Wednesday, June 3, 2009

A Little Advice

A while back there was this amazing thread on Etsy with a huge list compiled by VieleraDesign with places to sell, promote, network, craft fairs all online. It's amazing! I added a few more and put it in alphabetical order (the librarian coming out in me:-)
Here are my thoughts on the places I have tried.

Places to Sell Online:
I have a few requirements that should be noted. Since traffic is uncertain at a new place, I like the joining to be free, and the listing to be free or cheap. The site also has to be easy to navigate, otherwise what is the point, I don't want to fuss to hard to figure out how to get a banner up, get a listing up and register
.

http://www.artfire.com/ Just opened a shop here. Apparently they went through a face-lift upgrade and things are much nicer now. But it is free to set up a shop for a certain number of items, so I did that. They upload to Google Base, which is excellent and puts you at the top of the search in Google and lists you in Google shopping searches. Their prices for a monthly account are going up soon though, I just have the free one.
ArtFire Referral Use my referral if you want/can!

http://www.bigcartel.com/

http://www.cafepress.com/

http://www.canduru.com/

http://cosaverde.com/
Just joined. An eco-friendly marketing venue, it is really isn't a selling venue as you have to have other selling venues that you link to. But it has a clean interface, it is juried, and user-friendly. You can upload items through RSS feeds as well, and their admin responded to my suggestions within HOURS, I was stunned and impressed. And there are many promotional codes out there to get a few months free and use me as a referral if you wish:)
Cosa Verde Referral Use my referral if you want/can!

http://www.crowsoup.com/

http://www.dawanda.com/ Closed my shop down, had sold only one hat and it was really clunky to use the website. Every time I wanted to edit a page the HTML kept getting in the way. And items must be listed in euros.

http://www.ecrater.com/ Could never figure this website out. And there did not seem to be enough traffic to be worth the headache or time. Yes, I am demanding, I want to understand something FAST!

http://www.elsewares.com/

http://www.erayo.com/

http://www.etsy.com/ Have sold on here for years and was my first step into selling at handmade specific markets post eBay. Last summers"keyword stuffing" scandal" took a while to clear up, and it slowed my sales and views. However, Etsy corrected the tag situation now I am listed in google automatically so I will continue to sell here, as this is my shop that get by far the most views of all my shops. There also promises to be many positive changes on the horizen, which I am excited to see.
http://www.handmadefusion.com/index.php?

http://www.icraft.com/ Based in Canada. Paid a one-time fee. Had a shop, ignored it, but it got views, no sales. So now I have updated it and revamped it. Best part about it, you can change your shopname/URL without changing your username, they are not attached. So when I changed names I did not lose any views or anything. Wish other sites could implement this. However, this is the only site that I know that does this, though Etsy clims this change is in the works.

http://www.imagekind.com/

http://www.lollishops.com/ This is a juried site that I joined during frantic opening days. I kept getting kicked off and reasked to join that I decided I would let them work out the kinks before I signed on. Then I saw the listing tier pricing system and thought it was a bit steep for a very limited market. But the site seems to be doing ok. There is no feedback system though, a bit strange.

http://lov.li/

http://www.mintd.com/

http://www.pinkpoodle.com/ Just closed my site to this one too. No traffic and now they charge to list. Sorry no way.

http://www.seekingdesigners.com/

http://www.shopify.com/

http://1000markets.com/ I opened a free shop, the site looked beautiful, very easy to search. What I don't like, it is not international friendly, and in this global world that is a setback. I understand they are working with Amazon on that though. And payments are made through Amazon, which is odd why not PayPal like many other sites? However it was pointed out this eliminates Non Paying Buyers, so that should be a plus, but I wonder if it will be a turn off to some buyers. But it is a free juried site, and I liked the exposure, but I could not maintain it through the holidays, put it on vacation, and they kicked me off. Oh well. I think I still have an account there, so my name is parked, which is good.


