Why using a no-code tool to build art stores is the way to go

Apparently the internet is full of appealing ideas. Building an online art store from scratch is one of the many suggestions artists get as they look for ways to sell their art online. Using a no-code tool to build art stores is also another suggestion that usually pops up.

The idea of coding an online art store can be appealing and indeed comes with great benefits. It surely leave a big room for creativity and uniqueness which satisfies you artistic desires. This also applies to using e-commerce store builders like Shopify, SquareSpace or Wix.

However, the grass is always greened on the other side. It is full of technical challenges, requires a lot of time- maybe money too-, and involves making tough decisions. Arguably, using a no-code tool to build art stores helps artists focus on what matters the most, creating and selling art. Spending time and effort in learning how technology works doesn’t align with that business objective. In this post I shed some light on the hinderance that makes using a no-code tool to build art stores a better option.

Lets take a look at all 3 possible options to building an online art store in details.

1- Using e-commerce store builders is not as easy as it sounds

Some artists would say no to coding their online store entirely but opt-in for an e-commerce store builder. They think that they get the job done. Well, even though a platform is marketed as “the way to go” when wanting to build an online store, that does not make it the way to go.

All generic e-commerce builders (those that target all industries) are simply incapable of addressing the needs of all types of industries. Hence they tend to empower their platforms with an ecosystem that leaves a room for extensions and custom coding.

Users wanting to enhance their stores, and in some cases get some of the fundamental functionality, usually end up doing one -if not all- of the following:

Common hiccups of using generic e-commerce builders

1. Pay a monthly fee (on top of the platform’s fee) to get an app installed on their store. Only to find out that the app is missing some details, needs to be tweaked in a certain way in order to serve their purpose, is an absolute waste of money or is completely unreliable.
   
2. Hire a professional to custom build their desired functionality and more than often they end up looking for other professionals to maintain that code or extend it, they often find out that they know little about the skillset they are looking for in the first place.
   
3. Try to roll up their sleeves and learn how to do it themselves, and end up spending a tremendous amount of time figuring out the basics while they could put in that time making art or exhibiting.

For small businesses in the U.S., including art stores, the failure rate is nearly 50% within the first five years​ (Shopify)​. This high failure rate is often due to inadequate technical skills, which are essential for setting up and maintaining a robust online presence. This underscores the importance of leveraging no-code tools to mitigate the risk associated with technical shortcomings and to focus on creating and selling art.

2- Coding your online store from the ground up

Building your own art store can seem like a great idea. You can customize everything to match your vision perfectly. Moreover, you have complete control over the design, features, and user experience. Plus, learning to code can be exciting and rewarding, opening up new creative possibilities.

However, these benefits come with big costs. In fact, learning to code takes a lot of time and effort. If you’re not already familiar with web development, you’ll need to learn several programming languages and technologies. Even if you know how to code, building a fully functional and secure online store is a huge task that can take months or even years especially if you are a perfectionist.

Lets look into some of the aspects you need to be aware of when coding your own art store. This should give you an insight on why using a no-code tool to build art stores makes more sense for artists.

The technical challenges of coding an art store

Creating an online store involves many technical challenges beyond basic coding. One of the first is setting up a system to manage your products, inventory, and customer data. You need to choose a database, design how your data will be organized, and write code to manage your products, fulfillment and sales.

Security is another major issue. You must protect your site from hackers and ensure your customers’ personal information is safe. This means implementing secure logins, encrypting data, and following security best practices.

Performance is also crucial. Slow websites drive customers away, so you need to ensure your site is fast. This involves optimizing your code, setting up caching, and possibly using content delivery networks (CDNs) to speed things up.

You’ll also need to integrate various services. For example, payment gateways must be securely connected to handle transactions. You may also need to set up shipping options, customer service tools, and email marketing services.

–Most of the concerns of building online stores from scratch still apply even if you hired professionals to get them done, you simply need to know enough to validate that they did their job correctly–

An expert’s opinion

Now that we know some of the aspects, lets look into how the process actually looks like. This will help you validate if using a no-code tool to build art stores makes more sense for your case.

