Selling your art online

Opening an online shop is a great way to make an income from your art or craft. I have been running my own shop on Etsy for a few years now, and it has helped me to develop my style, learn new skills and earn an extra income on top of my freelance work. Etsy has been a great platform to showcase my illustrations and it has opened up lots of opportunities for me, such as art commissions and having my designs stocked in galleries and gift shops around the world. I feel that at the moment I can't manage more than one online shop, but there's no reason why you couldn't have shops across a range of different platforms. 

If you're thinking about starting to sell your work on the internet, I have picked out some digital marketplaces for you to consider here:

Etsy
A marketplace for handmade and vintage products. I would highly recommend Etsy as I have found it really easy to use over the years and my customers on there are always super friendly and supportive. The brand has a lovely community feel and they offer different tools to help creative entrepreneurs manage and grow their businesses.

Look Lane
I only just recently discovered Look Lane, it's a new platform to buy and sell handmade items by indie designer makers. I love the interactive map and how you can browse through virtual high streets and stumble upon lots of pretty things that you wouldn't normally find. I am definitely tempted to open a shop here!

Folksy
Is an online destination to buy and sell work created by indie designers based in the UK. They also have loads of useful advice on their website to help creative sellers, like photography tips, blogging tips, SEO and social media. You can also join in with #folksyhour on Twitter for even more tips and to chat to other like minded creatives.

Not on the High Street
Home to more than 5000 creative businesses, from jewellery makers and engravers to visual artists and chocolatiers. They only pick the best creatives who have truly unique and thoughtful products so if you want to sell your work on this platform you will need to apply.

Marketing without the internet

The internet is a powerful tool when it comes to promoting your business. With all the competition online,  together spreading the word about what you do without using the internet could make you stand out from the crowd. Here are some of my ideas to help you raise awareness of your business offline:

Business cards
It's always a good idea to keep a few business cards handy so you can give them to friends, family and new people.

Print advertising
Advertise in your local newspapers and magazines that are appropriate for your target audience. If your budget doesn't stretch to the expensive advertising costs in glossy magazines, research small independent magazines and zines. Their prices are likely to be more affordable.

Snail mail
Ask your customers for permission to send them things through the post. Surely their answer will be yes - receiving freebies, postcards, coupons and fun newsletters are much more exciting than bills!

Craft fairs and markets
Attending craft fairs and markets is a great way to showcase your product or service to a high amount of new potential buyers. It's also a brilliant opportunity to meet your customers face to face and network with fellow business owners.

Sponsorship
Sponsoring something like a local sports team, art exhibition, fundraising event or village fete can increase awareness and credibility of your business.

Leaflets and flyers
Producing leaflets and flyers can help attract new customers and increase sales. Consider how you are going to distribute them first. You could include them in online orders, hand them out at craft fairs or ask local shops to display them.

4 ways to get more Etsy sales

Recently I reached my goal of getting 200 sales in my Etsy shop {yaaaay}. I still have a long way to go when it comes to increasing sales but here are some of the things I learned along the way to this milestone.

Add new listings regularly
This will increase traffic to your shop and keep buyers interested. You could set yourself a goal to add one listing per week or ten per month. These don't have to be brand new products made from scratch. They might be variations of items you have already made or re-listing products that have expired.

Take better photos
You don't need a fancy camera to take great product shots. Take your photos in bright natural light, such as near a window. Experiment with styling your photos, look at using different backgrounds, textures and props. If you don't know how to use Photoshop to edit your shots, try using A Color Story. I personally use this app when I'm on the go. It's very easy to use on my phone and iPad - perfect for cropping, lightening and enhancing images.

Celebrate your achievements
Did you make your first ten sales or get a five star review?
It's important to celebrate your successes, big and small. Take a step back and reflect on what you have achieved so far. Share the good news with your family, friends and social media pals. This will inspire others and make more people aware of your shop.

Write great product descriptions
Explain why your product is special and why your customers need it. Include key information like, the item size, materials used and where it was made. You can also add links in your product descriptions to other items or your shop sections.

Do you have any other tips? If so, share them in the comments.