8 tips for building a website for your creative business

5 April 2023

Have you recently taken up a new hobby of creating unique and beautiful crafts using your Cricut machine? And now you’re thinking of setting up a website to sell them online? Well, we have some good news for you! It’s easier than ever to get your creative juices flowing and your handmade crafts in front of a massive audience.

Here are 8 tips to help you set up a website to sell your crafts and get the most out of your Cricut investment.

Define your target audience

Before creating a website, make sure you’ve defined your target audience. Understanding your target audience will help you design and create a website that appeals to them. Research your audience’s interests and demographics to get a better understanding of where they shop online, what they want to see or buy, and how they interact with websites.

Find a marketplace or website provider

There’s many options to start with. Decide whether you want your own website or if you want to sell on a marketplace. What’s the difference? Marketplaces like Amazon or Etsy allow you to take advantage of turnkey sites already optimized for e-commerce. If your products are ready to sell but you still need to build your brand, they can be great options to launch quickly.

However, if you want to build a website that is fully for your own brand and products, website providers and e-commerce platforms, like Squarespace or Shopify, also have tools for you to quickly build visually appealing sites.

Get help where you need it

Consider hiring a freelancer or agency to help you build your website if you go with your own rather than a marketplace. Your website developer can also help you make sure your site has all the necessary features you want, like the ability for customers to write reviews, or setting up shipping and taxes.

Cricut Learn on laptop with Cricut Explore 3

Optimizing your site for search

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This is important because it can drive more traffic to your site by showing up high up in results when someone types in your brand name or relevant keywords in search engines like Google or Bing. You can optimize your website by researching and using relevant keywords and improving your site’s speed, but great product descriptions and photography can also support SEO.

Lana engraved gold bracelet

Provide detailed product descriptions

Customers want to know what they are buying, so it’s important to provide detailed product descriptions for each of your crafts. Include information about the materials used, the size and weight of the product, and any special care instructions. This will not only help customers make informed purchasing decisions, but it will also build trust in your brand.

Maker creating hanging woven baskets

Make sure your website is mobile-friendly

With the rise of mobile devices, it’s crucial to ensure that your website is optimized for mobile devices. A mobile-friendly website is essential because it makes it easier for users to access your site from their smartphones and tablets.

Design Space on mobile iOs with Cricut Joy

Offer great customer service

Customer service is key to any successful business, and this is especially true when selling your products online. Make sure that you respond to customer inquiries promptly and professionally. Offer fast and reliable shipping and consider offering free shipping for orders over a certain amount. This will help build a loyal customer base and increase the chances of repeat sales.

Use social media to promote your website

Social media is a powerful tool that can help you promote your website to a wider audience. Create social media profiles on platforms and share your website content with your followers. You can also use social media to run paid ads, which can help increase your website’s visibility and drive more traffic.

Setting up a website to sell your Cricut creations is a great way to turn your passion into a profit. Creating a website to sell your products is not a one-time task. You need to consistently evaluate and improve your products, your site content, and your site performance to ensure it meets the needs of your target audience. You can create a small business with a website that showcases your creations, is user-friendly, offers a wide range of products with detailed descriptions, and offers great customer service. With a little hard work and creativity, you’ll be well on your way!