Marketing your Craft-Related Web Site
Dateline: 02/19/98
books and packets with instructions on how to paint in the Tole and decorative style.
Pat wrote: "My site is fairly new and this is a new adventure for me. I don't know what to expect but frankly, I am pretty disappointed."
Pat's statement is a very common one from craftspeople who are "just starting out" on the Web. Therefore, I thought that this information might be of use to you too. This will be a two or three part series, please send in your Pat's Web site. I get asked this question quite often and feel that it might be of use to everyone to outline both what to expect, and offer some methods for improving sales at your sites.
"The Internet", "The Web", "The Net", "The Information Highway", "The World Wide Web",I prefer W.W.W. (Willie Wonka's Wonderland). 
Whatever you call "it", everyone seems to be talking about it.
As entrepreneurs, it is only natural that craftspeople are among the first to try this new avenue in marketing. And here we are! I haven't talked to many folks who don't at least have plans to put up a Web site. Many already have one. A survey taken by Chris Maher, in April of 1997 further substantiates this fact.
The only problem is this: while everyone is talking about making money on the internet, I rarely meet someone in the craft field who is satisfied with their personal results. This I think, is due to all the hype that is out there. From what other people say, you might get the impression that there is a gold mine on the internet and if you simply put up a new Web site, you will see quick and substantial profits. When I meet a craftsperson who is thinking of starting a Web site, I suggest to go into it with this mind set: You will not make money on the internet for a long time. With this in mind, you can see clearly through all the excited talk about "instant riches". Treat a Web site as you would any other form of advertising: Hope for the best in sells, but don't expect much at first.
Do you need a Web site??? Yes! The "Web" is growing at a rapid pace each day and there are thousands of your potential customers already "surfing". We just need to know how to get them to come to your site. That's the objective: To get as many of the right people through your Web site each day. It sometimes takes literally thousands of "hits" (visitors, page views, etc...) to make a few sales! But don't let this discourage you. Internet marketing is on a different scale than traditional means of advertising. Many advertisers consider sites with under 500,000 hits per month too small to deal with. Here is a great resource for learning all about how banner advertising works. (I have included it only to point out the massive numbers involved with average Web sites that have strong marketing approaches.) While in a retail craft shop, 500,000 visitors per month would most likely result in great sales, this is not necessarily the case on the internet. The reason is that lots of folks are just "browsing the Web" and many still do not make online purchases. Over time, more and more will, that's why it is important to be right on the forefront of this new form of advertising.
I mentioned that there is no one who has been marketing on the internet for 25 years; this doesn't, however mean that there isn't anyone to go to for advice. Quite the contrary! There is a wealth of information to help you understand and meet the objectives of Web marketing. And, as always, it is my job as your friendly "Web geek" to point them out! Here goes...
Selling Your Art Online
This week, I am going to focus on my personal favorite: Chris Maher is a fellow craftsperson who has a free weekly online newsletter dedicated to marketing arts and crafts on the net. Appropriately titled: Selling Your Art Online, Chris's site features archives of his newsletter that no craft-related Web administrator should be without.
Chris covers the basic issues, such as: "Registering Your Own Domain on the World Wide Web" and "Should you have your work in an online mall?". Other topics, like The Art of E-mail Conversation and Make it Easy to Order From Your Web Site are a must to learn in making your craft-related Web site a success.
These are only a few examples of the things to be learned from Chris's site. I urge you to visit Selling Your Art Online, put a pot of coffee on, and read each of these archived newsletters. You'll be glad you did. Don't forget to subscribe to Chris's weekly newsletter to keep abreast of arts and crafts Web marketing. As I stated above, things are always changing, and there is always something new to learn in online craft marketing. You will not find a better resource than Selling Your Art Online for this purpose.
I asked Chris to give a few words of wisdom to sum it up for you. Even in the midst of selling his art offline (attending a show) , he was kind enough to help.
"To sell your craft work online, remember the fundamentals. First, be easy to reach. Each page in the site should have a means of contact on it. Second, ask yourself if every element on your site actually helps you accomplish your goal. Drop the flashy stuff in favor of the functional. Keep your pages small, under 40k, if at all possible. Third, remember your existing customer base. They are your real gold mine online. If you are currently a working professional, expect 40% to 60% of your online sales will be from folks who are already aware of you work, and may own some already. Finally, remember, a good site is just a beginning, its the promotion of your site that will bring you sales." -Chris Maher
Again, I want to stress the fact that Chris has an excellent resource for learning what it takes to market your craft-related business on the internet. Use his site and newsletter as both a starting point and reference tool for learning better techniques in Web marketing.
Next week, I will be offering more Web resources to help you with the process of creating and marketing your craft-related Web site. Again, please send in any comments and questions you may have so that I may cater this series to your needs.
Best Wishes,
William
