35 tips to set up an online,
custom made business
Photograph by Kelly Sikkema
WHO YOU ARE IS WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT
CREATING A PERSONAL ONLINE EXPERIENCE
FINDING THE CUSTOMERS WHO CARE
EASY TOOLKIT FOR ONLINE CUSTOM MADE
PROFILE & STORY TIPS
So you have a product that you love to make and you have skills that people are asking for. You have been making them for friends and family or maybe you have a existing business that used to be in a physical store location And now needing to move online. No matter the keys, the online customers is an important type of customer for any business.
If you are just starting out and wonder who should I sell two, we would recommend doing a bit of research maybe going to Etsy Oracle Facebook group do you identified who is interested in the type of product similar to yours. Where do they connect and what are they interested in?
If you are a seasoned maker who are just now learning to sell online, we would recommend to reach out to your previous customer, to talk to them and understand if they would be open to transact online.
In both cases, it is a good idea to start from a small group audience and to be specific because it's actually really hard to create a business that sell to anybody.
What do you want to be known us? The name should reflect the great things about you and the products that you sell. It should be short, easy to understand, and reflects your service/personality.
Look back into your childhood and your favorite things and picked up a couple different words that you like. Then use one of the name generator tools that would help you look at combination of these words to create a unique name for yourself.
Whatever you do, make sure that your name is available as a domain name more on that next.
A domain name is a web address that your customers will be able to type in on the Internet to find you. The most common domain name is .com, followed by.io but there is also some unique extension such as .shop or .design.
When you brainstorm your names, make sure that you go to a tour like Namecheap or Godaddy to search for your domain name and register it right away.
There are often great discount for first name register. Be sure to look for those!
Customers want to know who you are and they want to relate to your story. Creating a video introducing yourself and what you were passionate about will help you build the trust with your customers and help you tell your story.
Keep your story under 1 min and Share a little bit about your journey as a maker, the services, the style, the passion, and why do you decide to start a business. Tell them why this matters to you and they will come.
You can upload this video onto your website, social channels, or youtube to start connecting with your customers.
As makers, we make things by hand and have a process that allows us to create beautiful products. As such people are very curious and interested in knowing what goes behind the scene, how much work it takes to create every small little details.
Create videos of your process from start to finish and give them a glimpse into your inspirations, thought process, and what matters to you.
If you're into upcyling, sustainability, vintage - let it be known!
This is probably a step for a more experience maker but once you have a collection of projects and content under your belt, consider creating blog posts on your site or leveraging other blocking platforms such as medium and YouTube to engage with other audiences and extend the reach of your story even further! further exposure
Photograph by Roberto Reposo
SHOP SETUP TOOLS
The website is very important to represent who you are as a maker and the services that you provide. It helps potential customers to find you without you even looking.
They are a lot of simple website solution that doesn't require any technical knowledge and also provide some value in helping you list and sell products as well as keep track of inventory and your customers.
Once you have your domain name, head over to Shopify, Squarespace, or Wix. Set up a simple page using available templates and tie your domain name with the service. You can always call these service providers for help. Make sure to include an email capture field that would allow you to capture email addresses from interested customer.
Have you ever heard of the expression a picture is worth a thousand words?
When taking a picture of your product, paying attention to the surrounding. Try to place the product in an area clear of clutter and place it in contacts so that the customer can imagine the product in their home.
It is also very important to consider lighting. We recommend using neutral lighting either early in the morning or early in the afternoon. Avoid harsh lighting from the sun or gloomy days.
For photo editing to make sure that the photo half good color or high contrast, consider using phone app to easily edit your photos.
It's really important to price your work so you feel good about the compensation that you were getting and your customer feel good about the value that they are paying for.
Pricing is always subjective based on you're on determine value of the service. However, we suggest that you start from calculating the materials and the time it will take you to create the item. Then, we recommend doing a bit of research across some of the other selling platforms such as Etsy, Task Rabbit +
To get a sense of how much other makers are charging for items similar to yours.
In the end, it is a delicate balance of pricing the product or service in a way that would attract new customers but still uphold the perceived value and quality of your services.
When listing items on your website or any selling platforms, be sure to stay organized. We recommend using a spreadsheet or a document to keep track of all of your inventory and your products / services.
When you are ready to list them, create a title that is descriptive of the service or product that you were offering because it will really help the customer to understand at first glance do unique value of the item but also help to find you / search for the find from Google.
In the same vein, include attributes and detailed description of the product or service so that your website and your product rank even higher on Google search and any selling platforms.
Packaging is crucial in protecting and delivering your creation. When deciding on packaging material, consider your brand values and what matters to you. Do you care about efficiency and cost? Are you more of a sustainable and upcyling business? The choice of packaging says something about your brand.
If you are in the US, US PS supplies a lot of the packaging material with their flat rate options. However, these pricing are a little bit higher than the average shipping cost and would only be worth it if you are sending heavy items or high value items with insurance.
On this note, always ensure your items at the same level or higher of your products value. Communicate the delivery time estimate with the customer and always, ALWAYS provide tracking number.
Take your business and domain name which hopefully is the same one and try to clean this name across all social media platforms.
Instagram is great for sharing your latest creation, connect with other makers and potential customers, and half direct sales conversation with your customers. The platform is visually appealing and it is image-based With a lot of active users who are looking for handmade and craft products.
