35 tips to set up an online custom made business
Kelly Sikkema from Unsplash
PROFILE & STORY TIPS
🤹 How is your customer?
So you have a product that you love to make and you have skills that people are asking for. You have been making them for friends and family or maybe you have an existing business that used to be in a physical store location And now needing to move online. No matter the keys, online customers are an important type of customer for any business.
If you are just starting out and wonder who should I sell two, we would recommend doing a bit of research may be going to Etsy Oracle Facebook group do you identify who is interested in the type of product similar to yours. Where do they connect and what are they interested in?
If you are a seasoned maker who is just now learning to sell online, we would recommend reaching out to your previous customer, to talk to them and understand if they would be open to transact online.
In both cases, it is a good idea to start from a small group audience and to be specific because it's actually really hard to create a business that sells to anybody.
👀 Pick a name for yourself
What do you want to be known to us? The name should reflect the great things about you and the products that you sell. It should be short, easy to understand, and reflects your service/personality.
Look back into your childhood and your favorite things and picked up a couple of different words that you like. Then use one of the name generator tools that would help you look at the combination of these words to create a unique name for yourself.
Whatever you do, make sure that your name is available as a domain name more on that next.
🌐 Reserve your domain name
A domain name is a web address that your customers will be able to type in on the Internet to find you. The most common domain name is .com, followed by.io but there is also some unique extension such as .shop or .design.
When you brainstorm your names, make sure that you go to a tour like Namecheap or Godaddy to search for your domain name and register it right away.
There is often a great discount for the first name register. Be sure to look for those!
🎥 Create a video introducing yourself
Customers want to know who you are and they want to relate to your story. Creating a video introducing yourself and what you were passionate about will help you build trust with your customers and help you tell your story.
Keep your story under 1 min and Share a little bit about your journey as a maker, the services, the style, the passion, and why do you decide to start a business. Tell them why this matters to you and they will come.
You can upload this video onto your website, social channels, or youtube to start connecting with your customers.
✂️ Create a video of your process
As makers, we make things by hand and have a process that allows us to create beautiful products. As such people are very curious and interested in knowing what goes behind the scene, how much work it takes to create every small little detail.
Create videos of your process from start to finish and give them a glimpse into your inspirations, thought process, and what matters to you.
If you're into upcycling, sustainability, vintage - let it be known!
📺 Start a blog or youtube channel and document the process
This is probably a step for a more experience maker but once you have a collection of projects and content under your belt, consider creating blog posts on your site or leveraging other blocking platforms such as medium and YouTube to engage with other audiences and extend the reach of your story even further! further exposure.
SHOP SETUP TOOLS
🖥️ Create a simple website
The website is very important to represent who you are as a maker and the services that you provide. It helps potential customers to find you without you even looking.
They are a lot of simple website solution that doesn't require any technical knowledge and also provide some value in helping you list and sell products as well as keep track of inventory and your customers.
Once you have your domain name, head over to Shopify, Squarespace, or Wix. Set up a simple page using available templates and tie your domain name with the service. You can always call these service providers for help. Make sure to include an email capture field that would allow you to capture email addresses from interested customers.
📸 Take good photos of your products
Have you ever heard of the expression a picture is worth a thousand words?
When taking a picture of your product, paying attention to the surrounding. Try to place the product in an area clear of clutter and place it in contacts so that the customer can imagine the product in their home.
It is also very important to consider lighting. We recommend using neutral lighting either early in the morning or early in the afternoon. Avoid harsh lighting from the sun or gloomy days.
For photo editing to make sure that the photo half good color or high contrast, consider using phone app to easily edit your photos.
🤑 Pricing your products and services
It's really important to price your work so you feel good about the compensation that you were getting and your customer feel good about the value that they are paying for.
Pricing is always subjective based on you're on determine value of the service. However, we suggest that you start from calculating the materials and the time it will take you to create the item. Then, we recommend doing a bit of research across some of the other selling platforms such as Etsy, Task Rabbit + To get a sense of how much other makers are charging for items similar to yours.
In the end, it is a delicate balance of pricing the product or service in a way that would attract new customers but still uphold the perceived value and quality of your services.
📝 Listing your items
When listing items on your website or any selling platforms, be sure to stay organized. We recommend using a spreadsheet or a document to keep track of all of your inventory and your products / services.
When you are ready to list them, create a title that is descriptive of the service or product that you were offering because it will really help the customer to understand at first glance do unique value of the item but also help to find you / search for the find from Google.
In the same vein, include attributes and detailed description of the product or service so that your website and your product rank even higher on Google search and any selling platforms
📦 Packaging & shipping
Packaging is crucial in protecting and delivering your creation. When deciding on packaging material, consider your brand values and what matters to you. Do you care about efficiency and cost? Are you more of a sustainable and upcyling business? The choice of packaging says something about your brand.
If you are in the US, US PS supplies a lot of the packaging material with their flat rate options. However, these pricing are a little bit higher than the average shipping cost and would only be worth it if you are sending heavy items or high value items with insurance.
On this note, always ensure your items at the same level or higher of your products value. Communicate the delivery time estimate with the customer and always, ALWAYS provide tracking number.
🟠 Create an Instagram account
Take your business and domain name which hopefully is the same one and try to clean this name across all social media platforms.
Instagram is great for sharing your latest creation, connect with other makers and potential customers, and half direct sales conversation with your customers. The platform is visually appealing and it is image-based With a lot of active users who are looking for handmade and craft products.
Create a Pinterest account
Take your business and domain name which hopefully is the same one and try to clean this name across all social media platforms.
Pinterest has a subtle way to help customers discover new inspiration while quickly link to the makers selling channels. Make sure that you upload your best product pictures on Pinterest and don't forget to include a link to your website.
