Building Your Handmade Online Empire {A Five Part Series} Tip #2

Welcome to my five tip series to help get the web on your side, a little bit at a time.  Each month I will provide a new tip to get you inspired!

My last Tip #2, "Harness The Power Of Stats" gave you a crash course in approaching stats for your various websites, social networks and shops. I hope you cracked open a few stats pages and got excited about the wealth of information there. Did you find my article helpful? If you missed it, please be sure to read it here!

 If you missed the first tip, be sure to read it here!

Tip #2. Harness The Power Of Stats

Once you have tried creating some new online places such as a Facebook or Twitter account, a Pinterest page or maybe a YouTube Channel, it is time to determine what is working, and try to figure out why! The power of stats will make your online presence drive traffic and sales to your shop!

This article is not a detailed course in specific stat applications, but rather a crash course in recognizing the importance of watching your stats (even if only once a month!), and a resource guide to get you started and keep you learning about what stats can do for you.  So..let's get started!

WHAT ARE STATS? Stats are collections of data that provide information about activity on the web. You can find stats almost anywhere you create an account, including Craft Cafe, Etsy, Big Cartel, Facebook, Twitter, and of course, the great Google Analytics, which allows you to see your website traffic in lots of great visual ways. 

Start Simple: Ask these three questions, and look for the answers in your stats:

1. Where is my traffic coming from? (search engines? referrals? links from your facebook posts? outside links?)

Here is a sample of my website stats that shows where my traffic came from during a 7 day period last month.

2. What do people click on? (most popular pages, posts, items in your shops)

3. Are those clicks turning into sales? (example: if you get 1000 clicks to your necklace and earring set, but no sales...you might reconsider your pricing, or see if you need to make a more alluring or informative description)

QUICK TIP: Look in your "admin", your "dashboard" or "shop tools" for stats. Click around and get familiar with what each account looks like!

From the simplest numbers (how many clicked your link, visited your site) to complex and visual information sliced and diced (so you can see exactly how people reacted to your link, post, sale, campaign), stats enlighten what goes on after you post a listing, a sale announcement and so on. Don’t ignore stats! Look around at all the different places where you have stats available. Do you see any trends? Do you see anything unexpected? 

Facebook Shares, Likes, Comments

TAKING A CLOSER LOOK: Stats give you information about WHAT people react to, and as you observe your stats, you might begin to see trends that tell you which things you posted that brought customers, fans and sales to your shops, pages and accounts.

The screen grab of my facebook post illustrates a very simple version of stats you can see right on your facebook page. Every time you post, facebook shows you how many people saw the post (lower left corner of the image), how many likes, comments and shares. Note the posts that get a great reaction and keep up the good work!

Something to think about: You might see that nobody clicks when you simply post a link to your listing, but when you talked about a new technique you used to create your product (and yes, add your link to it in your shop), you got a lot of clicks and a couple of new fans. That example is actually one I learned about in my stats. When I first created my Facebook fan page for M Design Boutique, I used to post links to my items for sale in my shop. I got very few clicks on those posts. When I began posting about orders I was making or new ideas I was looking for feedback about...I got a lot more clicks, more comments, questions and that lead to more sales.

What makes you interesting? Think about each post as a potential conversation, and when you get a click...you’re being a good conversationalist. Handmade small business owners are interesting. What makes you interesting? Think about that every time you post. This works to attract bloggers and fans who might decide to share what you posted! That is the definition of viral activity! Be so interesting that everybody wants to share what you have to say. It all links back to your page!

Think like a customer: As a customer, I am more likely to click and see your link if you tell me something I didn’t know before. I am more likely to find you interesting and want to know more. I am more likely to become your customer because you’re not selling to me, you’re inviting me to learn more about something I’m interested in. You are an expert! Be interesting! It sounds a little touchy-feely, but it works. Just watch your stats to see it working!

