NFT: personal websites vs marketplaces

Or - do you need a website for selling NFT?

Selling NFT means a lot of work. You may have started to think of it as art, a new way of selling your craft. Then you realize that it is much more than that.

NFT is based on digital units that can represent art, but the technology of selling these units is what's revolutionary. Blockchain technology ensures your purchase in a whole new way. And now, you don't just have your illustrations, photos, or other items you want to sell but also crypto platforms, digital wallets, minting, and much more.

It got us thinking. Deep thinking. And learn how not only NFT items work but the whole universe spinning around them. So, creators of NFTs, you probably know about NFT marketplaces that make it easier for you to go through a bit confusing process of selling and buying.

NFT marketplace, to start with, is a place to store your NFTs and sell them. Simply said. You can usually create your account there, and if you are just starting out, there will be a short step-by-step process explained below. But let's first mention another way of selling your NFTs. You could do the trade on your personal NFT website too! It is a one-to-one website made just for your NFT, promoting you more uniquely.

And this is where the major question shows up:

Which trading option is better - NFT marketplaces or personal NFT websites?

In other words - do you even need a one-to-one NFT website if you can sell your stuff on a common marketplace? That's a big, valid question! 

We will further clarify some pros and cons of these two types of NFT sites. See if one-to-one websites that emerge these days are useful for sellers and buyers.

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What do these two types of sites have to offer?

At an NFT marketplace, you can make an account following several steps and place your first NFT for sale. To create your NFT, you will need some cryptocurrency as an investment to start with.

• You need to make a Crypto Wallet.
  Here you can store crypto money you will use to start creating NFT.
  (You can buy crypto money for some common currencies)
  (Most famous wallets are Metamask, Electrum and Trezor Model)
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• Make an account on a marketplace for trading NFT.
  ‍Marketplaces can give you the option to sell your NFT or put it up for auction.
  The most famous marketplaces are:
  1. OpenSea
  2. Larva Labs/CryptoPunks
  3. Rarible
  4. SuperRare
  5. Nifty Gateway
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• Connect your wallet with the marketplace.
  So you can manage your crypto money, pay fees, and collect earnings.
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• Mint your NFT.
  Turning any digital item into NFT is called minting, and it usually costs. There are fees (gas fees) for minting you need to pay in crypto on the marketplace website of your choice. That's why you've connected your wallet to it.

Minting will store your NFT on a marketplace where people can buy it or make bids for it.

Having your own website allows you to mint NFTs too. Like on a marketplace, on your e-commerce website, you can store your NFT, connect your wallet and connect to a blockchain ledger.

But there is clearly some difference between the two. Here are some common questions about one-to-one NFT sites I found on forums, among tweets and discussions.

• How can a personal NFT site be useful to me?
• Is the NFT website safe?
• Can an NFT website increase my sales?

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How can a personal NFT site be useful to me?

Really how? We see more and more of these websites, and they must have some advantages if people use them. Let's see simply why. There are several reasons.

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The personal site has no fees

That means that you don't have to pay all kinds of things to the marketplace, which acts as a mediator between you and the customers. You don't have the transaction fee or payment fee, so all the money your NFTs earn goes to you. Quite a reason, yes? This is good news, but this advantage doesn't only apply to personal NFT sites. Lately, on some NFT marketplaces, you can mint for free or for a low price. That is - they are getting loose with the fees. 

In such marketplaces, it's the buyers that pay that fee. So technically marketplace doesn't lose money, and the artist doesn't get broke for trying to create their art. Sleek.

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The personal NFT website is more personalized

Individual NFT websites will make you stand out!

NFT marketplace bursts with artwork and different artist personalities. With your website, you could stand out from that crowd. Your one-on-one site will store your art and your art only. 

You won't need to share the spotlight with anyone else anymore. It's like getting on a pedestal that is definitely just yours. And all eyes on your NFT!

