Art, craft and design are often considered exclusive fields where only those in the know are made members.

And the art world is a market that's difficult to break into. Whilst it's true that the sale of art can pay well, it's also the case that only a few artists and designers find a way to establish a reputation without plenty of heartache! In art, as in most human activities, you need to establish a name and reputation. Often, this can only be achieved through good exposure; which, with Web 2.0 has been made easier to achieve.

The web as a way of gaining exposure

Various options are now open for artists and craftspeople to display their works online. There are several types of websites to which you can submit your work, some of these sites post your work for free while others charge a minimal membership fee. Often these sites not only enable you to post your work but also to engage in a discussion with fellow artists or craftspeople as well as viewers.

Economics of online art and design

As with the use of the Internet for other types of business, the main advantage of displaying art online is reaching more people with less effort. The Internet reaches a global market. Taking this into account, it's easy to see how displaying your art online can dramatically increase your exposure. Through the Internet, you are able to reach more people - some of these audiences are impossible to reach given traditional ways of displaying art such as in galleries. Moreover, displaying art online is more cost-effective than opting for showing your work in galleries. Of course, there is no substitute for seeing your work in the flesh but the new web 2.0 environment allows artists and viewers to enter into a discussion that can sometimes lead to a purchase.

Changing perceptions of how artists and designers should use the web

Displaying online art was rather slow to be accepted by the art community. Doubts as to the financial sustainability of online systems have been a topic of debate within the art community. But recent developments in the field have convinced many artists and designers that online art galleries can help to satisfy both the viewing public's hunger for ideas and beauty and the individual designer's need to be able to pursue their unique design techniques without too many interruptions. Recent market studies have shown that more collectors are now turning to the Internet to buy art and craft pieces. These studies suggest that displaying your work online can be a useful element in promotional strategy.