My friend Jenny is going to run a DIY business on an eCommerce website, but she doesn’t know what to do.
I was lucky enough to find some experts in this field, and I asked them for the most important guide and tips on how to sell handmade crafts successfully. So, if you want the same thing as my friend, keep reading my whole post.
What Does DIY Business Mean?
DIY is a store that sells things that were made by hand. These things could be jewelry, clothes, hand-made bags, etc. The owner of this store will be in charge of everything, from making items to getting paid after orders are done.
When you sell crafts you made yourself, you have full control over your business, from the brand to the quality and number of products. To keep their stores open, many sellers have to pay a lot of fees. They might have to pay more up front for things like rent, repairs, designing the store, etc.
With their own online businesses, sellers can cut down on the costs of keeping their stores up and running. Selling online is cheaper and requires less investment than selling in stores. It’s also a great chance for people and small businesses who want to make money but don’t have the money they need to start. Also, you have more chances to share your ideas and make money doing what you love.
Best Websites to Sell Do-It-Yourself
DIY businesses are very popular on many eCommerce sites right now because people want to buy them. People always want to buy unique items that can’t be made by companies that make mass-produced goods and follow the chain.
Before we talk about how to sell handmade crafts, let me show you the 5 best online places to do so.
Esty
On this list, Etsy is one of the “must-have” websites. Its main goal is to help artists and craftspeople make more money from the things they make.
With a free seller account, you can use this platform to sell things you made yourself. But for each finished order, you will have to pay a small fee and a percentage.
eBay
eBay is the second option for you. This website has many DIY categories for things that can be made at home or by hand. Also, you can use eBay to learn more about your products.
eBay is a good place to start making money online because a lot of people use it every day.
Shopify
Do you not have much money to start a business on your own? Try Shopify out right away! This website is both an online market and a place where you can build your own store for free, just like eBay. One of the biggest dropshipping platforms, dropship-empire, is now working with Shopify.
Once you choose this platform, you can use an interesting CSV feature of dropship-empire that lets sellers manage product and order listings. After you’ve uploaded products, you can turn on Auto Sync Tracking Numbers to keep track of tracking numbers on both your store and Paypal.
You can also choose the shipping methods you want to use to send orders to buyers. Last but not least, you can manage many stores, like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Wix, with just one dropship-empire account. Doesn’t that sound interesting?
SpoonFlower
SpoonFlower is a bit different from other sites, as you can see. It fits into a more specific group. If you are a designer, you can play around with it to make your own patterns for wallpaper, gift wrap, and other things.
Then you can sell them to other people who make things by hand or use them to make your ideal work.
Folksy
Folksy is also a popular place to sell hand-made items online, and the community has given it a lot of good feedback. The United Kingdom is home to this eCommerce platform. On the website, you can buy jewelry, clothes, art, and materials.
DIY Step-by-Step Guide and Tips for Business
Read all the information in this section if you’re not sure what to do to make money from handmade crafts. I’m going to tell you how to sell DIY projects like a pro.
Before Selling DIY Online
Now we need to start getting ready and decide what we will sell. Here are the first steps to take:
Prepare Handmade Crafts
This is the most important part of getting everything set up. You should pick the things that will help you make money. Some people think they can make a lot of crafts by hand to give buyers more options. But it might be a good idea for people who make things instead of people who do it themselves.
Just make one or two things on your own, like a necklace or scrunchie. Also, before selling, you can ask your family and friends for some feedback. Making sure the items are of good quality will help you build your brand and do well.
Make a plan for selling
Both new and experienced sellers need a plan to get their items in front of more buyers. Put yourself in the shoes of the customer to know how they feel about each strategy. So, you’ll know how to talk to them while still making them feel at ease.
Many websites, like the post about Facebook Retargeting on dropship-empire Blog, have more information and tips that can help you make a plan. Another tip is to write down and try out what you’ve learned to see if it really works.
Find out what’s going on with selling DIY
Keeping up with the trends or sales numbers of well-known online stores that sell homemade goods is also helpful for your journey. With this new information, you can update your items and your ways of selling them. And if you get stuck and start seeing names that don’t make sense, this shop name idea generator can help you keep looking.
Also, keep an eye out for feedback from customers on other stores. This can help you improve the quality of your products and services.
Pick eCommerce platforms to sell
You should think about an e-commerce site that gets a lot of customers every day. Also, try to find out more about it to make sure it is a safe place to build your store.
You can choose one of the five platforms I just told you about because you can trust them. After you decide where to sell, you should read the policy carefully. This will help you avoid problems and complaints in the future.
Prepare your shop
If you are starting from scratch with your store, a free account is a good place to start. Make a lively background for your online store to show off your DIY items. I’ll give you a pro tip! You can write a short story or description about how much you love making things by hand to get people to come to your store.
DIY crafts can help you make money.
DIY businesses aren’t as easy to make money from as you thought. Don’t worry, though, because I’m here to help you! Check out these 5 steps!
Take good pictures of the product and write an appealing description of it.
Even if your products are perfect, it will be hard to sell more of them if the photos of them aren’t good. In fact, good pictures and descriptions can make a big difference in how well your products sell.
This is because it not only gets the customer’s attention, but also makes them more sure that the product is good. A short, funny description can get potential customers to talk to you more. Also, using attractive pictures will make it easier than ever to market your business.
Set the right prices for the things you made yourself.
Don’t set the price too high to get more commission. Keep your items’ prices at a level that makes sense for the people you want to buy them.
For example, if you make and sell scrunchies and your target customers are college students, you should find out how much they are willing to pay for one. On their first purchase, you can also give them discounts or special deals.
Frequently add new items to your online store.
And here are some items with nice pictures, a good description, and a fair price! It must be time to put them all on your store, right?
After you’ve changed them, you can share the link with information on your social media account or fan page, if you have one. Then, use the marketing plans you’ve made to start putting your selling plan into action.
Building a strong brand is very important.
Getting your brand known is very important if you want to increase sales and grow your DIY business. You can choose the best way to build your brand based on your budget and your products. For example, you can ask an influencer to share your handmade items on Facebook, Tik Tok, Twitter, and other social media sites.
Give the best service to your customers.
Customer satisfaction is always a top priority for businesses that do well. So, you should make sure they are happy with your service before and after they buy it. And, of course, giving great customer service is also a good way to build a brand.
Check out what the customer has to say and respond to them in a nice way. Last but not least, be there for them every time they need help.
Conclusion
I think that all of the information above will help you a lot if you want to start a DIY business online. But you shouldn’t forget these extra tips if you want your startup process to go smoothly.
- Check and update your online store often by adding new pictures or backgrounds to keep customers interested.
- Check how the marketing plan is working, and if it’s not working, try something else.
- Make a list of things you need to do every week to keep track of sales and orders.
- Carefully pack your items and include a thank-you card with each order.
- Find out how much money you make from sales and plan discounts or specials to bring in new customers.
- So, why don’t you just do it? Don’t wait any longer; start making a detailed plan for your online DIY business to make money. If you think my post is useful, just send it to your friends so they can learn more. Good luck!