What does it take to be a top 10 Online Art Platform?
January 26, 2017
We talk exclusively to some of the galleries that made it on to the top 10 online art platforms from our Hiscox Online Art Trade Report.
Christie’s is a global art business with salerooms located in major cultural cities around the world and a digital platform that invites an expanding network of people to participate in art.
They pride themselves on having the same team cataloguing and authenticating their online auction lots as their traditional ones.
Artsy is a resource for art collecting and education, and features the world’s leading galleries, museum collections, foundations, art fairs and benefit auctions all in one place.
Uniquely, Artsy partners directly with the leading players in the art market – galleries, art fairs, and auction houses – to expand their reach to a global audience of collectors.
Artnet is a one-stop shop for any collector, dealer, or art enthusiast, and draws on over 30 years’ worth of art market data when producing art world news and market analysis reports.
With a wide range of price points, artnet Auctions attract both first-time buyers as well as serious, long-term collectors.
Sotheby’s is one of the world’s largest brokers of fine and decorative art, and takes a unique approach to the traditional auction calendar to ensure they’re always relevant to their clients.
Just this year online sales have included a $6m pair of diamonds, a $3m Audubon book, a $1.5m 1955 Mercedes-Benz, and numerous pieces of fine art for over $1m.
Auctionata | Paddle8 offers a seamless and accessible process for buying and selling across categories as diverse as art, antiques, design, luxury collectibles, classic cars, watches, jewellery.
They’ll soon be launching the world’s first dedicated online collecting channel that broadcasts live auctions around the clock.
Saatchi Art is the world’s leading online gallery, helping people discover extraordinary artworks by emerging artists from around the world.
In the past six months alone, they’ve sold artworks to buyers in 80 countries on behalf of artists in 100 countries, including millennials, seasoned collectors and members of the design trade.
Artspace partners with the best international galleries, museums and non-profits to offer collectors the opportunity to discover and buy artworks curated from sought-after artists all over the world.
They offer paintings, photographs, drawings, sculptures, new media works, prints and more, and actively work with emerging artists to bring their art to the attention of their collector audience.
With 164-million active buyers, eBay has one billion listings globally, making it one of the largest platforms to buy art online in the world.
As part of the Hiscox Online Art Trade Report 2016, we used the responses of 672 buyers to present the new ‘Online Art Platform Ranking – top 40’ feature. Rankings included factors such as
visiting and buying habits, as well as respondents’ perceptions of buying from different online art platforms and how satisfied they are with the service.
Here we talk exclusively to some of the galleries that made it to the top 10 list, asking them about their unique selling propositions, their customers, and how they adapt to the ever-evolving world of tech in art.
1. Christie’s LIVE
Thanks to Emily Burke, Christie’s
What’s your USP?
Founded in 18th Century London, today we’re a global art business. We have salerooms located in major cultural cities around the world and a digital platform that invites an expanding network of people to participate in what we do. Since we held our first online-only sale in 2011, many others have followed. Online art buying is increasing among new, younger clients who value the fact that we have the same team cataloguing and authenticating our online auction lots as we do our traditional ones.
Who are your customers?
Our buyers are always very varied – we have collectors from all different parts of the world, buying for different reasons. What’s encouraging is that we’re continually seeing more people engaging with our online platform including both new and existing buyers. In the first half of 2016, the number of clients buying through online-only sales increased by 60%, with 26% of new buyers choosing an online sale for their first transaction with Christie’s.
How do you adapt to emerging technologies?
As technology has advanced and e-commerce has become an everyday part of most retail industries, interest in buying art online has escalated. Our clients use an average of four devices to browse for products and research for larger items. We’re seeing a demand for the latest content and information anywhere, anytime as buyers travel more frequently. Clients can also participate in our auctions virtually through Christie’s LIVETM, which gives them access to every Christie’s saleroom globally. From their computer, tablet or phone they can place bids and follow along with live sales while watching the auctioneer in real time.
2. Artsy
Thanks to Anna Carey, Artsy
What’s your USP?
