Applying for Craft Fairs

The Application

Read the application guidelines

Read them carefully.  Make sure you note the exact requirements given in the guideline notes.  Most craft, design and trade events have very similar requirements - name, contact, background, CV, artist statement and images.

But to complete the information appropriately you need to do exactly as they request.  Complete all the questions. Send only the requested number of images.  Make sure you have sent them in the exact format they ask for.

You need to read between the lines of the application guidelines to understand best what the event is looking for.  They may be looking for production work, designer or lifestyle items, etc.  Reading between the lines will give you an indication of how to steer your application to attract the selectors attention.   This will help you present the written parts of your application in the light of the organiser’s objectives.  This will apply particularly to the CV.  It is here that your story of what, how and why you make glass will distinguish you from other applicants. Importantly, it will also apply to the selection of your images.  If your images fit the objectives of the event, you are more likely to be selected.

Show your best pictures

The most important part of your application is the images you send.  This, more than anything else, will count in your favour during the selection.  Of course, the written material still counts, but the first element is the images.

They need to be of professional standard, ideally taken by a professional photographer. When you are selected, these images will be used in promotional materials, for the press and for the exhibition catalogue. So, great photographs are more likely to get your work into the press for the event.  Conversely, if the images are not of press quality, they are unlikely to be selected.

The images should represent in detail the things you will be showing at the event.  They need to show an overview, with some variety, of what you do.  They should show your skills and quality of production.  Some idea of scale is essential.  This is where props can help.  You can use lifestyle settings which allows more items to be shown, but make sure your work is the focus of the photograph. 

Often it is best to photograph each work as a single item on a white background.  Well-lit studio photographs work well, but daylight settings on an overcast day can provide really good images with indirect light, as any harsh shadows are eliminated. 

The images need to be labelled – often in the file name – with your business name, title and short description. 

When preparing your application and images, make sure you update the website, because the selectors will be looking there for more information and images, especially of any previous shows you have been to and show there.  The freshness of the site’s appearance will have an influence on your selection.

Return your application on time

This is obvious, but not always done.  Take note of the application deadlines, and make notes in your diary as to when things need to be done to get the application to the organisers on time, or even early.

If the event is not a selective one, you need to get in early as applications are often reviewed as they come.  Juried events will have all the applications looked at on the same day, but give the organisers enough time to get the images loaded and co-ordinated with your application.  Remember that organisers get many applications, so you need to make it easy for them to like your work.

Get feedback

If you are not selected, you can review your application to see what you might do better next time.  The rejection letter may give you some information, if it is not a generic one.  It may be that there were just too many applicants, or too many with glass as their medium.  Did your work fit with the ethos of the event – e.g. traditional vs contemporary.

You can contact the organisers - politely – indicating theirs is a show you really want to get into because of its quality or other element that is complimentary to the event.  Your questions should be polite and ask for feedback on specific things, so it is easy for them to respond.  Many of these questions will be centred around what you could do differently to have a better chance of selection next time.

It is just possible a polite professional approach to getting feedback may take you off a waiting list and into the event. In any case, visit the show, if you can, to see how it looks and feels.

https askharriete.typepad.comask_harriete201212responsibilities-of-craft-show-organizers.html

The Organisers’ Views

Research

Show the event has been researched by indicating how your glass work will fit with the organiser’s objectives.  How does your quality of work fit with the other exhibitors?  Give evidence of stands and participation at other shows, especially on your website and social media.

Application

It is most important that the application guidelines have been read and adhered to.  You should include relevant personal information on what inspires you, where you work, the materials and techniques you employ – in short, your story.

Images

Present images showing a confident, original group of work rather than showing all your variety.  The pictures must be in focus, well lit, with clean backgrounds and with detail shots only were necessary.  Many organisers get four or more applications for each available stand, so the photography is essential to show the potential of your glass.

Have good, up to date images of current work on your up to date and professional website and social media.  Often your website will be considered for more information, especially their previous stands at other events.  It is often good to see images of previous stands at previous shows.

Review

Don’t take any rejection personally. Don’t give up.  Review why you were not successful – right fit to the event? Too many of your medium/style applied? Does your glass stand out from others? Perhaps you need more confidence in your work.

