Sell Arts & Craft

Etsy is crazy saturated. You probably wouldn't get much attention unless you somehow developed a large following which would take awhile.
Keep it local. Sell to family and friends. Ask then to get the word out. Maybe give crafts for free as long as the person promises to put it on their desk at work. Free advertising! Just make sure your products are unique and high quality, otherwise they'll blend in, and you won't get the attention you need.

 

How about giving

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a try? It's free and it's a localized according to your country and you can narrow down your seach according to area so try to sell your crafts there.

 

I think though you aren't willing to create an FB account, social media marketing is the easiest way to find customers for crafts.

Here's how would I would do it:

> Create a blog on blogger.
> Write about what I make and post pictures.
> Write some more and post more pictures.
> Share my articles where prospective customers hang out.
> Continue working . . .

For you to profit from any online venture, you'll need to work hard for at least a year promoting your site, doing all you can to earn the trust of those who land on your site and afterwards you'll start reaping the rewards.

 

You could create a free booth on Bonanza. There are no up front costs. They do take a percentage of your sale, but it's less than most other sites, and you can manage your shipping through the site, as well. As mentioned above, Etsy is difficult. It's become really over saturated, and it's difficult to get your items seen for that reason. If you're talking about a Facebook shop, I believe the cheapest is $19.99/month or $29.99, which is too much when you're starting out. Pinterest is moving to allow sales directly on the site, so that's something to check into, and I'd also recommend Instagram.

 

Etsy is probably the best but it's that great for beginners. I would say just go and sell on your own. Try to advertise on social media, just be out there. Marketing well can get you a long way. The only advantage that sites like Etsy have is that they're already established and you're sure to get an audience with minimal marketing.

 

I've seen some personal craft shops on Tictail, but they promote it via other social network means such as Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr. Etsy just has waaaay to many people and way too many shops, so I'd rather not go there.

 

Go to Esty! It's an amazing site for handcrafted materials, and it's very simple to set up shop and begin selling. You can also find some masterfully made products by other talented artists for super cheap! It really is the perfect stepping stone to begin your sales until you can make a name for yourself later. After which, I'd just use squarespace and make your own online marketplace. Use the resources around you! The possibilities are endless!

 

Indeed @kbrad25, Olx and other classified ads are a best option than choosing Etzy or eBay where selling might be truly hard, while Facebook has nothing to do with selling arts and crafts if you are serious at doing this.

Selling from your own store is the always easier and you don't really need to be knowledgeable developing a website. There are ready-to-go ecommerce sites you can make use of to showcase your products, as @Diane Lane has noted, and you will be surprised to find really amateurish websites that are making money by just uploading a photo of the crafted article putting a Paypal button next to it for direct purchasing.

 

@MyDigitalpoint, I have personally used olx and it's a good site for buying stuff, and I only got scammed once when I sent money via money transfer and it was a partial payment because I just reserved the item, but the seller was gone in a few weeks. My other transactions went smoothly even if I sent money to the seller first. So I think if buyers are willing to meet up with the seller then there's no chance of being scammed.

 

Oh, another place to consider later on, once you've established a name somewhat, is Amazon. Amazon is looking to attract successful handcrafted artisans from Etsy and other sites, as they're wanting to move in that direction, since in some cases, it can be a moneymaker. It's not somewhere I would consider upon starting out, because it can be an uphill battle getting your shop name and products out there on any site, and I'm sure Amazon will probably ultimately end up being as cluttered and oversaturated as Etsy has become.

 

I've read about a lot of people getting super successful off of showcasing their work on Instagram. You need to have a public account and have at least 10+ tags on each picture along with a great description. You will also need to create a PayPal account. They offer shipping labels and you can request payment from the interested's email address. It's simple and easy to learn how to use these great resources.

 

You should try Instagram! Instagram is the popular app known for the cool pictures you can take with it. Once you get past the cool pictures, you’ll see just how influential it can be for your business. If you take a closer look, you’ll discover that Instagram could be your next great marketing tool.

 

It is really hard to get noticed on Etsy these days and you really have to work hard to advertise yourself. This means picking out a ton of people to follow and hope that they do the same for you. I really wish there was a platform that was not so saturated. It is turning into another eBay. Before you know it, you will have to sell your product at rock bottom prices just to get some sales.

 

I habe tried selling on etsy and it is hard. I had to close up shop for now because no one was buying and it was costing me money to relist all the items. Since the shop is free I still have it so if someone were to check it out they will see it is empty. I have tried applying for Amazon but I got an email from them and I will have to wait and see when they will accept crafters like me. I have thought about just starting my own site so I won't worry about things like etsy fees but I'm not sure yet.

 

@Jasmine2015 It might be good to list around 10 items in the Etsy shop. Just list one of each type item you make and sell, and if you're willing to custom make items, let people know you can make the item listed in different sizes/colors, etc. The fees are $.20/4 months per listing, which can add up if you have hundreds of listings, but might be manageable with just 10. You can also put your shop on with items in it on Vacation mode, which I think is free. That's something to verify before doing it, though. You could try that and then state to message you if interested. That might get you around the fees. My ultimate goal is my own site, but I am trying to build up interest/following/brand name on Etsy first, so I wouldn't have to start from scratch again.

 

It sounds really interesting to sell crafts online. I love to go to craft shows and see some of the unique items that people have made. It sounds like you have gotten a lot of really good ideas here. It sounds like the consensus is to try to use Instagram since the others may be over saturated at this point.

 

Ebay does charge to list items but right now they are having a no charge to list the items. They will still take a fee if you sell something. I do not know Etsy. I have sold on Bonanza, but it was not art, so I can't say how it would work.