From Cozy Dreams to Hard Reality: Behind the scenes of starting an online shop and the struggles you don’t see

If you have ever searched "how to build a website," you’ve probably come across countless videos, blog posts, and courses claiming you can have your site up and running in a weekend. The internet gurus make it sound like a quick, cozy process.

Spoiler alert: it’s not…

As an artist creating original work (AI Art not included), the process of setting up an online shop has been far more challenging than those clickbait titles promised. From the long hours spent creating my art to the technical challenges of building a functional website, the whole process has been a true learning experience. You never know what you are getting into until you dive in. But I’m here to share that experience so you can go in with your eyes wide open.

Forget Instant Gratification: Real Art Takes Time

Let’s start with the most obvious part: making the actual art. Unlike AI-generated designs, which is a band wagon many print-on-demand sellers are jumping in to generate their products, my pieces don’t materialize at the click of a button. They require hours, sometimes days or even weeks, to create and perfect into pieces I’m excited to share with my audience. If you’re an artist like me, you know this process is personal, intricate, and takes years of honing your skills. You are not just uploading files. You are offering something unique, something that is a piece of you.

The “gurus” seem to skip over this part. The idea that you can just throw up a shop with a ton of art ready to go isn’t realistic for those of us producing original and unique work. So, from the very beginning, time is already working against you if you think you will have a fully stocked site within a week.

Building the Website: More Than Drag and Drop

Now onto the next challenge: the actual site itself. Sure, website builders like Shopify, Squarespace, and Etsy promise quick, no-code solutions, and while they are user-friendly, they’re not exactly plug-and-play when you want something custom and unique. You might start with a template, but the moment you want to make your site truly your own, you’ll run into roadblocks.

I spent hours tweaking layouts, experimenting with fonts, and making sure my art looked good across different devices. (And I am still spending hours on it)  As a visual artist, the way your site looks is crucial. A messy, unpolished website can turn potential customers away faster than you can say “404 error.” Simply uploading your art is not enough; it needs to be beautifully presented and truly reflect your brand

The internet gurus rarely mention how steep the learning curve can be when it comes to customizing your site. What looks simple in the tutorials often requires a deeper dive into design tools, plugins, and, yes, sometimes even a bit of coding. It made me appreciate the work that professional graphic designers and web builders put into their craft. Designing a visually appealing, functional site is no easy feat, it is a whole skill set on its own.

Lights, Camera, Action: Boosting Your Site's Visual Appeal

Here’s another reality check: your site is only as good as the images you put on it. You can have the most stunning art, but if your product photos don’t do it justice, you’re going to have a hard time making sales. This is something I’m still working on myself, building up a library of images takes time, especially when you’re not a professional photographer.

I’ll be real: my photography skills are not top-notch. For now, I’m using a mix of stock images to keep things visually interesting while I work on developing my own photos. As I build up my own collection of product shots and lifestyle images, my site will evolve, but it’s a slow process. It’s tempting to think you can launch a site with just a handful of photos, but trust me, you’ll need a whole library of images to keep your site dynamic and engaging.

The reality is that your site is never really “done.” It’s a work in progress that evolves as your products change and as design trends shift. So, if you’re just starting out and feel like your site isn’t perfect yet, that’s okay! It’s all part of the journey.

The Importance of Professional Design

This brings me to something I hadn’t fully appreciated until I was in the thick of it: professional graphic designers are seriously undervalued. Sure, I have an eye for design, but web design is a different beast. It's not just about making things pretty, it’s about creating a seamless experience for your customers. From navigation to load times, every tiny detail matters.

Designers spend years mastering these nuances, and it shows. If you’re like me, you’ll probably end up spending hours researching best practices and watching tutorials just to get your site to function and look halfway decent. And that’s just the basics! If you want a truly optimized site that runs smoothly and converts visitors into buyers, a professional designer is worth every penny. Mind you, I don’t have that many pennies in my pockets so this will be an ongoing mountain to climb but I plan on reaching the top someday.

SEO: The Tip of the Iceberg and What Lies Beneath

Then there’s SEO (Search Engine Optimization), For those who aren’t well-versed in SEO, it is essential to look beyond your website’s polished exterior. If you take a deeper dive on YouTube, you might find that some of your favorite gurus only skim the surface of SEO and site optimization tips. It’s easy to say, “Just optimize your site for Google,” but it’s a whole different game the deeper you get into it. SEO is what helps your site show up on search engines, and it's not just about throwing in a few keywords.

You must think about things like alt text for your images so Google knows what they are, meta descriptions, and the overall structure of your site. It’s not glamorous, and it takes time to get it right, but if you want your shop to be found by people who don’t already follow you. It is essential! And here’s the kicker…it is ongoing. SEO is something you’ll have to keep up with as your site grows.

Marketing: Navigating Social Media and Online Presence

While I haven’t gotten to the marketing phase just yet, I already know it’s not going to be as simple as posting a few Instagram photos and watching the orders roll in. Marketing your art is a different kind of challenge, especially when you’re up against the vast sea of content online. It’s going to take learning new skills, testing out different strategies, and again…patience.

From what I’ve gathered so far, social media, email marketing, and customer engagement are just the beginning. You’ll need a strategy to convert followers into buyers and keep them coming back. But that’s another mountain I’m ready to climb when the time comes.

The Reality: It Takes Time, But Success is Within Possible

I’m not saying all of this to scare you off. Quite the opposite. I want you to go into this process with a realistic mindset. Yes, building a site to sell your art is hard work, and it will take longer than those clickbait tutorials lead you to believe. But it’s totally possible, and when you start seeing your site come together, it feels incredibly rewarding.

Expect some bumps in the road, but don’t let that stop you. Whether it’s figuring out design, learning SEO, or eventually tackling marketing, you will get there. It just takes time, effort, and a lot of patience. And when you finally launch your site, knowing all the work you’ve put in, it will feel that much sweeter.

Stay Cozy,

~Mun