Damien, from Yaami and HandmadeMarket, recently shared information about his team’s new site, tips for handmade sellers, and what he thinks buyers look for online.

Why did you start HandmadeMarket.com? Who is your target audience for the site?

“We wanted to take the traditional way of browsing craft items (the local craft market) and today’s way of browsing craft items (online marketplaces such as Etsy and ArtFire) and mix the two together to create a more ‘real-life’ experience to browsing craft items online,” he said.

“Our target audience are buyers and sellers of handmade, art and craft items who want to buy or sell online while also experiencing the traditional craft market experience.”

What makes you different from other selling platforms for crafters (i.e. ArtFire, 1000 Markets, Etsy)? What does the site offer sellers?

“The market is unique in that it creates a more ‘real-life’ experience for the shopper,” Damien told HandmadeMarketing.org.  “HandmadeMarket’s role isn’t to provide a selling platform, as we think there are many great platforms out there already, but to provide a new and unique way for sellers to showcase their items – a shopper can then purchase via the sellers’ site of choice (such as Etsy, ArtFire or their own website).“

What does the site offer buyers? Why should those who love handmade buy from HandmadeMarket.com?

“The online handmade world brings many benefits to those who love handmade – browsing items from all over the world from the comfort of your home is one of the benefits – but in doing so you lose the experience you get from your local craft market. HandmadeMarket allows shoppers to browse from home, while still experiencing the craft market experience,” he said.

Tell us a bit about the team behind HandmadeMarket.com. Who is involved in managing the site? Why did they choose to work on this project?

“The market is managed by the small team at Yaami Handmade,” he said.  “Originally planned to be a feature of Yaami.com, we decided the idea deserved its own website. We’re hoping other sites in the online handmade world will become involved in the project to make the market even bigger and better.”

Where do you see the site going in the future – 6 months? 1 year? 5 years?

“In the future we want to continue to add features and implement improvements to make the market even better,” Damien told us.  “A chat feature is one of the features we plan to implement, allowing shoppers to talk with other shoppers and sellers, just like you would at a ‘real-life’ craft market.”

“We’re planning a themed market for the Christmas holiday season and more themed markets throughout the year,” he added.

What are some tips you would give crafters looking to break into selling online for the first time? What are your top three “musts” for all online craft sellers?

Damien told us the following three tips for sellers:

1. Create a brand for your shop and be consistent with the use of your brand image.
2. Market your shop and items – let your shop be known to shoppers.
3. Present your shop in a professional yet friendly manner, especially in communication – you want your customers to be return-customers.

Have you visited HandmadeMarket.com?  What do you think of the site?  What types of features would help you sell more handmade online?

Share your ideas with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Articles on this site are generated from readers – so tell us a bit about your marketing and advertising ideas.  Simply share your thoughts by clicking on our “Join” tab at the top of the page.

If you have doubts about how the holidays will pan out for your handmade shop this year, selling platform ArtFire.com aims to help.  Sara Moore, Head of the Content Department for ArtFire.com, informed our team at HandmadeMarketing.org that the site recently launched free unlimited listings for all members during the holiday season!  “This is part of our Holiday Free-for-All,” she explained.  “Everyone gets free unlimited listings for the holidays on ArtFire.com.”

The site, which connects buyers with those that sell handmade items, was designed by artisans from around the globe.  ArtFire’s ever-evolving feature list, including it’s Kiosk on Facebook and recent partnership with Amazon Payments, seems to make both buying and selling handmade online easier and easier.

“We will be giving away unlimited listings completely free for all sellers during the holiday season,” Sara said.  “This means that everyone can sell and list as many items as they wish for absolutely no cost or fees.”

Since the beginning, ArtFire.com has focused on changing the way handmade is sold online.  “When we first launched, ArtFire revolutionized the handmade marketplace by making it completely free for users to sell online,” Sara said.  “Members were able to list and sell up to 12 items at any point on the site, and could have unlimited listings with customizable features for the flat rate of $12/month.”

Already selling handmade on ArtFire?  During the Holiday Free-for-All, every member of ArtFire.com can list and sell an unlimited number of items for free.  This even includes those who currently sell using free Basic Accounts.