Artsy is the most comprehensive resource for learning about and collecting art from the world’s top galleries, museums, art fairs, and auctions. We unite education and commerce on a digital platform that is worthy of art. We take a marketplace approach to buying and selling art. Unlike most online art companies that compete with existing art businesses, Artsy partners directly with the leading players in the art market – galleries, art fairs, and auction houses – to expand their reach to a global audience of collectors. We have a large team of engineers and developers who create the best products for both our users and partners.
Who are your customers?
Artsy is used as an educational resource and vehicle for art exploration by art lovers, museum-goers, students and educators. As a resource for collecting, we bring both new and seasoned collectors on to the platform. We connect users from all corners of the world, of all ages, incomes, and educational levels with the most comprehensive online art database, lowering the barrier for entry to the art world to anyone with an Internet connection.
How do you adapt to emerging technologies?
Artsy is the premier tech-forward art platform. We invest in developing innovative technologies to expand access to art and to make physical experiences such as buying art at an art fair more informative, engaging and efficient. We stand out in the online art world as a primarily technology-focused start-up with a world-class team of developers and engineers. Artsy uses data-driven insights to inform our strategy for building the most intuitive and beautiful products serving the art world.
3. artnet
Thanks to Rita Maria Salpietro, artnet
What’s your USP?
Founded in 1989, artnet has been a consistent leader in the art-selling field and the first to develop a dedicated online platform for buying and selling art. We have an unparalleled history with over 30 years’ worth of art market data to draw from when producing our art world news and market analysis reports. We’re essentially a one-stop shop for any collector, dealer, or art enthusiast.
Who are your customers?
Our demographic is made up of people from many different backgrounds, with many different art buying interests. With a wide range of price points, ‘artnet Auctions’ attract both first-time buyers as well as serious, long-term collectors. Our audience is international, educated, passionate about art, and equally split between men and women.
How do you adapt to emerging technologies?
Because we have offices in New York, Berlin, and London, we get feedback from around the world, which has been an important part of developing our story and strategy. For example, we launched ‘artnet News’ in response to a growing need for up-to-the-minute art world reporting, and now regularly feature expert commentary and market analysis informed by our various art market products and data. We’ve built a stable collection of industry-leading products and services, and are always listening to our clients’ changing needs as we continue to innovate the growing online art market.
4. Sotheby’s BIDnow
Thanks to Dany Abernathy, VP, Sotheby’s Press Office
What’s your USP?
At Sotheby’s we’ve moved beyond the traditional auction calendar to a position where we’re always relevant to current and potential clients. This encompasses auctions outside the regular sale seasons such as our series of summer online auctions, an increased range of experiential events, and industry-leading editorial, video, and social media programmes that can be accessed through an array of digital products. Our approach has attracted clients buying online across all categories and at all price levels. Just this year, online sales have included a $6m (£4.86m) pair of diamonds, a $3m (£2.4m) Audubon book, a $1.5m (£1.2m) 1955 Mercedes-Benz, and numerous pieces of fine art for over $1m (£800,000), as well as thousands of pieces in the low thousands of dollars.
Who are your customers?
Our focus is on reaching new audiences across the globe, however, they prefer to interact with us, whether that’s via our iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, or Android apps, our seven social media channels, or the unparalleled content on sothebys.com. This focus on bringing in new buyers is paying dividends – in our online-only auctions to date, 37% of buyers were new to Sotheby’s.
How do you adapt to emerging technologies?
We’re always looking for new ways to engage with collectors, and so quickly embrace new technologies. It’s widely acknowledged that content is the future of advertising, so we invested heavily in setting up bureaus around the world to service that demand. The appetite for video content also continues to surge, leading us to create a film programme that dwarfs anything produced by our competitors. We’re extremely quick to adopt the latest social media channels. Most recently, Snapchat and Facebook Live have helped cement our leadership position there.
5. Auctionata | Paddle8
Thanks to Luisa Elster, Auctionata/Paddle 8
What’s your USP?
Auctionata was ranked at number 9 but has since united with Paddle 8 to form a global leader in the online art world.
