Selling Woodwork Projects Online Tips and Tricks by 731 Woodworks.
Have you read our last article regarding how to do the correct pricing for your project? If you haven’t seen it, please feel free to click the link here.
After getting the tips on how to do the pricing, the next topic we want to share with you is the tips and tricks of how to sell your project online. What online platforms or social media accounts we are going to use, and how effective are they?
Platform #1: Facebook
Before starting to talk about those platforms, keep in mind that selling large items online like big tables or large islands is not recommended. Shipping fees of those items will cost you more than the cost of the project you are building. Small items like stove covers or scrap wood projects are better, they are small and easy to ship.
Facebook is one of the most popular platforms business owners use. Not just posting to your personal profile or marketplace tab, but creating a Facebook page or business page for your business, though posting it on your personal account helps, it will more likely generate fewer sales, and you want to build up your social proof and company branding through a business page.
Tips on how to generate more sales on Facebook
- Create your own business page or business page for woodworking.
- Start posting content – create content not only for sales purposes but make Facebook your portfolio, uploading pictures or video clips on the projects you are working on. Include progress and the finished product.
- Take good-quality pictures of your finished product – setting up the light and the background for the photoshoot of your projects makes it look professional and adds up credibility for your business.
- Boost your post – it will cost you money but it will work pretty well, you can spend around $2 -$10 per day, it’s up to you. “I just boosted 1 post on my Facebook page but it drives traffic to my website, you have to spend money to make money.” – Matt Outlaw
- Post consistently – Make sure to have a lot of content, post on the page regularly, do not just post and boost. Frequent posting can add up online sales, it supports the boosted post.
Platform #2. Instagram
Unlike Facebook, Instagram is not really recommended when it comes to generating sales. Boosting posts on Instagram is not helpful, it does not make traffic. Though it is important to have your business on this platform for popularity and for marketing purposes. Instagram is for brand awareness, for some businesses it might be a good platform for generating sales but for woodworking it does not as often.
Platform #3. Etsy
There is a big chance of having success on this platform. But it will take time to do it. Etsy is a search engine like youtube and google. Like Facebook, Etsy needs a lot of content. It needs frequent uploading of posts.
Boosting is not required, you can still make sales without doing it, but subscribing to one will make the page or the post gain additional traffic and of course generate sales. It will cost you $3 – $5 per day.
Always remember that boosting a page will not automatically generate sales, if your Etsy page is not completely set up, boosting things will just mess it up. It needs more details to drive more traffic and being unique from your competitors is a plus. Results (Algorithm) of the boosted page can be seen 2 weeks after. Boosting a page or a post can be considered an investment.
Projects with free shipping in Etsy have better performance, adding up the cost of shipping to your project price and tagging it as free shipping is a good idea. Checking your customers’ locations can give you a better idea of how much will be your fixed top-up for the shipping fee. Fees for shipping differ depending on the location, in this case, you might lose some, but it will be worth it.
Putting your item out of stock will affect the algorithm of your page. The more people place orders on your account, the more your page will be seen in search results.
Platform #4. eBay
Fees on eBay are crazy. Removing the Paypal option on their platform makes getting money harder. Additional changes on this platform like the need for your social security number, bank information, and other stuff make people crazy.
The new process on eBay is that, after you sell your item, the payment will go directly to your eBay account minus the fees you have, and takes 3-5 days to send directly to your bank account. It’s different now, but in the long run, it can make you save more money, No more Paypal fees.
Platform #4. Amazon
To be able to have an Amazon account you need to invest $20 a month.
Always diversify your income. Some platforms might give you good sales and other platforms not so much. NO matter what online platform you are using, make sure to use it at its fullest for your business to succeed!
Power tip
“Never ever use somebody else’s product photos and sell it like your own.”
Do not use somebody’s work as a representation of your work.
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