Not using ArtFire to reach your potential buyers?  Now is a great time to try out ArtFire.  “No fees, no commissions, no cost to you.  If you sign up for a Basic (free) account you don’t have to pay us a dime. Ever,” the ArtFire website reads.  “This gives everyone a risk-free way to try the fastest growing handmade venue on the internet.”

After seeing the effects of the current economic situation, ArtFire made the decision to lighten the load for handmade sellers.  “We have decided to remove this 12 item limit for the shopping season, giving everyone on the site the option to list unlimited items for sale,” Sara announced.

“Many of our sellers are concerned about the shopping season due to economic issues, and cannot afford to promote and advertise as they had last year,” added John Jacobs, CEO of ArtFire. “This Holiday Free for All will allow them to sell more items than ever before completely free.”

“To make things even easier for sellers, ArtFire has also launched the their Global Product Editor, which gives sellers the chance to make batch edits to hundreds of products in their inventory at once,” Sarah said.  “Although this feature is normally reserved for pro members, ArtFire is opening this tool up so that all members on the site can make use of it.”

ArtFire is excited to see the reaction from the artisan community online.  “This Holiday Free for All Promotion is the first ever of its kind, and expected to completely change the craft marketplace,” Sara said.

“Regardless of marketplace or venue we’ve found that sellers who list more items have a much greater success online,” said Tony Ford, COO of ArtFire. “We want to give everyone the chance to be successful, and free unlimited listing will help our artisans obtain more sales during the fourth quarter.”

Do you sell handmade on ArtFire.com?  What do you think of the site?  What tips would you give a new seller when they are deciding which online selling platform is best for them?

Melissa Hamel-Smith, handmade seller from the ArtFire studio KaoticEkkosCuriosities, recently shared her thoughts on what it’s like selling on ArtFire.com, what features she likes most, and her tips for marketing handmade online.

Melissa opened shop at ArtFire on December 3, 2008 and calls the decision the best she’s ever made.  “I can’t recall how I came across Artfire,” she tells us.  “I think it may have been through an ad on Facebook. I was looking for an alternative to Etsy because I wasn’t making sales and I felt like I was a number, not an individual artist.”

When asked her favorite ArtFire feature, Melissa replied enthusiastically, “Do I have to pick just one?!“  She loves the Rapid Cart, which allows customers to make a purchase without setting up an account or even visiting the Artfire website.

“Rapid Cart makes it super fast and easy, something that can make or break a customer deciding to buy. I also love the ability to customize your shop. Upload a banner, play with the colors, you can even add widgets and HTML! Artfire lets you be as creative with your shop as you are with your art!,” Melissa said.

Melissa said she also likes the way ArtFire.com has structured their fees to sell.  “I prefer paying a monthly fee and not worrying about products expiring,” she told HandmadeMarketing.org.

Melissa was recently interviewed by HandmadeNews.org regarding her marketing tips. “I thought I’d share!” she told our team.

Our HandmadeMarketing.org team liked Melissa’s tips for newbie craft sellers best.  Her number one tip for a crafter selling their items?  “Business cards,” she said in the interview.  “They’re inexpensive. They solidify your brand and your image. Just make sure you decide on your logo and contact information. You want people to recognize your business.”

Melissa explained that when she made the move from Etsy to ArtFire, she had to get her cards reprinted.  “Make sure you think things through,” she warns other sellers.

To help reach potential buyers, Melissa recommends to be bold.  “Don’t be afraid to ask local indie businesses if you can put a couple in their store. Also, search out free directories online,” she said in the interview.  “If it’s free or low cost and they’ll take your info, do it. The internet is so wide that you know someone will happen upon it!”

As for features she would like to see on ArtFire.com, Melissa hopes the site expands to include options for those selling handmade internationally.  “I’m hoping there will be more options for international sellers. I’d like to be able to list a product in Canadian dollars instead of having to figure out the exchange rate,” she says.

However, Melissa says she is satisfied with ArtFire’s ability to keep up with sellers.  “The wonderful people at Artfire are always coming up with new innovations to make the selling process easier and more effective,” she said. “They implement features before I can even think of them! They’re really up-to-date on trends and sellers’ needs and wants.”

