Artists naturally spend a lot of time thinking about the work itself. The color needs to feel right, the composition needs to work, and the finished piece has to say what you intended it to say. But once that artwork is offered for sale, another part of the process begins. A customer is no longer looking only at the image. They are also deciding whether they understand the piece, whether they trust the seller, and whether they can picture the artwork becoming part of their own home.
That is where a customer experience strategy becomes useful. For an independent artist, it does not have to mean building an elaborate marketing system. Often, it comes down to fairly ordinary things: writing a useful description, answering a question clearly, showing what a print actually looks like on a wall, or sending a thoughtful message after an order. During this webinar, we looked at how those smaller moments can help artists build a stronger connection with the people buying their work.
Why Buying Art Is More Than a Transaction
People do not always buy art because they simply need something to cover a wall. Sometimes a photograph reminds them of a place they grew up. A color palette may fit the mood they have been trying to create in a room. Another piece might resemble something connected to a family memory, a trip, or an important stage of life.
That emotional side of buying art is easy to underestimate when you are the person creating it. You may be thinking about paper, dimensions, framing, and price, while the customer is thinking, “This reminds me of my grandmother’s house,” or “I could see this above my desk.” Those are very different ways of looking at the same piece.
A few common reasons people connect with artwork include:
- Self-Expression & Identity – Some buyers simply recognize themselves in a piece. The style, subject, or message fits something about their personality or the way they want their home to feel.
- Nostalgia & Memory – Familiar places, objects, colors, and scenes can bring back memories that make an artwork feel personal.
- Mood & Atmosphere – A quiet landscape may make a room feel calmer, while a bright abstract piece can add energy to an otherwise neutral space.
- Gift-Giving – Art can work particularly well as a gift when the subject has meaning for both the giver and the person receiving it.
Artists do not need to manufacture an emotional story for every product. It is usually more effective to notice what is already present in the work and make that easier for a potential buyer to understand.
Universal Appeals in Art
Three ideas came up repeatedly during the webinar: nostalgia, mood, and identity. They sound fairly simple, but they help explain why two people can look at the same artwork and respond very differently.
Nostalgia is often tied to recognition. A coastline, old building, neighborhood street, or even a certain color combination can remind someone of another time in their life. Mood works differently. A buyer may have no personal history with the subject at all, but the piece creates exactly the feeling they want in a bedroom, office, or living space.
Identity is a little broader. People often surround themselves with objects that say something about their interests, taste, background, or values. Artwork naturally becomes part of that. When describing your work, you do not need to spell all of this out. Sometimes simply explaining where the piece came from or what drew you to the subject gives the buyer enough to make their own connection.
The Buyer’s Perspective
From the artist’s side, it is easy to see a finished piece as the result of hours of work. The buyer sees something else. They are trying to decide whether the artwork belongs in their life.
Someone might say, “I bought this because it looks like the town where I grew up.” Another person may simply like the colors because they make a room feel quieter. Neither buyer necessarily cares about every technical detail behind the artwork, but they may still want to know where the idea came from, why you made it, and what the finished print will actually look like.
This is why a product title or description should do more than name the size and material. A room photograph, a short paragraph about the piece, or a few useful details about how it will arrive can remove some of the uncertainty that comes with purchasing art online. You are not trying to tell people what they should feel. You are giving them enough context to decide what the work means to them.
How to Deepen Connections as a Seller
1. Use Descriptions That Give the Buyer Something to Picture
There is nothing wrong with writing “12×18 abstract print,” but that information only tells the buyer what the product is. It does not tell them much about the experience of having it in a room.
You might instead write something like:
“A quiet abstract piece with softer tones, designed to bring a more relaxed feel to a living room, bedroom, or workspace.”
The size and print information still need to be there, of course. The difference is that the customer now has a starting point for imagining the artwork somewhere beyond the product page.
2. Tell the Story When There Is a Story Worth Telling
Not every artwork needs a dramatic backstory. Sometimes the most useful explanation is only two or three sentences.
You could say:
“This piece came from afternoons I spent near the lake where I grew up. I kept returning to the way the light changed across the water late in the day.”
That feels more personal because it actually tells the buyer something about the work. It also avoids the kind of generic language that could be used to describe almost any print.
