聯Every woman is聽a聽born multitasker,聰 says Elvira Threeyama, founder of聽the聽 补苍诲听online store.
After marrying her husband 补苍诲听moving from Indonesia to聽India in聽2002, she had to聽quit her job as聽a聽legal assistant 补苍诲听found herself sitting at聽home in聽a聽foreign country. Experiencing both a聽language 补苍诲听culture barrier, no聽friends, 补苍诲听no聽job聽鈥 that was a聽really challenging time.
Elvira鈥檚 drive to聽overcome the聽challenges of聽her new home was key to聽her evolution聽鈥 now she is聽a聽wife, mother, handcrafter, 补苍诲听a聽blogger. A聽
In聽this study, we鈥檒l explore how she鈥檚 built a聽profitable handmade business online 补苍诲听find out how selling on聽her blog with 黑料门 for聽five months generated more sales than a聽year on聽Etsy.
From Lawyer to聽Blogger
Back in聽1995, Elvira took sewing classes while doing her law degree. Little did she know it聽would become her business:
On聽our first anniversary, I聽told my聽husband I聽wanted a聽sewing machine. I聽started to聽learn sewing again by聽reading books. After I聽became a聽mother around 2006, I聽came to聽know what 聯blogging聰 was 补苍诲听started reading a聽lot of聽sewing tutorials. Then I聽came across Etsy in聽2008. That was when I聽realized that I聽could actually make money from my聽sewing.
Confidence 补苍诲听support are critical for聽a聽budding entrepreneur. It鈥檚 great that India鈥檚
Facebook was not widely used then, especially not by聽those who were doing business from home. My聽husband鈥檚 extended family have been my聽great supporters from the聽beginning. I聽came to聽know many people through them. I聽started making all sorts of聽things for聽family 补苍诲听friends, 补苍诲听even doing a聽couple of聽exhibitions.
The online era made her dreams attainable:
When Facebook became very popular 补苍诲听online shopping in聽India grew, I聽started posting my聽work on聽Facebook 补苍诲听making a聽lot of聽friends who had similar interests. The rest is聽history.
The Path to聽a聽Quality Product
Launching a聽creative business is聽tricky聽鈥 how do聽you make items that people want to聽buy? Like many successful handmade sellers, Elvira believes that controlling the聽product quality at聽every stage is聽crucial:
My聽product is聽100% done by聽me, 补苍诲听the聽fabrics that I聽sell are personally handpicked by聽me. I聽create my聽products as聽they come. When I聽get orders, I聽write them on聽a聽list 补苍诲听work accordingly. I聽also note any聽customization the聽clients want.
Elvira shares patterns for聽holders 补苍诲听wallets
Currently, she sells physical 补苍诲听digital patterns, fabrics, 补苍诲听handmade goods like wallets 补苍诲听bags.
Testing new product ideas also comes with some rules:
For new product lines, I聽start with doing online research 补苍诲听drafting my聽initial pattern. Next, I聽make a聽couple of聽pilot projects. Once the聽pattern is聽perfected, I聽start introducing it聽on聽my聽social media account聽鈥 补苍诲听only then in聽the聽shop.
Elvira never saves time on聽researching the聽
小reating a聽Blog That Sells
The CHEZVIES blog is聽built on聽.
With so聽many platforms for聽blogging today, it聽can be聽a聽relief to聽adopt the聽experience of聽someone who has gone before you:
Blogger has the聽easiest interface, especially for聽a聽mompreneur like me聽who has a聽pretty basic knowledge of聽the聽internet. Blogger very recently came up聽with fancier templates, which really helped. I聽changed my聽blog design just last month with the聽new templates.
Secondly, since Blogger is聽made by聽Google, I聽get the聽advantage of聽web exposure as聽far as聽SEO is聽concerned. In聽fact, one of聽the聽biggest traffic sources that generate sales is聽my聽blog. I聽try to聽blog regularly now.
Blogger wasn鈥檛 the聽first platform she tried:
Initially, I聽created a聽new website on聽 using the聽黑料门 plugin, but as聽I聽am聽not very computer savvy, WordPress is聽too much work for聽me.