Looking for more thoughts from Melissa about selling handmade?  Check out her article, titled “Why Artfire is Awesome”, found on her blog.  You can also connect with her on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Plurk, her blog, and Flickr.

What do you think of Melissa’s take on ArtFire?  Have you visited the site?  What do you think?

Share you thoughts with HandmadeMarketing.org!  If we feature your tips in a future article, we’ll link to your shop, blog, or social media as a source of the information.  Simply tell us what advice you have for selling handmade online under our “Join” tab!

Sara Moore, Head of the Content Department at ArtFire.com, recently told HandmadeMarketing.org that the just launched their Global Product Editor.

ArtFire’s Global Product Editor is intended to help make inventory management simple for crafters. “ArtFire.com’s new feature allows members to quickly manage hundreds of products,” Sara told us.

“To help members prepare for the busy holiday shopping season, ArtFire has launched their Global Product Editor for sellers,” she said. “This simple-to-use tool allows ArtFire.com artisans to quickly make mass changes to their inventory to run sales, adjust for changes in cost, and make seasonal changes. Such a useful and time efficient feature has never before been offered by a handmade venue.”

“With the Global Product Editor Management tool,” Sara continued, “Pro users on ArtFire will be able to easily change the price for a selection of their inventory to reflect a sale, or change their shipping costs to reflect an increase in postage expenses.”

Using this new ArtFire tool, handmade sellers can quickly modify item titles and tags for search engine work and optimization. They can also move items into different studio categories for better organization.

“Sellers can even use this tool to change where their items appear on the site, moving them into new gift guides, site categories, changing the primary color to allow for different results in ArtFire’s Search by Color feature, or setting different target genders and age groups,” Sara tells HandmadeMarketing.org.

“This tool will change the way artisans mange their inventory, making it easier for them to have complete control of their business,” said John Jacobs, CEO of ArtFire.com. “Artisans have been asking for this tool for a long time, and we were happy to be the first to give it to them.”

ArtFire is an ever-changing handmade marketplace on the web. “We are known for our customer service and consistent innovation,” Sara tells us. “ArtFire runs on a system of Community Directed Development, in which member feedback and suggestions are implemented into the direction of the site. On ArtFire, members have direct communication with developers and influence the types of projects built.”

In fact, Sara tells us that this Global Product Editor was designed with member input to reduce the time required for artisans to manage their business during the upcoming holiday shopping season.

What tools does your online marketplace provide to help you sell more online? What would you like to see implemented? What tips do you have for preparing to sell more handmade this holiday season?

Sara Moore, Head of the Content Department for ArtFire.com, recently shared information with HandmadeMarketing.org about handmade selling platform ArtFire.

“ArtFire is partnering with Amazon Payments to give shoppers safe, secure payment options,” Sarah tells us.   “ArtFire has integrated the payment system used by 88 million people to better serve Artisans.”

“In an effort to make shopping on ArtFire.com more convenient in time for the holiday shopping season,” she explains, “ArtFire has added Amazon Payments to their payment options. With PayPal, Google Checkout, Revolution Money Exchange, check, money order, and now Amazon Payments, shoppers have more ways than ever before to buy from artisans on ArtFire.com.”

“With more than 88 million people already using Amazon Payments,” Sarah says, “this partnership will allow new shoppers the chance to make purchases off ArtFire using a payment service they know and trust. With Amazon Payments, shoppers don’t have to worry about signing up for a third party payment service so long as they have an account on Amazon. Amazon’s A to Z guarantee for buyers is well known throughout the ecommerce industry for providing safe, secure online payments and insuring transactions.”

“We want customers shopping on ArtFire to be able to use the payment system they’re familiar with,” said John Jacobs, CEO of ArtFire.com. “This new payment method coupled with ArtFire’s no registration needed to checkout makes it easy for buyers to purchase handmade, vintage, media, and supplies from artisans on the site.”

ArtFire says they are the premiere handmade marketplace on the web.   “Since our launch less than a year ago, ArtFire has accumulated more than 30,000 sellers and storefronts from all about the world,” Sarah tells HandmadeMarketing.org.