Finally

“Fit the criteria of quality, innovation, skill and dedication” [in your application]. Samme Charlesworth, Director of Breeze Art and Makers Fair in Cornwall.

Selectors Views

The administration

The selectors and the organisers work together to create a focused event with originality and quality of work with a combination of established and emerging makers.  They also want diversity of media and styles with a variety of price.  Applications which have not met the application guidelines will have been eliminated by the organisers before the selection process begins. 

Often the organiser will give the selectors the number of applications and the number of stands available, with an indication of how many per category.  Then the selection begins.  Sometimes a quick pass through the images will be the first stage, followed by a slower showing at which the selectors vote for inclusion, exclusion or possible (waiting list).  The waiting list (of around 20%) provides the organiser with some flexibility to fill gaps where selected people do not take up their place, review the balance between established and emerging makers, the balance of media represented, etc.

This administrative process shows how important images are in the selection process.  Only the people on the waiting list are ever likely to have the other parts of their application viewed by the selectors.  The text you provide in the application gets you to the selection or eliminates you at the first stage.

The Selection

The selectors need to be able to distinguish what the images show.  If you show only detail, it will be difficult to determine what it or its function is. Too many other items in the image make it difficult to determine which are the items for the show. Dark images do not show the glass at it best. Extreme contrast makes for uncomfortable viewing. Material of composition should be apparent in the images. Whether the glass is production or handmade needs to be obvious.  A combination of these failings will be likely to get your work rejected.

Your images should show a coherent group of work. Diverse styles and materials make it difficult for selectors to see a style or brand. A unity of theme for the group of images is needed.

Technically good images are essential.  Focus is absolutely essential.  Any camera shake or unfocused images will not be viewed favourably. Use the same level of resolution and format for all your images so that all you work appears on the same scale to enable the selectors to judge the size of the pieces in the images.

Images must be professional in appearance.  If your work is selected, the images may be used in promotion and  the catalogue.  So, it must be of a quality for reproduction in the news and design press. Busy backgrounds are distracting and not normally suitable for the press.  Lifestyle images must be clearly focused on the glass.  The surroundings cannot intrude on or dominate the piece of glass being shown.

Using models to display your work requires professional photographer to be effective.  Amateur photographs of pieces on models will not get selected.

Show your work at its best.  Close ups will show quality but only a small proportion. Present a few items to focus attention on the group of items you intend to present at the show.

One of the images you present to the selectors might be of you working on one of the glass pieces, or your packaging or branding in the context of a stand.

Emerging makers are more likely to have their website and additional information looked at.  So, it is vitally important that these are up to date with current work, and older work put into a subordinate section.

Writing About your Business

Staying in touch with potential and existing customers is important to getting more sales.  This is especially true for websites.  You need to build an online relationship which is similar, but has a different expression, to in-person relationships.  You need develop your online business profile.  Whether you concentrate on craft fairs or wholesale and online sales, you need to communicate about what you do.  Whether you have a website with a shop or just a Facebook page, you need to tell people what you do to build support.

It may seem difficult at first to know what to write about your business that will be interesting to your customers and support sales and be worth the effort.  There are a lot of things you can say about your business.  When you begin to think of the elements for communication with your potential customers there are lots of things you can say that will interest them and give your business a personality and an interesting profile.

But I don’t have a web site.  I sell at craft fairs and to galleries.

This still applies to you.  You need to tell all sorts of people and organisations about your business.  You need to have something for galleries to look at.  You need copy for newspapers and other media.  You need a  statement about you and your business at craft fairs.  You need to use social media to get people to the physical sales points.  You need to think about how these elements can help provide interesting posts.  Of course, not all that is given here is directly applicable to personal interactions, but it will give you the direction you need to present yourself and your business in the best light.

There are lots of ideas to get you to thinking about what you can do to communicate.  What follows are indicators of what you can do. You don’t need to use them all, but employing a range of these elements will give variety and interest to your communications.  It may also, along the line, provide you with a much higher profile and incidentally, sales.  You do need to communicate regularly and consistently with the audience.  An irregular post every month or so, is not enough.  You may have to set a schedule for publishing communications to your followers.

