Posts: 161
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Joined: Jul 2016
Location: Garrett Co. MD. 21550
Arlin, I had a web site for about 10 years before I gave it up. Hardly had any traffic on it and very few sales. We went with a facebook page and have lots of traffic and inquires on it and its free and easy to work
facebook.com/Pleasant-Valley-Woodcrafts-736518576473571/?ref=hl
Posts: 1,150
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Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Texas - Gods Country
You don't want a website. You want some kind of managed online space. Facebook, maybe Etsy, maybe another like this.
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Location: east coaster
i'd look into etsy. ecommerce web-hosting is probably $20-$30 / month, from what i've been seeing.
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Joined: Jul 2011
Location: Centralia, WA, USA
I'm using Etsy for my canes. $.20 per listing. Each listing lasts 4 months. 3.5 % Selling fee and about the same again if you use their pay service so say 7% fees total when you sell. They also have easy shipping thru USPS at commercial rates.
The hard part is good photos and getting your work seen. But then that's an issue no matter what site you use.
Once you have it set up it doesn't take long to make a listing.
Amazon also has a craft marketplace that might be worth checking out.
Rodney
Posts: 24,682
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Joined: Jul 2002
Location: St Boni, MN
As you say, the problem with Etsy is getting eyeballs to view the site. Etsy is a huge collection of crafts (and they now allow manufactured items) where you just kind of blend in to the background. Good pictures are critical as are good descriptions of what the item is. It's very difficult to market your site on Etsy. You have to do something on another platform (like WoodNet, Reddit.or Pinterest) to get folks to click on the link to your Etsy site. They (Etsy) claims that a blog helps but that has the same problem, how to get folks to read your blog and then click the link to your site.
It really is more about marketing that the actual product you are selling. If your product is good (and most are) you need some way to differentiate your stuff from the other good stuff. I wish I had the one-size-fits-all answer to this question but there doesn't seem to be one. I'm still groping in the dark to try to promote LOML's Etsy site. Here's what an Etsy site looks like:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/FrillsElectric...eader-name
Etsy is not expensive and they do a real good job with providing a shipping solution which saves you from having to do it, just print their shipping label after the sale and ship the box. They also save the hassle of having to provide a means for collecting the sale. For this they take a small percentage.
LOML also has some stuff at a bricks and mortar store (cafe) but they generally take 30% of the sale price so it is quite a bit more expensive than Etsy.
Now you have everything I know about swelling handmade items, which admittedly isn't much!!
Mike
If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room!
But not today...
Posts: 21,259
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Joined: Mar 2009
Location: IA
I have downloaded a lot of YouTube on Etsy both good and bad and all say it is easy to get lost with lots of people who are selling the same thing and in the end some that have done well went and got there own website.
I would try Etsy if I had someone to help me set it up (I should say I am signed up with them) but doing all the write-ups and how to list and how to mail and may other things is beyond me until someone teaches me how to do it and keep it going.
I do have a 18" photo tent to use for pictures now (Thanks Allan) and will take all the photos to fill up the Etsy thingies.
If someone is willing to help me get everything set up and photos and everything including linked to Paypal I will give you my info on Etsy to log in.
On facebook it seems WAY to hard and to much info to keep up with. My wife has a facebook account to talk to friends and family and photos but did not know it can be for a business and if someone is willing to help me out there also it I sure would appreciate it also.
Arlin
As of this time I am not teaching vets to turn. Also please do not send any items to me without prior notification. Thank You Everyone.
It is always the right time, to do the right thing.
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Location: Garrett Co. MD. 21550
Arlin, Our facebook page is in business category. No need to have friends on it it is open to the public to view. Hey, if your wife has a personal facebook page the business page should be a piece of cake for her
Posts: 21,259
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Location: IA
03-02-2017, 07:03 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-02-2017, 07:04 PM by Arlin Eastman.)
She does not know the business part but is hesitant about me getting of FB just to look at pictures of Grandkids and I do not know why
As of this time I am not teaching vets to turn. Also please do not send any items to me without prior notification. Thank You Everyone.
It is always the right time, to do the right thing.
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I use wix.
This is my first year it cost about $20 a month.