Members of ArtFire can design their own customizable studio storefronts and list their handmade items for sale with no fees.  “Members have full control over their studio policies, including the payment methods they accept. By interpreting Amazon payments into the site, members will be able to choose to offer it as a form of payment to give buyers additional ways to checkout and purchase,” she says.

Do you sell on ArtFire.com?  What do you think of the new features implemented by the online marketplace?  What would you tell another artisan considering selling on ArtFire?

Tell us your thoughts about selling handmade online!  Share your tips by commenting on this article, or tell our team more detail by writing an article of your own!  If your article is published on HandmadeMarketing.org, we will link to you shop, website, or blog as the source of the information.

Alyson Button Stone, Director of Media Relations for 1000Markets.com, recently told our HandmadeMarketing.org team about the great things going on at the handmade selling platform.

“Our passion at 1000 Markets is supporting small, artisan businesses as they deliver small-scale authenticity to appreciative customers,” Alyson said in an email.  “The end result, a work in progress, we call The Artisan Experience™ on 1000 Markets, and it’s our vision for the boutique, art-filled, authentic shopping experience you’ve dreamed of.”

Alyson said the 1000Markets.com team is tirelessly pursuing new ways to elevate the online shopping experience for handmade buyers and sellers, from beginning to end.  “From the initial joy of exploration, to the satisfaction of finding the perfect item, to the thrill of buying something special directly from its maker,” she says.

Our HandmadeMarketing.org team was excited to see three “lookbooks” that Alyson thinks will help convey the tremendous talent on the 1000Markets site.

“1000 Markets has a new version and a fresh look,” Alyson told us.

The “Ever After Wedding Market” lookbook

The “1000 Markets Featured Markets – Fall 2009” lookbook

The “1000 Markets Ceramic” lookbook

Interested in learning what handmade sellers are saying about 1000Markets?  Read “How To Sell on 1000 Markets – Seller Tips” by 1000Markets seller Ronnie Schultz, or read seller Caryn Stockwell’s thought behind the advantages of great SEO on 1000Markets.

What do you think of your current selling platform?  Do you like the “lookbooks” with 1000Market sellers featured?  What would you like to see come next for 1000Markets?

Share your tips for selling handmade online with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Comment on this post with your thoughts or share more detail by clicking our “Join” tab.

Many handmade sellers question whether selling on an online platform, such as Etsy.com or ArtFire.com, is right for their craft – or if they should create their own selling site.  Simone Walsh, creator behind the website SimoneWalsh, shared her tip for handmade sellers struggling with establishing their own online shop.

“Aim to establish your own independent online shop so you have more control over your business,” Simone told HandmadeMarketing.org.  “You can still sell through various venues (Dawanda, Etsy, etc.) to make the most of their traffic, but always market your own independent outlet.”

Some sellers may be discouraged by the seemingly complicated world of e-commerce.  Simone says this process is actually easier than craft sellers may think.

“This is much easier to achieve now with excellent web-based carts such as Big Cartel and Shopify,” she told HandmadeMarketing.org.

Are you not familiar with these two services?  Our HandmadeMarketing.org team looked into these two web-based carts and how they can be used for handmade sellers.

Big Cartel claims their system can be used by artists and sellers to “set up shop.” The site reads, “We provide clothing designers, bands, jewelry makers, crafters, and other artists with their own customizable store to sell their stuff online.”  The website claims to have free plans and the company does not take a cut of your handmade sales.

Shopify claims to provide “hosted e-commerce with style, in less than 2 minutes.”  The company is currently offering a risk-free 30 day trial, which may be great for handmade sellers wishing to dip their toes into an independent online shop.

However, Simone says if a seller is not ready to take on their own e-commerce, a simple step toward independence is getting their own domain set up.

“At least get your own domain name and redirect it (or a URL from it) to your primary selling venues. That way you can market your own domain name and not that of a venue – and if you get your own shop later you simply point that URL there instead,” Simone tells HandmadeMarketing.org.  “Plus, if anything goes wrong with the venue, you won’t risk losing your own hard-earned traffic and repeat customers.”

Interested in taking the leap to your own independent online shop to sell your handmade items?  Next on HandmadeMarketing.org, Simone Walsh takes readers step by step to determining whether or not an independent store is the best business option and gives tips for how to take the jump.  Simone discusses the first step – how to calculate wages for handmade sellers.  Then, Simone tells handmade sellers how to determine their overhead costs for crafting.  Using the figures generated, a seller can see whether or not they can break even while selling independently.

