Black and White Roses Bracelet - $14.95
You’ll here this advice from many a business know-it-all: you’re target audience is not YOU. You have to sell what your customer will buy, not necessarily what YOU would buy. Okay fine. However, when you are in the handmade business and have to spend hours MAKING the products you are selling, it can kinda help to LIKE what you are making. Wouldn’t you agree? Creating things you are attracted to can be more fulfilling, inspiring, and help you get excited about new ideas.
Beaded Headband or Wristlet - $44.95
My solution? A little bit of both. I tend to be attracted to larger, complicated works with lots of extravagant details. I like lots of sparkling rhinestones and itsy-bitsy tiny bead-work in a conglomeration of an overall finished piece. After creating something like this, I can really feel proud. I can feel like I made something worth showing off and writing home about.
Rhinestone Earrings - $5.00
However, I realize that my audience may also be attracted to more simple, casual wear pieces. After all, we don’t all get married or attend a grand a ball every other week. It’s a practical idea to make some pieces that can be worn to the office or the casual coffee date. So I also fill my shops with ID badge lanyards and everyday jewelry and accessories. These less complicated pieces tend to be quicker on the production side, but also warrant a lower price even if they aren’t.
Lanyard Badge Holder - $24.95
I may not be a big fan of chunky, bold pieces, or simple casual wear pieces, but I can definitely see the benefit of including more of these items in my shops. The real challenge then, is allowing this kind of variety and still keeping my items cohesive enough to appear as though they belong next to each other in the same selling platform. That subject, however, warrants a separate post. :)
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Tagged: beaded, etsy, handmade, jewelry, lanyard, making things, sellign online, styel, target audience, trends
I struggled with this, too. It takes a little trial-and-error to figure out what style people want, and then the difficulty is making a cohesive collection.
My advice is to edit. Lay everything out, and weed out the stuff that looks weird.
I also believe right customer will find you in time.
“Weed out the stuff that looks weird.”
Paige, that has GOT to be the best advice I have ever heard! Made me LOL!! :-)
Given I have yet to make a sale after 10 months, I’d say what people want is “Not my stuff.” :/ Whether it’s big fancy pieces or simpler bracelets, it all sits.
Aww, Lynn… sorry to hear that sales have been poor.
Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post: “How to MAKE people want YOUR stuff!”
Soon. :-)
Great post, I also keep a selection of simpler works that I sell when I go to craft fairs and Farmers Markets, I am happy when “the right customer” finds me and purchases one of my beadwoven items. Still sales are slow and people still do not have the cash to purchase these luxury impulse items
[...] Simple or Extravagant? Delicate or Bold? Making things that >>>I<<< like doesn't always equal what my buyers may like. Sometimes, one has to balance the two options. [...]