What to watch for: Spikes in traffic can indicate that somebody on the internet has linked into your shop or page! That is exciting! 

                                                                                                                     

READER CONTRIBUTION: Carrie Foster of Frawgz Dezignz submitted this example of her Craft Cafe Stats page, which shows the direct correlation between her facebook fan page posts and the traffic into her Craft Cafe shop.

 "I check every day. I know the days I post new items on groups or my fan page, the days I even post at all on my fan page with a link to my shop, my stats go up. The occasions I'm featured somewhere, my stats go up." -- Carrie Foster, Frawgz Dezignz

                                                                                                                      

Etsy Stats from M Design Boutique on Etsy

Here is an example from my Etsy shop stats. Last June there was a major spike in traffic to one of my listings. I was in the midst of my busiest season for filling orders, so I didn't look till later to see why. I ended up figuring out that a VERY beloved website "Regretsy" listed one of my products in a post they made. Look at that traffic! Without looking at stats, I would never have known why so many clicks happened all at once. Especially since I don't promote my Etsy shop on my social network sites.  

Notice also that I get a good amount of clicks coming from other places where my products are showing up in search queries. I'll talk about it in another post, but well-written KEY WORDS, TITLES and DESCRIPTIONS all help with those rankings and click-throughs.

This is a good time to stop, breath and go brave those stats. You're armed with some basics...and before you know it you'll be excited every week or day or month...to go see what your stats have to offer you.

Thanks for taking the time to read! Watch next month for Tip #3: Ask Yourself The Hard Questions

Please do leave comments and questions here! I will be sure to respond to everyone. I know that many of you are experts. I welcome your input, as I am speaking only from my experience. What works for one works for many. Increase the expertise! Add your advice to the discussion!

Thanks!
Melissa Machowski
Owner, Designer, Maker at Spoiled Cowgirl by MDB, M Design Boutique, MDB Weddings and Events and Spoiled Cowgirl by MDB at Craft Cafe

Why listen to my advice? I believe in getting perspectives from all over the place. I have learned from other people succeeding at what I am trying to do. I’ve tried a lot, read a lot, failed a lot, and ultimately found some real success at running an online handmade business. My lessons learned can be yours too...at least, I hope so! ----> next tip coming in one month! Follow Craft Cafe and Spoiled Cowgirl to get the announcement!

Top Free Tools for Running Your Handmade Business

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tychay makes it rain with the money he saved from free styling, yo. 

Running a handmade business can be tough, especially when trying to keep your business profitable while maintaining competitive pricing. There is an old saying  that “you have to spend money to make money” but it is almost impossible to dedicate that extra $10 a month to start an email newsletter, let alone a few thousand on the latest version of Photoshop. Luckily there are a few tools out there to help the bootstrapping small business owner, and best of all: they are FREE!

Gimp
This open source alternative to Photoshop is much more powerful than the more budget friendly Adobe Lightbox or Photoshop Elements. Edit and adjust your product photographs, create marketing material and more.

OpenOffice
Open office, or even Google’s Drive products (drive.google.com) offer a great, free alternative to the world dominated by Window’s Office. Spreadsheets, presentations, databases and more are all at your fingertips for free. Plus both products have a wide option of templates available for creating with them, just like Windows.

Cloud Storage
Cloud storage is a must for any important office documents and files. There are many options available, and with a little research, you can find one that best fits your workflow and needs. A good article on the options can be found here. 

Google Keywords
Keyword research is not only a good way to determine how to word your titles and tags, but is critical when deciding if there is even a need out there for the product you are considering to sell. Google keyword tool can give you great insight into what people are searching the internet for and with what terms they are using in their search (is it a baby hat or a bonnet?)

Mailchimp
Most email newsletter service providers have a 30 day free trial, but Mailchimp alone has a free trial...forever! Well, as long as your list is smaller than 2000 subscribers anyway. Free or not, their customer service is top notch and their new drag and drop layout tool is awesome! Plus they are connect to tons of other applications out there courtesy of their api-loving tech crew. And it’s the chimp. And he is based out of Atlanta (swoon). What’s not to love?