Do you sell your handmade items in an independent store-front online?  How has it worked for your business?  Why have you decided to stay with online selling platforms rather than creating your own site?

Share you thoughts about selling handmade online with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Submit your detailed tips for selling handmade, or comment on this article below!

News of the free Facebook application from ArtFire crafters is spreading quickly among the online handmade community.  But this isn’t the first time ArtFire has thought outside of the box in order to reach more handmade consumers.  ArtFire is currently the only handmade marketplace that offers a widget to members in which items listed in an ArtFire Studio can be placed on third party blog, social media, or other sites.  What’s better, this feature is free for all Basic and Verified members.

ArtFire is back at it again with a new Facebok app.  According to the ArtFire website, verified ArtFire members can now offer their handmade, art, vintage, media, supplies, and design items on Facebook.  This means ArtFire sellers can sell directly on Facebook!

This Facebook app (”ArtFire Facebook Kiosk”) makes selling items directly to buyers on Facebook easy.  The seller’s banner, settings, layout, title and item information port over to a handmade seller’s new Facebook Kiosk automatically.  In fact, when an ArtFire seller makes a change to their handmade item on ArtFire.com, the new information is automatically updated on the Facebook Kiosk.

Our HandmadeMarketing.org team worried about the real-time, fast-paced world of selling online.  How could the two selling venues stay in constant connection, so two of the same art prints are not sold – one on Facebook and one at ArtFire.com.

“When an item sells on ArtFire or from your Facebook Kiosk both your ArtFire Fusion Studio and your Facebook Kiosk are updated in real time,” the ArtFire site read.  “All your order processing is integrated and encrypted for your customers and order fulfillment are handled just like any other sale made on ArtFire; right from your “My ArtFire” control panel.”

This exciting new Facebook application integratesArtFire Fusion Studios with a seller’s Facebook Fan page or Profile page.  Best of all, this is a free tool for ArtFire Verified (Pro Level) members.  Our HandmadeMarketing.org wondered what the hidden costs could be for this type of service.  “Just like on ArtFire, you never pay a listing, insertion, final value, or hidden fee to offer and sell your ArtFire items on Facebook,” the ArtFire website explained.

Our team was excited to hear that this new Facebook application for ArtFire sellers also supports “No Account Checkout”.  The mind of the average Facebook user is at the center of this awesome effort by ArtFire.com to sell more handmade online.  The “No Account Checkout” feature and the idea of bringing handmade directly to the potential buyer is truly a breakthrough for the handmade selling community.

Getting set up with this web tool is simple.  Go to the Facebook Kiosk Install on Facebook.com.  From there, follow the steps and start selling on Facebook to those who love handmade!

What do you think of this new ArtFire feature?  How do you think this can help you sell more handmade online?  Any ideas for other web resouces you would like to see your selling platform take advantage of?

Share your thoughts with HandmadeMarketing.org by commenting below!

ArtFire.com was founded in 2008 and offers a competitive alternative to eBay and Etsy.com for buying and selling handmade items designed by artisans from around the world.

ArtFire has received praise for many of the great features of the site – from the low costs to the flexibility it gives handmade sellers.

HandmadeMarketing.org recently came across this article by Maire Loughran about why ArtFire is leading the way in selling handmade online and what CEO John Jacobs sees next for the site.

With all the recent buzz HandmadeMarketing.org has been hearing about JellyFiz.com, we were excited to interview with the team behind the new handmade-focused website.

What makes JellyFiz different than Etsy, ArtFire, 1000 Markets, and the other growing selling platforms for handmade sellers?

“JellyFiz is a buy and sell market place for “alternative” handmade fashion and accessories,” said Meg Ginimav, from JellyFiz.  “What I mean by “alternative” is you’ll find handmade creations influenced by Goth, Punk, Emo, Rockabilly, Retro, Glam, Streetwear and a whole lot of other funky fashion trends. We want to be different to other handmade market places by focusing on pop culture inspired fashion and accessories.”

