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You created a pretty web site displaying the crafts that are your
pride and joy, now what? There are many tricks you can use to
promote your new business and show the world your crafts.
Build a mailing list! It's one of the best ways to get new AND
return customers when you deal online. Give the option on your
site, when they make a purchase, on your flyers at craft fairs...
the possibilities are endless. Once you have a customer list,
you can send reminders, rebates, exclusive products and more.
Just don't overdo it or people will come to see your mailings as
Spam.
Use search engine optimization techniques to improve your search
engine rankings. A higher ranking means a better exposure, so
you'll get more traffic and sales. A full explanation on this
is beyond the scope of this article, but there are many good
articles on this if you search on Google.
Crafts malls and auctions like Etsy are a good way to promote a
website. You get exposure, credibility, and a sale or two if
you're lucky! Don't forget to put your website address
anywhere it's allowed, and to build your mailing list when you make
a sale.
Likewise, you can try selling a few pieces on eBay, and collect the
email addresses of your buyers. You will only be allowed to
put your website address on your About Me page, but with the traffic
you can get on eBay it will most likely be worth it.
If you have deep pockets, you can always buy Google Adwords
keywords. What are they? They are the ads that will show up on
Google search when you type specific keywords. You have to be pretty
careful with this one to attract the right kind of traffic (the one
that will buy), but it can pay off in the end.
Link exchanges and top lists are slower, but can help. You get
links to your site, which can help your Google rankings, exposure,
and the occasional sale. Every little bit helps!
Forums are another more subtle way to gain links and exposure, but
can be a great way to improve your credibility as an expert. Just
put your website link in your signature and post ahead, but don't
forget to check if this is allowed by the forums moderators.
And finally, track your results. There is no point in posting
ads everywhere if you don't know which one is working. You can
then concentrate on the very best.
And don't forget the most important thing, enjoy your craft!
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