Bloggity Blog Blog
Hosting, domain names, DNS setup, FTP, security...oh my. If the idea of a self served blog leaves your head spinning or your pocketbook burning, then a free blog on a host server may be your answer. The battle of the blogs: Wordpress.com versus Blogger.com? With all the restrictions Wordpress.com puts on editing the limited number of themes of their free service, one is almost tempted to say “Go with blogger”. But then, what’s this? Out of nowhere comes...Tumblr! Tumblr is a great option for free blog services, because not only can you edit their themes, but the built in sharing functionality of their community means that your blog works for you instead of just being another piece of your company that you have to market to get people to.

HootSuite
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Foursquare, Google+. Linkedin. Tumblr, YouTube, Flickr, Mixi, MailChimp, SocialFlow, InboxQ, Constant Contact...um, why are you sitting there? You have social networks and they all need updating...RIGHT NOW! GO!!! Luckily Hootsuite makes it easy to update your networks all from one central location, saving hours a month on logging in and logging out of every. single. one.

Bliss Control
While we are on the subject of social networks, you still have hours of work ahead of you if you want to update your profile avatars or cover/header images to feature your weekly special, or to add your new blog url to your profiles, or to change that typo in your boilerplate. Yeah. That would have sucked until Bliss Control came along and made THAT possible from one central location as well, too.

So there you have it, a few of the must know about web apps to help you save some money on running your business so that you can spend it on more important things...like a much needed trip to the tea shop.  

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Craft Cafe would like to send out a big THANK YOU to Shell Bufton for this amazing guest blogger post!!

Promote Yourself With Confidence

HI HO there!  This is Krissy from PiixlWix Candle Company, and I am thrilled that Craft Cafe invited me back to write another blog post!
As an owner of 2 small businesses, PiixlWix Candle Company and as a hair color specialist/make up artist, I have had to promote myself unabashedly for about a decade.  Now, that is not to say I was always comfortable with it, but in order for my businesses to thrive (and for me to eat) I had to tell people what it is that I do.
And that is what we are talking about today.  How do you let EVERYONE know about your fabulous Craft Cafe shop and feel good about it?  How do you tell people that you do not even know that you make the most beautiful things, that are so close to your heart, things that you have poured your soul into and you feel like are your babies? AND that you sell these precious items, and they will think they are awesome too if they take the time to look at them?  AND to do this in a way that you don't feel like a snake oil salesman?
Here are some tips on  doing just that.  Here we go!

1. Create a script for your business.
Plan out what you want other people to know about what you do.  Write it out.  Rehearse it.  Make it your second language.   Practice on your adoring family or long suffering dog.  That way, when you are going about your day, it can come up naturally in conversation. And you can tell them with confidence. Trust me, the more you rehearse the more it will come up.

2. Everyone you meet is a potential customer, yet no one wants to be sold to.
And you are not going to do that.  YOU are not selling anything.  Yes, you have items for sale, but it is really the process of creating the things you make that you love.  Talking about where they can find your glorious things, like your Craft Cafe shop, simply is how you let them know where to find you.  And that leads us to number 3....

3. ALWAYS have a business card (or 12) with you.
When you are talking about your creative business, the best way to close a conversation is with asking if they would like your business card.  It is so weird how having something tangible, like your card, validates your conversation.  It makes it seem official, but it puts the sales ball in their court.  And it takes that pressure off of you personally.  The card holds all the information to your business that they need and you don't have to sell them anything.  WHEW!

