The first year that I sold at the Hyde Park Holiday Art Fair, I got such great feedback on my items and while my inventory was quite small, I was super excited to have almost sold out. Don’t get me wrong, I think my jewelry is attractive and appealing, and I’m not putting my work down here, but looking back, my success that day was a combination of being in a neighborhood full of my target market, in the parking lot of a local grocery at a busy corner that almost always attracts a fair share of foot traffic. People walk in that neighborhood. They hang out at the coffee shop, cheese shop, little corner restaurants, and they talk to neighbors in the grocery.
This was also the market’s first year, so the vendors were excited, the organizer was excited, and the neighbors were excited, and everyone paid attention to the numerous yard signs and social media advertising.
It didn’t hurt that it was December of 2021 and most people were eager to be out in their communities. It was a cold and windy day, but not so cold and windy that it kept people away. Everyone’s spirits were high and they were loose with their wallets. To say that my confidence was boosted is an understatement. As I packed up that day, I truly believed I could make a business out of my little jewelry hobby. The reality of becoming a handmade jewelry seller out in the real world is not quite so easy.
I started with a Square Online shop, which I still have and maintain to a certain extent. It’s pretty, fairly easy to set up, and free. I posted on social media and joined some selling groups. Not nearly the same enthusiastic reception as that market, even as my inventory grew. I continue to vend at that market each December and have continued to do well, even having several repeat customers. I just can’t seem to convert them to online buyers. In 2024, I joined a marketplace that I’ve posted about here, goimagine. I have a marketplace shop and my own standalone website.
A complaint I see often in the seller’s groups I am in is that there are no sales, and usually, the seller blames the platform. Other sellers comment they are in the same boat and they really want the platform to succeed, but there is no traffic. The platform isn’t as well known or isn’t advertising enough. Many sellers also express that they should not have to be driving traffic, the platform should do that. Which I think is crazy. What I rarely hear is how many VIEWS they are getting. A platform can attract people to the marketplace, but the shopper will make their own decision to buy or not.
People forget that an online marketplace is not like an in-person market. A shopper can’t pick up your item, see it in the light, or sometimes even tell how big it is. That makes it difficult to imagine that sun-catcher in their kitchen window, or that painting on their bedroom wall, or that earring in their ear. Other shops are a click away and we only have seconds to make an impression before they do just that. Photos are really everything. And I struggle with photography more than anything. Well, maybe organization, but that is a different blog.
While I have tried various things in the past, lately, I’ve found myself gravitating to plain white backgrounds with few to no props, mostly white. I think there is a place for that and will continue to include them, but it is a bit boring and maybe doesn’t always fit a piece’s personality. I’ve been trying to mix some things up, and I bought some candles and found a few things around the house. Below are some trials, and some errors. I’d love some feedback, what works, what doesn’t?
My product photography will probably forever be a work in progress. I hope you stay tuned for my (hopeful) evolution!
Also, I am blogging on my shop blog as well. I am trying to keep it more specific to shop-related news and different from this blog. It is here: https://blog.mieloabelodesigns.com/