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After being a part time photographer for almost a decade,artFido marketing director Kris knew there was something missing. He’d seen art bought and sold at traditional bricks and mortar auction houses, on the phone and on websites like Ebay and Trade Me, but never saw an online platform that truly served the market’s needs. So he helped create one. And it was called artFido. Kris wanted to help build a site that was different. One that took some of the traditions of an age-old industry and introduced them to the new world of online art trading. At the same time, he wanted to avoid creating a site that was difficult to use, cluttered with design elements or overwhelmed with colour. Most importantly, he wanted to create an auction platform dedicated entirely to art. To buying art, selling art and online art sales to be more precise. There would be no second hand running shoes on artFido. No bed frames, boxing bags, or boots. Just art. The art could take any form. Photographs, paintings, sculptures, prints, lithographs or installations. It could also be listed at any price. It could be collectable art, Affordable art, or art that was simply worth exactly what it was being sold for. The only pre-requisite would be that it had to be art. Only art. With the site almost ready to go live, Kris used his marketing skills to help spread the word amongst the art communities in Australia and New Zealand. It wasn’t easy. A lot of galleries were reluctant to get involved, feeling that a lot of art buyers wouldn’t be able to get over the fact that selling art online would mean selling without a physical presence. They believed that art buyers wouldn’t be able to visualize owing the art without standing beside it. Being able to touch it. Smell it. Kris, having purchased art online himself, knew that that hurdle could be overcome. So he persisted and convinced many galleries, including some very well knowngalleries, to come on board. Then Kris reached out to the artists. Via social media and direct email contact he was able to reach emerging and independent artists willing to give the online art gallery a go. By reaching galleries and artists willing to sell art online, artFido was able to amass a number of listings prior to launching the site to art buyers. Then artFido was unleashed on Australia and New Zealand. After months of growth, change, trial and error, the site continues to grow. Yet Kris would be the first to say that they are not out of the woods just yet. Sales are increasing at a steady pace, but as of April 2013, the site is yet to turn a profit. In fact, the site is yet to bring in one dollar of revenue. Creating a two-sided marketplace comes with many challenges. The biggest of which is keeping both buyers and sellers interested during the growth phase. In every sense of the word, artFido is still in its infancy. And there have been teething problems. Lots of them. But that happens to every new business. Online or off. And Kris is well aware they’re not alone when it comes to the challenges of launching a new online business. But he maintainsfaith that theartFido platform for selling art online will soon find its feet. All four of them.And when it does, he has no doubt it will begin a growth spurt that will be hard to measure. Or stop.
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