4. NEVER, and I mean EVER, take rejection personally.
WOW!  Wayyyyyy easier said than done. Ask yourself, "What does rejection mean to me?" Does it mean not getting a sale?  Does it mean not getting a wholesale account? Or not getting any likes on your Facebook post?  Does it mean that no one seems to need or want what you are offering?  You are the only one that can weigh the value of your craft.  And you are the only one that can soothe your bruised artistic soul.  Find out how you do that best and it will empower you to move on.  Fear of rejection is one of the biggest hurdles you will have to jump in learning to promote yourself and the best way to figure out how is to simply JUMP.  JUMP!

5. Give yourself permission to share what you love.
Passion for creating!! That thing that drives you to late nights in your studio, your extra bedroom or your kitchen table (you wish you could eat on) will help you in all areas of self promotion.  As artists, crafters, and creators, we may have a hard time letting other people into our world.  After all, what we are making has a little bit of our souls in it.  That can be difficult to share, but allowing others to enjoy your items too will enrich your life as an artist.  As will allowing your self to just talk about it! So, start with this blog post.  Tell me in the comments what you are in love with creating!

Thank you again to Craft Cafe and to all you creative rock stars out there for reading my post!
I hope this helps with self promotion and if you have any questions feel free to ask away.  And don't forget to tell me what you love in the comments below!

Blog On :)
Krissy

Building Your Handmade Online Empire {A Five Part Series} Tip #1

Welcome to my five tip series to help get the web on your side, a little bit at a time.  Each month I will provide a new tip to get you inspired!

Album Release Custom Promotional Favor Candles

Over six years of selling online, I have grown my three shops to generate a stable, steady income. The flow of customers into my shops is not by accident or luck. My customers come from lots of places I have created online to get my products seen. By building my web presence over time, I’ve gone from hoping for one sale per week to accommodating a peak volume of over twelve hundred candles in a single month. With that experience, I hope to give you inspiration and knowledge to build a powerful online presence that supports your growing business.

Tip #1. Just Try It (and not all in one day!)

Building a web presence means generating ideas, content and relationships that lead potential customers to your handmade products.

Spoiled Cowgirl is my newest Craft Cafe Shop

I didn’t get to three shops and a steady flow of orders to fill without my share of despair, stress, major growing pains and yes, even self-doubt. I didn’t always know where I was going or how to get there, but I did, and still do know that if I work hard, create superior products and try new things, I will go somewhere.

Whatever it is...if you’re wondering how it works, whether it will work for you...or why other people do it, then (say it with me) JUST TRY IT! If it works, keep doing it. If it doesn’t (or you hate it...that is okay too), now you know. You can get somewhere without a huge advertising budget. I know because I did it! But first I had to (you guessed it) JUST TRY IT!

Overwhelmed? Too busy? Trade out just one hour of television per week and try simply researching or signing up for something new. Hey, try it while you watch TV or wait for water to boil! Whatever works to fit new things into your schedule. Keep an inspiration notebook near you at all times. Anytime you have an idea write it down. Then when you need something to work on later, you can look at all those ideas for inspiration.

A Newsletter Keeps Your Fans Connected

Try Twitter or facebook, comment on another business's page with words of encouragement or a question, try making a YouTube channel and post a video or set up a blog. Then on your next slow sales day, go back and start writing up your first blog post. Chip away at new things and see what works for you. After a month of trying new things, look around your stats....are you seeing links into your shop from the places you’ve created to support your shop? No? Keep trying stuff! Check back after a month and see what happens. If you're a little overwhelmed with stats, be sure to watch for Tip #2 next month. I'll be talking about the importance of stats, and providing some great resources for making sense of them.

Like I mentioned before, I didn’t get where I am by hoping for sales (although I surely do that). I got there by trying new ideas and then following through on what works best for me, for my customers and for my market. The search results and customers take awhile, but they will come.

Be prepared for ideas! Keep a notebook handy.

Over time we can create something big out of little lists, day-dreamy cups of coffee, time taken reading about people who do what you do, ideas written down, barriers broken one by one. Each step taken is a brick. Build your empire one brick at a time with an open mind and your core gift at the helm....your creativity! Let the life you lead on the web bring your customers to you while you do the fun part...make what you make, filling all those orders.

