Selling on-line

A friend asked me the other day about selling on etsy. She said she wanted to set up a shop but had heard that you had to renew your items all the time to get into treasuries and it worked out quite expensive.
So I thought I'd write a bit of a beginners guide to etsy.
This is hardly original - there are plenty of blog posts, forum threads, etc on this subject, but this is what I would say to my friend.

If you want a simple way to sell your handmade art or craft on-line, just dropping into an already established set-up that needs no great computer skills and doesn't cost the earth - then opening a shop on etsy may be for you.

There are some things you need to do to prepare for listing items in your shop.

a fabulous photo by Pratose Travessas

1. Fabulous photos.
The thumbnail is the window to your shop, you need to grab a shoppers attention straightaway.
I can't go into too much detail here but - 
Use your camera on a macro setting &
Shoot in natural light - are my 2 hot tips.

Use a photo editing program to improve your photos. Simply you can crop, resize, brighten, adjust contrast.
Use all your photo spots.
Check how your photos look. Do they stand out?
Do they attract your attention?
Are they sharp, not blurry.
Are they well positioned?

When you upload photos to your shop use all 5 photo spaces.

Here are a sample of some on-line tutes to better photos -

Handmadeology
outright
wahm

2. Shipping.
Get some small digital kitchen scales.
Work out the weights of your pieces including packaging and everything you are going to put in eg business cards.
Some people add part or all of the postage costs into the price of the article to make postage appear cheaper (or free).
Get a booklet form the post office or look-line.
Australia Post site is here. 
Here's an etsy blog post about Australian shipping.

3. Titles, descriptions and tags.
These are how customers will find you items.
Now that etsy has changed it's search from recency to relevency you need to pay more attention to titles and tags.
The main thing to remember is to try and think how someone would search for your item.

There is more information about etsy search here and here.

When listing your item include as much accurate information as you can.
Use all your 13 spaces for tags. For Australian sellers I would suggest adding "Australia" as a tag on at least some of your items.
Also you could use your shop name as a tag sometimes.

4. List something often.
Although it is no longer essential to renew items regulary to be found on etsy, recency has some value, plus it helps your shop to look fresh and interesting. Plus gives you something to facebook, twitter or blog about.

Your items will expire on etsy after 4 months. If you still want to sell that item, then renew it.
Also when you sell something you can "renew sold" to relist the same item which is quick and easy.

You can also list more than one quantity of an item if you like and it still only costs you 20c to list.

4. Shop banner and avatar.
You can make your own banner and avatar. Or there are many shops on etsy where you can either buy a pre-made package or have one custom designed.
You don't actually have to have a banner but it helps with your "branding" if you are into that sort of thing.
Also you can choose if you want your avatar to be a photo of you, your product or a logo, there are different schools of thought on that.

I got my banner made by a designer

5. There are other things you can do - shop policies, about page, shop announcement...which are not essential to having a shop - except maybe policies on refunds, shipping, delivery etc.

6. Now you need to promote your shop.

You can promote on facebook, twitter, pinterest, blog, newsletter etc.

Get some business cards printed with you etsy shop on and give them out to family, friends and customers.
I use vistaprint - they are cheap and look OK.

You could also get flyers or postcards printed - whatever suits you.

You could also advertise on other blogs - a lot of blogs have reasonable rates for advertising on the sidebar.

7. Network a bit more.
Join a team or two on etsy.
There are gazillions of teams to chose from.
There are regional teams for your country, state, region or city.
There are teams relating to your craft - artists, photographers, jewellers, potters etc.
There are other special interest teams.

8. Check out the etsy forums.
There may be answers to your questions there.
You can ask questions and offer suggstions.

9. Read the etsy blog.
There are always suggestions for using etsy.

10. Read the terms of use and how to sell on etsy.
You can read the do's and dont's here.
You need to know what is allowed and what is not allowed.

