Lots of people are now making a good secondary or even primary income by selling stuff they make themselves. Whether you make jewelry, clothing, toys, furniture, art, or even your own inventions, there are now loads of ways to comfortably sell these kinds of DIY products online, including having your own store on Amazon, eBay or Etsy. However, while these are easy and good ways to sell your wares, if you keep your business purely online you may be doing it a disservice and losing out on a lot of potential sales, not to mention opportunities to grow as a brand.
Here, we look at why you should consider doing some work to sell your craft products offline, and what you can do to maximize sales when you do.
Building a Local Following
One of the only downsides to online sales for craft businesses is the depth of competition. You may make the most adorable kids’ clothing or the coolest, most original jewelry, but there are thousands of other DIY types out there who believe they do – and they are pitching to the exact same audience as you. When you sell offline at local events, you not only lose all of that competition, but also give people the added incentive to buy from you of supporting a local person or business. Most people, given the choice, will choose a local product over a competitor, and you get a chance to establish yourself as a real local brand.
Impulse Buyers!
Crafts tend not to be essential items, so people don’t search for them specifically a lot of the time. Purchases are often made on a whim – something would make a perfect gift for somebody the customer knows, or is just too unusual and interesting to pass up on. Given that impulse buyers make up a lot of the customers for craft businesses, you’ll get a lot more of these when you display your products in person than on the web. Also, when people buy on impulse, they do tend to want the product right there and then, without the time to lose enthusiasm for it that comes with ordering online and waiting for delivery.
Making it Easy for People to Buy Offline
If you want to go and sell offline, then you need to look out for places you can set up a stall. Local markets, craft fairs, and even events run by schools, churches and other clubs can be a good place to start. Make it as easy as possible for people to buy by making prices clear, and of course give out business cards so they can find you online if they want to buy more of your crafts! Also, consider getting a collection agency merchant account and allowing your customers to pay by debit or credit card – this will boost your sales as people always tend to be more willing to buy when they can pay flexibly.
Take your craft business offline and see how easy it is to increase revenue, and build your brand!
