Handicraft Magazine Spring 2014 | Page 18

18 How to ... How to boost your online craft business M ost of craft businesses are run from home. Even if yours isn’t, it is hard to sell your hand-crafted products without some sort of advertising. In the modern age, there is now a much easier way to allow large audiences access to your products: the internet. Adam Niazi, an Accounting and Finance student at the University of Northampton and founder and CEO of StartSmarter, tells us exclusively how to boost your online craft business. Websites Adam has experienced running four different businesses and finds that the most important tool is having effective communication between you and your customers. “Websites allow you to feature your products in an attractive way, but they also grant an effective medium for solving any problems with your customers too.” Adam advises to only advertise one product or craft service on the home page of your website. “When customers visit your website they want a specific craft product or service, but if you confuse them by advertising everything you have to offer just on your homepage - then your customers may try another crafter who has a simpler layout to their website.” Simply put, your website should focus on your potential customers and what they want. Try setting up a free website on wix.com. Credibility As a crafter, your reputation should be very important to you. It will define how many people will choose your service instead of someone else’s. “It’s all about trust. Get a few customers to give you feedback. If it’s negative, then ask what you could improve and work on it. Testimonials are invaluable to people in the craft world, as they define their products as durable, of a certain