Need ideas!

[PetiteTuques]

I was thinking about my strategy for online selling, and I think I must be very bad at it! Well, maybe I'm just being impatient, because I've got two features lined up on well known blogs-  and I've been asked to promote them, so you can find me on

http://www.nurseryloveblog.blogspot.com/ (not sure when yet)

and http://www.mygiveawaytoday.com/ on June 28th. 

I feel like all I've been doing is giving stuff away and making hats that no one wants to buy. My sale the other weekend did not go well for me, and one person even told me that she put away all the snow stuff so she did not want to even think about hats. So it's very discouraging and I hope my luck will change by being on those blogs.

Any comments from those top 20 sellers??

[Fairy Cardmaker]

I am no where near the top 20 selllers, but I do have a warm weather idea for you.... what about tuques for dolls / teddybears?  Pretend is all year round!

[neatTreats]

Ensorcelled Minds made a great suggestion.  Build A Bear has made a fortune selling accessories.  What little girl doesn't want to dress up her dolly. 

Pam

[PetiteTuques]

I thought about that before, but I'll still have the same problem of trying to sell them. I'd like to hear success stories of people...

[Northern Girl Jewelry]

Selling is a lot of work, be it on-line or in person.  Not only do you need to make a great product, but you need to market your product too.  And promotion is only one aspect of marketing (although an important one). 

When you are selling on-line, there is an extra challenge, because people can't pick up your item to see/feel it.  They only have photos and descriptions to help them to understand what it looks like, colour, size, what it feels like, etc.  You need to use your photos and your description to bring your items to life.  Use those to convince your buyer that he/she needs your item, that your item is the right one for him/her (quality, uniqueness, etc.).  Go look at successfull on-line shops, shops that appeal to you and analyze what it is that draws you in.  Are their photographs stunning?  Are their descriptions evocative?  Do the descriptions answer all your questions?  etc.

If you can't be objective in looking at your own shop to understand your strengths and weaknesses, ask the opinion of people who can be objective and who will be honest with you.  Don't just ask people who will tell you what you want to hear for fear of hurting your feelings. 

Something else that is important is for you to know who is your target market.  Once you have a clear description of your target market, then you focus your advertizing and promotion efforts in places where your target market is found.  Advertizing in the wrong places is a waste of time and money.  And promotion is important if you want to be successful at selling on-line.

[iCraft Admin]

Hi petitetuques,

Here are two ideas for you.

If you check which Keywords in conjunction with "Knitting" are popular on Google, you can actually see what products people are replacementing for. So why not create products that you know are already in demand?

Also, check out products that are being sold on iCraft https://icraftgifts.com/handmade/last-sold/
I've noticed, for example, there were quite a few sales for hats with ears this year, like these:
Baby Bear Beanie in Brown and Tan - https://icraftgifts.com/handmade/21510/baby-bear-beanie-in-brown-and-tan.php
BLACK / GREY panda fleece Hat cosplay goth snowboarding anime - https://icraftgifts.com/handmade/19908/black-grey-panda-fleece-hat-cosplay-goth-snowboarding-anime.php
BLACK / PINK KITTY CAT AVIATOR ear flap fleece Hat cosplay goth 
- https://icraftgifts.com/handmade/19701/black-pink-kitty-cat-aviator-ear-flap-fleece-hat-cosplay-goth.php

Just by analysing those products and the Keywords that sellers used for them, you could probably learn something that could help you with your sales strategy? Thanks!

[PillowThrowDecor]

Touques are associated with winter but hats are worn in the summer too.

What about knitting/ crocheting something with a brim out of a cotton or that stuff that feels like rafia.

What about a ponytail hat with a brim?

Or knitting little cotton beanie hats for people worried about hair color fading in the sun?

What about knitting sweatbands? in something absorbent?

I really like the "pretend" all year idea.

[PetiteTuques]

Thanks for all your suggestions!

I've been working hard the past couple of weeks- I'm getting some photos done, which I hope will bring out the great colors of my yarn! I've been working on hats with brims- soon to come in my shop...I'm also fiddling with cotton, because I want people to be able to enjoy my hats in the summer too. It's definitely harder than I thought when I first started this... but I'm betting that in a couple of years I'll be doing great 

[PillowThrowDecor]

I'm sure you will be too!

Hey... remember it is winter "down under".  I was reminded of that on a blog that I was breezing through today whereby a seller, who retails in 80 stores in Australia, was being featured in a giveaway. She was doing beanies and scarve/collar thingies.

I was surprised too when I realized how hard it was and how focused you had to stay in your marketing. Let your foot off the pedal and you go backwards fast. Slow and steady will get you there

So... who do you know in Australia?

Cheers
Christine

[PetiteTuques]

That's funny, because I participated in a contest where I donated a hat as a prize, and the person lives in New Zealand, and all the other participators live in Australia.. So I actually do know people down under..