What's To Come

It's been a great first month of the start-up here at Sell Craft.

We've covered the basic 10 steps of starting to sell your craft online:

What's Your Idea of Craft

Plan and Purpose

Inventing Your Style

Playing The Name Game

Going Solo

Dotting Your I's and Crossing Your T's

Putting Up The Banner

Calling Your Customers

Open House/ Open Shop

Your First Sale

This month we've had two shop critiques. If you missed them, be sure to check out:

BeBe Babies and Friends

Toxic Daisy

 

But we've still got more great things to come. Starting in Febraury we'll be running several series including:

Where to Sell Your Crafts Online

Promoting Your Shop Online

Promoting Your Shop Offline

And of course February's Contest - Awards for the Best and Worst Shop Banners. (If you'd like to donate a prize we are currently seeking a shop to donate a free personalized banner design and other promotional shop items. Shops can contact me if you're interested in donating to this month's contest.) Thank you all in advance for participating.

Well, that's it. That's January all wrapped up and What's to come in Febraury. If I've forgotten something or you'd like to suggest a topic, let me know. As always, we'll continue with your Shop Critique Friday, and with Valentines around the corner, I just might feature some special valentines on Feb. 14th if you'd like to send some to share.

Shop Critique Friday - Toxic Daisy

Located in Greenville, South Carolina.

Toxic Daisy can be found online at both their etsy shop.

While shopping for a men's necklace for a gift this Christmas, I came across this shop. It had exactly what I was looking for with the gift recipient in mind.

1. This shop features different types of hemp jewelry at different rates of cost . ***** 5 stars for customer appeal.

2. Photos were simple, clear, and focused around the product. ***** 5 stars for best of show.

3. Shop owner contacted me to let me know when my order was received and would be shipped along with an extra gift.  ***4 stars for customer service (5*****'s if the gift included would have been a sample from the shop or promotional instead of commercial related.)

4. I was notified when the product had shipped. ****4 stars for shipping notice. (5 *****'s if we would have been given the USPS tracking number at time of notice).

5. As seen in this photo, the necklace was beautifully handcrafted. Necklace was placed in a protective bag  is ready for it's new owner. **** 4 stars for packaging. (5*****'s if it would have arrived in a box, necklace bag, or type of unique packaging relating to the item.

6. Necklace was shipped in a size appropriate box.  Sent First Class and within a week after purchase.  **** 4 stars for shipping. (see number 5 comments above).

7. Follow-up. After item was received, positive feedback was left for the shop owner. Ordinarily I would wait to see if there was any follow-up from the shop checking to see if the item was 1. received, 2. satisfactory, and 3. feedback left.  3***'s for follow-up

8. When of the first things I check out before purchasing from a shop for their profile. It tells us about the shop and the owner. I was quite comfortable with the etsy profile for this shop. *****5 stars.

9. The second thing I check before confirming a purchase is the shop's policy. Very straight forward and easy to read. **** 5 stars.

10. Lastly, I was a little disappointed that this particular shop didn't have a blog or site featuring works, or creative process. Personally, I like being able to read about a seller's process of creation, and since this shop owner mentions world travel and art in their profile, I was curious to read about the place they'd been and the art which inspires them. :( no stars for blog/website.

Overall, I would recommend Toxic Daisy to a friend. Am I most likely to return and purchase again? Probably not, only because what I purchased was a gift and the recipient was allergic to the hemp cord and can't wear the gift.

But just don't take my word for it,  what do you think? What do you like about this shop and it's website? What, if any, improvements would you suggest to the owner?

A special thanks to Deidree at Toxic Daisy for her shop and appearing in today's shop critique Friday.

Show Me The Money

In the 1996 film, Jerry Maguire, Tom Cruise plays the role of a sports agent. Cuba Gooding Jr, plays the role of a football player that is a veteran of his career. During the movie Maguire (Tom Cruise) goes out on his own and works his butt of to get this high school kid a place with a well known football team, while still trying to hold on to Gooding's character Tidwell.

At one point in the movie, Tidwll says to Maguire, "Show me the money."

Maquire has to prove himself worthily by getting Tidwell a new contract, meanwhile he finds that the high school kid has already signed with another agent and his efforts were for nothing. But, Tidwell remained a loyal client.

In the end, Maquire showed Tidwell the money.

That's exactly what your customers, readers, and clientele expect from you. Show them the money....show them your product is worth the price and their time.