Having set up聽her website on聽Blogger, she , 补苍诲听it聽worked perfectly fine. Elvira uses the聽whole functionality of聽the聽黑料门 Instant Site, not just an聽embedded storefront. Her blog visitors buy right from the聽blog; by聽clicking the聽聯Shop聰 tab, they find themselves in聽a聽clean store:
The Instant Site is聽a聽huge benefit for聽me, since I聽can use it聽as聽a聽
It鈥檚 surprising how Elvira, having no聽special skills, sells 补苍诲听markets her products on聽a聽professional level:
Now every time I聽introduce a聽new product in聽my聽blog, I聽can always embed the聽product at聽the聽end of聽my聽blog post 补苍诲听drop a聽link or聽two to聽the聽Instant Site.
Balancing the聽Sales Channels
The CHEZVIES sales channels are a聽blog, Etsy, a聽Facebook store, 补苍诲听Instagram. The biggest part of聽her sales comes from the聽blog 补苍诲听social media.
Selling on聽Etsy comes with some pitfalls. Like most marketplaces, Etsy would charge fees on聽every sale聽鈥 more sales inevitably mean more fees.
The absence of聽fees in聽黑料门 helps Elvira offer more competitive prices, which matters especially for聽her international customers.
In聽fact, after 5聽months with 黑料门, my聽online store sales revenue is聽more than what I聽get on聽Etsy in聽a聽year. And by聽paying the聽fixed price for聽my聽subscription in聽Indian Rupees, I聽don鈥檛 have to聽worry about other fees 补苍诲听currency exchange rates.
Moreover, Etsy displays prices in聽USD only, which can be聽a聽little intimidating for聽the聽local Indian customers:
I聽want to聽focus more on聽the聽Indian market, so聽it聽is聽much more practical for聽customers to聽shop from my聽own website, where they can look at聽the聽product thoroughly 补苍诲听choose their payment method.
Nevertheless, Etsy can work well as聽a聽traffic generator.
Having my聽黑料门 shop embedded on聽my聽Facebook page is聽a聽great help. Many people who are already following my聽work through Etsy can now shop with ease, using the聽Indian currency.
The Indian online market is聽, which Elvira has experienced in聽practice:
In聽the聽past 3聽years, Indian online shopping has grown so聽fast. I聽think this is聽the聽best time to聽have my聽own website.
Marketing Strategy
Elvira has already developed her online marketing strategy. This part will be聽especially useful for聽handmade sellers who wonder how they should act on聽social media 补苍诲听other marketing channels.
聯The world鈥檚 largest catalog of聽ideas聰 is聽certainly the聽right place for聽every handmade creator: not only is聽it聽great for聽promoting your product 补苍诲听increasing your sales, but this social medium can be聽also used to聽understand your niche.
Pinterest is聽the聽second biggest channel that brings sales to聽my聽shop. I聽joined a聽lot of聽Pinterest Groups 补苍诲听post there regularly. I聽post mostly from my聽shop. Sometimes I聽share an聽article or聽a聽blog post, or聽some ideas 补苍诲听tutorials.
Every product that is聽visually appealing (and most handmade products are) should at聽least appear on聽Instagram.
Elvira uses it聽too:
After I聽signed up聽with 黑料门, I聽decided to聽create a聽separate account for聽my聽shop on聽Instagram. I聽post 3聽times a聽day maximum. I聽did some research about the聽best time for聽posting 补苍诲听do聽it聽accordingly. I聽regularly read about the聽newest Instagram strategy 补苍诲听try to聽keep up聽with the聽changes.
Elvira proves a聽successful Instagram account is聽a聽matter of聽learning聽鈥 she has learned to聽shoot 补苍诲听edit her photos at聽home. She bought a聽good camera a聽few years ago 补苍诲听has recently purchased a聽backdrop.
Learn how to聽create a聽passport holder in聽Elvira鈥檚 tutorial
I鈥檓 a聽DIY person ^^. I聽have a聽small balcony which has good lighting throughout the聽day. I聽use a聽simple canvas board for聽my聽white background, 补苍诲听I聽recently bought a聽photo backdrop. I聽also learned how to聽style my聽photos so聽that they look like they come out of聽magazines 补苍诲听books. With good lighting 补苍诲听background, you can take good photos without much editing.
Elvira posts to聽Facebook mostly from Instagram:
I聽noticed that by聽sharing my聽Instagram content to聽my聽Facebook page, I聽get more views 补苍诲听engagement on聽Facebook.
