How to Market a Jewelry Business on the Internet

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Get organized.

   Categorize your work into product lines, group by type (earrings, bracelets, etc.) or by price points.
   
   Create product numbers or names, write a description of each piece and take photographs of your work.
   
   Doing this work up front will save you a lot of time down the road.
   
   You may want to create spreadsheets or use other file software you already have.
   
   It is helpful to research price ranges for the kind of jewelry you will make by visiting boutiques and websites that sell handmade jewelry.
   
   Bead Manager Pro is a great jewelry inventory software system you might want to try but there are others out there, too.
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   Step 2: Think of a business name.

   Check state, city and any other local laws to see if you need to register an online business in your area.
   
   You may need to get a tax ID number as well. , There are two basic ways to market your jewelry work online.
   
   One is to create your own website, the other is to use a shopping website like eBay or Etsy.
   
   You can create your own website if you have basic computer skills (you don't have to be a web expert) if you use a web host that offers site building tools and templates as part of their hosting package.
   
   GoDaddy! and Yahoo offer such tools at good prices, but there are many other companies out there so do some searching online to find the best service for you. , You can see if your domain is available on this website. , You will probably want to have a home page that talks about your business, a portfolio page that shows off your work, and a contact page so people know how to get in touch with you.
   
   You will also want to set up a shopping cart so you can sell through your website. , It doesn't cost anything to get set up with PayPal but they take a small percentage of each transaction.
   
   All transactions take place through their secure server and you never have access to shopper's card info. , The device is free and Square takes a small percentage of each transaction, similar to PayPal. , If you don't want to build your own website, you can use a shopping website where you create your own "store" that you can use to sell online.
   
   Services and costs vary widely from company to company, so do some research to see what fits best with your work.
   
   Some options are Etsy, eBay, Artful Home, and Wholesale Crafts, if you want to sell to galleries and boutiques.
   
   There are many more our there so do some online searches before you choose an online store. , Whether your own site or an online store, via social media like Myspace, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
   
   These sites are free to use and grant access to a wide number of people who share your interests.
   
   You can also buy inexpensive ads through many of these social media sites. , This is another service that many hosts offer for free.
   
   In fact, you can generate income by allowing ads on your blog (such as Google AdWords via Blogspot). , Regular e-newsletters will drive traffic to your website.
   
   You can sign up for a free trial to see if you like their services before you commit to opening an account. , It may take some time to be recognized on Yahoo.ca, Google.ca and other search engines but it is good to submit your website to attract a larger audience.
   
   Some search engines like DuckDuckgo.com will seek out your site and you will be seen in the search results but you never know which search engine your potential consumers may choose to use.
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   Step 3: Decide how to go about it.

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   Step 4: Register your domain name.

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   Step 5: Select a web hosting company

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   Step 6: register through their website and start building your website.

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   Step 7: If your web hosting company doesn't offer a shopping cart or merchant service

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   Step 8: you can easily set up your own shopping cart using PayPal.

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   Step 9: If you plan on also selling at craft and trunk shows

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    Step 10: there is a simple and inexpensive way to take payments by credit card using the Square device

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    Step 11: a credit card swiper you can plug into a smart phone or iPad.

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    Step 12: Consider other alternatives.

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    Step 13: Cross-market your website.

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    Step 14: Start a blog to build a following of clients and other artists.

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    Step 15: Consider using an e-blast service like ConstantContact to keep your clients up to date about sales

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    Step 16: new products

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    Step 17: Submit your website to applicable search engines

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    Step 18: some may charge a fee.

Detailed Guide

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