SB - Marketing a craft business

LizD_2

I need some help with marketing my vintage and textile craft business.

I started up with a website before Christmas and just need some help getting sales from it. My major problem is that my budget is very small (I'm self-funding from my part-time office job) and anything I do spend needs to be effective. I have a blog which directs to the shop. I'm getting hits, but not a lot of sales - this may be due to the products I currently have on there though. I was running a campaign with AdSense, but didn't get any conversions through it.

As for real world marketing - I've signed up for several craft fairs that are being held over the year. It's not the sort of thing I can really do posters or leafets for, so I need some other ideas if anyone has some. Ideally I need to reach a national/international market (something like Spring Fair or Top Drawer) as the products are quite specific and wouldn't appeal to everyone, but I can only do local fairs at present due to the costs involved. I'm also not that confident my offerings would hold up to that level of scrutiny.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

hi LizD havent seen you for a while on the other forum..

hope you are ok.. and well

Liz its hard at the mo... i havent seen any of your crafts things yet... but if its any help my website has only had a few sales...

have you tried etsy etc?

thebaldwindowfitter

try listing your website here the more links you have the better

http://www.uksmallbusinessdirectory.co.uk/
http://www.searchme4.co.uk/
http://www.bizwiki.co.uk/
http://www.askalix.com/uk/
http://www.streetslocal.co.uk/
http://www.businessgalore.co.uk/
http://www.theigroup.co.uk/
http://www.easyadverts.co.uk/
http://cardiff.adzooks.co.uk/services/other/uk-free-directory-free-business-listings-for-local-communities-wwwukfreedirectorycom-1461562.html
http://www.sheriffratings.com/
http://www.kentfind.co.uk/
http://www.thomsondirectories.com/
http://www.thomsonlocal.com/
http://www.yourparish.co.uk/
http://www.business-directory-uk.co.uk/business-links.php

LizD_2

just bumping for any other ideas

dacouch

What sort of products are they

LizD_2

Hi

I will be selling decorative and practical items handmade from vintage and newer fabrics - bags, novelty items, that sort of thing.

Yoga_Girl

There are few sites springing up where you can sell handmade items ( the items must be made by yourself):

https://www.etsy.com
https://www.folksy.com
https://www.coriandr.com
https://www.misi.com

spilly1

Stands at Spring Fair cost about £1000 each, plus the costs of fitting it out, manning it etc. You may be better off sticking with the smaller fairs to start with, especially if you wouldn't be able to cope with the large orders that can get placed there.
There is a good craft fair at Harrogate in April but I think it's booked up months in advance.
Make sure you have good images of your products too as blurry pictures can put buyers off.