Do you have a knack for creativity? Are you constantly making amazing crafts for birthday gifts and holidays? Or perhaps you just make them for yourself and folks frequently tell you that you should sell your handmade awesomeness. Maybe you’re starting to wonder about the best websites to possibly sell your crafts.
If this sounds familiar — or you’re a knitter, jeweler, potter, or some other craft maker who’s considering selling your goods — this post is for you.
It’s easier than you might think to start your own handmade crafts business. Below, you’ll find some of the best websites to sell crafts, as well as some advice for creating an ecommerce store of your own.
Why sell crafts online?
Like all things in business, there are advantages and disadvantages to selling crafts online. Still, there is something to be said about the freedom that comes with selling anything online. Learning how to sell your crafts online is a good skill to have so that whatever circumstances you might face in future, you have the ability to continue making money on your handmade items.
Selling crafts and handmade goods online offers several advantages over traditional avenues like craft fairs and local markets. Here are some compelling reasons:
- Global Reach: Online marketplaces like Etsy and Amazon Handmade connect you with a global audience. This means your one-of-a-kind creations can reach potential buyers far beyond your local community.
- 24/7 Availability: An online store never closes. Customers can browse and purchase your handmade items at any time, increasing your sales potential.
- Lower Overhead Costs: Unlike a physical storefront, an online shop requires minimal overhead costs. You can avoid expenses like rent and utilities, focusing instead on a monthly fee for your ecommerce platform.
- Diverse Marketing Channels: Utilize social media and SEO to drive traffic to your online store, reaching customers through multiple channels.
- Scalability: As your business grows, you can easily expand your product range and customer base without the constraints of a physical space.
Advantages of selling crafts online
- Flexibility: Running an online business allows you to work from anywhere, providing flexibility in managing your craft business. Since you can order your supplies online, you never really have to leave your house (unless you deliver the goods to customers yourself). On top of that, how hard you work and the hours you put in will be up to you.
- Inventory Management: You can make orders (including custom ones) as they come in, which can help save on storage space.
- Targeted Marketing: Digital marketing strategies, including SEO and social media advertising, allow you to target specific customer demographics effectively. Social media makes it easier to share your work and find new customers, while SEO techniques can also help you grow a new fanbase.
- Data Insights: Online platforms provide valuable analytics, helping you understand customer behavior and optimize your marketing strategies.
Disadvantages of selling crafts online
- Competition: The online marketplace is crowded, making it challenging to stand out. Strong branding and high-quality products are essential.
- Fees: Though some places are free to post your crafts for sale, there might be a cost associated with some websites. Platforms like Etsy and Amazon Handmade charge listing fees and transaction fees, which can add up.
- Shipping and Handling: Managing shipping logistics, especially for international orders, can be complex and costly.
- Inventory Management: If you make lots of items in bulk, you’ll need to create storage space for them. Keeping track of inventory can pose a challenge for some people as well.
- Upskilling: You might need to learn new skills like photography and copywriting to stand out.
- Challenges in Predicting Sales: Order fulfilment can be time-consuming and overwhelming if you suddenly get a surge in sales. Also, unlike live craft shows, impulse buys won’t be as likely — which can make it more difficult to secure sales.
There may be additional advantages and disadvantages to selling online that are unique to you. Before diving in, I encourage you to make a list of pros and cons to determine whether or not selling your crafts online seems feasible to you.
Popular types of handmade crafts and goods sold online
The variety of handmade products sold online is vast, catering to diverse tastes and preferences. Here are some popular categories:
- Jewelry: Handmade jewelry, from minimalist designs to intricate statement pieces, is a thriving category.
- Home Decor: Items like hand-painted ceramics, macramé wall hangings, and bespoke furniture are favorites among online shoppers.
- Textiles: Handwoven fabrics, quilts, and embroidered goods are sought after for their craftsmanship.
- Art and Prints: Original artwork and prints, including digital illustrations, are popular among art enthusiasts.
- Craft Supplies: Many crafters sell supplies like beads, yarn, and fabric, catering to fellow
To help guide you in your decisions, as I mentioned earlier, I’ve rounded up six of the best websites to sell crafts. Look through them, and read the pros and cons to each to make the best choice for yourself.
Editor’s note: All prices noted below were current at the time of writing, but please check each site for the most up-to-date pricing.
Best global websites to sell crafts
1. Etsy
Known as the go-to marketplace for handmade and vintage items, Etsy provides a community-driven platform ideal for small businesses.