Take your business and domain name which hopefully is the same one and try to clean this name across all social media platforms.
Pinterest has a subtle way to help customer discover new inspiration while quickly link to the makers selling channels. Make sure that you upload your best product pictures on Pinterest and don't forget to include a link to your website.
Take your business and domain name which hopefully is the same one and try to clean this name across all social media platforms.
Facebook is famous for having communities and hobby groups Such as sewing groups, knitting groups, crafts and handmade groups. Joining this group's will help you build a relationship with a lot of like-minded makers but also potential customers.
In this day and age, Yelp it's still see us a directory for local businesses. Customers go to Yelp to look at reviews and to find services that are close to them. As such, make sure that you have a profile on yelp which less your website address, your services, and a way to contact you directly whether by email or through messaging.
If any of your circle of friends or pass customers are on yup, don't be shy to ask them for a review.
Etsy is a great market place to connect with new customers in the craft and vintage space. If you are ready to test out your products or services and you are just starting out, Etsy might be a great place to find the first few customers.
Photograph by Igor Miske
MARKETING TIPS
Sometimes an incentive can go far. Ask friends if they know anyone who would be interested in your craft services and offer a 10% project fee as a thank you.
If they are not comfortable with taking money from you (oh what true friends!), then offer to give their contact (and your future customer!) the discount instead.
It's a win-win situation.
Interested customers may be curious about your services and examples of your work. Keep a handy PDF version of your look book of past projects that you can quickly email a potential customer.
Reviews is an important factor in customers choosing one provider over another. Your work is more valuable than you know.
Make sure to collect reviews from every client, even going back to ask if they would be open to sharing their thoughts. You can always choose to share the good ones.
Once you got a review, maybe share them on social to thank the clients for their trust. It's a sure way to build long term past and future relationships.
People have questions and you have the answers! You might think you don't but with your expertise, interest, and or years of experience in the craft, you do know a lot more than the commoner. Some of the platforms such as Quora or Reddit is a great place to answer peoples questions and feel your credibility as well as finding new customers that might be interested in your services.
Fake Facebook is increasingly becoming a platform for group interactions. A lot of hobby and specific interest groups are sprouting up on Facebook especially for sewing knitting leather making an any crafts in between. Facebook groups are a great way to Learn more about the online practice, to connect with other makers, and to find potential customers.
Just be aware that a lot of these groups want to encourage participation more than selling.
A lot of people comes to Pinterest for inspiration. A lot of makers come to Pinterest to share their work and also use Pinterest as a way to create mood board for their upcoming creations.
Be sure to keep up to date your latest work on Pinterest and more importantly link each image back into your site or your social channels to make sure that customers can find you while browsing.
Publicity is good but is even greater when it is for a good community cause. Find community activities and causes near you that would help you to connect with potential customers while advertising your newly formed online business.
Coffee shops and community centers are great gathering places for locals who might be looking for services. Create a simple flyer that has a nice picture of your service and a link to your website. Post them on bulletin boards all over town!
Local businesses or local branch of national chain or increasingly interested in offering custom made in personalization services. Contact your local wedding dress shops, clothing shops, gift shops, and offer to add to their package. It's a win-win situation.
Photograph by Jorge Gardner
TECHNOLOGY TOOLS
Often, potential customers want to talk with the maker before placing an order. It allows them to learn more about your style, your way of working, and to establish a connection between both of you. Calendly is an online scheduling tool Which allows customers to book available time on your calendar remotely. Having a calendar scheduling tool would save you a lot of time and back-and-forth on scheduling. It is free for a personal account and it is very easy to set up.
Once you have your domain name, head over to Shopify, Squarespace, or Wix. Set up a simple page using available templates and tie your domain name with the service. You can always call these service providers for help. Make sure to include an email capture field that would allow you to capture email addresses from interested customer.
Namelix In other name generators such as this allows you to randomly create interesting combination of the words that you are thinking of for your business name.
Mailchimp helps you to keep track of your email subscribers (remember we have that email subscribe section on the website?) It allows you to keep track of who's in / who's out and also is a great tool for easy start newsletter templates.
Swatchbook is a useful tool for materials organization and creation. It's more on the higher volume and higher end (cost) but a userful tool.
Nabld is a helpful production and inventory tool for when you have many orders and need some organizing.
Go where the customers are! As a new brand and business (or one that's been around a long time but are just now going online!), you want to engage and share content with your audience. Medium is a great blogging platform with an enthusiastic crowd of readers. Write to your heart's content.
A domain name is a web address that your customers will be able to type in on the Internet to find you. The most common domain name is .com, followed by.io but there is also some unique extension such as .shop or .design.
When you brainstorm your names, make sure that you go to a tour like Namecheap or Godaddy to search for your domain name and register it right away.
There are often great discount for first name register. Be sure to look for those!
There may be a lot of these tips that you don't know how to do or feel overwhelmed. That's ok! Fiverr is a freelancing platform that have decent resources (and often affordable!) to help you with site set up, marketing, content, photo editing, and more. Just make sure you have clear expectation with the freelancer, and that they have done good work in the past!
Photograph by Jennifer Burk
WANT MORE?
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QUESTIONS?
If you're looking for help or if you have any questions, we are happy to lend a hand, just drop us a note at support@tailoru.com. It's our entire mission to support makers - we would love to hear from you!
Image by Kenny Lou