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Selling handmade jewelry isn’t as easy as just throwing some beads on a string and throwing a product listing up online. Anyone who has a handmade business knows that there’s a lot of work that goes into it. And each type of handmade item comes with its own set of challenges and guidelines.
When it comes to selling handmade jewelry, especially on ecommerce platforms like Etsy, there are a few general tips you can use to make sure that your shop is a success. Here’s a beginner’s guide to selling handmade jewelry on Etsy.
Guide to Selling Jewelry on Etsy
Master Your Craft
Before you ever get around to selling handmade jewelry, you need to truly master the art of actually making jewelry. Even if you’re great at building and marketing a shop, you aren’t likely to have sustained success if your products are only so-so. Get an idea for the best materials to use and the best methods to make jewelry items that are unique and fit with your brand’s style. Jewelry is a pretty large category when it comes to handmade items. You can make beaded necklaces, clay pendants, glass-blown beads, wire earrings or any number of other pieces. Of course, you can offer several different items for sale in your handmade jewelry shop, but it can be beneficial to develop a specific style so that customers know your pieces when they see them. So play around with some different methods and find a style that you enjoy making and will allow you to craft high quality pieces.
Take Great Pictures
Once you make your items, you’ll need to photograph them so that your customers can see what your pieces look like before they buy. When it comes to jewelry, there are plenty of different creative ways to showcase your pieces. However, it’s usually a good idea to get at least one or two photos of each item on a simple background so that customers can see your items clearly. You might also consider taking photos of your jewelry on a model so that people can see what they might look like when they’re actually being worn. Or at least get them next to an item that people can use as a size reference. For example, you can put a pair of earrings next to a quarter to show the comparison, since everyone knows how large a quarter is.
Come Up with a Reasonable Price
Pricing your items is another important part of the process of selling handmade jewelry. To come up with a reasonable price for each item, you need to account for the cost of the supplies that you used, the work you put in and any profit you’d like to make. When selling on Etsy, it’s also important that you account for Etsy fees, shipping costs and various other expenses you might incur while running your business. You can also browse through other similar items on Etsy to get an idea for the market for your type of jewelry, though you shouldn’t only price your items based on what other shops are charging.
Describe Your Products
When creating the actual listings for your handmade jewelry, there are several different things that need to be included. For example, you should list the materials and supplies that you used to create each piece, along with the size and exact measurements. Since customers can’t touch and try on your items if they’re shopping on Etsy, you need to give them as much information as possible to make sure that they’re comfortable with their purchases. Aside from sizing and materials, you can also include your shop policies in the listing and any care instructions customers might need in order to keep their jewelry purchases undamaged.
Protect Your Work
Jewelry can sometimes be delicate or even fragile. So after you’ve completed your pieces, you need to come up with a way to protect them throughout the process of selling them. You should have a safe place to store your finished pieces in your home or workspace. And then you need to also come up with a shipping system that will keep your items protected while they’re on their way to your customers. Bubble wrap, small boxes and other protective items can be helpful in ensuring safe shipping. However, you should also have policies in place for those rare occasions when something does get damaged or lost. Decide whether you’ll accept refunds or exchanges, and if customers will need to meet certain guidelines in order to get their items replaced.
Market to Your Target Customers
Once you have your jewelry made, listed and ready for shipping, it’s time for you to reach out to your target customers. Your exact marketing strategy can vary depending on the style of your pieces and your target audience. But social media can be a great way to reach out to handmade jewelry buyers, especially visually oriented platforms like Facebook and Instagram. In addition, Etsy offers some options to boost the visibility of your listings for a small fee. And you can even work on improving the SEO of your shop and listings so that your items are more likely to show up in Etsy and Google searches.
Handmade Jewelry Photo via Shutterstock
Jayan
Very useful info for craftsmen who wish to sell on Etsy.
Aira Bongco
I think that the key to selling jewelry is in the design. It must be unique and must appeal to a particular target market.
Annie,
I will forward this post to a friend who has started with jewelry on Etsy.