11. More networking. You can create treasuries. These are collections of items that you might like or think look beautiful together. Etsy admin select the front page from these treasuries so it's quite a coup to have your selected and can be very advantageous to be featured in them.
When you make a treasury the idea is to showcase other people's work and not to blag about your own stuff!
Also you pick 16 items when you create yours but it gets cropped to 12 when posted on the etsy front page and etsy admin can rearrange it as well.

12. If you haven't already it's a good idea to buy something from etsy to get an idea of how the process works.

13. And as a side issue you need to set up a paypal account. It is by far the easiest, safest and cheapest way of trading especially with overseas customers.

You will find more hints and resources than you can poke a stick at!
Here are a few I have found.

Handmadeology
Dummies
everything etsy

What vitally important things have I left out?
Have you some favorite resources that you used when setting up your shop?
Anything you would like to ask?

Selling your wares - part 2

Last month I started writing about where to sell your creatives outputs. You can read that post here.

Number 2 on my list is party plan or home shows, not because I think it is the next step for everyone, but sometimes it follows on naturally from selling to family and friends. You know your friends say to you "I'd love to see your creations and I've told my friends all about them and they'd like to see them too."

Advantages of a home shows is that geographically it is close to home and you need minimal selling accessories, as you would if going to a market.
You can just stay at home and unpack your goodies or you pack up your goods and go!

There are several approaches to party plan.

1. You can invite people to your home and just have a home party.

2. You can ask some of your very supportive family or frinds to host one for you.

3. You can advertise.

The other thing to decide depends on what you make in a way.
Are you (1) going to just sell your stock on hand, with perhaps some custom orders?
Or are you (2) going to just take orders?

If you make mostly one of a kind items or original art works then you will probably do (1).

If your business is one where you develop a collection or range and have easily reproducible pieces you might prefer to do (2).

OK, lets say your hosting a home show at your own place, what are some of the things you need to do?

1. Prepare your stock and have it priced.
2. Prepare a display area that is easy for people to walk around and have a look at things.
3. Have a mirror and/or changeroom if your guests need to try things on.
4. Serve some simple food and drinks. Self serve is best, but you could conscript a helpful parter or child.
5. Decide on payment options. Cash only. Cheques. Paypal.
6. Have a cash box with change, and a receipt book.
7. Wrapping paper, bags etc.
8. Business cards and other information.
9. If you are going to take orders for later delivery you'll need an order form and/or a catalogue.

If a friend is hosting for you you might need to scope out the room where the party is to be held.
Check out if she has tables you can use for display.
You should  take your own cloths to cover any display tables.
Check on access to the house and how you will get your stock and display equipment inside.

Hopefully your friend will supply the refreshments.
Perhaps you can offer a little hostess gift or discount as a thankyou.

photo and great post from Popko

Other ideas from etsy sellers -

- offered a 20% off if you bring a friend deal, which went over really well! (I gave both the person and the friend 20% off). Alex Wijnen

- putting a dab of 'vanilla on a light bulb gives the room a wonderful fragrance and entices people to shop, as does the smell of fresh baked bread crochetgal


- Maybe have some cute "shopping" baskets that they can "fill up"! SewInspirations

- from my experience I wouldn't offer too many places to sit. My open house turned into a seated chit-chat. I think if there had been fewer places to sit, they would've mingled and browsed more. SouthernSkirts

- don't just hide behind your table waiting for people to hand you money---get out from behind there, socialize, have some fun, grab a drink, and party too! KreatedbyKarina

Have you had a home show?
How did it go?
Do you have any tips to share?

Selling your wares - part 1

So you are creative?
You are actually creating stuff?
What next? You'd like to maybe sell some of your stuff? Yes?

woman selling to man by waytobead

What are your options?

1. Friends and relatives.
Including your neighbours, word of mouth, your or your partners workplace, other places you frequent eg playgroup.

This is often where we all start.
You know you have a few items and show your friends and they are fabulously encouraging, they buy some pieces for themselves or gifts and word spreads.

