Sometimes, helping your customer “make it themselves” will help you make the sale! Customer: This is really nice! How much is this headband? Me: $15.00. Would you like to try it on? Customer: No – this looks really easy. Can I take a picture so that I can knit it myself? Me: Certainly – go […]
Like most artists/craftsmen, many of us do festivals and shows as a way to create a market for our creations. Regardless of what it is that we display, be it our handmade talent or something bought while on a kitesurf cruise, the steps are the same for everyone; travel to location, check-in with organizer, unload, […]
With warmer months just ahead and calls going out to apply for in-person shows, it’s time to start thinking about how to take care of yourself during these very long days. Most crafters who do in-person shows and festivals have moving their business down to a science. It’s packed in no time at all, […]
I’ve written about the reality of selling online before, but the message bears repeating. This is the 21st century, and more and more people shop online. Just a few years ago, shopping online was not the norm – you shopped online when you couldn’t find what you wanted locally, in person. But these days, people […]
You have a lot of time, planning, patience and creativity in that wonderful piece. First, you created it to perfection. Then you took a myriad of pictures of it to capture it at just the right angle in just the right light to make it look its best to prospective buyers. Now it’s time to […]
I know for certain that I am not alone when I admit that I have perfectly good items in my shop that have been there forever and remain unsold. There are other sites that will try to convince you that it isn’t sold simply because it’s not near the top of the list anymore; renew […]
We artsy-crafty people do not love marketing. But it’s a necessary evil of having your own small business. It needs to be done well and often, and most of us are not good at it. The fact that we don’t necessarily enjoy it just makes it that much more difficult. But there are many lessons […]
It’s been said over and over again that photos are SO important in online sales. Hundreds, perhaps THOUSANDS of pieces have been written telling you how to take decent photos, yet the problem persists, and people still wonder why their beautiful work goes unsold. Rather than write on lighting and F-stops, I’ve compiled an array […]
People all over the world shop online. They are looking for quality, value, something a bit unusual, a combination of all of these things, or something else entirely. The miracle comes when this total stranger manages to find your shop. When that happens, do they immediately think it’s a real store-some place they can confidently […]
If you cruise around the web at all, you’ve been asked to add an avatar at almost every turn. Sometimes, it’s a simple request to upload a picture for your profile; sometimes you are asked for a logo or thumbnail; sometimes it’s specifically called an avatar. All it is is a small .jpg (picture file) […]