3. Make the Purchase Feel Less Anonymous
Buying art online can feel surprisingly impersonal if the only communication a customer receives is an order confirmation and shipping notification. A short thank-you message, simple care information, or a brief artist note can make the transaction feel different without adding much work.
This matters especially when you are thinking about the ecommerce customer experience. The buyer may never meet you, visit a studio, or speak to you directly. The website, product page, packaging, and follow-up communication are often the only parts of your business they will experience firsthand.
The point is not to add more steps. It is to make the steps that already exist feel intentional.
Make the Buying Process Easier
A good emotional connection will only take a customer so far if the practical information is confusing.
Someone may love a piece but still hesitate because they cannot tell how large it will look above a sofa. They might be unsure whether framing is included, what material the image is printed on, or how the artwork will arrive. Those questions may seem minor, but each one gives the customer another reason to delay the purchase.
Try looking at your store as someone seeing it for the first time. Is the size easy to understand? Can a customer tell the difference between materials? Does the product photo show enough detail? Would a room mock-up make the scale clearer?
The questions people repeatedly ask you are particularly useful. If three customers ask the same thing about framing or print size, you probably do not need a better answer, rather you need that answer somewhere on the product page.
Improving the customer experience is often less about adding something impressive and more about removing small points of confusion.
Turning Buyers Into Long-Term Supporters
The relationship with a customer does not necessarily end when the package arrives. In many cases, that is the point when they finally experience your work as a physical object rather than an image on a screen.
A buyer who is happy with the print, the ordering process, and the way you communicated may come back when they need another piece. They may also show the artwork to friends, share it online, or remember your name when someone asks where they bought it.
You do not have to keep contacting customers constantly to make that happen. A simple thank-you, an occasional update when you release new work, or an invitation to follow what you are creating can be enough. People generally remember artists because something about the work or the experience stayed with them, not because they received the most emails.
That is also why seemingly small improvements matter. Better product descriptions, useful photos, clear answers, and a little appreciation after the sale may not feel like a major strategy on their own. Together, however, they shape how someone remembers buying from you.
Q&A Highlights
How can I improve the quality of notes included with prints?
Standard notes are printed on regular printer paper. However, if the presentation of the note is an important part of your customer experience, we suggest ordering a fine art paper print if you’d like to include something with a higher-quality finish. A short message does not have to be elaborate to feel personal; even a simple thank-you can work when it matches the way you normally communicate with customers.
Will Lumaprints offer acrylic prints?
No, Lumaprints does not currently offer acrylic prints. If you’re looking for a similar sleek, modern look, metal prints are a great alternative, with vivid color and a smooth, glossy finish.
How can I include postcards with orders?
The webinar discussed ordering fine art paper postcards separately and adding instructions for them to be shipped with an order. Because fulfillment processes can change, confirm the current procedure before making postcards a regular part of your packaging or customer workflow.
How can artists improve the customer experience when selling art online?
Think about the questions you would have if you were spending your own money on a piece from an artist you had never purchased from before. You would probably want to know what the artwork really looks like, how large it is, what it is printed on, how it will arrive, and what happens if you have a concern or question. Cover those basics first, then add the personal side and the story behind the piece, a thoughtful message, or an explanation of why you created it. Good customer experience usually comes from making the purchase feel both easy and human.
What should artists include in product descriptions to connect with buyers?
Start with the information someone actually needs to make a decision: size, material, orientation, framing or presentation details, and anything important about the finished print. After that, add a small amount of context about the artwork itself. Explain what interested you about the subject, where the idea came from, or what kind of atmosphere the piece creates. You do not need to oversell the meaning. A specific, genuine detail is usually more convincing than several paragraphs of promotional language.
Build an Experience People Want to Come Back To
A memorable customer experience rarely comes from one clever idea. More often, it is the result of several ordinary things being done well: the artwork is presented clearly, the description sounds like a real person wrote it, questions are easy to answer, and the customer feels that some thought went into what happens after they place the order.
Your customer experience strategy should support the work rather than compete with it. Give people enough information to buy with confidence, share enough of yourself to make the experience personal, and pay attention to the places where customers seem uncertain. Over time, those small improvements can make it easier for someone who bought one piece to remember you when they are ready for another.
Watch the webinar: Why We Buy Art: What Really Moves Us
Explore more videos: Visit the Lumaprints YouTube channel for previous and upcoming webinars, artist tips, and printing resources.
