Thread: Selling from web sites.

LOML and I have decided if at all posible to only by hand made things ie coffee mugs, bowls etc if there is a handmade option we would rather that, it will cost more but you get things with integrity that have been made with love and passion rather than machine made and chinese made crap.

Originally Posted by Claw Hama

LOML and I have decided if at all posible to only by hand made things ie coffee mugs, bowls etc if there is a handmade option we would rather that, it will cost more but you get things with integrity that have been made with love and passion rather than machine made and chinese made crap.

Depends what you compare it with. I have an artical in my magazine collection somewhere that can still make me slightly mad if I ever make the mistake of actually reading it. (I only buy my design mags for the pictures. ) Its supposed to be all about different ceramic things and has some hand made things and says exactly that. Ie: "Hand made things will cost you more". But if the pictures on the pages before and after there was Nigella Lauson mixing bowls, that you would have had to mortgage your house for, and wedgwood that you had to sell your grandmother for. The hand made things were cheaper.

These days I advise people to go the blog route rather then a website. Updated daily, spend 5 minutes a day visiting other peoples blogs (do search for similar interests) and you built a network. I know artists who did a painting a day, put it on their blog, sold each one for $100.

Selling from websites, on the other hand, CAN work, if you have a nitch market, but it's more work, and is going to take more time and cost more money.

Used properly a blog is worth more.

Originally Posted by ElizaLeahy

These days I advise people to go the blog route rather then a website. Updated daily, spend 5 minutes a day visiting other peoples blogs (do search for similar interests) and you built a network.

Very good advice.

Originally Posted by ElizaLeahy

These days I advise people to go the blog route rather then a website. Updated daily, spend 5 minutes a day visiting other peoples blogs (do search for similar interests) and you built a network. I know artists who did a painting a day, put it on their blog, sold each one for $100.

Selling from websites, on the other hand, CAN work, if you have a nitch market, but it's more work, and is going to take more time and cost more money.

Used properly a blog is worth more.

Was contemplating this. But not sure I'd be that interesting. At least I'd have to make something everyday. Or at least regularly. And I wouldn't need a web master would I. It seems like its jjust like posting sommething on here. And little projects I think up could be done fairly instantly, instead of them thinking "OK! I have to find a shop to sell this through. or a gallery to exhibit at." Although I should do that too. And if I feel that someone is "watching" me I'd have to actually finish it, like my "finials with box" box.

I get quite a bit of my work via my website, but I suspect that's because of links from other websites and people who have seen some of my posts here. Because it's on web.mac.com rather than www, google doesn't seem to pick it up.
The gallery works - people will say they are interested in a box like ...., or when we're discussing a job, I can point them to different types of timber. Usually, though, they like to actually visit and have a look at some examples before they actually commission. In a couple of cases, people have bought a sample as well as commissioning a piece. I can only think of one case where someone has commissioned a piece without meeting me and seeing an example.

Eliza, just to clarify, how does the blog thing work? Is it like setting up a web site?

More info please. Thanks

G'day Ed, this is one of the easier and gives more scope for how much you want to post at a time.

https://www.blogger.com/start

WordPress is another excellent free blog service. I've used both Blogger and (currently) WordPress.

Lots of advice from sellers here, but not many buyers! We buy lots of stuff online, from baby nappies to artworks, a lot is from ebay, but we're moving away from ebay as it starts to deteriorate, and online sellers become more sophisticated.

We've bought a number of paintings from websites, and swmbo has bought a lot of hand made or unique dresses etc.

My only advice, is that you're presenting yourself in a very crowded market, so you need to make sure your pictures are very clear and easy to understand at first glance, and that your descriptions are equally clear and quick to read - if not, the buyer will skate over your site and move on to the next one.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by rhancock

We've bought a number of paintings from websites, and swmbo has bought a lot of hand made or unique dresses etc.

Good luck!

Oh! An actual buyer. Thanks for your feed back.

I was thinking of doing a blog so that I can build a relationship with on line customers, kinda like you would chat with someone over some months at the market perhaps, and then come to you if they needed wedding pressies and stuff. One great blog I came across accidentally has little projects on the go all the time so that people on line feel like they are coming along on the journey, (Here it is if you are interested. Its knitting, but very querky and funny, which is always good. )

Waldo and Woodwould...thanks for the info on blogs guys.

Originally Posted by Woodwould

WordPress is another excellent free blog service. I've used both Blogger and (currently) WordPress.

My daughter in-law also uses Wordpress. She makes and sells sock monkeys. The blog for her Little House on the Hill venture is here. But her blog does highlight one of the downsides of blogs... it becomes very obvious if you stop doing it for any length of time, as was the case when her second baby was on the way. The inactivity would have been less obvious with a standard website.

Originally Posted by NeilS

My daughter in-law also uses Wordpress. She makes and sells sock monkeys. The blog for her Little House on the Hill venture is here. But her blog does highlight one of the downsides of blogs... it becomes very obvious if you stop doing it for any length of time, as was the case when her second baby was on the way. The inactivity would have been less obvious with a standard website.

So... are you proposing blog-writing an argument for contraception? I do take your point, though I think a long absence would affect sale whether on a web site or blog, unless you had a fully automated web site - if such a thing exists.