Thinking about selling online? Part 2~ The Pros

I began this small series of blog entries yesterday with the cons about selling handmade arts and goods online.  I chose to begin with the cons so that the pros might keep you, my readers from being discouraged.  And without further ado, here are my pros about selling online.
1.) It is easy and fairly inexpensive to get started.
Most online sites that allow artists to sell their wares are very user friendly.  For example, I currently sell my jewelry on Artfire.com.  Artfire is extremely easy to use.  They have tools that make listing items very simple and quick.  There are all sorts of "short cuts", such as their shipping profile button.  You can save a shipping profile and just click the button on all your listings after that.  Makes listing items a shorter and smoother process.
As for cost, many places charge fees based on the number of listings you have.  Some places, such as Artfire, charge nothing to set up a basic account.  Absolutely free.  Now, that being said, paying the fees on Artfire to become a Pro seller are definitely worth the investment.  They offer you more tools and services as a paying member and depending on how much you are selling it can easily be covered each month.That's just a decision each seller has to make for themselves.
2.) Your items are seen by anyone who has internet access and a search engine.
Instead of only being seen at local arts and crafts fairs or in boutiques in your immediate area, your items can be seen and purchased by anyone in the world who has internet access, a search engine and a working paying account.  With a market that large, it should increase your chances of having your work seen, recognized and possibly even sold.  Now, that being said... you have to go out and promote your work on the web to make certain it is being seen and searched by the spiders on the web.  We call this SEO or Search Engine Optimizing.  That's a whole different topic for an entirely different blog entry though. ;)
3.) Your customers can browse your items at their leisure.
One of the most wonderful things about the internet for me is that I can order whatever I need to from the comfort of my own home.  I love to order things late at night while I am in bed with my laptop watching the Late Show.  And if there is something I can't find in my local shops, chances are I can find it online and have it delivered right to my door.  This is true of your customers.  They can find your products on their time.  I also find this helpful when doing craft shows.  If someone sees a piece at a show I do but can't afford it at the time, it's nice to be able to hand them my business card and say "Here's where my shop is.  You can stop in later and see if it's still available."  So much simpler for that person.  Plus, there is the added bonus of having that person go out and share your website information with their friends, work colleagues and family members.
4.) Your items will find their niche or reach their target market.
Let's say you make handmade children's clothing.  But you live in a place where there are relatively few children to be found.  Not a problem!  Your online shop can be seen by anyone anywhere and therefore, the customers for your products can find you and your products.  Let's say  you make something a little off the beaten path but live where there is little to no interest in your art.  Not a problem!  There is a market of customers out on the internet somewhere probably looking for items just like yours.  Selling online allows you to find your market and your market to find your products.
5.) Selling online can generate revenue.
Yes, you can make money selling online.  I'm not going to promise you'll make boatloads of cash and be able to quit your "day job" or pay for a cruise or anything but who couldn't use the opportunity to make a little extra spending cash now and again?  Am I right?

I know there are once again probably more pros I am missing.  If you would like to add to my list, ask a question or comment on your experiences selling online, please do!  Comments are encouraged!

Thinking about selling online? Part 1~ The Cons

I know that more and more artists, crafters and hobbyists alike join the online community everyday.  They have heard stories of people who have been able to give up their day jobs and concentrate just on their art by selling online.  They have heard how their hobby could make them extra cash and help pad their bank accounts.  They have more and more handcrafted items in their house taking up space and need to unload them somewhere.
Whatever their or your reasons, online selling has it's pros and cons.  Like all things, you only get out of it what you put into it.  For the sake of our sanity... let's do this in a list style and only elaborate on points that need it.
I'd like to start with the Cons first.
1.) The online market may be saturated.
I find this one very difficult to overcome myself.  I am jewelry designer and creator.  The more I sell online, the more I realize just how MANY jewelry atists are selling their things online just like me.  And there are some amazingly talented artists among them.  It can be very discouraging.
2.) Your shop can get lost in a sea of other online shops.
This is directly related to con number 1 in many ways.  If the market for your product is saturated it means that your items and shop can get lost.  Customers often find themselves overwhelmed when they search for items.  They can be just loaded with possible matches to their search criteria and it's a LOT to look through.
3.) There may not BE a market for your items.
A good friend of mine has always said "There has to be a place for macaroni angels".  She was referring to the sudden shift of her church's holiday craft bazzarr towards be a much more upscale artist market.  She insisted that there still needed to be a place for creations like macaroni angels made by children and others.  She right but, the online market may not be that place.  There are some items that just are marketed towards a smaller margin of consumers and therefore, selling online can become a tough thing. 
4.) The economy does effect consumer spending, even online.
Let's face it, the economy impacts everything.  If consumers are financially strapped for cash, they are more likely to spend their money on less expensive necessities and not on handcrafted artistically made items.  This can either help or hinder your shop.  Me personally, I sell jewelry.  People with little money are more likely to spend it on groceries and gas than on the items in my shop.  After all, you can't eat jewelry... or at least I wouldn't recommend it.
5.) You often times need to spend money on your online shop in order to make money.
Another con that is closely related to the economy.  I have found more often than not, in order to successfully grow your onlins shop you need to invest money into it.  I am talking about membership or listing fees on sites such as Artfire or Etsy, ordering the necessary supplies for your work, advertising slots on websites or blogs, even new camera equipment to take decent eye catching photos of your products.  It can all add up.  And if you don't have the initial money to invest in those things, it can seem like your shop just isn't being seen.

I want to pause here and let you, the readers, chew this over and comment.  I plan to do the Pros list in the next blog entry.