Whether you’re just starting out selling handmade crafts or have already been doing so through online marketplaces (like Etsy, Artfire, Zibbet, Amazon Marketplace, or eBay) or social media platforms (like Instagram), you can always take the next step by setting up your own online crafts shop.
This practical guide contains an overview of the main things to think about if you want to sell arts and crafts online. You’ll also find clear, step-by-step instructions on how you can make your dreams a reality by creating your own website to sell crafts online – no technical knowledge needed!
Sell craft products
Our easy-to-follow non-technical tutorial will teach you how to build a website for selling handmade goods. But first, let’s take a minute to discuss why you need to create your own crafts website instead of listing your products on an online marketplace. Let's consider how it can help you boost sales and increase your income from selling crafts.
Should I create my own crafts website?
Selling handicrafts on your own website enables you to maintain control of your business and avoid the restrictions and fees that come with selling on a marketplace. This way, you can decide what you want to sell, and keep 100% of the profits. Many marketplaces don’t accept certain types of products, even if they meet their handcrafted requirement.
In addition, selling crafts on your own website means you can fully customize your online store and choose its design and features. Most marketplaces don't allow any customization over the look and feel of your product pages. As a result, you can differentiate your products from the competition and grow your brand.
Websites like Etsy, Artfire, Zibbet, Amazon Marketplace, and eBay charge fees (listing fees) for showcasing your products. If you publish a listing on Etsy, it’ll cost you $0.20 in listing fees to keep your listing on the marketplace until the item is sold. After an item sells, Etsy sellers are charged 5% of the transaction fee on the sale price plus they have to pay for postage. You’ll also have to pay the payment processing fees if you accept payments with PayPal.
With your own website to sell crafts online, there are no listing fees or commission to pay - which means more profit for you!
Selling on your own online store
When you don’t pay fees to marketplaces like Etsy or Amazon Marketplace i.e. by selling on your own website, you’ll be able to retain 100% of your profits.
Keep in mind that you can still choose to sell your crafts on both types of platforms at the same time. If you’re already selling on a marketplace such as Etsy, you can keep selling there while you create your e-commerce site. However, you’ll have to ensure consistent inventory across these multiple channels and navigate through the limitations and fees inherent to a marketplace.
Setting up and running your own e-commerce site has its benefits and challenges. Knowing how to set it up will help you avoid any pitfalls. This article will serve as a helpful guide and give you clear step-by-step instructions about how to build your online store for selling handmade products. Anyone can do it and you don’t need to hire a web developer.
Further reading: The Best Print-on-Demand Plugins for WooCommerce.
Why use WordPress and WooCommerce to sell crafts online?
To create your own online crafts store, you’ll need two things: a WordPress website and the free WooCommerce plugin. Both are completely free.
WordPress gives you access to paid and free themes for your site’s design. You can easily find free WordPress themes for your crafts shop in the WordPress Theme Directory or opt for a premium theme instead.
Similarly, WooCommerce has a library of tens of thousands of free and premium extensions that add extra features to your online store. This allows you to sell crafts more efficiently.
Displaying products on your store
The default WooCommerce store layout offers limited features for craft shops. It displays products in a grid view – 2 to 3 products per row – with large photos.
Sell craft products
On the other hand, the WooCommerce Product Table plugin offers crafters a better way to display craft products online. Its table layout gives you much more space to list multiple products than the default WooCommerce store layout, allowing you to show more products per page.
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