Do you have a digital camera and a good eye for photography? If so, you could be earning money by selling pictures online. Whether you provide stock photography for advertisers and business owners or digital art for consumers to enjoy, there’s a market out there for your work. There are also a number of methods by which to sell your products, some more efficient and lucrative than others. It’s not uncommon for content creators new to selling pictures to choose a microstock site, but there are other options. In fact, skipping the microstock managed sales can leave you with greater earning potential and freedom. Starting your own web store is easier than you think, and it doesn’t require a large startup investment. All you need are the right tools and services to launch.

Selling Pictures: Tools and Services You’ll Need

No matter what kind of digital products you plan to sell, you can’t earn money if you can’t collect payments effectively. Trusted systems like PayPal and Google Wallet are used by buyers and sellers across the globe for good reason. They’re convenient, easy to use and offer far more protection than manual credit card processing. They’re also seamlessly integrated in to the best eCommerce platforms, which will consolidate all the other tools you need to succeed.

Services like PayLoadz.com provide not only PayPal and Google Wallet support, but also secure file hosting and automated content delivery. You never have to worry about where you are when a sale comes through, because every step of the transaction is managed by your eCommerce platform. Payments are processed, files are shared and your customers are able to immediately enjoy their new products. Easy HTML linking makes it possible for you to skip the expensive custom website, as well. You can turn a free blog site, a social media profile or a low-cost template site into your sales portal with ease.

Marketing is the Key to Selling Pictures

Your target audience can’t make a purchase if they don’t know who you are and where to find your work. This is where marketing becomes vital, but it can also be a risky proposition. You’ll have to pay up front for your banner ads or sponsored social media posts before they ever go live, which means your money is spent regardless of how effective these ads ultimately prove to be.

Affiliate marketing is a far better option for most new merchants, for a number of reasons. First and foremost, you never pay up front for affiliate marketing. These systems, which are often built in to the best eCommerce platforms, connect you with marketing partners who essentially work on commission. A small portion of the proceeds from only they sales they generate are diverted to your affiliates. Because you’re only paying for marketing when it works, there’s zero risk of a bad investment. Choose your eCommerce platform today, and you could be successfully selling pictures in no time at all.