Are you hooked on creating some awesome stuff people adore?
You might think, ‘Ha, everyone can cross-stitch a stormy ocean with edged cliffs or make a real-touch latex orchid in a pot.’
Don’t get it too personal, but we are laughing in your face. It happens only when hands grow out of the right place.
Just admit it, YOU ARE TALENTED and your talent is so unique that it’s time to start selling crafts online.
There are so many folks out there who are hunting for exclusive handmade items because they can’t create them on their own.
So, what’s your plan? How do you get in the realm of selling home made crafts and making some profit from your outstanding creative skills? You will find it out in this article.
Pros and Cons of Selling Hand Made Items Online
As you decide that it’s time to bring your talent to the world and sell handmade items, you become more than an artisan. You automatically advance to the level of an entrepreneur and online craft seller.
What it means to you is that you’ve got to know much more than just the algorithms of making your artsy-craftsy stuff. If you want your business to succeed, you have to learn how to sell crafts online and communicate with clients.
No matter how easy or co licated it looks, selling homemade crafts has its pros and cons.
Pros of Selling Handmade Items Online
Even though it might look overwhelming for the first time, there are many positive sides to this endeavor.
- Your hobby becomes the source of your income.
- You can work from home, saving time and money on commuting.
- You establish your own working schedule.
- You are your own boss and can do whatever you want.
- You can set any price you think is fair for your handmade crafts.
- You choose what clients to work with and whom to refuse.
- You can try selling different products.
- You can get a passive source of income by teaching other people to do the same homemade crafts for sale.
- You don’t have to build a website for handmade crafts, there are multiple marketplaces specially for this purpose.
- There are numerous services that simplify the experience of selling crafts.
Cons of Selling Handmade Items Online
Selling handmade stuff has a lot of perks, but you should also consider some challenges you might face when marketing your crafts.
- Making some artsy-craftsy items can be time-consuming.
- You’ve got to have a storage space if you make crafts in bulk.
- You might not be always in the mood if crafting something.
- If you plan to sell handmade items online free, keep in mind that every online marketplace for handmade crafts has a fee.
- It might be challenging to promote and advertise your handcrafted goods.
Weight down all pros and cons and define if the game worth the candle.
Where to Sell Handmade Online?
I want to sell handmade items online, where can I market them?’ There are more places to sell handmade items than you think. SellerSkills rounded up five of the best place to sell handmade items online.
Amazon Handmade
Amazon rolled out a great solution for makers and buyers to sell and shop for exclusively handmade items online from a trusted destination. As Amazon has already established a solid reputation among its customers and had become the №1 spot for online shopping, Amazon Handmade is probably the best place to sell handmade items.
Amazon Handmade is selective about whom they allow joining the artisan community. The giant explains it by the fact that in this way, they would like to ensure that you have a website that sells homemade items only. The whole process of applying for Amazon Handmade looks like this:
- You create a Seller Central account first and get it approved.
- You apply to become an Artisan seller (be ready to provide details about your products and business at this stage).
- Once you are approved, you can set up your maker profile and create your own listings.
Unlike an ordinary Amazon seller, you won’t have fixed monthly fees. As you sell your craft, you’ll pay a 15% referral fee. But establishing your shop and listing your goods is free. The fee is higher compared to most craft selling websites and marketplaces.
One of the perks of Amazon Handmade is that you’ll get your custom URL so that your clients could easily find you. It’s also a great option for those sellers who would like to build a brand.
The downside of Amazon Handmade is that you’ve got to compete severely. Your listings will be displayed alongside other crafted products, so make sure your images look enticing and your bullets & description contain the details that would convince the shopper to buy from you.
Etsy
Another commonly known place to sell handmade items online is Etsy. Unlike Amazon, Etsy initially positioned itself as a spot where creative entrepreneurs and craft-searching buyers meet. Ask anybody about the places to sell crafts online, and you’ll get a prompt response – Etsy. Let’s take a look at what this marketplace offers its artisan sellers.