And you could just stay with this - BUT it is a very limited market.
You want to spread your wings and expand your horizons.
You never really leave these first customers behind, they'll always be there and could be your best advertising.

Here are some ideas for selling your wares in the wider world and I'll come back to them indetail over the next days/weeks and maybe get some discussion going and idea sharing.

vintage salesmanship book by dustylorraine

2. Party plan

3. Markets

4. Art shows

5. B & M (bricks and mortar)

6. On-line

Feel free to share your experiences of how you got started.

Are your family and friends your best customers?

Why you should price your items at a craft market

or the golden rule #1 of selling at craft markets.

I believe that all items you are selling should be labelled with their price.



Unless you
1. Sell identical items and they are all the same price.
2. You can instantly work out in your head the costing for every one of your items.
3. You make it up as you go along.
4. You make up a price depending on how much the purchaser looks like thay can afford.
5. You have a very good memory and can remember the price you worked out for each item.

I believe you should put a price on each and every one of your items.
You could put a sign next to your items, but signs dont get read, they get moved or the items get moved.
You could have a price list, but as above people dont read a list, they want to know how much this thing that I have in my hands now costs.

This is not to say that you couldn't also have a sign on a basket or box of same priced items.

"Doodads $3"

This also has the dual purpose of telling customers what the Doodadsare.


If you don't do this you run the risk of losing sales, because
- People do not like to ask.
- While you are talking to one customer no-one else can find out how much your goods cost. (This happened recently to me - I loved these quirky little creations, but no price anywhere. The artist was telling another customer the history of the recycled bits of his artworks and I didnt get a look in - I had to get back to my own stall, so I left. Sad because I really loved what he did)
- You have to dash off the the ladies and your partner/friend/neighbouring stallholder minds your stall. What are they going to say? that you will be right back? Make up a price?



What do you think?
Either as a customer or a seller?

Do you label everything?
Do you like to see prices easily when you shop?

success at markets

image by jett loe via flickr

Ok, so you've identified a suitable market to try and you have your goods and props ready to go.

Off you go and set everything up.
It looks great!

What next?

Here are some tips for a successful market, garnered from various sources.

- Have prices on everything.
- make your display as close to eye level as possible.
Put extensions on your table legs or use boxes, shelves and props to raise the height of your goods.
- Have table clothes that come right down to the ground and cover the table legs and everything that you are storing underneath.
- But be careful of storing spare stock where is might be easily disappered from!
- Stand up behind your display. Do not sit down!
- Do something. Have a small project to work on.

image by antydiluvian via flickr

- SMILE and say 'hello'
- Engage the customer by asking them questions. eg "how is your day?" "are you Christmas shopping?"
- Let them browse, but be ready to show them something if they show interest.
- Do not thrust things in their face! (as if you would anyway)
- Give them a choice, offer an alternative.
- Let them try things on (except earrings - they can just hold those up)
- Be honest, they will appreciate it.
- Ask questions. Are they buying a gift? Who is it for? Are you trying to match something?
What colours do they like?
- Be proud of what you do and tell people that everything is designed and made by you.
- Say something like " Hello *smile*... I made everything here, so if I can help you with anything please let me know *smile*" (Tip by uniquedichroic.)
- Always be polite.
- Use business cards liberally, have them on your table, hand them out and include one in every purchase.
- Stay right to the end. You have paid your money so you may as well make the most of it.
Be prepared for late sales, I always sell as I am packing up.
- Take a friend with you or get someone to help for a while so you can eat, go to the toilet, whatever.
- to keep costs down, take your own food, and you will know what you're getting. Not greasy junky stuff.
- If you havent got a friend, a neighbouring stallholder will usually keep an eye on your stall while you pop off to the loo. But if not, cover your display with a sheet.
- Keep your display tidy. customers are very messy. Straighten things up when you can and put out any spare stock.

image by hoimoi via flickr

There is another great thread here about what to take to markets.
Thanks to craftsbycarina and uniquedichroic .