Nora Roberts didn't become a best selling author because the only thing she could do was write. She became a best selling author because she proved to her readership that she was worth their time and their money. She gives them the stories they want that promise to be better and better with each new book she puts out there.

She's just one example. Artists, crafters, your work is just like a book. Maybe you're a writer and it really is a book, but no matter what you create you need to put your worth into the work. Let your passion and talent shine through that customers will keep coming back to see what else you've got.

Show them the money and they'll show you a whole new world of expanded clientele. Because when one person is in love with something, they recommend and share it with a friend.

Where Did They All Come From?

You've got this great product you've created. You've set up shop. Then all of a sudden, you're flooded with all these people who have come to browse your wares.

WHERE DID THEY ALL COME FROM?

Whenever you are creating a product, a brand, or just setting up shop, the first thing you need to consider is WHO are your customers and WHERE do they come from.

Sounds simple right?

Well, you make dolls and you're targeting 40 something males. I doubt you'll sell very many dolls. However, if you target young mothers, doll collectors, and little girls, you might find yourself in business.

You have keep in mind that every product is not going to appeal to every person.

Take your craft and ask yourself these questions:
What is that you're making?
Whose it for?
Who would most likely buy it?
Why would they want it?

Then take it one step further.

What makes your craft (product) different from the rest?
Essentially, here you're asking, "Why would someone buy this off me and not the shop next door?"

Feel free to post your answers in the comment section.
So... where did they all come from?  You tell me.

Shop Critique Friday - BeBe Babies and Friends

Located in Eugene, Oregan.

BeBe Babies and Friends can also be found online at both their etsy shop and their website.

While shopping for a "my first baby doll" for a beloved neice, we came across this shop. First of all, we were impressed.

1. This shop features different types of dolls at different price levels. ***** 5 stars for customer appeal.

2. Dolls photos were simple, clear, and focused around the product. ***** 5 stars for best of show.

3. It would be just our luck that the doll we wanted to purchase was sold before we could click the ADD TO CART button, so upon contacting the owner of this shop, we were able to order a doll. Not only were we able to custom order a doll, but the creator of this doll stuck in a special note to the receipient at our request. In addition the order was able to be made within a deadline.  **** 5 stars for customer service.

4. We were notified when the custom listing was ready and when our product had shipped. ****4 stars for shipping notice. (5 *****'s if we would have been given the usps tracking number at time of notice).

5. As seen in this photo, the doll was beautifully and appropriately packaged. You can see the "extra little note" tucked inside the packaging. Doll contains shop's tag and is ready for it's new owner. ***** 5 stars for packaging.

6. Doll was shipped in a size appropriate box and packaged in a USPS priority box. Postage marked on the box proved to be more than postage paid at time of purchase. This tells us that the shop owner is honest and willing to take a dent in shipping costs rather then over charge their customers.  **** 5 stars for shipping.

7. Follow-up. We actually notified the shop owner that item was received and left positive feedback at their etsy shop. Ordinarly we would wait to see if there was any follow-up from the shop checking to see if the item was 1. received, 2. satisfactory, and 3. feedback left.


8. When of the first things we check out before purchasing from a shop for their profile. It tells us about the shop and the owner. We were quite comfortable with the etsy profile for this shop. *****5 stars.

9. The second thing we check before confirming a purchase is the shop's policy. This we found a little confusing, as it states: *OOAK (one of a kind) baby dolls are not intended for children (as stated in their listings) and therefore are not covered under this policy if they are given to a child and then damaged.* So we contacted the shops owner asking if the doll we were considering for purchase as suitable for a nine month old child and washable. The response was, "These dolls are perfect for babies and can be washed on gentle cycle in a pillowcase. :)" See the confusion? Easily fixed with some rewording in the shop's policy. We give it **** 4 stars.

10. Lastly, we headed over to BeBe and Friends Website. It turns out there is also a bebe baby blog too.
For all intent and purposes, and with the incorporation of the new design templetes of blogs allowing users to have pages, the shop owner may find it valuable to move the website content over to blog pages and combine the two seperate sites into one. This would make it more customer and web-surfer friendly. ** 2 stars for website. Although the blog itself is well laid out by iteself we give it **** 4 stars without the addition of the website.

Overall, we love BeBe Babies and Friends. Will we come recommend this site to a friend? Absolutely. Are we most likely to return and purchase again? Absolutely.