Write -

- About your business

·        What started you in business? what was the inspiration? Talk about any greater purpose than simply making your items. What are your motivations to continue working? What gives you joy?

·        How, and why did you choose the business name? Who did you involve? How does the name continue to be appropriate?

·        Tell people what it is about you and your work that is special or unique.  Indicate what your niche is, make it explicit for your potential customers.

·        How do you do business? Do you take commissions?

·        Share the stories and case studies of your experiences.  For example, take people through the stages of a commission.  Telling about the changes, developments, challenges shows how you work.  Show the results and tell what the client liked most about it. This provides the opportunity to include testimonials.  Include lots of sketches, photos. Importantly, get the commissioner’s permission to share details.  

An example of a site which provides a number of testimonials: http://www.gilroystainedglass.com/gilroy/testimonials/

Another example is this blog which does everything – the way she works, her stories, information, inspirations and there is no obvert selling at all. https://morganica.com/about-me/

- About your Location

·        Tell people where you are located. This helps to increase trust.  Talk about why you chose the area. How does the place affect your work? Provide pictures of your specific location, the area, and elements of landscape or cityscape that interest you.

The Northlands Creative site gives you a sense of place. 

·        Essentially, offer a behind the scenes view of how your location interacts with your creativity.  An inner-city industrial area can be as interesting as the countryside.

An insight to working practice is given in the Bob Letherbarrow website. 

- About your inspirations

·        Talk about people that have inspired you, role models, influencers. What have you learned from them?

·        What events – personal and world-wide – affect your work? Write and illustrate them.

An artist statement example from Bob Leatherbarrow 

·        Write about the kinds of environment that influence elements of your work.

- About things that interest you

·        Reviews of exhibitions, events, books.

·        Share your passions, reveal your personality, what excites intrigues you about your craft.  Why your glass expression than others? Does your work tell stories? Do you have a bigger purpose in making your craft?

·        Write about what is important to you.  This shares your values, and by writing from different angles will bring more visitors to the site.  Recommending other small businesses with similar values not only creates a business community, but a customer community too.

- About the process

·        Share the creative process involved in your body of work.  It can  be in words or images, short videos. 

·        Show the design process – inspiration, sketches, prototypes, final items and then the results at shows.  Use lots of pictures.

- About useful information

·        Share information and guidance about looking after your products.

·        Give information about related businesses.  These will be services or products that you do not supply but are relevant and are provided by other local businesses.

·        General tips related to your area of business shows you are knowledgeable, helpful and trustworthy.

·        General tips on how to display, use or wear your work grab attention.  Pictures are especially important here. 

·        Write useful communications.  Think about what your ideal clients would find useful to know.  Is there any maintenance needed for your glass? How to clean the glass. Give practical advice and suggestions. 

·        Promote other resources or books you like. Avoid a sales post, just include a link to the relevant page of your site as a sign off.

·        Think about having guest writers.  Getting others to write occasionally for you saves you work.  Interviews are another way to vary the voice of your communications.  It is essential to be clear about what these guests are to focus on, and give them the opportunity to promote their own site.

- About your customers

·        Ask your followers specific questions, get them involved in new developments at an early, planning stage, rather than at the end.  This gets people committed early to your work and without any explicit sales pitch. 

·        You can ask about the barriers people have to buying from you or others.  You can get information about what publications, sources they use, by asking.  This can be done on social media, or via direct emails.

·        Answer clients’ questions quoting their words.  This can increase the visibility of your site by using others’ searches, so leading them and others to your site. 

·        Helpful responses create a trusted business source.

- About developments and news

·        Write about the events you are planning to attend. There needs to be a group of communications leading up to the event.  Lots of advance notice is needed for people to plan a visit.  To give this notice, you can produce a number of  notices: Lead them through your preparations, the development of your collections, background to the work you will be taking, show the packed van and the final show setup.  These six notices will involve potential customers and build their interest in coming to the event.

·        Tell the stories of the event. What happened, your best sellers, star purchasers, meetings with fellow exhibitors all provide interest to your customers. You can include links to your price list or catalogue in these communications.  This is much better than sending a bare list or catalogue.

