Market a Jewelry Business on the Internet

Do you make jewelry but are not sure about how to go about selling it? Selling your work on the web is a good way to get started. This article will tell you how.

Steps

  1. Get organized. Categorize your work into product lines, group by type (earrings, bracelets, etc.) or by price points. Create product numbers or names, write a description of each piece and take photographs of your work. Doing this work up front will save you a lot of time down the road. You may want to create spreadsheets or use other file software you already have. It is helpful to research price ranges for the kind of jewelry you will make by visiting boutiques and websites that sell handmade jewelry. Bead Manager Pro is a great jewelry inventory software system you might want to try but there are others out there, too. [1]
  2. Think of a business name. Check state, city and any other local laws to see if you need to register an online business in your area. You may need to get a tax ID number as well.
  3. Decide how to go about it. There are two basic ways to market your jewelry work online. One is to create your own website, the other is to use a shopping website like eBay or Etsy. You can create your own website if you have basic computer skills (you don't have to be a web expert) if you use a web host that offers site building tools and templates as part of their hosting package. GoDaddy! and Yahoo offer such tools at good prices, but there are many other companies out there so do some searching online to find the best service for you.
  4. Register your domain name. You can see if your domain is available on this website.
  5. Select a web hosting company, register through their website and start building your website. You will probably want to have a home page that talks about your business, a portfolio page that shows off your work, and a contact page so people know how to get in touch with you. You will also want to set up a shopping cart so you can sell through your website.
  6. If your web hosting company doesn't offer a shopping cart or merchant service, you can easily set up your own shopping cart using PayPal. It doesn't cost anything to get set up with PayPal but they take a small percentage of each transaction. All transactions take place through their secure server and you never have access to shopper's card info.
  7. If you plan on also selling at craft and trunk shows, there is a simple and inexpensive way to take payments by credit card using the Square device, a credit card swiper you can plug into a smart phone or iPad. The device is free and Square takes a small percentage of each transaction, similar to PayPal. [2]
  8. Consider other alternatives. If you don't want to build your own website, you can use a shopping website where you create your own "store" that you can use to sell online. Services and costs vary widely from company to company, so do some research to see what fits best with your work. Some options are Etsy, eBay, Artful Home, and Wholesale Crafts, if you want to sell to galleries and boutiques. There are many more our there so do some online searches before you choose an online store.
  9. Cross-market your website. Whether your own site or an online store, via social media like Myspace, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. These sites are free to use and grant access to a wide number of people who share your interests. You can also buy inexpensive ads through many of these social media sites.
  10. Start a blog to build a following of clients and other artists. This is another service that many hosts offer for free. In fact, you can generate income by allowing ads on your blog (such as Google AdWords via Blogspot).
  11. Consider using an e-blast service like ConstantContact to keep your clients up to date about sales, new products, etc. Regular e-newsletters will drive traffic to your website. You can sign up for a free trial to see if you like their services before you commit to opening an account.
  12. Submit your website to applicable search engines, some may charge a fee. It may take some time to be recognized on Yahoo.ca, Google.ca and other search engines but it is good to submit your website to attract a larger audience. Some search engines like DuckDuckgo.com will seek out your site and you will be seen in the search results but you never know which search engine your potential consumers may choose to use.



Tips

  • When pricing your work, make sure you include the cost of materials, how long it took to make each piece, your overhead, and add something onto that so you make a profit on the work.
  • Making work of consistent quality, having excellent customer service policies and solid business practices are crucial to the success of any business.
  • The Arts Business Institute is a nonprofit organization that offers seminars, mentoring program an e-course and many other resources to people working in the wholesale craft market.
  • Join a jewelers forum. One of the best and most active today is Verichannel.com. To join you must prove you are actively in the jewelry business. They are an excellent source of wholesale jewelry contacts, their bargains board is first rate, pros offer advice to newbies on almost all topics. Membership is free unless you want premium membership which allows you to sell your items online. You can buy all the bargains you want for free.

Warnings

  • Make sure you research local business and tax laws and acquire necessary licenses and registrations before you launch your business.
  • If you purchase a domain name, make sure you can keep that name even if you move to another hosting company down the road.
  • Research web hosting companies carefully before you sign a contract. Prices vary widely and you want to make sure you work with a reputable company and that their services are worth what you are paying.

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