But just don't take our word for it, tell us what you think. What do you like about this shop and it's website? What, if any, improvements would you suggest to the owner?

A special thanks to Casie at BeBe Babies and Friends for her wonderful shop and appearing in today's shop critique friday.

**Don't forget to leave your comments at a chance to win a free critique of your own shop or product!

Give Them What They Want

 Today's question is:

How do you determine what products your customers will want?

After an extensive search across the web I found these top suggestions of what sells best:

1. Bath and Beauty Products
2. Candles
3. Baby Items
4. Children's Clothes
5. Jewelry
6. Kitchen Items - such as pot holders, dish rags, and casserole cozies
7. Dolls and doll clothing

But I believe this person said it best:

"As an Esty seller, I find that even more importantly than selling whats popular is creating what you love and being creative. Products that sell best are by those who are passionate about what they are producing and provide great service."  ORANGE RHINO KIDS CLOTHING, a comment made at the following article  http://www.brighthub.com/office/home/articles/77232.aspx#ixzz16o7sqQKI

Bottom line is... if you're not doing what you love, then you're depriving yourself and your customers of the passion, love, and true talent you have laying somewhere beneath everything else you're doing.

If you want to really know what customers are buying, do your homework.

Visit http://www.ebay.com/ and do a search for "crafts", "Handmade", "handcrafted", "custom made", or "finished pieces". Mark your preferences to "completed listings" and you'll see what's been sold.

www.etsy.com/time_machine2/php is another good place to find out what customer wants. Click on the link that says "Just Sold".

and last but not least, http://www.qvc.com/ will also give you a good idea what people are buying.

When checking out these sites, look for three things:

1. Items actually sold

2. Number of bids (for eBay) or multiple sales (etsy)

3. Price (ignore buy it now on eBay - look at what they're being bid for - this will tell you what it's worth to those who bought it.

Maybe you already have a product you're selling, looking to add something new to your shop, or just starting out. What ever the case maybe, always check the current market. What customer's want today will change tomorrow, but there are a few things that remain consistent - faith, hope, and love for what  you do.

The number one thing your customers want is you. They don't buy your product alone, they like the idea of your brand, your service, that little extra thing you do that makes them feel like a preferred customer each and every time they make a purchase.

When you combine your product, customer service, and a little you (personality), then that's what your customer wants. Now, if they're the right customer for you is another post that we'll pick up with on Wednesday.

When is the last time you asked your customers what they thought was so special about your shop?

Why Customers Can't Get Enough

 Remember back to the days of Tickle Me Elmo and other favored toys during the holiday season, were supply and demand caused people to pay outrageous amounts for items no longer available in stores?

Why is it that customers do that?

You have just as great of chance of creating the next big hit as the cyber shop or crafter sitting at the table next to you. However, it's one of those deals where the old saying, "You have better luck at winning the lottery" comes to mind.

So why is it, that customer's can't get enough of one item then another?

book publishers, crafters, artists, and musicians have been asking this questions for years. Here's a little secret for you...I don't know the answer either.

But what I do know, is the same thing any statistician is going to say. It depends on a multitude of factors. When J.K. Rowling was writing Harry Potter, she never knew it would be such a big hit. It was actually rejected more than fifty times by publishers. "That will never sell."

What I also know, is that you never want to hone your craft around a trend. Don't write or create for what is hot now, write what you know, craft what you love, and sing what you like.

So then how are you supposed to figure out what customers want so you can make a buck?

Let's go back to those statisticians for a moment. Statistically speaking, customers want a good product. When they buy something handmade they're looking for something unique, seasonal, or of gift giving quality. When you go to the store you're looking for something specific.

It just happened in one particular year a bunch of people decided a red monster that laughed made a great gift for three thru 5-year-olds, which in turn hiked up the demand. Then there is that statistician again who will tell you that the variable between the time of year, current economic standing, and original price of the toy all had a factor in it's success.

I happen to know too, that from one mother to another, if my little girl wants something and tells her friend, then her friend is going to want it. See how that works? 

Everybody is out to keep up with the Jones, but nobody really knows who they are. In the business of selling your craft, you want your customers to love your product just as much as one child loved a Tickle-Me-Elmo doll to start a trend of your own.

When you supply your customers with a unique, well made, product that fits their needs, then they're bound to share their shopping experience and your name with their friends.