This way, people will easily find you in the ocean of Internet sales and see your unique personality. Because your website will not only sell your NFTs, it will tell your story from A to Z. That means - your values, experience, and skills. You have the space to fill with stuff you want to share with your audience. Add links and media and everything that has to do with your NFT and your fans would like to see. 

That way, a brand of yours could be born. You could gather people around your amazing art and create your NFT community. Your one-on-one NFT website will promote you by opening many windows for sales, growth, and connections. Sharing this way is more personal. It connects with people who will pass on your story, and your story will sell for you. 

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Is the NFT website safe?

On your NFT website, you could feel a bit left on your own. Because you don't have the marketplace organization as a mediator anymore. Many people are troubled by this and wonder how safe is to sell or buy NFTs (that can cost a lot of money) on a personal e-commerce site.

Here is the main tip. Always do research. NFT websites should include Privacy Policy, Terms, and Conditions well explained, clear, and right in front of your eyes. Whether you are the site's owner or the buyer, these security measures help build mutual trust. You can check the security of any site by looking at the URL too. See whether the address starts with HTTPS or HTTP because the first is far more secure than the latter. So, HTTPS is your friend, HTTP is not always.

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How can you protect your NFTs from hacking?

You can secure your site as any other site that is not NFT! Your website provides info about your NFT and leads the customers through a step-by-step process of buying. Blockchain technology allows you to follow every step taken in this process, recording every block of actions by you or the customer. That's why it's called block + chain. It makes trading more transparent and more secure. So the more important question than securing your website is how to secure your Crypto Wallet! This is where the damage actually could be done. Because that's where the money is, simply put.

How safe is your Crypto Wallet and, therefore, your NFT depends on the crypto platforms you are using (such as Ethereum, Bitcoin, Solana, etc.)

If someone were to hack Ethereum software (for example), that would not be just your problem. That would be a crypto disaster because it will put at risk every wallet in the world that is connected to it. Sounds terrible, right? Yeah, but that's why these platforms are highly secured, tried out, and put under the watchful eye of the blockchain. So your wallet and your NFT are as secure as the main crypto platforms are. That's a relief.

If you still don't feel comfortable selling on your website, there is one thing you can do. You can connect your NFT website to an existing marketplace (like OpenSea) for doing the trade. 

Your site can then be a promoting website, where you can keep posting about your NFT experience, but you will do the "selling and buying" part on an actual marketplace. Sort of a hybrid method. To conclude - be cautious. As always when it comes to purchasing something. Research to understand what safety measures blockchain technology provides and, of course, ask ask ask for explanations.

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Can an NFT site increase my sales?

It can if you understand how it works. 

NFT website should replace the role of the NFT marketplace, so you will need to have a good design, great organization, navigation, and else. In other words, your website content quality can increase your sales. So it should be superb. People will come to your site to check out your NFTs, and your job is to give them a strong reason to buy them. Your NFT may be artful and valuable, but the surrounding content needs to draw in people and make them see and hear more. 

Fill your website with info that will be useful for buyers - educative, entertaining, emotional, and similar. People will appreciate your open approach. Believe me, no one complains about being well-informed!

• + you can link your website to social media (Discord, Telegram, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) to get there, use the advantages of these platforms, expand your community, connect and have fun.

Good content will increase your sales by creating a community around you. Also, as we already said, your story will sell for you, and the NFT site can tell your story much better than marketplace websites. For all the reasons we mentioned before. It's your room. Some may think it's risky, but it's what really can make you a superstar and make your NFTs about even something bigger - about the whole brand, new project opportunities, and a community that will share and connect with you. It's your choice. Whether you found here some good reasons for getting your own NFT website or not, I strongly advise you to explore as much as you can. 

For example, you may be having a full-grown collection of NFTs that have great potential to round up a strong, passionate community. Then I recommend a well-designed personal NFT website for maximum hype. See if you are into single NFTs or collections first. See how much you want to invest in your NFT experience. Then ask yourself if you need an individual NFT website. 

And see if you can find your solution in the answers I noted here. 

Good luck!