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Making It Work
Easy Ways to Get Your Work Online
by Shannon Riffe

The Internet is one of the most valuable tools in a small business owner’s toolkit. It allows you to learn more about your craft, promote yourself, and network with others in your field, not to mention set up shop to sell to customers all over the world. Crafters who are not using the Internet to their advantage to promote their business are missing out, so listen up. The biggest misconception about setting up an online presence is that it will be expensive, time consuming and difficult. While this may have been true at one time, it is no longer the case. Thanks to a number of user-based sites that allow you to upload and customize your own online content, crafters can utilize the Internet to varying degrees depending on their comfort level.

Keep in mind that having a web presence encompasses more than simply creating a traditional website. If your goal is to make it easier for consumers to find you and to showcase your work for wholesale clients, you have a number of easy-to-use sites at your disposal. Getting placement in stores and participating in craft shows are important ways to generate income and build your business. But what happens when a customer leaves the store and wants to learn more about your work, or doesn’t live in a town where your work is carried? Most shoppers will expect you to have some sort of website. Any of the options below would be a great way to get the word out.

Blogs
Consumers who buy handmade products often do so because they are interested in who their retail dollars support and where their product comes from. A blog is a great way to give consumers a peek into your creative process, your inspirations, and updates on new products or craft fairs. Consider the blog a way to share your personality with consumers and strengthen your brand.

Typepad and Blogger are two of the most popular blog publishers. As a general rule, Typepad comes with a wider array of templates and is best for users with little to no HTML experience. Blogger has fewer templates but is free of charge and allows for greater flexibility if you’d like to design your own site. While it is not necessary to learn HTML to set up any of these options, a basic knowledge of HTML (which you can learn online at W3 Schools) will allow you more options to customize your blog site.

Encourage readers to check your blog regularly by posting frequently – at least a couple of times a week -- and offering tutorials or opinions about personal craft projects. The best way to learn about how to build a desirable blog is to read others. Don’t be scared to share elements of your personality, that’s what readers tune in for. After a few months, when you’ve got a variety of posts to your name, send your info to bloggers on other sites to exchange links or to draw attention to a particular blog post. It’s not uncommon for a mention on a popular blog to lead to coverage in a magazine. The sheer number and variety of topics covered in the blog world is incredible. As you encounter other bloggers covering similar topics, you’ll find them to be a great source of information and, sometimes, long-distance friendships.

Flickr
The website Flickr is meant for sharing photos and has a search feature that allows you to find others’ photos of similar subjects. Craft rooms, product packaging, and “works in progress” all have their own Flickr groups devoted solely to images of these subjects. Because Flickr is a photo site, text is minimal and the pictures do the talking. If you are a skilled photographer, or if you wish to improve your photography skills, make Flickr a regular online destination. In your Flickr profile, you can include information about your business so that viewers who like your style know where to see more of your work. There is a paid and an unpaid level of membership on Flickr, but you don’t have to be a member to view photos, making it a great resource even if you choose not to join.

Etsy
Etsy has been mentioned often in this column because it is such an amazing resource for crafters. This craft-only website charges its users minimal fees to set up online shops. The appeal of Etsy is that the site takes care of all the shopping cart features, features that would cost hundreds of dollars for you to install on a personal website. Etsy has a built-in audience but also allows you to do your own external marketing (via your blog or Flickr, for example) to direct customers to your Etsy shop with personalized domain name. All you have to do is upload pictures and descriptions and your Etsy site is consumer-ready.

Personal Website
If you are considering setting up a personal webpage and want to work with a web designer, take a look at other sites that you like and contact the designer. Another option is to save money and create a simple website on your own through the use of a program like Adobe® Dreamweaver or an online service. Perform an internet search for the term “website builder” to find sites that offer templates and hosting for personal web pages. I’ve had good luck with Moonfruit. Create a simple home page to act as home base and include links to all of your other sites such as your Etsy page and blog. Because you’ll have lots of pics and information on these other sites, it takes the pressure off of you to try to include them on your own site.

With creativity and the desire to take advantage of all of the resources that the Internet offers, even the most web-phobic crafter with the smallest budget can have a little piece of her work represented online.

Shannon Riffe is a freelance writer in Boston. She writes about craft
business on her blog, Make It.

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