Selling Handmade Jewelry Online: 9 Useful Tips You Need To Know

Selling handmade jewelry online? Here are some insanely useful tips to help you get started on the right foot and increase your sales.

Selling jewelry online is a huge industry. There’s plenty of demand and because of that, there’s also lots of competition.

Even with that in mind, it can be incredibly lucrative. You just need to know the right things to do to stand out of the crowd and attract your ideal customers.

While there are some elements that are comparable to running a brick and mortar store, there are also other things to consider. But, don’t worry because I’ve put together a guide with the top tips you need to know when selling handmade jewelry online.

How To Sell Jewelry Online

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1. Pick a Niche

Jewelry is a very diverse category — wire jewelry, high-end metals, corded pieces, beaded… The list goes on.

If you try to appeal to everyone, you attract no-one. So, decide who you’re selling to.

Who is the ideal customer that will purchase your jewelry? Where do they shop? What kind of style do they like? What price range are they comfortable spending?

Write this down so you have a good idea.

All of that information can guide you when it comes time to actually making jewelry. You can then decide what materials you’ll use, the styles of jewelry you’ll produce etc.

2. Decide Where To Sell Your Handmade Jewelry

Of course, if you’re going to start a business selling your jewelry online, you need to have a store.

So, where’s the best place to sell jewelry online?

Well, that really depends on your needs.

Are you tech-savvy? Then, creating a standalone website might be the right option for you.

Prefer to skip the tech and just get right to selling? Then, an online marketplace e.g. Etsy could be perfect.

There’s no right or wrong here. Just weigh the pros and cons and see what will work best for you.

Check out this list of the best places to sell jewelry online.

3. Find Reliable Suppliers

If you’re going to be making and selling jewelry, you’ll need supplies.

Make sure that you get them from reliable suppliers. You don’t want to purchase an item that’s never kept in stock or from suppliers who don’t ship on time.

It’s important to have items you’ll need, otherwise customers will be disappointed if you can’t make a specific product you’re listing.

Consider purchasing materials you use often in bulk so you can get the best bang for your buck. The more you can save on the back-end, the more you can profit.

4. Keep Track of Costs

It’s super important to know your overhead costs. This includes everything you use for your jewelry business — materials, labor, utilities, rent and more.

Consider every little thing that goes into making your products so you can recoup that cost in your sales price.

Either use software to do this or a simple spreadsheet. Just make sure you keep track of your expenses.

5. Take Great Photographs

When a customer purchases a product online, they can’t see or touch the product. This is why photos are crucial.

Take pictures of your products and focus on any important features e.g. a fancy clasp, as well as, providing all-encompassing shots from various angles.

Branding is so important in any business and photos are definitely part of that.

Use a background that provides a consistent feel for your photos. Is your jewelry high-end and classic, vintage, trendy? How do you want customers to feel when they look at them? Your backdrop should tie in with your brand.

You’ll need to take the following into consideration:

• Make sure you have great lighting — whether artificial or natural — so the photos look good.
• Use a high quality camera and a tripod to avoid fuzzy photographs.
• Include a prop or two that can give an idea of scale and add a lifestyle look.
• Use neutral backgrounds and displays that allow your jewelry to shine. Patterned or brightly colored backdrops can be distracting and make it hard to see the details of your jewelry.
• Be consistent. It may be tempting to change up the style of your photos but that will just confuse customers. Each photo doesn’t have to look the same as the last but they all should provoke a similar feeling.

6. Be As Descriptive As Possible

As I mentioned in the last point, customers don’t have any physical interaction with your handmade jewelry until they’ve purchased and received the piece.

So, you need to let them know what the jewelry looks like as closely as possible. Photos are one way to do this but descriptions are equally as important.

Tell your customers about the materials each piece was made with, sizing details and any other characteristic that might be important so they can make an informed decision before buying.

If you do this right, you’ll definitely reduce complaints and returns.

7. Shout It From The Rooftops

Promoting your own business may feel odd but it’s a necessary part of selling handmade jewelry online.

How else will people know you exist?

“Build it and they will come” does not work in this day and age. So, you need to market your online store.

How you do this is totally up to you but using a variety of methods is always a good idea.

One free way to do it is to use social media e.g. a business Facebook page, Pinterest and Instagram accounts to share photos of your finished pieces, behind-the-scenes, etc. Let customers know what’s going on in your business and what products you have available.

Pay for ads on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Google or even magazines relevant to your niche. Sure, starting an online jewelry business is way cheaper than a traditional brick and mortar store, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to spend some money.

Grow a following by creating a blog, podcast or simply an email list where you get to know your audience and provide value for them. You can then advertise your products via one or more of these avenues.

However you choose to go about it, be genuine with your online communications and you won’t feel like a sleazy salesman.

8. Update Your Online Jewelry Store Frequently

If you walked into a store and there were 3 items inside, you’d probably turn right around and walk back out.

So, when you launch your handmade jewelry business online, have a few items ready to list. This will ensure your shop doesn’t feel “empty” and amateurish.

Also, add new products to your shop often. This keeps your inventory fresh and entices old customers to come back. It’s much easier to get a repeat buyer than a brand new one so add new stock constantly.

If policy allows, let customers know about your new stock. Collect their email addresses and send them a quick note about the exciting new items in store. Some online marketplaces don’t permit this, so check with the platform you’re using.

Also, there are laws about what you can and can not do as it relates to collection of personal data and sending emails e.g. GDPR and the CAN-SPAM Act. Do your research first!

9. Have Clear Policies

You need to have clear rules for yourself and customers to follow, otherwise when a problem arises, you’ll have no idea what to do. Plus, when you set these out for customers, they know what to expect as well.

Will you accept refunds? Will you require a deposit for custom jewelry? What will you do if you’ve made a mistake for an order?

Have clear policies for returns, refunds, custom orders, shipping etc. This will make your life so much easier in the long-run.

Use these questions to help when writing your policies.

Selling handmade jewelry online can be an amazing way to make money from the comfort of your own home. You get to be in control of your own business and can reach a worldwide audience.

Using these tips should help make your business that much more profitable.