Selling Turnings On A Website

[Rich Aldrich]

I would like to try to market my turnings, but the opportunity is so limited. I am considering making my own website. For those of you that have made your own, what is the software or method you used to create it and is it worth the hastle and cost?


Moderators: Maybe this is off topic. Please feel free to move it if you desire.

[Eric Gourieux]

Rich,
There are several free websites out there. They provide a basic layout and tech assistance. I have a website using Weebly. I've been happy with them.

[Fred Belknap]

+ on the Weebly site. Very east to use and I still use the free version. I have to pay a little to use my domain name (.com)

[Dennis Ford]

I used "Sitespinner" software, it was not free but not very expensive. I have not really sold stuff through the web site but it is useful to have for potential customers to look at. Often they see something and want a piece that is similiar.

[Damon Stathatos]

I'm in the middle of building my first website right now. I used to have a very poor excuse for a site on an iWeb page which is very limited, or at least was for me. Perhaps fortunately (in my case), Apple is about to deep-six iWeb along with any pages still out there, so I set out to build a 'real' one myself.

I'm not a computer illiterate but had never really concerned myself with the intricacies of web site building. For what seemed like the first couple of weeks, I sat staring at the screen, scratching my head, and googling a bunch of acronyms. What I slowly figured out was that I needed to either find a free or subscribe to a web host whose server would 'house' and 'deliver' my site, pick and subscribe to a domain name, choose and become familiar with a content management system to allow publishing and editing and maintaining my site, and then either build one myself or use a template compatible with the content management system to actually build the site.

For no particular good reasons, I ended up with DreamHost as shared server and Joomla as the CMS. I was bound and determined to stay away from GoDaddy as the host for a number of reasons.

The first couple of weeks went real slow, a lot of trial and error in trying to figure out how to get things to work and how each interacted between each other. But fairly quickly after the 'crawling' stage, things began to illuminate and soon I was (and still am) cooking on my new site and building the heck out of the thing. My site is not a 'selling' site, i.e.-one that people can make purchases directly, but more like a 'Wood Wisperer' site, one that hopefully after people explore and have some fun with, they'll be motivated to come to my location (or call) and buy. I'll have an 'online store' section but sales would need to be either over the phone or in person. In other words, not an actual ecommerce site.

There are all kinds of deals out there with respects to the web hosts, from 'free' to quite expensive. The Content Management Systems are free and you can find free templates as well. I'm fairly happy in that this whole thing is only going to cost $69 for the first year which includes the host and the domain name and subscription. One reason I opted for DreamHost was that there is a coupon for the first year AND they have something like an 89 day money back period. Now that my site's up and cooking though, I'm pretty sure I won't be canceling.

Here's one problem that I see myself as having now. I'm so proud of myself for building my site up and getting it up and running but I can see myself CONSTANTLY editing and adding and changing, and, and, and... It's actually a lot of fun and rewarding.

Good luck to you, stick with it, the learning curve's a bit tough in the beginning but then it becomes almost a 'piece of cake' once you get going on it.

[Jeff Yates]

Have you considered starting off with something like Etsy?

Don't get me wrong, I think a static web page where you can put up examples of work and the like are great, but I believe I would personally link to something like Etsy for the sales.

Of course, this is from extremely limited experience, so if anyone has used these types of sites...what are your thoughts?

[Ed Hazel]

Putting up a website is the easy part. Marketing it is the real issue.

I would also suggest esty.com and I would start out with a Wordpress site to show your work you could also accept orders. If you go with an e commerce site there will be more money involved.

[Jim Underwood]

There are several craft/sales websites like Etsy and Firemountain that are geared toward bringing customers to your "store". I think I'd try that first.

And then if you set up your own website, point it toward your store on the craft website.

I've had several sales on Etsy, but I'm too lazy to keep stuff posted on there. :rolleyes:

[Reed Gray]

The one thing that has stopped me from trying to sell my turnings via a web site is knowing how important the bowls 'feel' to the customer is when making a sale. Can't do that on the internet.

robo hippy

[Michelle Rich]

my experience is this: turnings are tactile..people want to see & feel them in person. No website/etsy site can do that. i knew i was doing well, when folks wanted to feel & pick up my vessels & when they said..ooohhh, this is so smooth.

[Steve Vaughan]

+1 on the touch. That really pleases folks to do that, from my limited experience. I've toyed with the idea of a website, not so much as a point of sale, but to let folks see variety, etc. And, I'm still thinking of creating a website, just because. It's not gonna do anything for me outside my area, but it does give something for folks to look at, and it can be used by folks more local to me to make immediate contact with me.

[Peter Blair]

I too struggle with utilizing a web site to sell my items.

I have discovered as well (as stated by Michelle) that wood items, especially turned pieces NEED to be touched, this can not be done on any web site. I have had a site up and running for about 2 years now (Rapidweaver) and have not had a sale associated with the site.

Having said that I have had perspective purchasers suggest that if my site was to include Paypal it would have a better chance to sell. I looked at Etsy but really didn't want to get into anything where there were monthly costs.

So to sum up my experience would seem to indicated that unless you are selling mass produced low value wood turnings a Site should be more about you and examples of your work focused on bringing people to you, your studio or your gallery.

I am gradually going away from posting pictures of every items I turn and instead just planning to utilize the site to show 'examples' of my work in the hope that some interest will be generated.

[Fred Belknap]

Pete I'm in agreement with you on this. I have made a couple of sales from my web site, but they have contacted me after seeing my product there. Most people like to see and fondle the merchandise;). I pass out business cards at craft sales and I suspect that is where I get most of my hits from. I like to meet the customers in person and really enjoy direct selling as to internet sales.