Thanks for taking the time to read! Watch next month for Tip #2: The Power Behind Stats

If you'd like to see examples from my "online empire", take a look at some of these ideas and links. Maybe something will speak to you for your next slow sales day! Stop by and say hello if you get a chance!

Social networks:  

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Polyvore

Articles and Blogs:  

Craft Foxes, Published Articles, YouTube Channel , Flickr, Photo Documentaries

Communities: 

 Promotions & Celebrity or Custom Work

Private Groups:
 The Sampler Village, Craft Cafe Social, Card Swaps
Various:  

Newsletter, Craft Cafe Shop, Full Website, Big Cartel

Thanks!
Melissa Machowski
Owner, Designer, Maker at Spoiled Cowgirl by MDB, M Design Boutique, MDB Weddings and Events

Why listen to my advice? I believe in getting perspectives from all over the place. I have learned from other people succeeding at what I am trying to do. I’ve tried a lot, read a lot, failed a lot, and ultimately found some real success at running an online handmade business. My lessons learned can be yours too...at least, I hope so! ----> next tip coming in one month! Follow Craft Cafe and Spoiled Cowgirl to get the anouncement!

DIY Project : All Natural Room Spray

How To: Make An All Natural Room Spray

Hello! My name is April Barrese, I'm the owner and operator of Little Leaf Botanics, an artisan shop specializing in handmade nature infused beauty products. In my everyday life and my business I strive for the most eco-friendly, all natural solutions. From laundry detergent to my favorite homemade herbal salves, my cupboards and studio shelves are filled with beautiful, plant based, green products. It took awhile to wrap my mind around a green lifestyle and a lot of time to learn to live it, time that I absolutely loved spending and still do! There's always more to learn  Here is my chance to share a little of that knowledge with you.

Essential Oils

Of all the plant based materials I work with, essential oils are my favorite materials. Versatile, powerful, gorgeous and useful are all applicable words for essential oils. So what are they? They are distillations (by steam, CO2 or other method) that extract the essence of the plant or other substance yet retain the scent of the plant. They are made in various ways but the end result is all natural. Happily, it's more and more common to find organic versions of these oils as well.


Since my favorite use for essential oils is creating products that smell gorgeous and create an  energetic, happy feeling, I thought I'd show you how to make a very easy room spray/spritzer. I like to use these in place of commercial room sprays for a variety of reasons. Essential oils are reputed to cleanse the air in ways synthetic scents cannot and they are so refreshing and uplifting, once you have used them, it's hard to accept substitutes.

Safety First:
Before we start, it is important to know that essential oils are very potent. All essential oils should be kept out of reach of children and pets, and they should NEVER be used undiluted on the skin. Also, when using a room sprayer, (natural or otherwise) please avoid spraying the eyes of yourself, children or pets. And yes, I know these are pretty obvious precautions, but it doesn't hurt to reiterate them :). If you treat these oils with care and respect, you will have an enjoyable experience. Just keep these guidelines in mind.

You'll need:

• A few essential oils from the grocery/ natural foods store, or purchased online

• Distilled water, approx 1/4 cup or more

• Small glass dropper bottle

• Small spritzer container (preferably glass or aluminum, over time, essential oils like to destroy plastic)

• Funnel (optional)

Mix:
I recommend a fresh, peppy blend of citrus oils such as lemon, lime and grapefruit, or a very stimulating blend of rosemary, peppermint and spearmint to get you started. The sky is the limit with combining, the only requirement is that you have to like the end result.

Mix and match your essential oils to your taste preference in the glass dropper bottle. If you have extra it's handy to keep it for a quick refill of your spritzer.

Add between 10-20 drops of your essential oil blend per 1/4 cup of distilled water. This is a ratio that can vary depending on the oils you use and the strength of scent you like but don't go overboard. Remember, essential oils are quite potent.

