Selling anything is tough. Selling handmade products that take a lot of time to make is even tougher.
Tough does not mean impossible. It just means that you are going to need to put some effort into it
But do you need a website to sell your crochet?
Let’s take a step back. What has made you think about if you need a website to sell your crochet?
There are a whole variety of good reasons to create your own website. There are also lots of bad reasons, and these bad reasons mean that a website will just be an expensive and time consuming mistake.
Your own website will give you brand authority, it will increase the trust factor between you and your customers as websites are seen as being things all professionally run businesses have, and certainly more trustworthy than buying from someone over social media. You’re also more likely to be able to sell what you make at a higher price point when sharing your wares on your website, as its a more upmarket way to sell.
Websites are good for visibility, as they can appear in Google search results, so can products you list. Being found in search results means that customers can find you, rather than you having to go find your customers like you would on social media.
Most importantly, you control your website. You control how it looks, how it functions and you get to define your brand and truly speak to your target customer.
However, having a website isn’t a magic wand
Having a website won’t make selling easier
If you are thinking of creating a website to avoid selling fees, or because you’re not getting sales on Etsy then hold up a minute. These are some of those bad reasons I was talking about.
Having your own website might mean that you avoid selling fees and having to pay commission to a third party platform, but that doesn’t mean a website is going to be a cheap option. Websites cost time and/or money. Unless you are making lots of sales regularly, you are probably better off sticking to third party sites like Etsy.
Having your own website may get you found in search results (so will Etsy by the way) but if you don’t do the research for the right keywords to use, then you will have just as much success as you’ve had elsewhere. A website will not magically fix your problem of a lack of sales, in fact your sales could get worse as you no longer have the traffic your sales platform brings you right now. A website needs you to drive all the traffic yourself, and find the right keywords to make your products show up in search results on Google.
Having your own website to sell your crochet, whether it be patterns or what you make, will not magically bring you sales or solve your lack of perusing customers.
Website Truthbombs
- They are hard work. They will cost you either time, money or both
- You need to do keyword research to appear in the 1st page of search results
- You need to learn how to use the tech to keep it running unless you are prepared to pay thousands for someone to set up and maintain it for you
- Even after it has been built and published, it takes time to build up authority to get found in searches
Websites are not quick or easy, but if you are prepared to invest in them (investment can be in time or money) then they can wield amazing results
The Benefits Of Having A Website To Sell Your Crochet
- You can start profiting from Affiliate marketing
- You can sell ad space on your blog which can cover your running costs
- You have complete control of your brand and look
- You increase the trust factor with your audience
- It is far easier to communicate with your audience on what your brand stands for
- You can collect email addresses easier in order to build your sales through email marketing
There are some serious advantages to selling your crochet on your own website, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that it is quick, easy, or a magic solution to getting more sales.
If you are struggling to make sales on Etsy, then a website will not help you. You need to know how to master keyword and SEO, and a third party platform like Etsy is the perfect place to learn this art in a more cost effective way than a website.
How Do I Start My Own Website?
This article contains affiliate links, I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links
If you’re sure that you need a website for all the right reasons, then how do you get started with one?
There are various platforms you can use to build your website, but I recommend using WordPress.org
There are 2 versions of WordPress. There is WordPress.com, which is easier to use but becomes limiting as you grow, and then there is WordPress.org which gives you far more options and freedom
I recommend going with WordPress.org as it can grow with you and has no limitations. I use SiteGround to host my site, and I have found them to be excellent for customer service and speed. They also give you a free email account to go along with your website.
To start your own website you will also need a domain name, which can be purchased either through your hosting platform, or from WordPress.com. This should contain the name of your business, and I would recommend the .com version of the address as this is seen as being the most trustworthy.
The decision to have your own website to sell your crochet is easy. Making that site work for you is hard, time consuming work. You don’t need a website to sell your crochet, but they become a great idea once you are making lots of regular sales on other platforms.
For more tips on how to start and grow your crochet business, check out my Free Resources here. Grab whatever takes your interest to create your ideal crochet business. You can also follow my free Substack here for more crochet building tips.