Places to Advertise Online:
Most people find me, who tell me how they found me anyway, is through a Google search or by searching the site. So tags are more vital than ever to be kept accurate.

http://www.thelittleblackboxes.com/ She reviewed me! I was very excited to see this and I never sent her anything. I felt like a chosen one!

http://www.craigslist.org/ I have done this, I can't say if it helped or not, I didn't see a change in my vews or sales. And no one has ever said they found me on Craigslist.

http://www.webbcatalog.com/

http://www.usfreeads.com/

http://www.oodle.com/http://modish.typepad.com/

http://www.theindiego.com/

http://www.craftster.org/advertise

http://www.webclassifieds.us/

http://www.linkrefferal.com/

http://www.projectwonderful.com/

http://www.diyscene.com/

http://www.stumblehere.com/

http://lunacraft.com/help_promote



Social Networking Sites:
Social networking for me is still a way to connest with friends family and buyers, and I like it to be free.

http://www.artbistro.com/

http://www.cafemom.com/

http://www.thecreativespirit.ning.com/

http://www.creativestem.com/

http://www.deviantart.com/

http://www.entrecard.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ I have a facebook page, and a fanpage. I linked my blog to my fanpage so I don't have to double post and it is one more way to be seen, I don't know if I have made any sales through there, but it is a good free marketing tool that people have heard of.

http://www.flickr.com/ I have a flickr site, but I am very careful to not post anything about Etsy, they will shut you down and you will lose everything. I try to include other photos as well so it is not just my hats. You can see a few of my magical kitty Gryffin!

http://www.indiepublic.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/ My friend keeps asking me to join this, hmmmm.

http://www.mylot.com/

http://www.myspace.com/

http://www.stumbleupon.com/

http://www.smidge.ca/

http://www.squidoo.com/

http://www.stylehive.com/

http://www.twitter.com/ I have a Twitter account, I have no idea what to do with it, and honestly, it seems like one more thing I have to do and can't keep up with.

http://www.thedb.com/

http://www.weloveetsy.com/


Find Craft Shows/Fairs:
Typically for craft fairs when I am driving around and I see a show advertised I pull over and write down the date. Also I search the net for surrounding town names and craft fairs and hits come up. I like to scope out a fair the year before to see if it will be a good fit for me.

http://www.artandcraftshows.net/

http://www.artfaircalendar.com/

http://www.bazaarbizarre.org/

http://www.craftconnection.net/

http://www.craftlister.com/

http://www.craftmasternews.com/

http://craftersbuzz.com/craftshows.html

http://www.craftsreport.com/showfinder

http://eventlister.com/

http://www.hpifestivals.com/

http://www.fairsandfestivals.net/

http://www.festivaldirectory.comfestivalnet.com/

http://www.juriedartservices.com/

http://www.indiecraftfairguide.com/

http://www.indiecraftshows.com/

http://www.sunshineartist.com/

http://zapplication.org/

Free Web Design: I am excited to try building my own website, as I have my own URL. But I need it to be easy clean, preferbly free for now, and quick to make changes on.



ArtFire - Buy Handmade - Sell HandmadeiCraft.ca - Only Handmade Art & Crafts1000 Markets

6 comments:

  1. Going through this whole list seems like a great way to spend this rainy afternoon! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This looks like a pretty good list. Its great to see that you started an artfire shop, we thank you for adding your creative touch to our community. We wish you good luck and many sales.

    Kevin
    Artfire Member Engagement

    P.S. Did you know you can put your ArtFire rapid cart on your blog? Readers can purchase items right here without ever leaving your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great list. Thank you - think I have to update my artfire shop!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for all the work it took to create these lists.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great list!! Thank you.

    Jenn
    jennuinecandles.artfire.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Did you know that Winkelf was the FIRST to offer:

    - full functioning shopping cart widget to add to your blog, social network or website
    - custom ordering of listings in your store
    - seller discount codes
    - unbranded stores and listing pages
    - free full featured blogs

    We have always offered free and unlimited listings (with a 2.5% selling only fee) or an all inclusive store package for $5/month.

    Despite the size, most sellers get better views on Winkelf than on Etsy and Artfire. And it's the baby of a fellow artisan... someone just like you.

