|
|
|
ART OF STAINED GLASS Ebay/Etsy The auction site Ebay needs little explaining, but not everyone may be familiar with ETSY or Artfire, sites where crafters can sell their handmade creations. You need to research, these websites evolve with time. Before signing up, be sure to search for "stained glass" and take a look at the way the craft is collectively represented. They are not only your competition; they form the general impression of stained glass that the would-be purchaser gets from the site. Do you see a lot of uninspired panels without zinc frames that will fall apart in minutes? Lumpy soldering? Or do you see mostly well-made items that are manufactured in the third world? If you dont FIT IN, the site will be a poor choice of venue for you. If the quality is as good as yours, plunge in! Vanity Website - Commissions A vanity website is a website that is little more than a showcase for your portfolio, in the hope of obtaining commissions. Use it like a fancy, whizz-bang continuation of your business card. Although stained glass, when properly protected, ships like a charm (2" styrofoam board and bubble wrap are your friends), most commissions are done for local customers. Therefore, you should concentrate your efforts on attracting customers close to home. Commissions are generally considered by art glass practioners as profitable; they are, after all, a sale guaranteed before you begin work on the product, which is better than working on merchandise that remains unsold. Your business card should display your website URL very prominently. Leave this business card with (1) cabinet or door/window makers that may have clients interested in custom work, (2) craft fair clients, (3) home renovation entrepreneurs. Use the Google AdWords program. You can geo-target customers with laser accuracy - if you ask, Google will only display your ad on the Search Engine Result Page (SERP) for customers accessing the internet from your target city, and for the keyword combination requested (ex: stained glass cabinets). Put yourself on the map. Google Maps has, in the left hand column (at the time of our visit) a convenient link for putting your business on the map. It's free, and any potention client looking to commission work localy through Google maps WILL find you - even if you do NOT have a brick and mortar business. You must take advantage of this great way to be be found, it will take you mere minutes to set it all up. You can even upload photographs of your work that will be associated with your address. It's fantastic. Do it!  Shopping Cart Website - Finished Items Internet sales of finished craft products is a very challenging proposition - possibly more difficult than craft fairs. They require a solid understanding of how people shop on the internet, how internet traffic flows, and how search engine will rank your website, This format is rarely used for commissions; rather, it is most commonly associated with smaller items that are already made and ready to ship. Expect to pay less than $10/yr for a domain name, and $30-40/yr for webhosting, which is a rather small expense. The much larger expense is to take the time to take photographs with proper lighting and staging to make your glass look classy, rather than unprofessional, and to learn and perform all the webmastering tasks to maintain such a website. How many people are looking to the web in their search for the perfect votive or suncatcher? At this time, these small impulse/gift purchases are probably still largely made in person, by customers just "looking around" for nothing in particular. A better bet might be to open up an account with a glass wholesaler and sell supplies... but this is another page! 
|