·        Talk about your product of the week or month - why the design, what inspired it, how did you name it, what’s special about it.   Start with a good photo of the work.  Possibly add something special – free p&p, special price in combination with another item, etc., to attract a purchase.

- About outlets

·        Blog about your retailers and wholesalers.  It cements your relationships with them, by showing your commitment to supporting their business too.   It  provides publicity for your work. Photos of your work in the locations is good customer-assuring publicity.

·        Let other businesses know that you have sent out information about them.  It may get you reciprocal mentions.

·        Working with wholesalers has better results when directed to individuals or single companies.  Preparing introductory material that is relevant to the client and adding the relevant images, lists, catalogue, gets better results than generic approaches.

An example of telling people where your work is available in Steve Immerman's website. 

Of course you do not need to write about all of these elements all the time. But they form the background to what you write about your business, craft, current work, and to some extent your life.

Writing specific, focused, timely communications

·        Timely communications are important.  When are customers likely to buy? – send out things prior to that time.  Think about the reasons they might buy and include them.  Gift giving times (such as back to school, springtime, valentines, awareness days) are times for focused communications indicating what you have that is relevant to the event or occasion.

·        Send out notices of an upcoming event through all your communications sources in a kind of countdown to the event giving your activities toward the opening of the event or show.

·        Be consistent in the style of the communications.  Short, direct, and focused posts with lots of pictures are most likely to be read.  Handmade Lives says immediately what it is about (unfortunately now ceased). 

News vs. Newsletters

These communications are not newsletters. Who reads newsletters anyway?

• Stay updated https://www.thecoolhunter.co.uk/
• Use lots of photos.  Make the communications visual. E.g. https://www.designspiration.com/
• This site has busy visuals, but leads by images rather than words https://www.craftscotland.org/

All your posts and communications should be simple and direct.  They should be fairly short (unlike this post!) to be sure they are read.

In Summary

How do you put all this together?  This is an example of a blog which does everything – the way she works, her stories, information, inspirations and there is no obvert selling at all. https://morganica.com/about-me/

Writing about your business is more than just the business.  You are the business.  So, it is writing about you and what you do, not just a dry business description.  You have an advantage over big business. You have a personal story to tell.

Getting Relevant People to Your Website

Credit: Visual Capitalist

Using your website to sell requires you to get relevant people to visit as a prerequisite.  But how can you get people to view your website?  And it needs to be relevant people - those who are potential buyers.

These are some suggestions on ways to attract visitors.

Keywords in the meta descriptions and in the text are important.  These are not just products, colours and other aspects of the work, although essential.  They are why people are buying.  Elements of this are buying gifts, e.g.:

• Holidays
• Celebrations
• Awareness days and weeks (Mother’s Day, birdwatch month, Gardening week, etc).

These need to be detailed in specific terms to bring people who are buying for birthdays, aniverseries, weddings, etc.

They may be buying for a purpose:

• Windows, 
• Kitchens,
• Decorative,
• Functional,
• Garden

Again, these need to be described in specific terms, e.g., splashbacks, dinner sets, wall art, etc.

Use the specific terms in your titles and early in the descriptions of each item.  This process is not easy, and you may want to enlist help from friends and family to get the right terms.  SEO is not the complete answer to getting visits, though.  There are other things you need to do

Categorise your pages with specific names rather than generic ones such as collection or portfolio. Use names such as splashback, tiles, birds, bowls, etc.  Leave the mention of glass to the description of each item. It doesn't really have a place in the title for your pieces.

Promote your social media and site at every opportunity. If you have been mentioned somewhere, let everyone know.  Use specific links to the work relevant to any communication within the post. All your printed material needs to have the addresses of your site and social media, also as part of the signature of your email address.  Link between all your social media platforms, your website and any selling sites you participate in.  

But it is not only your own site that you need to promote.  In promoting other sites that you are associated with, you spread the knowledge of what you do.  By linking and liking sites or businesses that have been useful to you, you may also get reciprocal mentions.  These all spread knowledge of what you do to a wider audience. 

Share

Make it easy for people to share the content of your site.  Have buttons and links that viewers can click on with no extra effort. Share links to other articles that you have found interesting.  The readers of those articles will pick up on your links.   Include internal links to other works on your website and any other selling platform in which you participate.

