If you make and sell craft, design, art or supplies, this page contains everything you need to know to create a successful creative business online. Consider it your gateway to knowledge, with information on all aspects of branding and selling, including product photography, marketing tips for makers, advice on how to package and post handmade work, pricing techniques, copyright information and tips on how to keep customers happy. Scroll down to find the section you are interested in…
Product Shot Tips
Whatever you sell, good photographs can boost your profile, your reach and your sales. Read our product shot tips for designers and makers, with advice from professional photographers and successful artists and makers on how to shoot and style your products.
Marketing for Makers
There’s more to selling craft online than just making beautiful things: you need to get your products out there, in front of customers and make them want to buy. Read our marketing tips for makers to learn how to promote your shop, get featured in the press, on blogs and on Folksy.
Product Listings Tips
How do you write a great product listing that gets seen in search results? Learn how to optimise your listings so they are SEO and Google friendly, how to write a product title that’s full of the right keywords, what you should include in your description and how to use tags.
Social Media Tips
Social media is one of the best tools available for designers and makers to get your work seen and grow a fanbase of customers and ambassadors – but to be effective you need to use it well. Learn what, where and how to post on social media, and how to find your community online.
Pricing Tips
Pricing your products so they sell and you can make a profit is not easy, but if you want to earn a living from your craft, you need to get this part of your business right. Learn how to calculate your profit margins and understand different pricing methods.
Packaging and Posting
Postage and packaging can be expensive and time-consuming when you run your own business. Get your postage price or delivery times wrong and they could also cost you that sale. Learn how to calculate your costs and work out if offering free postage could boost your sales.
Building your brand
Building your brandMost successful businesses have a strong brand. They are good at communicating who they are, what they do and why, through their photography, styling, social media posts, visual branding, packaging and the language they use. Learn how you can build your own brand.
Copyright advice
Copyright is an issue that worries a lot of independent designers and makers. How do you stop someone copying your work and what should you do if they do? What can and what can’t you make in your own work – is it ok to be inspired by pop culture? Find the answers here…
Newsletters and Mailing Lists
Newsletters are an excellent way to share offers, new products and events with your customers, and can be your best sales generator. Learn how to build your mailing list, how to convert your social followers into subscribers and how to create content people actually want to read.
Seasonal Selling Tips
There are times when more people are looking for unique gifts and shopping online. Depending on what you sell, these tend to be Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, Father’s Day, Black Friday and, of course, Christmas. Learn how to make the most of these busy periods.