| Getting started in the on line crafts sales world is both | | | | When trying to find these kinds of sites, it's smart to |
| exhilarating and terrifying, after all, the vast size of the | | | | spend some time on forums of major crafts sites. For |
| Internet can also make you feel very small. Here are a | | | | example, the popular craft site Etsy has a forum that's |
| few quick ways you can ensure that you're going to | | | | well worth looking into. From these forums, you can |
| the right places to find the kind of people ready to | | | | hear from both people who are buying your types of |
| purchase your crafts. | | | | products, but also people who make them. This |
| First, figure out your target audience. The more | | | | information can be invaluable in finding new friends, |
| specific you can be, the better. It's not going to be as | | | | customers, and fashion sites to pursue. |
| easy to effectively target 'women ages 26-45' as it | | | | Finally, social networking can be a great help in getting |
| will be to target 'Fun-loving, well-paid, educated women | | | | new people to your site. MySpace, Facebook, and |
| in their 20's with a sense of adventure who love | | | | other social sites can connect you with friends and |
| vintage style clothing.' By getting to know your | | | | friends of friends, all of whom make great early |
| customers you can find a wealth of information, from | | | | customers while you're still finding your feet. A warning |
| what stores they shop at, to which magazines they | | | | though-many MySpace shops make a point of |
| read, to where they go online-all of which can help you | | | | befriending only other shops. While this can help you |
| target those sites with advertising and give you ideas | | | | keep an eye on what the competition is up to, it |
| for future products and services. | | | | doesn't necessarily amount to sales, as other shops |
| Speaking of advertising, the best advertising is always | | | | are trying to do the same thing you, selling rather than |
| free advertising. While well placed ads on websites | | | | buying. |
| geared towards your target audience are often | | | | Though it can seem daunting at first by knowing who |
| effective, even more so is a mention on a prominent | | | | you're selling to as specifically as possible, pursuing |
| fashion site, or mentions in several smaller fashion | | | | free advertising in the form of mentions and revues in |
| blogs geared towards different tastes. Through your | | | | addition to paid advertising, watching the forums of |
| initial research, find sites which you feel best suit your | | | | major crafts sites, and keeping your MySpace and |
| market, and send press releases and product | | | | Facebook contacts aware of what your shop is doing, |
| information-you may get an article or a mention out of | | | | you should be able to get the word out about your site |
| it, which is fantastic advertising for the price of an | | | | with very little cost to yourself. Which is more money |
| email. | | | | you can spend on your business and yourself! |