Update your website.

Updating the website is time away from making.  But it is essential to the selling of what you make.  Of course, you update your site every time you complete a piece of work - don't you?  You let people know of developments in your business life at they happen, surely.  This refreshing helps the indexing web crawlers to recognise a site that is current and so index the new stuff. By using all the specific terms in describing things, you will provide human browsers with the terms to direct them to you.

Respond to current matters

React to timely and trending topics.  These can be relevant general news items, upcoming events that are relevant to your potential customers, awareness days relevant to you and your work, etc.  What is happening in the craft world, or your section of it is of general interest.  It helps develop the audience for craft, which in turn, gives you a bigger audience.  Not everything needs to be about you. 

Write about your customers’ questions.  Give information about the questions and the background to them along with the response.  Use the customers’ language.  By doing this you are making use of the search terms used by your potential customers.  You don't get questions on your site?  There are other sources.  

• Keep track of the questions you are asked at craft and trade fairs and use them. 
• Use the questions you have of other crafts and craft workers, adjusted for your own work. 
• You can develop questions by googling for answers to your own questions and see how they are phrased.  Then use that kind of approach in outlining responses to the questions.

Use case studies in your updates and posts.  Providing in-depth descriptions of a commission or development of a product goes a long way to giving an insight to how you work and about your values.  These are interesting things for prospective buyers. And it engenders confidence in your approach to your work - your ethos.

Write for other sites that are relevant to your customers.  There are websites and blogs that publish guest articles.  You will need to develop a relevant pitch for each of the ones of interest.  Do only one pitch at a time to ensure you are not overwhelmed.

These suggestions are not exhaustive, of course.  It may seem like a lot of effort for uncertain results.  As you become practiced, you will find it easy to add a few paragraphs each day to one of your online presences.  These entries will provide the entry points for potential customers and develop the personality of your business.

Consignment Terminology .

You need to communicate clearly, and in writing, with a consignment sales agreement to ensure the best chance of building a positive experience that works for you and the shop owner.  This means that you need to know the terminology used and required in consignment agreements.

Meet the taxation requirements

Make sure you have complied with the legal requirements in your jurisdiction for selling.  In the United States, for example, you need a tax identification number.  In the United Kingdom, you do not need anything other than your personal tax number, unless you are selling so much that you are employing other people.

Written contract

You need more than a verbal agreement.  Ask for their consignment agreement and take it away to consider the terms.  It is not pushy to do this; the shop owner would do the same. If the gallery/shop does not have a standard contract, you need to develop one and negotiate it with the owner.  The important elements are the commission rate, payment terms and frequency, insurance, breakages & theft, inventory arrangements.

Commission rate

A direct sale to the shop is normally marked up 100% of your price plus taxes to give the retail price.  So, the commission taken should be less that than that.  If the shop wants 50% commission, counter with direct sale at that level of commission.  It would be exceptional circumstances only that 50% commission would be acceptable to you.  30% - 40% is more usual.  The agreed rate should be written in the contract.

Payment terms

How frequently will you be paid for the work sold?  This needs to be included in the agreement.  Associated with this is inventory.

Inventory

You need to provide an item and price list for the gallery and one for yourself.  It should state the name of the parties at the head. It is essential to list the date delivered, the number and description of the items. Each line of work needs to have the item price to the gallery and the total price for each line. This list gives the sums you expect to receive upon their sale.  It is possible you will want to include, by agreement,  their commission and the retail price, although the gallery may change the retail price at any time.  If they want to reduce the price, that will come from their commission.  The price on the consignment form is not to be reduced, even though they ask for it. If they want to increase the price, they will keep the additional sums – in which case, of course, you should be thinking about increasing your price to them.

Exclusivity

What about choosing between galleries with different commission levels when you would like to be in both?  How do you choose?

Generally, shops and galleries expect to have an exclusive arrangement for their area.  This means that you can’t have your items in different outlets in a defined area.  What is that area?  If you are comfortable with the area restrictions, you then can approach the decision about commission levels.

Suppose you have different shops offering to take your work, but at different commission levels.  What do you do?