Auctionata | Paddle8 prides itself on providing an innovative online user experience, which has enabled us to reach more than 800,000 registered collectors worldwide. We offer a seamless and accessible process for buying and selling across categories as diverse as art, antiques, design, luxury collectibles, classic cars, watches, jewellery and real estate via livestream auction formats, charity auctions, private sales, and a curated online shop. And we’ll soon be launching the world’s first dedicated online collecting channel that broadcasts live auctions around the clock. No other player in the market offers its buyers and sellers the same breadth of collecting categories and sales formats.
Who are your customers?
Our clients are digitally savvy, well-travelled collectors with a passion for art, design, and collectibles, and they’re from many different age groups and locations. As well as our strong European, US American and Chinese markets, some of our most active collectors are based in the Middle East, the Caribbean, and the more remote regions of the United States. Although our offering is generally designed for a global audience, we adapt the design, language, content and the timing of our auctions to the preferences of the target audience.
How do you adapt to emerging technologies?
We try not to adapt but rather to be the drivers of technological innovation in our market. By bringing in international talent and setting ambitious targets, we’re always working on developing new technologies and integrating the latest innovations in e-commerce. We have top-notch tech, IT and operations teams that are continuously developing new features and applications that evolve our customer experience.
6. Saatchi Art
Thanks to Rebecca Wilson, Chief Curator, Saatchi Art
What’s your USP?
Saatchi Art is the world’s leading online gallery, helping people discover extraordinary artworks by emerging artists from around the world. Founded with a mission to bring great art to a wide audience, Saatchi Art is redefining the gallery experience by offering collectors and interior designers an unparalleled selection of original art and complimentary art advisory services, all while providing artists with an expertly curated environment in which to exhibit and sell their work.
Who are your customers?
Thanks to our approachability and affordable prices – our artworks range from $300 (£238) to $50,000 (£39,652) – we’re meeting the demands of a growing population of art lovers who traditionally have been under-served by the art market. In the past six months alone, we’ve sold artworks to buyers in 80 countries on behalf of artists in 100 countries. Millennials, seasoned collectors and members of the design trade who are seeking an efficient alternative to existing galleries are among our key audiences.
How do you adapt to emerging technologies?
From the perspective of our Chief Curator Rebecca Wilson, the internet has been a real liberator in the art world. We use technology to help open it up to different kinds of people – browsing Saatchi Art online offers a completely different experience to coming to a bricks and mortar gallery. We have a ‘View in a Room’ feature on our iOS app where you can take a photo of your wall and then superimpose a work of art on it to see what it would look like. We’ve found social media to be a vital tool both in terms of exposure for artists and for raising awareness of Saatchi Art and all that we offer.
7. Artspace
Thanks to Emmanuele Vinciguerra, CEO, Artspace
What’s your USP?
Artspace partners with the best international galleries, museums, and non-profits to offer collectors and aspiring collectors the opportunity to discover, learn about, and buy artworks curated from sought-after artists all over the world. We offer paintings, photographs, drawings, sculptures, new media works, prints, and artist-designed objects. We also work with a select group of emerging artists directly to bring their art to the attention of our collector audience. Membership on Artspace is free for galleries, which sets us apart.
Who are your customers?
We target collectors and aspiring collectors who are thirty years old or above, those who are affluent and globally minded, and who clearly have an intense interest in art, design, lifestyle and culture.
How do you adapt to emerging technologies?
We closely watch what’s happening in the market. At Artspace, each department is responsible for collecting information from their field and reporting back to the product team. We assess the benefits of new technologies in the context of our mission and strategic goals. We look at new technologies as ways to address a specific goal or accelerate the completion of a project, rather than innovating for the novelty factor.
8. Auctionata
Auctionata was ranked at number 9 but has since united with Paddle 8 to form a global leader in the online art world (see number 5).
9. eBay Art
With 164-million active buyers, eBay has one billion listings globally, making it one of the largest platforms to buy art online in the world. Unfortunately, they were not available for interview.
You can find the full top 40 online art platforms in the Hiscox Online Art Trade Report 2016.
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