Uploading Bad Photography

One of the biggest mistakes when selling crafts online is uploading bad photography. Would you buy something online if the only picture you saw was grainy or blurry? We thought not. So why would you expect anyone else to?

The number one rule when selling online is to never upload ugly pictures. Invest some time in ensuring your photos show your products in the best possible way.

Your photos should be in focus, the lighting good, and the unique features of your products highlighted.

Etsy lets you upload 5 pictures per listing, and for eBay, you can add up to 12 (for a fee). Make the most of this, and upload product pictures at different angles, highlighting the various features.

Take a look at this article we wrote for much more help on how to take pictures of your crafts!

 

Writing Poor Descriptions

Descriptions are equally as important as pictures. If it’s too short – or too wordy – then no one will read it, and no one will buy your crafts!

A one-liner is not the way to go. You should be as descriptive as possible when listing your product, highlighting all of the key features. Think about what you would want to know if you were looking to purchase the product, and go from there.

You also don’t want to go the other way and write an essay. If there’s too much text, it can be overwhelming, and the user will be put off from reading it.

Another factor to consider for your product listings is SEO (this short Etsy guide is great for beginners). SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation, and is the process of increasing your rankings on Google.

Once you’ve identified keywords that relate to your product, and you want to rank for (e.g. “silver stud earrings” or “gold medal with ribbon”) you can include them in your product description, to help give your ranking on Google a boost.

 

Not Using Social Media

Whilst you should naturally get traffic by being listed on the likes of Etsy and NOTHS, one of the biggest mistakes when selling crafts online is relying on that alone.

Social media is a great way to market your brand for free. Set yourself up on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, and start posting beautiful pictures of your crafts whilst growing your follower base.

Pinterest in particular is great for businesses, with 87% of pinners buying a product after seeing it on Pinterest. So, if your business isn’t already on social media, now’s the time to sign up!

These tactics will help to drive traffic to your website, helping you to get more customers than you would have done, had you just sat back and done nothing.

 

Not Offering International Shipping

Sure, the UK is a big country, but you’re missing out on a huge audience if you don’t offer international shipping. Purposefully cutting yourself off from loads of customers is a big mistake to make, and if it’s something you’re currently doing, then you’re missing out on a big opportunity!

Worried about the extra costs shipping internationally will incur? There’s no need to worry. Lots of businesses charge the customer extra for international shipping, and it’s often something that’s expected. If someone really wants your products, they won’t be put off by having to pay a more for delivery.

It’s important that you research the cost of shipping to various countries, so you can set your pricing right. It’s also worth looking at any regulations and requirements, so your parcel doesn’t get stopped at customs!

 

Giving up When You Don’t See Immediate Results

Ultimately, you can read lots of online guides that rave on about how easy it is to sell crafts online, and then get disheartened when you don’t see immediate results.

The worst thing you can do though is give up.

Just because you’ve listed a product and shared it on social media, that doesn’t mean you’ll suddenly get hundreds of people (virtually) queuing up to buy it.

Instead, you need to grow a loyal customer base over time, and frequently list new products so they have a reason to keep heading back to your online store.

Over time, perseverance, experience and knowledge will pay off, and things should start falling into place. But that’s not going to happen instantaneously, and you shouldn’t just quit – that’s one of the biggest mistakes when selling crafts online.

Setting up an online business is exciting, but it’s not easy. However, these tips should help you along the way. If you know of any more mistakes that should be avoided, then we’d love to hear them!