    Samantha
    winkelf.com

    ReplyDelete

A Little Advice

6 comments
A while back there was this amazing thread on Etsy with a huge list compiled by VieleraDesign with places to sell, promote, network, craft fairs all online. It's amazing! I added a few more and put it in alphabetical order (the librarian coming out in me:-)
Here are my thoughts on the places I have tried.

Places to Sell Online:
I have a few requirements that should be noted. Since traffic is uncertain at a new place, I like the joining to be free, and the listing to be free or cheap. The site also has to be easy to navigate, otherwise what is the point, I don't want to fuss to hard to figure out how to get a banner up, get a listing up and register
.

http://www.artfire.com/ Just opened a shop here. Apparently they went through a face-lift upgrade and things are much nicer now. But it is free to set up a shop for a certain number of items, so I did that. They upload to Google Base, which is excellent and puts you at the top of the search in Google and lists you in Google shopping searches. Their prices for a monthly account are going up soon though, I just have the free one.
ArtFire Referral Use my referral if you want/can!

http://www.bigcartel.com/

http://www.cafepress.com/

http://www.canduru.com/

http://cosaverde.com/
Just joined. An eco-friendly marketing venue, it is really isn't a selling venue as you have to have other selling venues that you link to. But it has a clean interface, it is juried, and user-friendly. You can upload items through RSS feeds as well, and their admin responded to my suggestions within HOURS, I was stunned and impressed. And there are many promotional codes out there to get a few months free and use me as a referral if you wish:)
Cosa Verde Referral Use my referral if you want/can!

http://www.crowsoup.com/

http://www.dawanda.com/ Closed my shop down, had sold only one hat and it was really clunky to use the website. Every time I wanted to edit a page the HTML kept getting in the way. And items must be listed in euros.

http://www.ecrater.com/ Could never figure this website out. And there did not seem to be enough traffic to be worth the headache or time. Yes, I am demanding, I want to understand something FAST!

http://www.elsewares.com/

http://www.erayo.com/

http://www.etsy.com/ Have sold on here for years and was my first step into selling at handmade specific markets post eBay. Last summers"keyword stuffing" scandal" took a while to clear up, and it slowed my sales and views. However, Etsy corrected the tag situation now I am listed in google automatically so I will continue to sell here, as this is my shop that get by far the most views of all my shops. There also promises to be many positive changes on the horizen, which I am excited to see.
http://www.handmadefusion.com/index.php?

http://www.icraft.com/ Based in Canada. Paid a one-time fee. Had a shop, ignored it, but it got views, no sales. So now I have updated it and revamped it. Best part about it, you can change your shopname/URL without changing your username, they are not attached. So when I changed names I did not lose any views or anything. Wish other sites could implement this. However, this is the only site that I know that does this, though Etsy clims this change is in the works.

http://www.imagekind.com/

http://www.lollishops.com/ This is a juried site that I joined during frantic opening days. I kept getting kicked off and reasked to join that I decided I would let them work out the kinks before I signed on. Then I saw the listing tier pricing system and thought it was a bit steep for a very limited market. But the site seems to be doing ok. There is no feedback system though, a bit strange.

http://lov.li/

http://www.mintd.com/

http://www.pinkpoodle.com/ Just closed my site to this one too. No traffic and now they charge to list. Sorry no way.

http://www.seekingdesigners.com/

http://www.shopify.com/

http://1000markets.com/ I opened a free shop, the site looked beautiful, very easy to search. What I don't like, it is not international friendly, and in this global world that is a setback. I understand they are working with Amazon on that though. And payments are made through Amazon, which is odd why not PayPal like many other sites? However it was pointed out this eliminates Non Paying Buyers, so that should be a plus, but I wonder if it will be a turn off to some buyers. But it is a free juried site, and I liked the exposure, but I could not maintain it through the holidays, put it on vacation, and they kicked me off. Oh well. I think I still have an account there, so my name is parked, which is good.