Etsy might be a great starting point to sell hand made items as the pricing policy is simple and transparent. You pay $0.20 for every listing you create, which is active for 4 months. Then, you pay a 5% transaction fee when the purchase happens and a standard Paypal processing fee. But here is good news. Most likely, Paypal fees won’t be charged soon as Etsy won’t be using this payment system.
The company offers extra solutions for those sellers who would like to sell homemade items more effectively. There is an additional 15% offsite fee in case you want this platform to advertise your listing. You make the payment only after the sale.
Etsy also has two plans for you to choose from:
- Standard – no additional fees. You get a basic toolset for a powerful start.
- Plus – $10 monthly. You get access to the tools that would allow you to customize your store, send notifications to shoppers, get a website, and some more perks.
This platform also features powerful tools that would enable you to sell your crafts easier. You’ll be managing orders without any trouble, getting insights about your business performance through advanced analytics, processing payments seamlessly, and so much more.
One of the disadvantages of Etsy is the competition among sellers. Some mass-production manufacturers find their way to this platform as well, which makes it harder for a beginner-seller to stand out.
Artfire
Even though Artfire can’t boast of the same amount of monthly traffic as Amazon Handmade or Etsy, it’s still a great place to sell your crafts online. It’s built specially for handmade sellers and promises to help you sell your handmade goods, vintage stuff, or craft supplies.
Artfire allows you to avoid the hassle of building your own handmade website. Once you create a listing, the service will be automatically sharing it with major search engines. Besides, you don’t have to worry about website optimization as the platform adapts it for mobiles or PCs by itself.
However, to make use of all the advantages of Artfire, you’ve got to pay a monthly fee. Luckily, there are three basic plans that cover the needs of businesses of different sizes.
eBay
If you create exclusive and insanely gorgeous handmade things, eBay is a great place to start your journey. How to sell crafts online on eBay?
First of all, you’ve got to know that eBay doesn’t charge any fees for listing your products in most categories. You are not obliged to pay any fixed monthly fees as well. Once the sale handmade items online happens, you pay a 14.35% final value fee and $0.30 per order. But note that you’ve got 200 free listings every month. If you would like to list more, you’ve got to pay for them.
Then, you can choose the format of your listings depending on the nature of your handmade goods, their value, and the selling timeframes:
- Buy Now – you set a fixed price for the item.
- Auction – you set the initial price, and the buyers compete for the product by making bids. The craft will go to the customer with the highest bid.
Great news for eBay sellers who do not plan to sell crafts locally. eBay offers discounts for shipping labels, which means you’ll be delivering the goods to your buyers at reduced shipping costs.
Zibbet
Zibbet will help you sell your craft online through different sales channels. Integrate your Etsy, Facebook Shop, Instagram to sell flawlessly across these platforms. You can also create and sync Zibbet, A.C. Moore, and Stitch marketplaces to access them from a centralized panel.
Zibbet offers a 14-days trial without credit card data. Later, you pay $5 (if billed yearly) and $6 (if billed monthly) per every channel. But mind that the fees for other platforms are not included in the Zibbet price.
Mercari
If you don’t mind reaching more buyers with your crafts, you should definitely consider Mercari. This is a platform where you can sell anything, from the used iPhone 11 to exclusive handmade things. To list your artwork, just take attractive pictures of it, create a description, and name your price. No fees for listing goods are applied, you only pay when the sale is complete.
Final Thoughts
How to sell your crafts online reaching the maximum amount of channels but investing minimum time and resources?
Meet your lifesaver – SellerSkills. This inventory management and listing software will help you bring all your crafts to Amazon, eBay, and other popular marketplaces within several button clicks. You create the listing once and then sync it with other integrated platforms in seconds.
Moreover, SellerSkills keeps your multichannel inventory accurate. The integrated dashboard will give you clues on how many items you have left in stock so you always know when it’s time to craft new ones. SellerSkills inventory management feature will help you avoid overselling, so your customers will always get what they want.
Join SellerSkills for free, no credit card required. Let’s grow your handmade business together.