Finally, add your mixture to your spritzer bottle (this is where a funnel comes in handy if you have one). Shake your spray bottle before spraying every time you use it. The essential oils will separate from the water without a chemical binder. And that's it! You can spritz this anywhere you'd use a room spray and feel good knowing you aren't pumping chemicals into your house. Maybe you'll even feel a little more 'pep in your step'. 


Thanks for reading, happy blending and Happy Valentine's Day!

All photos subject to copyright, images courtesy of Little Leaf Botanics, 2012-2013. Do not use without written permission.

DIY Project: Bath Melts

Hello! This is Ashley from Aqua Blossom :) I am so excited to be writing this guest blog for Craft Cafe! I make handmade, natural bath and body products, and while it is a super fun and interesting job, I am usually pretty exhausted by the end of the day.

My favorite way to relax and unwind - especially during cooler weather - is with a nice, hot bath. I know, it sounds amazing right now! But what if I told you there was a way to make that bath even more relaxing? Oh, trust me, there is. Bath melts can turn your relaxing bath into a luxurious spa experience, and the best part is that you can make bath melts at home using just a few ingredients, and some kitchen tools that you probably already have.

First, get you'll need to gather the ingredients. I realize not everyone has a slab of cocoa butter just laying around, so I'm including links to Craft Cafe supply shops where you can buy these items.

Here's what you'll need:

• 2 oz, or approximately 1/2 cup cocoa butter
  (can be found at Blue Ridge Body Supplies)
• 1/4 cup sweet almond oil
  (also at Blue Ridge Body Supplies)
• fragrance or essential oil
  (CandleLynn Supplies has a huge variety of fragrance oils to choose from - just make sure you buy one that is safe for bath and body use)

Next, you'll need a few things from your kitchen: a glass measuring cup, metal pot or saucepan, spoon or bamboo skewer to stir, plastic dropper, ice cube tray or mini muffin cups to pour the melts into.

To get started, measure out your cocoa butter and sweet almond oil in the glass measuring cup. Next, you'll need to fill the pan with water and make a double boiler by setting the measuring cup in the water (but do not let any water get into the cup). TIP: if you're using a measuring cup with a handle, you can hang the cup from the side of the pan so it is suspended in the water. Allow the butter and oil to melt slowly, on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. I like to use bamboo skewers to stir, but a spoon will work just fine.

Once it has melted completely, carefully remove from heat. Now you can add a fragrance oil or essential oil. With an essential oil, you'll only need about 6-8 drops. With a fragrance oil you can use slightly more. If you are using natural cocoa butter, it is going to have a chocolatey smell that can be difficult to mask with floral scents, for example. My advice? Just go with it! Use a sweet smelling fragrance that complements the cocoa. I decided to use Hot Cocoa fragrance :) If you really dislike the natural cocoa smell, you can always use a deodorized cocoa butter.

Finally, it is time to pour into molds. You can use an ice cube tray, small soap or candy molds, or even mini muffin cups. Allow the bath melts to cool - you can pop them in the fridge to speed up the process. The first time I made bath melts, the cocoa butter took HOURS to solidify and I was left wondering what I did wrong. That is totally normal - cocoa butter can take a long time to solidify at room temperature.

Once they have cooled for a while, pop them out of the molds and store them in a container or zip bag. They should last about 6 months, but I'm sure you'll go through them much faster once you give them a try :) Just add one or two (depending on size) to a hot bath and enjoy! PLEASE be careful standing up and getting out of the bath, as they can make the tub slippery.

This is a very simple bath melt recipe - you can get creative and make it your own by experimenting with different butters like shea, mango, and kokum; different oils; and even embellishments like dried lavender buds, rose petals, or sea salt. 

I've had so much fun making these and sharing my recipe with you! I hope you have fun as well, and most importantly - have a relaxing day :)