[Jeff Belany]

Your info says you are in Michigan but also Green Bay, Wis. Not sure if you would qualify but there is a program in Wisconsin to help businesses get online -- http://www.gyboDOTcom/wisconsin/ This offers help setting up your websit and also hosting for the first year if I remember correctly. Might be worth checking it out.

Jeff in northern Wisconsin

[Jeff Belany]

Was just looking at the free website page. It looks like this works in other states too. Just check www.gyboDOTcom and you can enter your state. It is a partnership between Google & Intuit.

Jeff in northern Wisconsin

[Jeff Myroup]

I agree about the handling and feeling the work. For people to far away for that, I use Facebook. I sell the majority of my stuff through Facebook. I like it better than a website because I can interact with the people buying my stuff.

[Robert McGowen]

Putting up a website is the easy part. Marketing it is the real issue.


Ed has pretty much summed it up. You can have the nicest website around and if no one sees it, what is the point? There are no "monthy fees" associated with Etsy, as someone has stated. Etsy started using it's own checkout cart a few months ago and you also have the option of accepting Paypal.

I had my work in a gallery, they tried to not pay for items sold (same story heard hear many times over), and did not sell a lot because they asked very high prices since they were doubling the the price I wanted for the item. If they sold a vase for $400, I made $200. I can sell the vase myself on Etsy for $250 and end up actually making more money and have better sales.

I agree that it would be easier to sell a piece if someone could hold, rub, fondle, cuddle, and play with it, but if you can't make that happen, the internet is certainly an alternate market place.

YMMV

[Donny Lawson]

I too am looking into some sort of website but still looking at the moment.

[Peter Blair]

Hey Jeff. I am unable to connect the link you provided. Any ideas?

[Robert Henrickson]

Hey Jeff. I am unable to connect the link you provided. Any ideas?

Convert the "DOT" to "."

[Rich Aldrich]

Have you considered starting off with something like Etsy?

Don't get me wrong, I think a static web page where you can put up examples of work and the like are great, but I believe I would personally link to something like Etsy for the sales.

Of course, this is from extremely limited experience, so if anyone has used these types of sites...what are your thoughts?

I am on Etsy and have never even had a bite. I sold a bowl at a give away price on Ebay and havent sold anything since I figured out how to set a minimum.

[Rich Aldrich]

Thank you for all the responses. I have been unable to get to the Creek the last few nights.

[Rich Aldrich]

I understand and agree with the feel and touch issue. However you have to be somewhere that you can actually put your stuff out for sale. I just sold a bowl through a store in Manistique, $60, I got $36 because of the cut. My home town is too small to sell much of anything. Now that tourist season has started, they will probably sell.

I now work in Green Bay, so I should have more opportunity. My issue is I have so many other than turning projects going and I only get home on the weekends to turn. It may be a bad time to start a website anyway. I am unable to get into the local art shows because it is past the deadline by the time I found out about two of them.

If anyone has any secrets for selling on Etsy, I am all ears.

[Randy McCreight]

The woodturning bug bit me hard last fall, when I finally enrolled in a local college course last fall. The instructor is a production turner, and I think most of the students fantasize about making some money from their craft. Local galleries want "artsy" pieces and take 50 percent, not to mention the risk of leaving the work on consignment. Prices are much lower in small towns than in upscale areas like Scottsdale and ski resort towns. With your own website, you have to do all the work yourownself: design, packing, and collecting payments. A site like Etsy is very handy, but I haven't found very many turners there. I visit my local club's booth and demos at the outdoor craft fairs several times per summer. And there's one tomorrow at a hotel. I have bought half a dozen bowls from one turner, and I am sorry to say this, but most of the items for sale do not interest me: stoppers, pens, Xmas decorations, segmented boxes. I don't want to sell to the guy who has $10 to spend on a knick-knack; I want to sell to the guy who is willing to spend $50-100 or more for a bowl that knocks his socks off. Your own website can be successful if you put some effort into SEO (search engine optimizer). GoogleSites offers free web hosting, and it's not too hard to build a presentable site: you don't need to know HTML and the nuts and bolts of site construction as with Dreamweaver. And a GoogleSite might give an advantage with Google searches for bowls, etc. I think I will go with my own site, and I can probably show some pieces in the hair salon of a friend who collects bowls (Get outa town!) and has another salon in Phoenix.

[Bill Bulloch]

I have sold a few items off my website, but only to people that ask me about buying something and I referred them to my website to make a choice. I have never had anyone buy off it that was just browsing. I have had the site for about two years now.

[Peter Blair]

Hey Bill.

I too have been running my web site for about 4 years and I have exactly the same experience as you.

When I turn something that I think one of my regular buyers might like I send an email with a link to my site and on ocassion they will purchase it but not from the site they will then contact me to complete the sale.

[Marvin Hasenak]

Websites for woodturners serve 2 main purposes the show our friends and relatives what we are "wasting" our time on. The other main purpose is to boost the egos of the website owner. Even free websites cost time, time taken away from turning, they will not generate sales like Target or Walmart. If you have items that include tools, machinery equipment etc., that are related to woodturning, your chances of selling increases a lot, because your friends the woodturners are suckers for new tools.

[John Keeton]

I have no intention nor desire to sell from my website. I use it solely as a marketing tool to approach galleries and as a place I can refer folks to see the type of work I do. Assuming you sell through galleries, competing with them by selling thru a website probably is not a good plan.