The JellyFiz team tells us that there is huge demand from shoppers who are looking to buy something unique online from handmade sellers.  They tell us these items cannot be found in retail chains like Hot Topic or Urban Outfitters.

“JellyFiz is unique to other handmade marketplaces as we focus on “alternative” handmade fashion and accessories. It’s also different from other selling venues as it is totally free to start selling. There are no listing fees, no sales fees and no membership fees. Later we might add premium paid features,” JellyFiz told HandmadeMarketing.org

“We see a growing number of handmade sellers who are catering for the “alternative” market. These sellers are creating anything from hand screen printed streetwear t-shirts and hoodies to Goth and Kawaii jewelry,” Meg said.  “Overall our goal is to create a thriving community for “alternative” handmade fashion and accessories.”

HandmadeMarketing.org wondered how JellyFiz first began. “JellyFiz got started as a project out of MBA school,” Meg told HandmadeMarketing.org.  “We were told to create a basic e-commerce site but one thing led to another and the project got out of control.”

The story behind the creation of JellyFiz is just as unique as the benefits the handmade community may see from this vibrant site.  “JellyFiz was created out of the need to exercise our creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. It seemed like a fun thing to do, so we just went along and created JellyFiz,” Meg told HandmadeMarketing.org.

“After many iterations,” she continued, “we ended up with a marketplace for alternative handmade fashion and accessories. We still have many ideas that we want to explore with JellyFiz, but we are taking it one step at a time.”

The JellyFiz team says the site offers a dedicated selling channel for handmade sellers to reach their target audience.

“The target audience being people looking for alternative edgy pop culture inspired fashion and accessories,” she said. “Another very important point is that we do not charge listing fees, sales fees or any memberships fees. It is totally free to sell on JellyFiz. Later on we might add premium paid features for sellers so that they get better exposure for their creations.”

The site also offers benefits to those who buy handmade online.  “For buyers, we offer a visually vibrant and exciting experience for shoppers by ensuring items that are listed fit with our overall site theme. There is also a great search tool that helps you discover new items by occasion, trends, graphics, colors, location and even your mood.”

The team told HandmadeMarketing.org a bit about the long hours behind the website.  “If we knew how much work was involved we would have seriously thought twice,” Meg told us.  “We have a global team with Graphic Designers in Turkey, Coders in India, UI designers in San Francisco and Systems Admin in Ukraine. It can’t get more dispersed than that.”

The handmade community is a focus for JellyFiz.  Because of the struggles many sellers face, our editors asked the JellyFiz team to share any advice they have for sellers.

“There are so many on-line resources, tools and sites that handmade sellers can use nowadays and finding what works amongst all the noise is very tricky especially as each one requires investment in your time before you see any results,” the team tells us.  “The main advice to online handmade sellers would be to select just a few of the good free tools out there such as Twitter and Facebook and to work hard at building your own identity on them. Having a niche for your items is also very important especially when there is so much competition.”

“The biggest challenge for handmade sellers are to get exposure for their creations and to build a following of fan who can spread the word about their talent to other like minded individuals. To take steps to solve these problems JellyFiz has implemented a better search tool so shoppers can discover items by fashion trends or occasion or even graphics and patterns. We are also building features so that shoppers can join the seller’s own street team to help promote their store.”

Looking ahead, where does JellyFiz hope to be at the end of 2009?

“We aim to have a thriving community of sellers and buyers on the site by year end,” Meg said.  “We are still a very new site so things will take time to get the word of mouth out there. But with the help of sites such as yours we can expect things to pick up pretty soon. We have also created a screen printing service that we are currently launching. This will enable any indie apparel designers and bands to print their t-shirts and hoodies with JellyFiz. We will offer them the same tools as we offer our handmade sellers so that they can market their merch on JellyFiz. This will add to the overall pop culture theme of the site.”

Interested in learning if JellyFiz is a marketplace that appeals to you?  Visit JellyFiz online to learn more!

Do you sell niche items online?  How do you market your craft?  What do you think of JellyFiz and their services?

Share your tips for selling online with HandmadeMarketing.org!  Our site thrives on your ideas for selling handmade items.  If our editors publish your thoughts, we’ll link to you shop, site, or blog!