Places to Advertise Online:
Most people find me, who tell me how they found me anyway, is through a Google search or by searching the site. So tags are more vital than ever to be kept accurate.

http://www.thelittleblackboxes.com/ She reviewed me! I was very excited to see this and I never sent her anything. I felt like a chosen one!

http://www.craigslist.org/ I have done this, I can't say if it helped or not, I didn't see a change in my vews or sales. And no one has ever said they found me on Craigslist.

http://www.webbcatalog.com/

http://www.usfreeads.com/

http://www.oodle.com/http://modish.typepad.com/

http://www.theindiego.com/

http://www.craftster.org/advertise

http://www.webclassifieds.us/

http://www.linkrefferal.com/

http://www.projectwonderful.com/

http://www.diyscene.com/

http://www.stumblehere.com/

http://lunacraft.com/help_promote



Social Networking Sites:
Social networking for me is still a way to connest with friends family and buyers, and I like it to be free.

http://www.artbistro.com/

http://www.cafemom.com/

http://www.thecreativespirit.ning.com/

http://www.creativestem.com/

http://www.deviantart.com/

http://www.entrecard.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ I have a facebook page, and a fanpage. I linked my blog to my fanpage so I don't have to double post and it is one more way to be seen, I don't know if I have made any sales through there, but it is a good free marketing tool that people have heard of.

http://www.flickr.com/ I have a flickr site, but I am very careful to not post anything about Etsy, they will shut you down and you will lose everything. I try to include other photos as well so it is not just my hats. You can see a few of my magical kitty Gryffin!

http://www.indiepublic.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/ My friend keeps asking me to join this, hmmmm.

http://www.mylot.com/

http://www.myspace.com/

http://www.stumbleupon.com/

http://www.smidge.ca/

http://www.squidoo.com/

http://www.stylehive.com/

http://www.twitter.com/ I have a Twitter account, I have no idea what to do with it, and honestly, it seems like one more thing I have to do and can't keep up with.

http://www.thedb.com/

http://www.weloveetsy.com/


Find Craft Shows/Fairs:
Typically for craft fairs when I am driving around and I see a show advertised I pull over and write down the date. Also I search the net for surrounding town names and craft fairs and hits come up. I like to scope out a fair the year before to see if it will be a good fit for me.

http://www.artandcraftshows.net/

http://www.artfaircalendar.com/

http://www.bazaarbizarre.org/

http://www.craftconnection.net/

http://www.craftlister.com/

http://www.craftmasternews.com/

http://craftersbuzz.com/craftshows.html

http://www.craftsreport.com/showfinder

http://eventlister.com/

http://www.hpifestivals.com/

http://www.fairsandfestivals.net/

http://www.festivaldirectory.comfestivalnet.com/

http://www.juriedartservices.com/

http://www.indiecraftfairguide.com/

http://www.indiecraftshows.com/

http://www.sunshineartist.com/

http://zapplication.org/

Free Web Design: I am excited to try building my own website, as I have my own URL. But I need it to be easy clean, preferbly free for now, and quick to make changes on.



ArtFire - Buy Handmade - Sell HandmadeiCraft.ca - Only Handmade Art & Crafts1000 Markets

6 comments:

feltonthefly said...

Going through this whole list seems like a great way to spend this rainy afternoon! Thank you!

Kevin Ian said...

This looks like a pretty good list. Its great to see that you started an artfire shop, we thank you for adding your creative touch to our community. We wish you good luck and many sales.

Kevin
Artfire Member Engagement

P.S. Did you know you can put your ArtFire rapid cart on your blog? Readers can purchase items right here without ever leaving your blog.

woolies said...

Great list. Thank you - think I have to update my artfire shop!

Elizabeth Johnson said...

Thanks for all the work it took to create these lists.

jennuinecandles said...

Great list!! Thank you.

Jenn
jennuinecandles.artfire.com

Anonymous said...

Did you know that Winkelf was the FIRST to offer:

- full functioning shopping cart widget to add to your blog, social network or website
- custom ordering of listings in your store
- seller discount codes
- unbranded stores and listing pages
- free full featured blogs

We have always offered free and unlimited listings (with a 2.5% selling only fee) or an all inclusive store package for $5/month.

Despite the size, most sellers get better views on Winkelf than on Etsy and Artfire. And it's the baby of a fellow artisan... someone just like you.

Samantha
winkelf.com

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