First, you do not reduce your price to the higher commission place.  You set a fair price for your work in the items.  That is a price at which you can make a profit.  That is what you deserve.  So, you place the items in either place at your single, set price. That may make your product more expensive in one shop than another.  That is not your problem. That is the owner’s decision.  You can see everywhere that there are different prices for the same product.  Usually, there is a perceived difference in quality, service, prestige, etc., between the places.

Reporting

The reciprocal of this is the listing by the shop of items sold and resulting sums due.  The frequency of this reporting needs to be in the agreement. 

Loss, theft, breakage

The fact that the work on consignment remains your property until sold needs to be in the written contract.  This may affect who insures your work in case of breakage or theft.  The division of responsibility needs to be written in the agreement.

Management of stock

The shop should have a system to keep track of sales and stock. Ask about it.

Stocking

Agree restocking arrangements to be responsive to sales. An agreement on removing items due to lack of sales, or your requirement to have the item in your possession is needed.

Promotion

You hope and expect the retailer to promote your works, but you must also promote the retailer in your social media and your direct selling venues.  Participating in events related to your work is one of the ways to assist in promotion too.  Some element of this needs to be included in the contract.

Selection of a gallery or shop in which to place your work is a complex interaction of commission levels; the value you place on your time in preparing for and attending craft fairs or putting your work online; the perceived prestige of the shop/gallery; the potential relationship between you and the outlet; and the relationship of the consignment, wholesale and retail prices.

Other posts on consignment:

Consignment

Consignment Agreements

Consignment Rates

Consignment Venues

Stand Alone Online E-Stores

Perhaps none of the existing online marketplaces fit enough of you needs to join them.  You can set up your own and make it your only online store, or you can do it in addition to other ecommerce sites that have some of the features you want.

Advantages

The advantages of your own online store relate to control and adaptability to your design needs.

You retain control of the design, layout, branding, etc., of your site.  This helps maintain your identity or brand and aligns it with your product range.

You have control of when the store is live and when it is updated. You, of course make the rules for what can be listed and how it is displayed.

You don’t have to acquire a lot of knowledge about setting up websites and online stores. Website builders offer templates and store services. You can also use professional website builders to get complete control.

You can link to Etsy or other market places from your own store.  You can funnel the traffic from these sites to own site.

Your own site will enable you to build closer relationships with your buyers. You can communicate directly rather than through intermediaries.

Disadvantages

Nothing comes free of course.  There are some disadvantages to establishing and running your own site.

An especially important element of a store is visits – akin to footfall in real life stores.  You must get people to visit.  You get the visits by making the links with people using a variety of communications.  You need to combine social media with the creation of newsletters, direct mail, blogging, etc.  These relationship building efforts are vital to get people to your website and store.

There are costs relating to hosting fees and one-off fees for the building of the website.  The online stores also charge fees in different ways, so a careful comparison of the best-looking services is important.

There will be additional administration in comparison to an online marketplace.

Questions for E-commerce Site Building

       

What are the facilities for integration of Etsy offerings into your own store? Will separate loading be required?

Is drag and drop site building supported? Is there user support or a user group to support you?

Is an integrated shopping cart available?  What are the order fulfilment assistance options?

Will the site support expanded functions as your business grows?  How adaptable it the site to changes in business?

Is the e-commerce site a market place?  How will exposure of the site to potential buyers be managed?

What is the cost for the features you want?

       

The Balance

You must decide whether the advantages of having your own e-commerce site outweighs the disadvantages in terms of traffic, time spent developing relationships, administration and cost

Websites for Selling Craft

This is not a discussion of which site to choose, but a range of things you need to think about when considering which site to use for selling your craft items.  This includes whether to have your own e-commerce site instead of, or in addition to, a market place site.

Evaluating website offerings requires you to think about a multiplicity of things.  Many of these are listed here, although there may be a few additional things you need to think about for your products.

Recognition/Visits/Traffic

You need to think about the amount of recognition the marketplace has.  Is it the place your potential buyers know about?  Are there a lot of visits to the site?

Is it a market place offering where the website promotes the whole site and the shops within it?  Or is it a site where your own efforts to drive traffic are required? This latter element is like having your own site.

