In 2018, around 39.5 million people made purchases on Etsy.
That’s a huge number of people who are interested in buying unique handcrafted items! If you’re a crafter, you might be wondering how you can begin to sell crafts online.
It can seem a bit overwhelming at first, but building your own online craft business can be a very rewarding project!
To learn how to create your own online crafting store, check out our guide below!
Find a Place to Sell Crafts Online
The first thing you’ll need to do in order to get your online craft business off the ground is to find a place where you can easily sell your crafts once they’re created!
Etsy is probably the most popular choice for crafters. They do charge listing fees, but you’ll likely face this with any site that helps you run your store. If you’re looking for other options, you could try out Facebook Marketplace, iCraft, or Folksy.
If you want to avoid these listing fees, you can always build your own website. You will have to deal with other costs though, like the fee to keep the domain, as well as the general costs that come along with website building.
Build a Brand
Chances are, you have a niche as a crafter. Are you a knitter? Do you make sticker sheets? Capitalize on what you’re best at. You can always branch out later, but it’s best to start out with a very specific brand when you sell crafts online.
Establishing a brand will help you create a themed (online) storefront, and your customers will know where they can find crafts with your specific style.
This goes for your listings too. When you take photos and write descriptions, make sure they’re uniform and similar across the board. If you’re using any social media platforms to push your store, make sure your brand translates across your profiles and posts too!
Finalizing the Details
Once you’ve built up your online store, it’s time to focus on the details. How are you planning on shipping your products? Are you going to run sales or discount items during the holidays?
This is where building a business plan can come in handy. Make sure you’re prepared to take on the nitty-gritty details that come along with running your own business.
You will have to decide how much to price items so that you’re not only able to pay for your materials but also able to make a profit. Make sure you also account for startup costs, as well as how much it costs to list your products or run a personal website.
It’s important to keep track of your financial details. If you have anyone else working under you and helping you craft, you can use a website like PayStubCreator to provide them with their own financial records.
Researching your target demographic and tailoring your social media efforts and new products towards their interests is important as well. As your customer base changes, your products may need to adapt slightly as well.
Get Crafting
Many people decide to sell crafts online because they love crafting as a hobby. It’s important to recognize that running an online business is much more complex than that. However, once you gain some momentum, you can enjoy what you love doing while making some money along the way too!
For more crafting and DIY articles, check out the rest of our site!
