Blogs

Instagram is a great social media channel for promoting your work but it has one, big drawback – you can’t put live links in your posts. If someone sees your piece and wants to buy it, they have to navigate to your profile page, click to visit your store, then locate the specific piece they say on Instagram. With each click and page load, your chances of losing the customers grows and grows. So why not sell them while you have them, right on that very same Instagram post? The “how” is going to sound kind of hinky and off-putting, but 1,000’s of Instagrammers are using it every day to buy and sell clothing, shoes and books. Why shouldn’t they be using it to buy your handmade goods, too!

Today, we're shining our spotlight on Michelle Eavey of Moore Jewelry Style. She's all about family and home and love and you'll see all of that in her work. From delicate bridal earrings to rugged paracord watches, you'll find something for everyone in your family in her IndieMade store. Take it away, Michelle. . . .

Halloween is over and we’ve officially cut the ribbon on the start of the 2016 Holiday Shopping Season. Over the next few weeks, we’re going to be talking about things you can do to help your handmade business reach new heights starting with a primer on two of the hottest days for online sellers: Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. This year, Small Business Saturday falls on November 26. That’s the day after Black Friday, which is so appropriate. After shoppers are done scouring the major chains for deals, they can turn their attention to the mom and pop shops in their area. If you have your own brick and mortar store or a booth in marketplace, this day was made for you. But there are also plenty of ways online only shops can take advantage of this highly publicized event.

Google is just like you. They want to present internet denizens with the best possible response to their needs as quickly as possible in order to create a favorable impression. A favorable impression means the user will come back again and again because they trust the system. In the past, Google got tricked into serving up all kinds of spammy content on the first page of search results. Customers clicked, were unhappy with where they landed and they took it out on Google. So Google went to work refining the algorithm it uses to determine the best response to a query and it’s sent quite a few website owners into a tizzy. Let me assure you that everything Google is doing is in your best interest. By eliminating the poor quality sites, they’re making it easier for consumers to find your site – but Google can’t do it alone. You have to prove to the Google spiders that you’re worthy of becoming a first page result.