ArtFire.com is a fairly new player in the online marketplace arena for artists and crafters. Started last year, ArtFire.com is a Tucson, AZ based company with about 15 employees. President and founder, John Jacobs' mission is simple: provide a low cost community for artists to interact and market their product to online shoppers. In pursuit of this mission, ArtFire.com has two extremely reasonable priced shop options for members. One is free – yup, free. The other costs a flat $12/month with no listing fees or commissions on sales
I’ve decided to open my own ArtFire.com studio. As I do so, I’m going to provide a tutorial for you to follow as you open your own ArtFire.com studio. The first studio I open is going to be the Basic free one. These are limited to 12 active product listing at one time – not a problem for my new craft venture.
I clicked around the ArtFire.com site looking at both Basic and Verified studios (the $12 version) and was hard pressed to find many Basic studios. This is probably due to the fact that the Verified version is so cheap. I mean, my goodness, I can spend $12 in one trip to Starbucks buying a cup of coffee and something to eat when I’m on the road.
Specifically, I was looking for any Basic studio monetized third party ads, which the Verified versions does not have, to see how obtrusive they are. I didn’t see any.
Picking an ArtFire.com Studio Name
I’m starting a new craft business from scratch so my dilemma is to pick a name that is representative of the new direction I’m taking my craft business while still being easy to remember and somewhat lyrical. Actually, the hardest part for me with this venture was to decide what to do. I wanted to build upon my existing craft knowledge but do something different craft-wise.
It took a few weeks for me to decide on an idea and a name. Likewise, don’t just jump into opening a studio. Even though there is a free version, it takes time to open and properly maintain a studio. Don’t waste time – make sure you are completely happy with your studio name and concept before you start.
Changing Your ArtFire.com Studio Name
Ok, you’ve picked a studio name and decided that it was quite the mistake and you want to use another name – will ArtFire.com let you change your name? The answer is yes. However, you’ll in essence be starting over as all your old studio info will not transfer. Also, you’ll have to operate using a different e-mail address than the one you originally used – really not all that much of a big deal.
If you want to open multiple studios, ArtFire.com does have a protocol for this – you’ll need to disclose that you have more than one studio.
Creating Your ArtFire.com Account
On ArtFire.com’s Sell page, at the bottom of the page click Get Started Now. Fill in the User Name field. There can not be any spaces in you user name. You can use hyphens. If you opt to not use hyphens, I recommend you capitalize words in your name. For instance, SueJonesDesigns. If your user name is available you’ll get this pop-up message in green – User Name is Available! If your user name is not available – it's back to the drawing board to select another name.Fill in the rest of the fields, select Seller and Buyer. This selection will prompt you to fill in more identifying fields (name, address and phone number). You must fill in all these fields or you’ll get a message stating ‘You must enter your address/phone # to be verified and/or a seller!’ when you attempt to start your studio.
Selecting Artfire.com Payment Methods
You’ll also be asked to select which payment methods you accept. There are five choices:
- PayPal
- Google Checkout: A shopping cart powered – obviously by Google. Find out more about the way it works and the fees by reviewing the Google Checkout information page
- Revolution Money Exchange: An online service similar to PayPal. I’ve never used them but their website states it is it's free to register and send and receive money between MoneyExchange accountholders. Additionally, it's advertised that the point of sale usage fee is also free. Just be advised that you will be asked for your social security number if you open an account.
It’s been so long since I opened my PayPal account – I think that dates back to 1999 or 2000 – I can’t remember if PayPal requested it also. Things have changed after the World Trade Center tragedy. If PayPal wasn’t asking for it then, they probably have to now under the Patriot Act.
- Check or Money Order: Just as an aside, I would never accept a check or money order from an online purchaser.
- Other: Most likely this is your own merchant account.
Depending on which check box you select, you will be asked for more info. For example, I checked PayPal and was asked for my PayPal e-mail address. Which is indeed an integral part of getting your payments processed with PayPal.
Finishing ArtFire.com Account Setup
Select Basic User – (free). Read the terms of use and click I agree with the terms of use (if you do indeed agree). Then click SIGN UP NOW. You'll receive this message:
'You are now registered at ArtFire.com, congratulations! You’re almost there, just check your e-mail to activate your account. If the e-mail fails to materialize, check your junk mail folder or spam filter settings. Sometimes it’s hiding in there.'
I received my activation e-mail immediately. I clicked on the activation link and was taken to my shop to sign-in.
Your next step is to manage your ArtFire shop by setting up your studio concept and adding items to sell.
