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) […]
Everyone knows that you have to keep evolving to stay in business. That doesn’t mean you change mediums; it simply is a reality that what worked last year may not work next year if it is exactly the same. But how do you know what’s going to sell? I don’t know about you, but my […]
There actually are hand-crafters who make their living doing art festivals and shows year-round. Then there are others who do a combination of online/in-person. Whether shows generate all or part of sales is up to each individual artist/crafter. But there are lots of them that make shows work, even under the most horrible conditions….rain, poor […]
In the business world, even the small business world, the phrase “best practices” comes up continually. There are many experts that will tell you emphatically that “best practices” should always be followed. But I am a firm believer in the fact that generalized statements are rarely true, and here’s why. What Are “Best Practices?” Best […]
