyone?
Still offer the FREE option with 25% commission fee
What will happen is that an artist who gets on Boundless and makes a few 200 sales will say to themselves that it might be best to go ahead and sign up for a plan.
Artist that arent selling will clog up the site a bit. FREE will keep drawing them.
BUT the FREE option can come with a limit on the amount of paintings they can list. Say 10.
This way the nervous type can still sign up risk free and with 10 paintings fairly represent their work and talents (and upgrade at anytime). And the successful high selling artists can sign up for a plan and make more $$$ with lower or no commission fees (no limits on pieces alowed).
I have been watching this blog off and on all day. Very interesting.
I see things like this:
"Plenty of artists are far better than you will ever be and are too poor to go to the schools, live in the houses and have the computers/supplies that you are so privileged to have. They also lack the spouse who just happens to work at the stock brokerage firm that supports your art."
And just scratch my head. The resentment is palpable. Since when is it wrong to have a successful spouse? The antiquated idea that artists must be starving, painting for hours alone in their studio without meaningful relationships, suffering for their work needs to be changed.
Today's artist has so much more opportunity than was even available 10 years ago. Today's artist can be very successful. No longer suffering and starving dependent on the brick & mortar galleries for their bread. Today's artist can have a satisfying marriage to a successful spouse. Raise a family, buy a house, give to charity and feel pretty darn good about themselves.
In my case, I am married to a man that works as a public servant. These state employees were told that this year there would be no raises due to budget cuts. His income doesn't go up more than the measly standard of living when it is available. My art sales are what make things like computers, a home, etc. a possibility.
Sure his co-workers could say, "Must be nice having a wife who makes good money." But what is that? Jealously. Plain and simple.
Cant we all just get along?
First off:
--------------
"And just scratch my head. The resentment is palpable. Since when is it wrong to have a successful spouse? The antiquated idea that artists must be starving, painting for hours alone in their studio without meaningful relationships, suffering for their work needs to be changed."
----------------
I think you missed the point. Previous writers were throwing phrases like "real artist" around in conjunction with a fair amount of "if you can't afford this you are somehow less worthy." The ending phrase of that paragraph: "Am I generalizing without any facts? So are you. I trust I made my point."
Should have made it clear that it was hyperbole poking fun at the inflated privilege of the previous comments lecturing about "business."
Hidden within it *was* the valid message that all of us have different backgrounds and you really can't make wide pronouncements about what is affordable for all artists. You certainly cant link money and wealth to overall artistic viability. Van Gogh maybe?
Sure some people can spend $30 at each and every site that decides to charge for listings and gallery fees and supplies and permits and insurance and etc- many others can't. And ya know - there's probably a good number of them who are better.
If YOU don't mind spending $30 here then say so. But do not begin to presume that you have the right or ability to lecture anyone else about what is affordable.
Instead, wrap that attitude up in your mind and cherish it while praying to whatever god you hold holy that life never smacks you upside the head and knocks you into the gutter. Because then, you see, you won't be a real artist. Just a hobbyist.
I would, however, actually like to see a juried site. Even if its just a sub-section of the site. Because, a jury process levels the playing field and keeps the site from being flooded with work that may not be ready.
Also, an ability to turn off the website feature with a checkbox would be good.
I may or may not continue to add comments to this discussion as its getting a little carried away, off topic and too long.
Please, only add a new comment if you feel it is constructive or absolutely necessary.
-Luke
And remember,
"If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies." ~Author Unknown
Just like you say that a "juried" site would be good in that it would get rid of artwork that might not be ready yet. Having a fee would take care of artist that arent ready yet to market themselves. If an artist cannot afford 5 dollars a month (not judging them as we all start somewhere) then they should look at local galleries that do not have a hanging fee to get themselves established. As mentioned some have talent far greater than some of us in here. Such talent can find representation. Then when they make a sale, they can afford 5.00 a month. They will be ready.
I like the new plans because it gives me more flexibility to earn more money and to decide how to market myself. I dont sell high volume like some artists, but the one or two pieces I sell a month more than covers the plan.
It has alos given me the much needed push to find more ways to market myself.
As for artists who cannot afford $5.00 per month. I find that a non-issue. The very fact that an artist can purchase supplies to produce their work, digitally photograph their art with a digital camera, have access to a computer and Internet to load them, have shipping supplies to ship with, etc. makes it obvious that paying $5.00 per month is not a issue.
For those that cannot afford all of the above, they arent even online or on Boundless to worry about it. True there might be artists out there that depend on donations from others to meet all of their financial needs and even some that steal what is required to produce their work. Again shows they can create the means to purchase what they want/need.
The new Boundless plans are not only doable they are in the artist's best interest.
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