Make It AND Sell It Online!
I LOVE selling my handmade magic online!! What started as a hobby for me 3 years ago has grown into a full time career that I love with a passion. My goal in setting up this lens is to provide an interactive resource guide for artists to use as a starting point for a new business, or to expand and grow their current venture.
When I go to local craft fairs I am amazed at how many talented artisans & crafty people still don't have an online presence! While selling on eBay can be daunting for an individual artist, the advent of lovely handmade sites like Etsy, ArtFire and DaWanda has given us all a whole new loving and friendly community where we can trade our wares.
I really want to see this grow into a very interactive page with comments and tips from artisans everywhere. I am still fairly new at this and I know there are a lot of other tips and tricks that could be helpful..so please feel free to add your own brand of magic to the lens by commenting, adding resources and just generally adding your voice to the handmade cause:)!!
When I go to local craft fairs I am amazed at how many talented artisans & crafty people still don't have an online presence! While selling on eBay can be daunting for an individual artist, the advent of lovely handmade sites like Etsy, ArtFire and DaWanda has given us all a whole new loving and friendly community where we can trade our wares.
I really want to see this grow into a very interactive page with comments and tips from artisans everywhere. I am still fairly new at this and I know there are a lot of other tips and tricks that could be helpful..so please feel free to add your own brand of magic to the lens by commenting, adding resources and just generally adding your voice to the handmade cause:)!!
Table of Contents
(so far:)
NEW SELLERS START HERE
tips and tricks to help you get started
- A Beginner's Guide to Starting a Shop on Etsy
- A good place to get started!!
- ETSY Storque: Top 10 Tips for Newbie Sellers
- Short but sweet, the title says it all:)
- Etsy :: The Storque :: How-To :: Guidelines & Tips: Tagging on Etsy
- This guide will show you how to tag your items so that buyers can find them!
- Artisan Beaders: Technique Tuesday :: Taking Photos
- The topic of photography is always important to online sellers. Learn to take professional quality photos in this simple, yet in depth article.
- Photographing Your Product Made Easy- From ArtFire
- When it comes to selling your product online, the photographs of your item are invaluable. They show your buyer what your item is, of course, but they also communicate your vision, your craftsmanship, and your aesthetic. Modern digital cameras make it easy to take great pictures by just paying attention to a few simple things.
Advanced Sellers Resources
For the More Experienced Seller
As I go through my day I find a LOT of helpful websites and blog post for sellers..this will be a random posting of helpful hints, tips and links for the intermediate to the more experienced seller:
- The Handmade Business Blog: Why is SEO Important for my Shop?
- Source: handmade-business.blogspot.com
After reading a number of conversations on the Etsy forums lately I've realized that a lot of sellers don't know what SEO is and why it's important for their shops. I'm writing this as just a quick primer - How to decide a price for your handmade products « SilkFair
- How to decide a price for your handmade products
Posted by: silkfair on: March 19, 2009
Deciding the right price for your product is indeed important. - Promoting your Handmade Products :: Featuring Indie Artists and Makers
- Featuring a VENUE COMPARISON CHART..very helpful when deciding where/when/how to list your items!!
- Social Media: Social Networking Advice from ArtFire
- Social Networking is one of the original forms of social media still around on the internet. While social networking offers many potential business benefits, it is one of the more challenging social media platforms to integrate into your business strategy.
- Social Media: Blogging
- Social media is a large umbrella that covers many aspects of interaction within the blogosphere. One of the major areas of social media is blogging on a personal or business blog. In this guide we are going to explain how to blog effectively, what makes a great blog and give you some options to start your own blog.
SilkFair Marketplace~ Not Just for Handmade, but Handmade Friendly
IMPORT your Etsy listings instantly!!
SilkFair is another of my new favorite venues...they are working hard to promote on twitter (thanks for all the shoutouts:) and have the wonderful time saving IMPORT tool that allows you to import your listings from Etsy!
Its free to start up your own basic shop-Instant imports, no listing fee and 3% final value fees convinced me to give it a try and I have had good luck with sales there so far!! Click below to sign up to sell OR just to shop;-)
They now also offer customizable personal shops for $24.99 per month..I havent investigated this yet, but plan to in the future.
Its free to start up your own basic shop-Instant imports, no listing fee and 3% final value fees convinced me to give it a try and I have had good luck with sales there so far!! Click below to sign up to sell OR just to shop;-)
They now also offer customizable personal shops for $24.99 per month..I havent investigated this yet, but plan to in the future.
FEES or NO FEES? AN Artfire Question
so hmmm...I pay $100 or more in Etsy fees per month..over all not a bad deal, I sell a lot there and Etsy is a wonderful place to be, I will always keep my shop there. BUT- what if I could sell the same number of items (or more!) and only pay $12 per month?
That's what ArtFire is offering-no other charges anywhere..no listing fees, no final value fees- $12 per month- thats it! AND- if I refer 12 people who sign up for the $12 per month membership, I get mine TOTALLY FREE for life:) You can too..follow the link or click on the logo below to sign up, help me and then recruit your friends!!
Register on ArtFire.com
SOME SIGN UP FAQs:
How long am I signing up for?
As long as you like..the $12 per month is for as long as you are continuously a member, but you can cancel any time:)
Will I get sales there?
Artfire is in its very early days, but growing like mad...like any sales site, it will help if you promote your shop, but Im looking forward to an exciting time as the site continues to expand and grow!
What About my Etsy Shop?
Artfire is so cool, they even let you LINK TO YOUR ETSY SHOP from their site..and the new "Market Hub" feature allows people to easily connect to you on Etsy and on all your social networking sites with just a click.
That's what ArtFire is offering-no other charges anywhere..no listing fees, no final value fees- $12 per month- thats it! AND- if I refer 12 people who sign up for the $12 per month membership, I get mine TOTALLY FREE for life:) You can too..follow the link or click on the logo below to sign up, help me and then recruit your friends!!
Register on ArtFire.com
SOME SIGN UP FAQs:
How long am I signing up for?
As long as you like..the $12 per month is for as long as you are continuously a member, but you can cancel any time:)
Will I get sales there?
Artfire is in its very early days, but growing like mad...like any sales site, it will help if you promote your shop, but Im looking forward to an exciting time as the site continues to expand and grow!
What About my Etsy Shop?
Artfire is so cool, they even let you LINK TO YOUR ETSY SHOP from their site..and the new "Market Hub" feature allows people to easily connect to you on Etsy and on all your social networking sites with just a click.
I Love WinkElf
If you are a fantasy art buyer, seller or seller who buys you really should come to Winkelf...its the cutest little selling boutique and just getting started...it has ELF in the title, so you know its gotta be good;). Click on the graphic below to visit and see for yourself!
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So you're an artist, designer, or craftsperson and want to take your first steps into making money from your talent and skills? This lens is full of advice for anyone starting a handmade business.
Thyme2dream Etsy
One of the places where I practice what I preach;-)
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I am a Daughter of the Southwind by birth (fancy term for Native Kansan) and if my bio was a tag cloud it would say: gypsy starchild, jesus_girl, pag... (more)
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