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Regardless if you already have a Cricut business or if you are thinking about starting a Cricut business, you have likely thought about where you will sell your Cricut crafts. I’ve been selling my Cricut crafts since 2018 and where and how I sell my crafts has changed over the years.
In the post I will outline the top 4 places to sell your Cricut crafts. One platform may work better for you than another, so keep in mind, there is no one size fits all platform. It depends on a lot of factors including your budget, your audience size, your ability to learn new software, in addition to many more things.
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Etsy
Etsy is a platform that is made for handmade crafters to sell their creations. On Etsy you will find one of a kind handmade products created by small business owners. I love Etsy because you can directly contact a seller to personalize something or get clarification on a product.
Etsy will be your best bet when it comes to getting your feet wet and venturing into selling your Cricut crafts online. Etsy was the first place where I started selling online. I currently have 2 Etsy shops, 1 where I sell digital products and the other where I sell physical products. Below are pros and cons of selling on Etsy.
Pros of Selling on Etsy
- It’s super easy to set up
- You don’t need to know a lot of technology to get your Etsy shop up and running
- There is a built in customer base because millions of people use Etsy everyday
- You can start with as little or many products as you want
- You can sell digital or physical products
- You can accept custom orders
- The cost to get your Etsy shop up and running is relatively cheap
- Tools and resources are provided to help you excel
- You can link your social media accounts or websites
- You can receive your payout daily, once a week, once every 2 weeks or once a month
- You can track your analytics
Cons of Selling on Etsy
- You have little to no recourse if customers leave a bad review
- You have minimum opportunity to change the style or appearance of your Etsy shop
- There are lots of competitors who may sell the same things as you, unless you have something super unique
- You can’t collect email addresses from customers or communicate with them after they have purchased from you
- Customers can initially come to your shop searching for something, but end up purchasing from someone else
- Etsy can make changes to their platform that can have a dramatic impact on your sales and functionality of your Etsy shop
Shopify
Shopify is an ecommerce website designed to let businesses set up their online stores. Companies big and small use Shopify to build online stores that can support large traffic volumes.
As I mentioned above, I currently still have my 2 Etsy shops, but I also have an online store using Shopify, which you can visit here. You may be wondering why I still have my Etsy shops. The answer would be, because they pay for themselves and it’s extra income that I’m making. At this point in time I can maintain my 2 Etsy shops, my online Shopify store, and all the other things I do in life. Below are some pros and cons of opening an online Shopify store.
Pros of Selling on Shopify
- You can design your store to look exactly how you want
- The ease of setting up your online store is relatively easy
- You can set up a 14 day free trial to use Shopify
- You can sell socially including through Instagram, Facebook, Amazon, Messenger, and Buy Buttons
- You can receive your payout daily, weekly on a certain day, or once a month on a certain day
- You can track detailed analytics
- You can sell products online and in person
Cons of Selling on Shopify
- The cost to get your online Shopify store up and running can be more than some are willing to invest in. The Basic Shopify account is $29 per month and the Advanced Shopify account is $299 per month.
- You will have to purchase a domain name (yourwebsitename.com) separately from your monthly cost for your account
- You will need to find your own customers and direct them to your website
- You will need to download additional apps, some of which are paid, to conduct certain functions
In Person/Craft Fairs
Selling your Cricut crafts in person or at craft fairs can be a bit intimidating if you’re an introvert like myself. For me personally, I don’t do a lot of in person selling. When I do sell in person, it’s usually to a family member, a friend or someone who knows a family member or friend.
Anyway, if you’re someone who wants to sell in person or at craft fairs you most definitely need to have products/supplies on hand, pricing lists, business cards, gift bags, tissue paper, scissors, tape and so much more.
Pros of Selling in Person/At Craft Fairs
- You get to meet with customers face to face and network
- You get to meet other crafters
- Customers can see the exact product they are purchasing
- You can see which of your items sell best or least
- You may get requests to create unique one-off projects
Cons of Selling in Person/At Craft Fairs
- It takes time to set up your display for the craft fair
- You will need to have lots of supplies on hand
- You will need to have various different payment options ready to complete a transaction
- You can only bring a limited amount of supplies and you may run out of supplies
- You must sell enough products to cover the cost of setting up at the craft fair
- Some customers will try to negotiate on your prices, and you may not make a profit if you negotiate too low
Social media
Selling on social media is the latest way to get products in front of customers. Selling on social media is similar to selling on your own website or Etsy, with the exception that there are additional ways for customers to find you on social media.
When selling on Instagram, you can use certain hashtags to help get your product in front of customers. In case you didn’t know, Instagram is owned by Facebook and with both platforms you can sell directly on the apps and pay for ads to help you target your audience based upon age, gender, location, etc.
Pros of selling on Social Media
- You have the potential to reach thousands of customers
- You can directly interact with your customers and potential customers
- Your increase the exposure of your brand
- You will build up your social media followers
- The pictures of your products will do most of your selling
- You can quickly make sales based upon the effectiveness of your hashtags, images, and ads
Cons of selling on Social Media
- You will have to pay for ads to get your products in front of more customers
- Requires a lot of time posting and engaging with your audience
- A negative review can go viral and influence other customers purchasing decision
Packaging plays a huge role in getting repeat customers so check out my tutorial on Cricut Business Packaging and Shipping Supplies.
Overall, you have to choose a platform or method that works best for you. Please do additional research to determine which method is best for you. Download the free pros and con worksheet to weigh your options for where you should sell your Cricut creations.