Many people discover their creativity and talent by chance or by accident while pursuing hobbies and crafts with their children or by renovating their home. The idea of turning talent into a handmade business often comes spontaneously. Online trade is booming like never before due to Corona times. So why not sell your handmade products on online marketplaces? In this article we will analyze marketplaces, present advantages and disadvantages and explain how you can sell your handmade products. Here we go!
Marketplaces for handmade products
The World Wide Web offers numerous marketplaces where you can easily sell your handmade products. Choosing the right online marketplace mostly depends on the niche of your handmade product and the right target group. It is therefore essential to know in advance who your potential customers are. In order to find the most suitable platform for you and your own handmade product, the most important thing is testing them out. Below we present the most successful online marketplaces for the handmade business.
#1 Etsy
Established in 2005, Etsy is an online marketplace dedicated to the buying and selling of handmade products, vintage items, and art supplies. The company has its headquarters in the USA, New York, therefore it mainly attracted only American customers until a few years ago. With the acquisition of the main German competitor DaWanda in 2018, Etsy’s awareness in Germany has continuously increased. Their selection includes art, photography, fashion, jewelry, cosmetic products, toys and much more. Etsy offers a clean structure which is easy to use to both buyers and sellers. Setting up your own handmade shop is therefore quite easy. To sell on Etsy, you must be registered as a member in order to open your own shop on the platform. Signing up is free, but once you list and sell your products, it costs money. Etsy offers you three types of referral fees:
- Listing Fees: $0.20 per item
- Transaction Fees: 5% of the sales price is charged for each sale
- Payment Processing Fees: for payments via Etsy Payments, an additional 4% plus EUR 0.30 will be charged
#2 Amazon Handmade
Amazon offers an online marketplace for handmade products. Sellers wishing to sell products through Amazon Handmade need to apply for Handmade Commerce on the Amazon Services page. First of all, Amazon reviews the advertised product. If the outcome is positive, you will receive an invitation to participate in the online marketplace. For retailers, the advantage of Amazon-Handmade is that they can fully concentrate on the production of goods, since the delivery order can be handed over to Amazon. Artists can create their profile via a personalized homepage in order to build up a personal relationship with customers. Compared to the Etsy platform, as a retailer you don’t pay a basic fee, just a sales fee.
A referral fee of 12% (minimum €0.30) applies to sales on Amazon Handmade. Since the beginning of 2020, Amazon has also been charging a monthly subscription fee of €39.
#3 eBay
You can create a seller account on Ebay and set up your own Ebay shop with your handmade products. Ebay offers many interfaces and tools to adapt everything to your personal needs. For example, you can ship worldwide, and you can select that only people from your area can personally pick up the products in your shop and much more.
#4 Pinterest
Pinterest gives you a variety of ways to promote and sell your handmade products. The reason why the platform is so interesting for handmade sellers is that Pinterest users are specifically looking for ideas and inspiration and therefore show a high willingness to buy once they find a product they really like.
If you run your own online shop, you can create product pins via Pinterest, which automatically share current prices, availability and correct links to the products.
Benefits of Selling Handmade Products
The demand for handmade products is increasing because they are high quality and, above all, they are unique goods. Homemade goods are now a luxury item, so buyers are willing to pay more for luxury and high quality. The effort and the uniqueness behind each product is appreciated by the customer.
In times of sustainability and individuality, the term handmade is no longer a rarity. The growth of handmade sellers encourages customers to shop more consciously. Instead of buying many cheap items, they prefer to buy a few, but higher-quality products, which are more expensive, but more durable and, above all, more sustainable and environmentally friendly. So what does this mean for your sales opportunities?
Marketing for handmade products
Increasing product awareness and winning new customers can be a major challenge, especially for handmade products because of the scarcity of marketing and advertising budgets. You can reach most people today via various social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or YouTube. Therefore, your social media presence plays a very important role in marketing your DIY products. You can invite your family, friends and acquaintances to like, share or comment on your content and product posts, increasing the reach of your brand.
Influential people, or as they are called in social media marketing influencers, are a secret weapon in order to win new potential customers worldwide. Influencers have an enormous reach on social media platforms, which are mainly used for recommendations or paid product placements. You can send your self-made products to influencers whose reach matches the profile of your potential customers, so that they can present your product to their community, provided they are convinced by it.
Our conclusion on the sale of handmade products
If you have a talent for craftsmanship, you need to think about which niche you are in and where you can find the right target group for your products. The World Wide Web offers you numerous online marketplaces or platforms where you can sell your handmade products to the right target group and use appropriate marketing strategies.
Do you want to start your handmade business online and need help? As a 360° online marketing agency, we offer full service support. Contact us now!