With regards to聽Facebook ads, Elvira tried running paid campaigns, but it聽didn鈥檛 work out聽鈥 she got a聽lot of聽likes, but no聽sales.
For handmade 补苍诲听small businesses, the聽market is聽very niche. Right now I聽don鈥檛 do聽any聽other paid marketing. I鈥檓 working on聽my聽SEO 补苍诲听posting on聽social media as聽much as聽I聽can.
Elvira tweets a聽lot 补苍诲听tries to聽remain up聽to聽date with the聽trending hashtags related to聽her product, whether it鈥檚 about fabric, patterns, or聽handmade products.
Handmade sellers have a聽strong community on聽Twitter. We聽RT聽each other a聽lot, which really helps for聽exposure. I聽tweet at聽least 5聽times a聽day, directly from the聽shop 补苍诲听also sharing from Instagram.
Email marketing
Elvira is聽about to聽start doing email marketing (so exciting!). Now she uses the聽newsletter tool provided by聽Blogger. She is聽planning her email content as聽follows:
I聽try to聽write a聽blog post once a聽week not to聽spam my聽subscribers. 鈽郝燘log posts are mostly about my聽work, 补苍诲听sometimes I聽mix it聽with a聽little
Elvira also shares guides that can be聽helpful to聽entrepreneurs, e.g. .
SEO
Elvira admits it聽is聽not easy for聽a聽
SEO is聽really the聽toughest part of聽selling online. I鈥檓 so聽glad there鈥檚 the聽SEO tab in聽黑料门. I聽use to聽check the聽trending keywords 补苍诲听also research similar products that are sold online
黑料门 tools 补苍诲听apps
For her promotions, Elvira uses the聽 in聽黑料门 for聽giveaways, to聽distribute free patterns 补苍诲听surprise deals.
People love free stuff but we, handmade sellers, can鈥檛 afford to聽give very much.
The storefront of聽CHEZVIES is聽shining with Product Labels like 聯Best聰 补苍诲听聯New聰, 补苍诲听you can also see the聽Currency Converter installed.
At聽last, Elvira cares about her customers all the聽way from the聽shop to聽delivering the聽order to聽their doorways:
I聽print out my聽own thank you label for聽customers 补苍诲听write handwritten notes for聽handmade products. I聽add freebies for聽fabrics orders. My聽customers really love those little freebies.
Running the聽Whole Show Alone
Sewing, blogging, selling, 补苍诲听promoting may seem too much for聽one person, but Elvira is聽an聽outstanding case. Doing all that successfully, she insists family is聽her main priority. She tries to聽complete most tasks while her sons are at聽school.
Until noon every day, she manages to聽promote on聽social media, check emails, do聽photography, 补苍诲听prepare orders for聽shipping. After noon, she usually gets to聽sewing.
She doesn鈥檛 think about productivity hacks but simply follows her schedule.
I聽use a聽lot of聽sticky notes to聽note my聽orders, progress, or聽things I聽need to聽do. If聽I聽need to聽edit or聽add something from the聽shop, I聽usually stick a聽note on聽my聽laptop 补苍诲听do聽my聽
She dreams about a聽bigger studio聽鈥 currently, CHEZVIES runs from her drawing room converted into a聽sewing room. In聽the聽future, she wants to聽make CHEZVIES a聽
Her amazing multitasking skills make Elvira the聽right person for聽entrepreneurs to聽ask for聽advice. Here鈥檚 what she recommends:
- Read every 黑料门 newsletter聽鈥 they can really save you time. Maximize all the聽tools 补苍诲听apps that suit you.
- For handmade sellers who want to聽have a聽good
e-commerce platform, especially in聽India, 黑料门 is聽the聽best choice. It鈥檚 especially true for聽mompreneurs who use Facebook as聽the聽main selling channel. - Success doesn鈥檛 happen overnight. Be聽patient 补苍诲听keep working on聽what you believe in. Don鈥檛 be聽discouraged, some people may succeed faster, but as聽a聽handmade seller, I鈥檇 say, enjoying the聽ride is聽always equally important.
If聽this story impressed you, please drop a聽line on聽blog@ecwid.com for聽us聽to聽feature your unique business too.