What is the competition within the site? Are there many other sellers of your kind of product? How easy will it be to distinguish your things from others?  Are there mass production sellers on the site?

       

How selective is the site in approving sellers?  This also relates to reputation.

Reputation and Products for sale

Is the site restricted to craft made items? How are mass production manufacturers eliminated?

What range of products are allowed? Is it possible to sell services, and digital products as well as physical goods?

Is the site focused on general products or arts and crafts?  What pricing levels are exhibited on the site?  Is the focus on arts-based items, or does it include bargain basement and cheap deals?

What is the level of security of transaction information offered to you and your customers?  It is vital that the site offers good security for transactions to give customers confidence in buying from the site.

Your identity

Whatever site you join, there will be many other sellers or shops.

Do you get your own shop? Or are all similar products grouped? Is there support or templates to set up your shop?

If you have your own shop what degree of control do you have?  How are images formatted?  What amount of text can be included?  What range of formats are allowed?  Does the site brand dominate, or can you have yours as the prime visual?  What number of themes are available to you?

What level of flexibility in store arrangement and titles do you get?  What number of pages do you get at the various plan levels? How much flexibility and customisation is allowed? What number of items per page are allowed? And what descriptions are allowed either in length or number of terms?

What are the restrictions on the number of products you can sell? Are you allowed discount codes?  Is there inventory control with the site? What is the assistance for order fulfilment?  How much and what features? Is there a system set up for returns? How much support is available?

Are searches restricted to your shop or for all shops on the site?  How are the meta tags used by the site? Are hyperlinks within site only or allowed to outside sites too? Are social media buttons available and with what flexibility?  Can you use your own domain name?

Connections with other e-commerce sites

Are connections allowed?  How easy is the linking? Can you link to multiple sites? Are links to social media – Facebook, etc. – allowed? And how are they managed? Can you link the potential customer to mobile phone sales?

Costs

Of course, there are always payments to be made. You need to look at the various options offered, and the charges involved in them.  If you are new to online selling or have low volume sales, it may be that higher selling fees rather than regular payments with lower transaction fees is better for you at the start.

Listing costs are normally linked to number of items you are offering in your shop. There may be refreshing fees – you must pay a fee to keep the product in the shop after a set period.

There will be continuing fees.  These may be in relation to each item – commission - either as you sell or related to the plan level you choose. Are the commission fees in addition to the listing fees?  Are there additional credit card fees?

Plan level costs are ongoing fees that may be monthly or annual. They are often linked to the length of contract between you and the site provider.  They will give different levels of item fees, and levels of features.  What are the costs of the plan levels? What benefits to they give, and do you need them?  What level of functionality do you get in relation to plan level costs?  How are the plan levels related to the volume or value of sales?

What is the ability to expand and grow through graded plans?  How and when can you move from one plan to another?

Administration

The costs of doing business online may be significant. They may also be related to your familiarity with online offerings.

The creation of an entry should be easy and flexible. You should find it easy to move around the listing form, and it should contain a significant amount of flexibility.  You should be able to make bulk changes.  It should be easy to move items and entries around your shop. 

How much control do you wish to have?  With less experience, you may want to have a lot of the listing, editing of pages, especially contact information done for you, or highly guided.   The kind of support is important. Does the site have a maker support community?

An often-unrecognised level of administration is inventory management. Does the site support that?  If the site does not have inventory control you will have to do it yourself. If you don’t have the stock to satisfy the order, you probably will lose the sale. 

Is the site easy to use?

An important general question is the ease of use for you and for customer. Test the sites out for how easy it is to find and buy an item.  Look at how easy it is for you to use the tools to list your products.

Reviews of e-commerce sites

There are sites that review the offerings of various sites to help you answer some of the questions listed above.  One I have found to be helpful is Ecommerce Guide.

The answers to the relevant questions listed here will assist you toward choosing a website that suits your needs.  It may also lead you toward considering a stand-alone ecommerce site if there are not enough positives in your review of market place sites. It may lead you to consider both.  But the more sites you have the more important it is to be able to link between them and move entries between sites.

A discussion of various things that need consideration on whether to sell on line at all is here.