Making Use of No Account Buying on Artfire

One of the first things that attracted me to Artfire was the no-account buying. I was trying to sell some items that geared to non-handmade market. I sold a few on Ebay but the fees they charged was more than I could handle. Etsy was too insular to actually reach this market.

I moved to Artfire in 2009 and after a few week I listed the board game pieces I was selling. This was a very niche market and mostly guys who weren't interested in joining a handmade site to buy.

My items were getting in search engines both organically and pushed to Google shopping. More and more I realized I was getting more sales from non-account buyers than anywhere else. When I was on Etsy, my largest amount of sales came from other sellers, not even those with just buyer accounts. On Artfire it is the opposite; in fact out of my 80 sales, only 21 were from account holders.

It's this freedom to connect directly with customers who aren't looking just for handmade or who don't know about Artfire that really makes it rock for me. You need to work a little harder to get those sales, good SEO is key to getting found and you need a product that fills someone's need. I've found a few well placed promotions (not necessarily ads) also are a big help.

The results pay for themselves. Every Artfire seller has this opportunity- basic and pro accounts. It's up to you to take advantage of it.

8 Ways to make your Shop Customer Friendly

I started this article with the idea of things to avoid to that trip up sales but as I wrote, I realized it was all about  building customer service into your shop even before your customer even clicks on your item and making it customer friendly. Customer service isn't just answering your emails on time and dealing with issues but also how you treat your customers from the very start.

Service is all about making the  buying experience better and easier. Setting up your store so customers can find what they are looking for and the information they need is all part of this. It starts with the your listing and doesn't end until the package is delivered and the customer is happy

This is just a short of ways to build your shop to make it customer friendly.



1. Accurate descriptive titles  A good titles gives a chance for the customer to find what they are looking for. Keyword stuffing or deceptive titles just lead to frustrate
2. Good Picture Let your customers see what is for sale
3. Informative Descriptions Describe the item completely, giving any needed details like size, color, materials. Any thing that might be unsure should be addressed. Customers shouldn't have to email you to find out basic information.
4. Use the Shop Rearrange Make the first page shine and include a variety of your best work
5. Use Studio Categories Well This actually entails a lot but all items should be in a category and every category should be populated. You can organize them in several ways but try to keep it consistent.
6. List Multiples not repeats
7. Offer international shipping 
8.  Eliminate extra clicks or work for the customer Let it be click and buy- If you sell different scents or colors, make a different listing for each one, don't ask a customer to select in the check out.

This is a just a quick list- does anyone else have ideas how to make selling easier for your customers?

5 Ways to Focus on Your Customer

I call this the So-What factor. Face facts most people are interested in the product, not that you long it or that is it handmade or vintage. They are how it affects them. Admittedly most of us are when we shop, why buy something you don't care for or spend more for something if all else is equal.

Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to focus on the customer's needs and show them buying from you is getting them something more than buying somewhere else. To do this you need to be able to tell and show them why your product stands out.

Step one is obviously to have a product that does offer a little more. Your items don't have to be completely unique but there should be something beyond I put love into this or it is one of a kind. My daughter's hand print ash tray she made in kindergarten was made with love and is one of a kind but no one really cares but me. Figure out what that is, if you can't, why should your customer?

1. Tell customer why  what you are selling is different and why what they get has value.
The basic idea. is to tell customers what is there and they should care. You use expensive hand picked jewelry, woopee, tell them why. Are you picking the most lustrous beads, special designs, what does your work bring to them. 

 Your make-up is organic- what does than mean for me? Does it last longer, what are the colors like, bring up ingredients if they make a difference to the actual make-up. Sensitive skin can be a factor but it often for many people it is not a deciding factor.
 Basically assume customers know nothing about your item and process, often they don't, and explain what it is about your item that makes it stand out and why.

 2. Are you actually adding value where it counts?
This can be a harsh one but take a hard look, which features actually add value. I'm suggesting making something shoddy but rather that if you are spending more for something doesn't affect the customer, you might want to rethink it. Put the effort and time into what counts.
Maybe even rethink your product. I saw beautiful hand painted yoga bags but at 75 dollars for a bag, that was way out my range, I don't want to spend that much on a leather bag, never mind canvas. Someone suggested why not try selling the painted canvas as wall hangings. That bring me to my next point

3. Figure out your market and what they want
I talked about finding your target audience but once you do, take a look at what they are looking for. Just start with price range, does it make sense? There are items at all level but take a look at where similar are priced. If most canvas tote bags top out at about 40 max, you're going to have a tough job with a single purpose bag that is almost double that price. Will making it a different style-say more traditional shape bag draw in more people, can you do anything to lower the price?

4. Great pictures that really show the item.
Magazine shots and fancy angles are great especially to draw people in but since they can't pick it, have some good crisp shots of all sides so customers have a real idea of what they will be getting. No matter how good you describe it, if they can't see it, they are not going to buy.

5. Last but definitely not least, make them want it.
Use their emotions to grab them. Will it make them feel good. How will they feel wearing this piece of jewelry. Is it cosy, does it make a statement? Pick one and work with that.

My point in all of these is when you write your descriptions, you have to focus on the customer and what they want. Tell them what they need this item for and how this fulfills that need.