How to Sell Your Handicrafts Globally
Handicrafts are all about inspiration and creativity, but sometimes the time comes when you have to talk money. Not more than 15 years ago, before the online shopping boom, artisans were limited only to their local markets. Fortunately, the situation is significantly different now, and with just a few clicks you can increase your customer base and expand your reach.
Of course, in order to get the most out of technology and the internet, you’ll need a good strategy. Nowadays there are countless websites specialising in selling handicrafts, and if you want to be on top of your game you’ll have to find the right ones that will fit your needs. Here is a list of the most popular marketplaces where you can sell your handmade goods.
- Etsy is the first website that comes to mind when we’re talking about shopping for handicrafts of all kinds. Still, it has grown to become much more. It’s practically a creative hub, where you can offer your goods, get advice, keep in touch with the creative community or feel the pulse of the audience and get some new ideas. They charge a 3.5% fee for each sold item, while its service handles currencies other than US Dollars. Still, be aware that its popularity means that you’ll have tough competition.
- Handmade Artists is dedicated to selling handmade items, so you won’t find anything that falls into the “mass produced” category there. This is a good thing as small-business artisans won’t be wiped out. Their monthly fee is $5, and you can be sure that they’re committed to promoting all the items heavily meaning that they’re even displayed on Google Shopping.
- ArtFire can be a great place where you can ignite your business. For only $12.95 a month (refundable within a 30-day period if you aren’t satisfied with the results), your goods will be available to more than thirty thousand potential customers. The website is user-friendly so you won’t have a rough time trying to list your items and adjust all the account settings.
- Folksy is a UK-based website that boasts an estimated 250,000 visitors monthly. This fast-growing platform offers support not only to customers from the UK, but also from the USA, Canada, Australia, China, Japan, EU and several other countries. When it comes to fees, sellers can choose the account type considering the number of items they intend to put on sale. Folksy is easy to use and their support team is here to help.
- eBay is without any doubt one of the most popular online shopping platforms. It’s true that it doesn’t strictly specialise in handicrafts and handmade goods, but it compensates for that shortcoming with a huge audience of more than 100 million customers. This ensures visibility of your goods as well as increases your chances of making profit. There’s also a dedicated mobile application that makes it even easier to add an item to your list and track how many watchers are interested in your products. eBay provides the best shipping services and different payment methods.
Online on Your Own
After you’ve weighed your options and decided that the best way to establish your business is to run your own online shop, there are other things to take into consideration. Online marketplaces make it easier for small handicraft businesses by taking care of all technical details, including payments and shipping. Still, once you’re up to speed, even this won’t seem complicated and insurmountable.
Among the most challenging aspects of running an online shop are local payment methods. People are more comfortable when they can use their local payment methods and currencies. In other words, offering alternative payment services to your overseas customers can actually be just the kick your business needs. 99-cent pricing might be psychologically effective but that doesn’t apply to some more unusual prices ending in .73 or .52.
Quite the opposite, it can dampen customers’ enthusiasm for buying your products. Bear in mind that this can happen when your prices are converted into local currencies, so make sure to avoid odd pricing and stick to whole, round numbers ending in 00 or 50.