If you have a creative edge in crafts, now’s the time to offer your talents to the world online. There is a certain level of expectation of those considered artists. If you are known for a certain type of craft, people are going to expect your website to reflect your art and creativity. You don’t want to disappoint your loyal customers or miss out on gaining new ones.
Many crafters sell their work on websites like Etsy, where you can set up your own shop online. While this a great economical way to get started with e-commerce, creating your own website has become a whole lot easier than before. You don’t have to be a web design expert or spend big bucks, you just need a little creativity, which should come natural to an artist.
There are many website platforms, like Wordpress, where you can choose awesome premade website template designs or create your own custom design via their step by step instructions. All you have to do is plug in your details (i.e. blog, item images, price list, sales, disclaimers). Don’t just set it up and forget it, though. It’s important to update your site often, likely through the form of blog posts. Your website content is the key to increasing your website traffic.
In order to increase your website stats and search engine rank, you will need to implement methods that keep customers coming back:
- Embed videos on your website that appeal to your target audience
- Pick some of your simplest projects and post how-to-tutorials. Do-It-Yourself is a popular trend
- Write a blog and post regularly
- Don’t just write about your crafts. Keep your audience updated with news in the industry, special offers or anything else that they would be interested in
- Select a cohesive theme. You may already have a theme for the crafts you create, try to stick to it. You want your website to be an extension of you and your art. If customers feel like they know you, they are more likely to make a purchase based on trust
- Make sure it is a user-friendly website. Nobody likes to have to dig deep into a website for information, search through multiple tabs that have no real direction, or deal with colors that distract you from being able to read the text. Keep it simple so that even the less tech savvy individuals can surf through your site
- Engage your customers with promotional contests where they have an opportunity to win an item from your inventory, a huge advantage discount or a unique gift (i.e. custom embroidery). Contests usually draw in newcomers simply by word of mouth.
If you already have a website up and running that was making sales and getting good traffic, but noticed a recent drop, there’s a chance you’ve been the victim of a Google update. Google updates, such as the Panda update has affected many small businesses negatively. The new update is said to have an overly sensitive algorithm that detects spamming. You may need to reach out to a penalty removal specialist company that provides you with specialists that will assist you with increasing its ranking again. Remember you can’t sell your crafts, if you can’t sell yourself.