🔵 Create a Facebook account
Take your business and domain name which hopefully is the same one and try to clean this name across all social media platforms.
Facebook is famous for having communities and hobby groups Such as sewing groups, knitting groups, crafts and handmade groups. Joining this group's will help you build a relationship with a lot of like-minded makers but also potential customers.
🔴 Create a Yelp account
In this day and age, Yelp it's still see us a directory for local businesses. Customers go to Yelp to look at reviews and to find services that are close to them. As such, make sure that you have a profile on yelp which less your website address, your services, and a way to contact you directly whether by email or through messaging.
If any of your circle of friends or pass customers are on yup, don't be shy to ask them for a review.
🟠 Create an Etsy account
Etsy is a great market place to connect with new customers in the craft and vintage space. If you are ready to test out your products or services and you are just starting out, Etsy might be a great place to find the first few customers.
MARKETING TIPS
💰 Give a referral incentive
Sometimes an incentive can go far. Ask friends if they know anyone who would be interested in your craft services and offer a 10% project fee as a thank you.
If they are not comfortable with taking money from you (oh what true friends!), then offer to give their contact (and your future customer!) the discount instead.
It's a win-win situation.
📘 Create an email-able look book
Interested customers may be curious about your services and examples of your work. Keep a handy PDF version of your lookbook of past projects that you can quickly email a potential customer.
💌 Collect and publish client reviews
Review is an important factor in customers choosing one provider over another. Your work is more valuable than you know.
Make sure to collect reviews from every client, even going back to ask if they would be open to sharing their thoughts. You can always choose to share the good ones.
Once you got a review, maybe share them on social to thank the clients for their trust. It's a sure way to build long-term past and future relationships.
❓ Answer forum question
People have questions and you have the answers! You might think you don't but with your expertise, interest, and or years of experience in the craft, you do know a lot more than the commoner. Some of the platforms such as Quora or Reddit are a great place to answer people’s questions and feel your credibility as well as finding new customers that might be interested in your services.
👗 Upload your work on Pinterest and link to your site
A lot of people come to Pinterest for inspiration. A lot of makers come to Pinterest to share their work and also use Pinterest as a way to create a mood board for their upcoming creations.
Be sure to keep up to date with your latest work on Pinterest and more importantly link each image back into your site or your social channels to make sure that customers can find you while browsing.
🎗️ Give away a few hours of your service a good and publicized cause
Publicity is good but is even greater when it is for a good community cause. Find community activities and causes near you that would help you to connect with potential customers while advertising your newly formed online business.
☕ Leave a flyer or business card at coffee shops
Coffee shops and community centers are great gathering places for locals who might be looking for services. Create a simple flyer that has a nice picture of your service and a link to your website. Post them on bulletin boards all over town!
🏭 Partner with local businesses which offer customizations
Local businesses or local branch of national chain or increasingly interested in offering custom made in personalization services. Contact your local wedding dress shops, clothing shops, gift shops, and offer to add to their package. It's a win-win situation.
TECHNOLOGY TOOLS
📅 Calendly: Allow people to schedule a free consultation
Often, potential customers want to talk with the maker before placing an order. It allows them to learn more about your style, your way of working and to establish a connection between both of you. Calendly is an online scheduling tool That allows customers to book available time on your calendar remotely. Having a calendar scheduling tool would save you a lot of time and back-and-forth on schedule. It is free for a personal account and it is very easy to set up.
🛒 Shopify / Squarespace / Wix Building quick website
Once you have your domain name, head over to Shopify, Squarespace, or Wix. Set up a simple page using available templates and tie your domain name with the service. You can always call these service providers for help. Make sure to include an email capture field that would allow you to capture email addresses from interested customers.
👋 Nameelix: Business name generator
Namelix In other name generators such as this allows you to randomly create an interesting combination of the words that you are thinking of for your business name.
📐 TAILOAR: Measure Customers Remotely
Now you don't have to leave your home or do awkward Zoom calls to get accurate measurements from your customers. TAILOAR is creating a fun and easy experience with the help of Augmented Reality. You can see more here.
✉️ Mailchimp: Connect 1:1 through a newsletter
Mailchimp helps you to keep track of your email subscribers (remember we have that email subscribe section on the website?) It allows you to keep track of who's in / who's out and also is a great tool for easy start newsletter templates.
💼 Swatchbook: Manage your materials
Swatchbook is a useful tool for materials organization and creation. It's more on the higher volume and higher-end (cost) but a useful tool.
🗒️ Nabld: Inventory and order management
Nabld is a helpful production and inventory tool for when you have many orders and need some organizing.
✍️ Medium: Blog and readers
Go where the customers are! As a new brand and business (or one that's been around a long time but is just now going online!), you want to engage and share content with your audience. Medium is a great blogging platform with an enthusiastic crowd of readers. Write to your heart's content.
🔗 Namecheap / GoDaddy Domain and website hosting
A domain name is a web address that your customers will be able to type in on the Internet to find you. The most common domain name is .com, followed by.io but there is also some unique extension such as .shop or .design.
When you brainstorm your names, make sure that you go on a tour like Namecheap or Godaddy to search for your domain name and register it right away.
There is often a great discount for the first name register. Be sure to look for those!
👩💼 Fiverr: For anything you don’t to / don’t know how to do!
There may be a lot of these tips that you don't know how to do or feel overwhelmed. That's ok! Fiverr is a freelancing platform that has decent resources (and often affordable!) to help you with site setup, marketing, content, photo editing, and more. Just make sure you have clear expectations with the freelancer, and that they have done good work in the past!
TAILORU Technology is part of the TAILORU Group, along with TAILORU Education, and TAILORU Collective. Our mission is to advance humanity through design, technology, and education.