I've had a few people reach out to me recently about wanting tips on selling their jewelry. By no means am I an expert but I have learned a lot of things along the way. The online markets keep growing and growing and by 2026 it is estimated that the sales on jewelry online will reach $307 BILLION dollars! Selling your jewelry online can be a fun experience but you need to understand what goes into it before getting started.
First, you need to choose a niche. Right now the market is flooded with people all over the world making and selling jewelry. If you have jewelry that is like everyone else's, your not going to sell anything. You need to decide on what kind of jewelry you'd like to sell, what materials you are going to focus on using, and who your target audience will be. You need to think specifics here because this is what will set you apart from other sellers. Some niche jewelry ideas are:
Boho Jewelry
Holiday Jewelry
Coin Jewelry
Stone Jewelry
Burial Ash Jewelry
Themed Jewelry
Bead Embroidery
A lot of times when people start out selling they tend to try to make a lot of different things and in the end, their craft booths look disheveled and mismatched. If you stick with your niche you will have a cohesive looking booth or online store.
Second, if you are truly wanting to make a go at it, you need to register your business. You need to check with your state and city to also see if you need any type of business license. Registering your business will offer tax benefits but you also will have to start paying sales tax if you are required to do so. If you are retired or receive any sort of state benefits you also need to check your threshold of how much money you can make before it starts to effect your benefits.
Once you have business specifics straightened out then you need to sort out where you plan to purchase your materials for your jewelry. There are so many great places online to purchase your beads and materials. You also will want to visit bead shows and get to know some of the sellers. A lot of times you will be able to get discounts on your products purchased if you make a bulk purchase from a vendor.
With your niche figured out, your business registered, and your materials taken care of, you can then create a website or start an online store at places like Etsy, Folksy, or Artfire. There are so many great platforms online where you can create free websites. Square has a great web format, Shopify and WooCommerce are some other great one. Although this may seem like a daunting task, it's always great to have a website to send customers to when they see your creations. In recent years Etsy has come under fire due to their stringent policies and seller fees. Many sellers have gotten very upset with their rising fee structure and the allowing of non-crafted items on the site. I would suggest you check out alternatives before landing on Etsy. Although Etsy has a well known name, you will have to raise the price of your pieces significantly to make up for all the fees you will have to pay to sell the item. The key to listing items on any selling platform is to list an item(s) each day or consecutive days. If you list everything at one time you will lose your place in the algorithm and your items will get pushed further and further back on the search engine. Listing something everyday will help you stay in the top search. If you're unsure of how to set up a website or how to list items online, most website platforms have free videos online that will walk you through the process. Or, use your best friend google to help you learn how to do this.
Make sure you are taking great photos of your work. There are so many great free resources online to show you how to take good photos. There are also free editing softwares online you can use to jazz up your pictures.
Once you have completed all these steps, it's time to start promoting yourself. Wear the jewelry you make EVERYWHERE!!!! I don't care if your just running to the Dollar General, make sure to wear your jewelry and when someone asks about it, give them a card. Start signing up for craft shows that fit your niche. If you make bookish jewelry, look for book fairs or book stores to set up. If you make breast milk jewelry, look for baby fairs to set up at.
Whatever you do, start building loyalty. Treat your customers so good that they will come looking for you! I know it's hard sometimes to promote ourselves, but i'm here to tell you, no one else is going to do it for us. You are your biggest champion and if you treat your customers well and make them well crafted jewelry you will have a loyal customer.
Making and selling jewelry is a time consuming job so make sure you are prepared to put in the work to make a go of it. Don't give up on yourself! Growing your business is going to take time and you've got to hang in there. There's a reason overnight success stories take years to actually become one.