Whether you're a champion craftsman or a talented artist, you've probably wondered how to share your work with the world and make a little money online. The good news is that there are more profitable platforms than ever for your products. The capture? Online marketplaces are great sales tools, but making a profit requires hard work and consistent effort.
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For first-hand advice, we turned to artist Kim Solga, author of The Everything Guide to Selling Arts &Crafts Online, who has been selling her work online since 1995. Her top recommendation:don't sell online just to make money.
“Online selling will never work unless you pour yourself into it,” she says. "The key to success is social media and becoming part of an online community, so unless you love being online, don't do it."
Here are Solga's top tips for success:
Start with a well-made, well-defined product. It goes without saying, but the first product you sell should be something you're passionate about, and something you've spent a lot of time learning to get ahead of. To see if your product is suitable for online sales, do some offline work first.
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"Participate in face-to-face art shows or craft fairs to see how people respond to your work," advises Solga. “You can learn more in one afternoon than in three months online. You can see what draws people in and who your customer really is.”
It's natural to build your product line as you go, in fact, you want to be flexible once you start getting feedback. But start with a product that is easy to define and market, and can represent your entire brand well. Try to write the text that you will publish about it online, is it easy to describe? What makes it unique? Is it easy to tell customers why they want this product? If you find yourself having difficulty describing what you're selling, that could be a sign that you need to think a little more.
Use an established online marketplace. There are many avenues to sell arts and crafts online, but if you're just starting out, choose a reputable marketplace that will help you get on your feet quickly. Etsy is the main weapon in this space, with close to 30 million active buyers and climbing, but there are other respected sites as well. For example, ArtFire is a great marketplace with a specific focus on arts and crafts (not vintage items); other smaller sites with a niche focus include ShopHandmade.com, Zibbet.com, Yessy.com, and ICraftGifts.com.
How do you choose? When starting out, Solga recommends choosing a site that doesn't charge a monthly fee. “That allows you to get started without investing too much energy,” she says. Also make sure you use a platform that allows you to talk directly to customers (think Etsy's Conversation feature) and allows you to link to their website, Facebook page, etc., so you can build a following.
The most important thing is to have a presence where your target customer buys. If you have a niche product, for example quilting kits, you can be just as successful selling on a small niche platform just for quilters as you are on Etsy.
Take care of the details when creating your store.. First of all, put some serious effort into your images. "Photography will make or break you," says Solga. "Use clean background settings and good lighting." All you need is a good smartphone and some practice, but do it before you start publishing products.
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When writing your product descriptions, focus on your unique angle. “The better you can tell your story, the more people will connect with it,” says Solga. That means being charming and chatty, but not verbose. Use the bullet list format to get a lot of information in an easy to digest way and be sure to include the most popular search terms for your item type. Etsy has many helpful tutorials to help you figure out how to use your search engines to your best advantage.
Prepare for shipping before you start selling. "A lot of people make wonderful things, but they haven't thought about how they're going to ship them beautifully," says Solga. “They get an order and they're in a frenzy to find the right boxes. "Before you know it, they're spending a lot of energy trying to fill orders, slow down, and get a bad seller reputation."
Practice packing your items so they're safe from breakage and look attractive, and make sure you have a reliable inventory system so you know where everything is. You'll need space to store finished goods, ordered items awaiting processing, and packaged items ready for shipment. Make an information sheet to include with each item shipped that includes a friendly greeting, background information about the item, and care tips.
Don't waste money on professionally printed packaging inserts when selling handmade items. "The best shipping for handmade items has an artisan touch," says Solga. "A little personal thank you note is great; for example, if you're a quilter, you could make it out of fabric scraps. You're not trying to compete with the stuff that corporations sell. You're trying to be more personal than they are."
Embrace social networks. It's a fact:you have to drive traffic to your store if you want to make sales. So post about your products on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter. Visit other online stores to tag your favorite items, follow and start conversations with other store owners, and see what they're doing to promote their products. Set aside a dedicated time promoting your work each week to make it a habit.
Add other pieces of the online marketing pie as you gain confidence. A website or blog gives your brand credibility, and is a natural next step after setting up an online store. (When you create your store, register the same domain name online so your website has the same brand recognition.) You can also add listings on auction sites like eBay or create print-on-demand services that sell your art through T-shirts, prints, and coffee mugs.
Once you start adding marketing features, you'll have an idea of what mix of sales tactics works best for you and what methods you enjoy the most. Follow the momentum wherever it takes you! Selling your work online isn't just about making money, it can be a rich and rewarding way to connect with people who truly appreciate your work.
