Six Tips to Know Before Selling Handmade Gifts Online

We have so many ideas for handmade gifts, and selling them online seems like the perfect solution. But with so many sites out there, which one should we use? How do we advertise our products? What are the things we need to consider before selling hand-made gifts online? Will poly mailers work or do you have to ship in boxes? These are just some of the questions that might be running through your head. Let’s take a look at six tips to know before you start selling your handmade gifts online.

1. Know Your Audience

Before you do anything else, you should do some research. Spend some time studying your target audience. You should know their age range, gender, interests, motivations, and where they’re spending time online or shopping.

2. Research Your Competition

You might believe you have a fantastic idea for your handmade gift business only to find out that there’s someone already doing it. Can you do it better? Are they selling to the same market you intend to, or can you elbow your way into theirs? Where are they selling, and are they succeeding?

3. Fine Tune Your Offer

Don’t try to convince unwilling buyers. Tailor your product to meet the needs of your target audience if you want to sweep past your competitors. This is also when you can think about expanding or shrinking your product line accordingly, what price points your competitors are selling at, and what kind of packaging and shipper to use for your products.

4. Where to Sell

Some selling platforms may be a better fit for your product than others. It won’t do you any good to list your products where your target audience won’t see them. If your competitors are succeeding on a particular platform, there may be room for more. But if a platform is saturated with competitors, it may be better to find a different platform than trying to stand out in the crowd against established sellers.

There are a few other things to keep in mind when choosing a platform:

• Fees

Do they charge a fee when you list an item? Or only when an item sells? Is it a subscription service that you pay for whether or not you make any sales?

• Reputation

How long has the platform been in business? Does it have a reputation for attracting sellers who are looking to scam customers?

• Customer Service

Do they have an easily accessible customer service center if you have a problem selling on the platform or issues with buyers?

5. Write Good Listings and Take Good Pictures

Be sure you understand what keywords your audience will be using so that you show up in their search results. Write a compelling title that will get them to click through.

Make sure your text is accurate and clearly describes your item with a focus on what’s in it for the buyer. Think about what benefits they’ll get from it, and try to describe your product’s features in a way that shows what’s in it for them. Make sure it’s detailed but keep it as short as possible.

Take a little extra time to stage good pictures with clear details and attractive lighting. Stage your picture so that it’s something your audience can visualize in their home. The more pictures, the better. Try to get it from all angles and watch out for shadows.

6. What to Expect When Selling Handmade Gifts Online

Once you’ve researched your audience and competition, fine-tuned your product, decided on a platform, and created irresistible listings, you’ll hopefully start receiving orders. This part of the process might be a bit scary, but it’s actually pretty straightforward.

Once a customer decides to buy one of your products, they’ll click on the “buy now” button and be taken to a page where they can enter their payment information. Make sure you’re using an email address that you receive alerts for when creating your account so that you don’t miss any orders.

Next, all you have to do is pack up their gift in the appropriate shipping materials, send it off with the shipper you decided on, and let the customer know it’s on its way. Almost all forms of shipping now offer tracking numbers; always provide a tracking number so that they know you’re an honest seller.

Selling Out

Selling handmade gifts online can be a great way to make money from home. There’s a lot of satisfaction to be had when you know that someone cherishes something you made yourself. A lot of what it takes to sell your handmade gifts has little to do with the handmade gifts themselves, and more to do with preparation. It might sound overwhelming at first, but with a little bit of research, you might find that it’s easier than you think. To your success!