Happy New Year! Shopping in real life is still much more popular than shopping online. As of 2022, according to Statista, 14.5% of total retail sales were e-commerce, while the rest were from brick-and-mortar retail stores. This should not deter you from tapping in to the online selling world. Niche shops, hard to find crafts, and unique artwork often do very well online!
Whether you have an online shop in the FestivalNet marketplace or your own e-commerce site, here are a few good ideas!
- Position yourself. Write down clearly who you are and what you do, and use this as a reference for your decision making. Don't be afraid to go niche: if you are the premiere wood-carved necklace crafter in Indiana, say so, and live up to it.
- Choose Your Products. Choose products that fit your positioning. You might sell leather cuff bracelets in your offline jewelry shop, but decide your focus in your online store to keep it simple and branded. Also, be conservative and choose your best selling or most unique, hard to find products. Your product mix can help you differentiate yourself online, so choose wisely and don't be afraid to make a statement.
- Engage your customers. Allow them to send feedback on products.
- Use your blog to get your customers interested. Have an interesting backstory on your product? Want to give your customers some insight into how it's made? The more intriguing you can make your product, the more your customers will want it. Also, look into Search Engine Optimization and learn how to write for the search engines! It is very important to use good SEO practices in your text.
- Brand your shop. Give yourself a name and common colors/graphic even in your online store so that people will easily recognize your brand.
- Make it personal. It never hurts to remind your customers that they're supporting a real life, independent craftsperson. Send your items with a little thank you note, or even a small free gift. This kind of consideration is always noticed by the customer, and they'll be more likely to want to support you again in the future by ordering again, or referring you to a friend.
We wish you all the best this new year!
