CraftMarketingTutor.com

here’s no doubt that if you sell crafts online you can reach a wider audience than was ever possible from traditional craft business. The potential exists for you to take your craft income to a whole new level. There can be just one fly in the otherwise rosy-smelling ointment, and that’s the touchy-feely bit.

What do I mean? Well the trouble with the internet is that although people can see what you’re selling, they can’t touch or feel it. Sometimes it’s not important, but some people will always want to put their hands on things, run their fingers over the contours. I bet you do it yourself sometimes.

The solution is what I call a “guilt buy” and it has it’s origins in craft shows and fairs where, incidentally, it still works very well.

Here’s the scenario. Someone comes by your craft booth. they clearly like your work, but because of it’s quality it’s all quite expensive. Your visitor might talk to you about your work but regrettably they don’t have the money. So they leave feeling slightly guilty, but unable to afford your craft nonetheless.

Enter the “guilt buy”. In effect it’s a much lower cost example of your usual work. It’s a couple of dollars or less and it gives your visitor the opportunity to buy something from you so that they don’t feel guilty. Believe me, this tactic works.

When you sell crafts online, the “guilt buy” is just as effective. Provided you can make it and ship it for relatively little cost, people will buy.

This is such a powerful principle that I want to make sure you’re getting the full impact because it’s not about selling one small item for a coupe of dollars. In fact it doesn’t matter if you don’t make a red cent out of the deal.

What you got was a customer. That’s far more important. First, you got their interest. Then you led them through a purchasing process, in itself a major step. You’ve proven they’ve got money to spend. You’ve delivered a sample of your craft that they can touch, feel and/or smell so they’ve got personal contact with it. Finally (and providing of course that you produce quality work) you’ve removed an objection to them buying a more expensive piece from you.

They might even show it to their friends and recommend you!

There’s only one proviso with the “guilt buy” and your aim to sell crafts online. It’s a warning too. Don’t confuse low cost with cheap. “Cheap” is something we associate with poor quality and that will never do. Your low cost craft item must be high quality. That might take some thinking about but it’s worth spending time on. Done well, it will remove the recipient’s objections and could turn them into a lifetime customer of huge value to you. A cheap item, on the other hand, will reinforce their fears and they will never buy from you again.

f you want to turn your craft hobby into a full-time occupation, or build a secure and very comfortable living from your home-based craft business, this blog is packed with absolutely invaluable free information to help you succeed: Sell Crafts Online.