It offers low listing costs, and they have a reputation as the go-to source of handmade items. It is the most well-known place to sell handmade goods. But just how good is it for sellers?
The site itself claims it has more than 47 million active virtual shoppers, who in the last year alone spent $5 billion on the goods their sellers have listed. Setting up an Etsy shop is straightforward, and its global marketplace reaches millions of craft enthusiasts.
The barrier to entry is literally pennies for each item listed (plus a commission of the final price the craft is sold for). There are no monthly fees as of the time of this writing for standard sellers. The company has created an “Etsy Plus” plan for $10/month, however.
With 9.03 million crafty sellers globally, you’re looking at a lot of competition.
Many sellers have complained in online forums that big name and mass-production manufacturers can list on Etsy, too. This can certainly make it harder for the smaller, mom-and-pop type sellers to ever get noticed.
2. Handmade at Amazon
Leveraging Amazon’s massive customer base, Amazon Handmade is an excellent option for artisans looking to scale their business. It’s perfect for those who want to tap into Amazon's infrastructure, though it involves a subscription fee. Amazon Handmade is selective about who they allow to sell on their site, but the ecommerce giant does have a handmade goods area for artisans to sell their crafts online.
Handmade at Amazon is open to a wide variety of handmade goods, including jewelry, home products, beauty and personal care, accessories and much more. People know and trust Amazon already. Who do you know who hasn’t bought something on Amazon? Unlike Amazon Seller accounts, the monthly fee is waived for Handmade artisans.
On the other hand, you have to apply to be a seller, and not all applications are accepted. It could prove difficult to get your items noticed. As Amazon put it, “Handmade at Amazon is a separate category on Amazon so your products will appear alongside other handmade items for customers to browse, discover, and shop.” It’s critical your descriptions are well-written for anyone to find what you’re selling.
The fee for making a sale is higher than some of the other craft websites listed in this post. At the time of this writing, it is 15%.
3. eBay
List up to 50 items on eBay for free, and only pay a commission when something sells. While not exclusively for handmade goods, eBay offers a vast customer base and flexibility in terms of listing and auction options.
This is another site that people know and trust — they’ve got "more than 183 million active buyers across its various properties"!
However, you’re competing for sales amid an audience looking for cheap deals. Your crafts might not sell for as much as you’d like.
Millions of people are trying to sell their goods, too. You’ll have a lot of competition for eyeballs on your listings. How much competition, you ask? In 2024, there were a total of 1.7 billion listings on the platform.
4. Selling on social media
Selling on social media has become an increasingly popular way for crafters and artisans to market and sell their handmade goods directly to consumers. By leveraging the power of social media platforms, you can build a strong community around your brand and reach potential customers more effectively. Here are some platforms to consider:
Instagram is a visually-driven platform perfect for showcasing your handmade items. With features like Instagram Shopping, you can tag products in your posts and stories, directing followers to purchase directly from your profile.
Not ready to build your website yet? Simply get a ShowinBio! With one link and content-generation support from AI, you can show your social product catalog and have customers reach out to you directly via chat.
If you are selling crafts and handmade goods, Instagram is a great platform to get started due to its focus on visual storytelling. Given its access to a large audience, you can look forward to high engagement rates if you market your products well. However, this also requires consistent content creation and engagement to grow your following.
Facebook offers numerous ways to sell, including Facebook Shops, Marketplace, and through business pages. Facebook Shops allow you to create an integrated online store accessible via both Facebook and Instagram.
On Facebook, you can enjoy a large user base, integrated advertising options, and community-building tools such as groups and events. However, algorithm changes can affect visibility, which requires active management.
As a visual search engine, Pinterest is ideal for crafters to share DIY projects and handmade goods. By creating rich pins, you can directly link back to your ecommerce site or other sales channels.
Pinterest allows for long-lasting content visibility and a platform focused on discovery and inspiration. On the other hand, it requires visually appealing content and strategic use of keywords.
TikTok
TikTok has rapidly become a platform for viral content and creative marketing. You can showcase your crafting process, share behind-the-scenes content, and engage with trends to drive interest in your products.
While TikTok boosts high engagement potential and a younger demographic audience, it also requires creativity and adaptability to trends. Your content needs to be engaging and authentic in order to do well on TikTok
5. Bonanza
There are no listing or store fees on Bonanza. Plus it allows you to import your listings from eBay, Amazon Etsy and more. Bonanza claims to charge 50 percent lower fees than the other craft marketplaces.
