Thursday, August 30, 2007

Start Your Own Online Craft Business

Many crafters out there have given up traveling to craft fairs every weekend. Instead they are selling their crafts on the Internet. If this is something you’ve though about, but dismissed due to a lack of familiarity with ecommerce or the Internet in general, you may want to reconsider. You too can sell your crafts online. It can be much simpler than you might think.

So many developers and supportive websites exist out there today, that even complete computer novices can start their own online craft business. You can do something as simple as a blog where you advertise just a few items to a large multi-page website featuring an ecommerce store, online shopping cart, message boards, etc.

The craft industry is booming, not just domestically, but internationally as well. You can join this rapidly expanding business, not just selling your own crafts, but selling craft supplies also. Starting your own ecommerce store can be as simple as a few clicks away. There are even online craft resources that provide free hosting and setup.

Etsy is a powerhouse in the online craft industry. They will help you start your very own online store for free. From there it is just a matter of taking a few pictures of your crafts, determining a sale price and uploading that information to your website. Etsy is just one of many online resources available to crafters.

Another option is to sell your crafts on a site like Ebay or Amazon, or look for online craft stores that are looking for vendors. A great many crafters are willing to sell your crafts for you for a small commission. Or you could just stick with Ebay or Amazon. They have tremendous exposure and are trusted sites. Most people feel more comfortable making purchases from names they know. The downside to this is your crafts could be lost among their huge inventory.

Maybe you’d like to build your own site from the ground up and sell your crafts there. That, too, can be easier than you might imagine. There are a great many web building software packages available, many of which can be downloaded free. You can also find free or very economical web hosting.

But don’t stop there. If you build your own site, you can increase your revenue by placing ads on your site. The ideas for crafters to start their own online craft business are endless. Search the web for inspiration and ideas.

Once you find out what your online goals are, start looking for support or software to get started. Don’t be afraid to join craft forums and ask other crafters how they got started. Sometimes it’s as simple as just asking a question to get you started on an exciting new online craft adventure.

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