Do You Need a Craft Website?

I've had several craft websites over the years, all with very different functions, and they've all been useful at some point.

A website for your crafts can fulfill any or all of the following purposes:

• Give contact information for your business
• Act as a dynamic brochure for you
• Help drum up new party bookings
• Act as an outlet for you

I can't imagine that you couldn't benefit from at least one of these! Let's look at them in more detail.

• Give contact information for your business

  The internet has become incredibly important as a means to find small businesses. I can't remember the last time I used a phone book to look a number up - I always just type the business name into Google and find all the information I need right there.

  Even if this is the only purpose your craft website serves, I still think it's worth it. It will make it so much easier for past guests or hostesses to find you again if they need to. Word of mouth can spread more easily too, hopefully resulting in more sales and party bookings for you. And if you're hoping for consignment or wholesale enquiries a good website will be a real asset.

• Act as a dynamic brochure for you

  Whether you're selling your crafts at home parties or through other outlets, having a website that showcases your creations is invaluable. If you're handing out business cards, looking on your website later will remind people why they were so interested in your crafts and hopefully prompt them to contact you again.

  Taking custom orders is also so much easier if people have something to refer to, and you won't always have a physical example of everything you've made. Adding pictures of past commissions as well as current items to your craft website is like having a brochure that never goes out of date.

  (When I used to make mohair teddy bears, they were all personalised and done to order, so a gallery of previous commissions helped enormously when new customers were deciding what they wanted.)

  Although I do sell a few items on my current jewelry website, its main function is also as a brochure.

  I often get calls from people who've seen my jewelry worn by a previous customer and are interested in booking a party. They usually want to see more examples of the type of jewelry I make first - so I just refer them to my website. I've got several bookings this way.

• Help drum up new party bookings

  In addition to acting as a brochure to showcase your crafts to potential hostesses, you can also advertise your home parties on your website to increase bookings. Or offer people the option of online jewelry parties too.

• Act as an outlet for you

  Selling online takes a lot more work than most people realise, but whether or not you decide to use your craft website as your main outlet, it could still be worth offering visitors the option to buy if they're interested.

  If you do want to sell from your craft website, decide how much of a focus this is going to be to you and choose your host accordingly.

  If you want to sell seriously from your website, you'll need your own domain name to give the right professional image, and learn how to optimise and promote it online. This site, Craft-Selling-Parties.com, was built using Site Build It!, which makes both designing and promoting your website very easy, even for beginners (after all, you found me!)

It's possible to have a successful craft business without a website, but my advice would be to at the very least have a page with your contact details and some photos of your crafts on it. How far you want to take it after that is up to you, and is dependant on the direction you want your business to go in.

I created Craft-Selling-Parties.com to contribute to my income as a work at home mother, and I'm thrilled with the results I've had so far.
Click here if you'd like to find out more about how you could create a website to do the same.