The technical journey to build art stores from scratch

In a nutshell, building an online art store starts with choosing the right technologies and tools. You need to pick a programming language and framework, like Python with Django for the backend and React.js for the frontend. You’ll also need to set up a development environment and version control with tools like Git.

Next, you design your database. This involves deciding how to structure your data, like products, categories, customers, and orders.

Then, you start backend development, where you write the code to manage your data and business logic. This includes setting up your database, creating API endpoints, and implementing security measures.

Frontend development follows, where you design the user interface and make sure it’s easy to use. This involves creating HTML templates, styling with CSS, and adding interactivity with JavaScript. And before all, validating that the user experience is smooth and intuitive for your customers.

After that, you need to integrate third-party services, like payment gateways for transactions. You also need to set up shipping services, customer service tools, and analytics to be able to make informed business decisions.

Finally, you must test everything extensively to make sure it works correctly. This includes unit tests, integration tests, and user acceptance tests. Once your site is ready, you deploy it to a server and continue to monitor and maintain it.

It is important to mention that the above steps makes up an entire process to maintain the store and ensure resiliency, without a bullet-proof process, things might fall a part pretty badly and your business will follow.

Lets look into some of the critical decisions you will need to make when choosing to code your online store vs use a no-code tool to build it.

Tough decisions artists will have to make

Building an online art store involves many tough decisions, especially for artists who may not have technical skills.

• One big decision is how to structure your database to manage products, categories, customers, and orders efficiently. This requires a good understanding of database design. Every decision on that aspect will have an impact on the entire system and let me warn you that changing these decisions will absolutely come at a cost.
  
• Handling payments is another critical decision. You need to choose a payment gateway that is secure and supports the payment methods your customers prefer. This involves comparing different providers and understanding their fees and security standards.
  
• You also need to plan for after-sale services like returns, refunds, and customer support. You must set up processes and systems to manage these aspects efficiently, ensuring a smooth experience for your customers.

Overall, decisions will also involve the customer journey—from discovering your art to making a purchase and receiving their order—needs to be smooth and enjoyable. Ensuring an easy-to-use interface, ensuring your site is fast, and managing order fulfillment and customer service well.

The Effort and Time Required

Building a reliable and efficient online art store from scratch is a big job. It takes a lot of time and effort, especially for artists who want to focus on creating art. Learning to code, mastering web development, and handling technical challenges can take months or even years.

Even after the initial build, maintaining and updating your site requires ongoing work. You need to keep up with security updates, optimize performance, and add new features. All this takes time away from creating and selling your art.

You will need to reiterate on those decisions to ensure they are still valid for your changing business needs.

3- Using a no-code tool to build art stores

Olasty and a few other providers in this sphere offer a great alternative to coding your own art store or using a generic e-commerce store builder. As a no-code tool, it spins up a ready-to-use art store without writing a single line of code. The benefits are huge: you can create your store quickly and easily, focusing on showcasing your art instead of dealing with technical issues.

The costs are minimal compared to building from scratch. While there might be some fees, these are often outweighed by the time and effort you save. Olasty provides flexibility in terms of orders fulfilment, whether you prefer to sell digital copies, want to work with a print-on-demand-provider or want to sell originals. It also handles technical aspects like security, performance, and payment integrations, so you don’t have to.

Last words: focus on making art, not technology

When comparing coding your own art store to using a no-code tool, the choice is clear. Coding gives you complete control and customization but requires a lot of time, effort, and technical know-how. It also involves making tough decisions about data management, security, and customer service.

On the other hand, no-code tools simplify the process, letting you create a professional store without technical headaches. You can launch your store quickly and easily, focusing on creating and selling your art. The platform handles the technical details, so you don’t have to.

Artists should concentrate on their passion—creating beautiful art and connecting with their audience. Building and maintaining a website should not be part of that process. By using a no-code tool to build art stores like Olasty, artists can streamline their operations, reduce stress, and spend more time doing what they love.