It’s not unusual for people to enjoy crafting as a hobby. People have been doing it for years, either because they simply enjoy it or because they want to share an activity with a loved one. Many people wonder about selling their craft items and decide to go the craft show route. Wouldn’t selling your hard work elsewhere be good? Here are some tips on how to sell your crafts online.
Attending and participating in craft shows and fairs can run into a good amount of money. Not only do you have to make the crafts you plan to sell, you also have to have tables, ways to display your crafts, possibly a tent if the shows/fairs are outdoors, and the money to participate. By the time you’ve spent all that money, you may be lucky to make a profit or even break even.
Selling crafts online can be a much better option. Not only do you have less overhead, you can actually sell craft items online at any time of the day or night, even while you sleep. Selling online also enables you to reach a much larger clientele than what would possibly attend a craft show during a weekend.
It’s a great idea to have a large amount of crafts pre-made before trying to sell them online. This will help ensure that you have enough for everyone who is interested and are able to give those purchasing your crafts some choices. Know ahead of time what your cost is to produce the crafts to ensure you make a profit on each item sold.
Start out by finding a way to accept payments. One of the easiest ways to accept payments from anyone is with a PayPal account. You don’t have to pay to set up an account but they will charge you a small fee for each transaction. After you’ve been selling your items for a while successfully and profitably, you may want to consider a merchant account but it does have its limitations.
Next you’ll want to think about where you’ll sell your crafts online. Most people think of eBay, but that’s not the only option. Other auction sites specialize in home-made items, such as Etsy.com. Both eBay and Etsy are free to set up an account but you’ll have to pay a transaction fee for each item listed and sold. Free options include eCrater and Love.li. Whichever website you choose, include photos of your items to help potential customers see what you have for sale.
Depending upon your skill on a computer, you may want to set up your own crafting website. The process includes buying a domain name, finding hosting, and designing a website. If that seems too ambitious to begin with, continue to sell on Etsy or eBay while you do research and learn about websites.
Don’t forget to let others know about your crafts. You can do this by joining crafting forums, mentioning items you have for sale on either auction website or by printing out business cards with your craft website address on it.
Offer to give away some of your craft items on a blog you admire. Giving away a few items may seem counter-productive, but it will give people a reason to visit your website or your current auctions.
Using these tips on how to sell your crafts online, you could be well on your way to a new career. Most people selling craft items online start out small. Best of luck in your endeavor!
No comments:
Post a Comment