Your own website and a marketplace profile are not competing choices - they solve different problems, and most makers end up needing both.
What a website gives you
A website is entirely yours: your name, your domain, your brand, no commission to anyone on a sale made there. What it does not give you is an existing audience - every visitor has to be brought there by you, through social media, word of mouth, or search.
What a marketplace gives you
A marketplace like Solene Haus already has people browsing for art and handmade work, which solves the audience problem a brand-new website cannot solve on day one. The trade-off on most marketplaces is a cut of each sale - though not all marketplaces work that way.
Why both, together
A website builds something that is entirely yours for the long term, while a marketplace profile gets your work in front of people who are already looking, right away. Relying on only one usually means either no visitors, or no ownership of the relationship with your buyers.
A version where neither costs you anything
As part of the NDIS-funded program covered in the NDIS support for artists guide, participant artists get their own website built, plus free seller access on Solene Haus with zero commission on sales - so the usual trade-off between the two does not apply. You get the ownership of your own site and the visibility of the marketplace, without giving up a cut of either.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need my own website if I already sell on a marketplace?
It helps, because a website is entirely yours long-term, while a marketplace depends on that platform continuing to exist and show your work.
Why would I use a marketplace if it takes a commission?
Most marketplaces give you access to buyers who are already browsing, which a brand-new website does not have on day one.
Is there a way to get both without paying twice?
Yes, in some programs. The NDIS-funded program described in the linked guide includes both a website build and free, commission-free marketplace access together.
Solene Haus
The art world you deserved.
Zero commission. The Grid image protection. Collector relationships that belong to you.
Join Solene Haus