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So you want to have an online store part one: Planning!
You’re an artist, maker, or creator who typically attends conventions, festivals, or other similar shows. Think about what you bring to these shows, what people like to buy, what they ask you about, what you want to offer.
You’re an artist, maker, or creator who typically attends conventions, festivals, or other similar shows. Think about what you bring to these shows, what people like to buy, what they ask you about, what you want to offer.
Everything you sell in person can be sold online, although some may require a little extra work.
Do you sell original artwork? Handmade ceramic pins? Commissions? These are a little more complicated to fulfill, but totally doable.
Do you sell original artwork? Handmade ceramic pins? Commissions? These are a little more complicated to fulfill, but totally doable.
Think about your schedule, what time you can put aside for this project. Do you want to have your store open for a short time? For a month? All year long?
Are your products limited to a certain amount? Or do you want to print/make more once they sell out?
Are your products limited to a certain amount? Or do you want to print/make more once they sell out?
Think about adding new products over time, like a physical store would do a product launch, or a clothing store would have their seasonal lines of apparel.
Do you already introduce new products at each convention? Why not echo that schedule?
Do you already introduce new products at each convention? Why not echo that schedule?
How much money do you typically make at a show? What’s your budget for expenses for the year? How much money and time can you spend on the store each month? How much money are you hoping to bring in through this sales channel?
Set realistic sales goals for yourself!
Set realistic sales goals for yourself!
Once you’ve figured out what you want to sell, how long you want your store to be open, and a tentative schedule for the year, you’re good to start looking at e-commerce platforms!
Yay!
Yay!
Considering your budget, can you afford a monthly fee for your online store, or would it be better to have a per-transaction fee that you can account for when setting your product prices?
Shopify, Squarespace, BigCartel, and Ecwid charge monthly fees.
Etsy and Storenvy charge per product, transaction, or feature.
I’ll review each below.
Etsy and Storenvy charge per product, transaction, or feature.
I’ll review each below.
Shopify is my personal preference, if you can afford $29/month for their basic plan. https://www.shopify.com/pricing
I like the option to customize your store’s design, their 24/7 support, and the huge number of apps that available to add helpful features.
I like the option to customize your store’s design, their 24/7 support, and the huge number of apps that available to add helpful features.
Squarespace is a good option if you already have a website hosted with them. They charge $26/month for their basic Commerce plan. https://www.squarespace.com/pricing
I like that it’s super easy to integrate your store with your website, there are good articles online to help when you need.
I like that it’s super easy to integrate your store with your website, there are good articles online to help when you need.
BigCartel has a free store option, with a limit of 5 products. Their first plan upgrade is $9.99/month for up to 25 products. https://www.bigcartel.com/pricing
Their system is super easy to use, but I don’t like the fact they charge for features I think should be standard.
Their system is super easy to use, but I don’t like the fact they charge for features I think should be standard.
Ecwid offers a free monthly plan that lets you list up to 10 products, but there may be transaction fees I’m not seeing in this overview. https://www.ecwid.com/pricing
The interface is pretty basic, but there are customization options available.
The interface is pretty basic, but there are customization options available.
Etsy is super helpful if you don’t have much of an online following, and want your products to be easily discoverable. https://www.etsy.com/sell
They do charge a fee per product plus a transaction fee, and there’s the potential for charges for products found via ads.
They do charge a fee per product plus a transaction fee, and there’s the potential for charges for products found via ads.
Storenvy is free at its basic level, with transaction fees, but no limit on products. https://www.storenvy.com/open-a-store
It’s easy to set up a simple store quickly, and I recommend it to anyone just starting out.
It’s easy to set up a simple store quickly, and I recommend it to anyone just starting out.
There’s no right answer on choosing an online store platform, I highly recommend you research these and others, and find what mode works for you.
Consider: do you want to customize the way your store looks? Do you have lots of products to sell? Do you want your own domain/url?
Consider: do you want to customize the way your store looks? Do you have lots of products to sell? Do you want your own domain/url?
That’s it for part one! Part two covers set up, and I’ll post tomorrow. Part two covers fulfillment! Thanks for reading. 