However, you’ll pay a higher commission on sold goods if you want to have your crafts found via Google Shopping pages.
Best regional platforms to sell crafts
- Carousell: Popular in Southeast Asia, Carousell is a mobile-first marketplace ideal for listing handmade goods locally.
- Shopee: Known for its user-friendly interface, Shopee is a leading ecommerce platform in Southeast Asia, offering a wide reach and promotional tools.
- Daraz: In Pakistan, Daraz offers a robust platform for selling handmade crafts, with a growing customer base.
Then again, you might want to focus on setting up your own online store.
Should you create your own website to sell your work?
The best websites to sell crafts might just be the ones that are owned and operated by the artisans themselves. Sure, you can still maintain listings on the platforms I mentioned above, but having a website you own means you keep all the proceeds.
No middleman? Yes, please!
Here are the steps to take to launch your own crafts store online.
Start with a plan
There’s a saying, “a goal without a plan is just a wish.” You need a plan before you jump in with both feet.
You’ll want to think about things like:
- How much time does it take you to create each item? How much money does it cost?
- What’s your break-even price?
- How much would you need to add to the wholesale price to have a healthy profit?
Purchase a domain name
Once you’ve created your plan, it’s time to name your virtual store. Not sure which domain name to buy? Get started here.
By the way, you don’t have to limit yourself to .com, either. There are customized domains available, such as:
Consider using one of these domain names to put a creative spin on your web address.
See if your domain is available by typing it into this box:
Choose an online store builder
GoDaddy's Online Store offers pre-built templates that are perfect for crafters.
What does a website with ecommerce functionality typically include? At its most basic level, an ecommerce site:
- Is mobile-friendly, meaning it’s just as easy to view on a smartphone as on a laptop.
- Gives your customers payment options.
- Includes a full-featured shopping cart with which customers can select and buy items.
- Has an SSL certificate to encrypt sensitive information like credit card info.
- Comes with shipping options built-in.
For WordPress users, there are plugins that will quickly turn your existing site into an eCommerce site (the most popular is WooCommerce).
But if you’ve never built a site before, the easier option is GoDaddy’s Online Store. With swipe-to-style editing, intuitive layouts, integrated ecommerce functionality and more, you can have your site up and running quickly — no technical expertise required.
Add awesome photos and product descriptions
Now you’re cooking, my crafty friend. At this point, you’re building your online storefront. Be sure to include killer listing pages with the best pictures to showcase those stunning crafts.
Let your creativity shine here with the details about the product, and don’t forget to include pricing and shipping info.
The goal is to get those digital shoppers to click that Buy button, so make sure your listings entice your visitors to pony up the dough!
Bring visitors in with social media, SEO and possibly even some paid ads
Once your store is built, you’ll need to bring people to it and then turn them from browsers to buyers. One good way to do this is to work keywords into your page text and product descriptions. This will help search engines understand what your website’s all about and point the right people in your direction.
Social networks like Facebook and Instagram also are great for starting a buzz with crafters and makers.
Even if you just start with one network, stay active and respond to anyone who mentions you. Many store owners also start blogs as a way to reel future customers in.
Earn, create, earn more — it’s like you’re crafting money, y’all!
That’s the plan, anyway. Creating the crafts, and even launching the virtual store, is all child’s play compared with actually making a sustainable income with your craft website.
Still, with GoDaddy on your team, making money with your ecommerce store can be significantly easier. So get inspired and make the move from hobby enthusiast to pro craft seller!
FAQ About selling crafts and handmade goods online
Q: What are the best platforms for beginners to sell handmade items?
A: Etsy and Amazon Handmade are excellent starting points for beginners due to their large audiences and user-friendly interfaces.
Q: How can I stand out in a crowded online marketplace?
A: Focus on high-quality products, unique branding, and effective marketing strategies to differentiate yourself from competitors.
Q: Do I need to pay taxes on my online sales?
A: Yes, most regions require you to report income from online sales. Consult with a tax professional to ensure compliance.
Q: How do I handle returns and refunds?
A: Clearly outline your return policy on your site and provide excellent customer service to handle any issues professionally.
Q: Is it necessary to have a social media presence?
A: While not mandatory, having a social media presence can significantly enhance your marketing efforts and help build a community around your brand.
Editor's Note: This article was first published on Sept 17, 2020 and updated on December 30, 2024.
