If you are crafting handmade jewellery and have a retail shop which sells handmade artisan jewellery then you must need to be online. There are millions of websites which are reputed and visited frequently. The question arises that how you will display your products online. It is not much difficult. If you will pay some one to display your products on his famous website, it may cost you a lot. And if you are going to do it by your self by uploading your own site then you will need some time, efforts, money and research to do it properly.

Are you thinking where to start from? The prime thing is that you should take fabulous pictures of your handmade jewellery products. These pictures should show each and every corner very clearly and be sure that every picture carries all the qualities which are needed to catch attention of viewer. Jewellery should not put on rock or on lump of wood, although they are artsy. On Internet it is very difficult to catch attention of viewer so it must be shown on plain and compatible background. For instance, if you created sterling silver jewellery then background must be in black or dark colors. And if the jewellery is of gold and have dark gems then light or average colored background would be the priority.

After taking the pictures you will need a site on the web. And if you are new and just starting then lots of free blogs websites are there that might help you to learn how to launch your product in proper manner. But free websites should not be used for running the business. You can get the space on the World Wide Web with a reasonable amount. Choose an appropriate name for your website that should reflect your business. After you have purchased the website name and web hosting space then you need to design your website and upload your pictures to the viewers. It is recommended to use the free shopping cart software that will give you all the facilities to upload the products, pictures, details, prices, shipping info etc. You can also integrate the online payment gateways so that the interested visitors may purchase your product online and the money will be deposited in your bank or PAYPAL account. These all features are usually available in the shopping cart software. You can use the free open source software or can get one by paying some minor monthly fee.

After your site is up, the hardest and time-consuming task is making back links of your site. It may be difficult to get the links from the old and popular sites. But if your site is really interesting and useful then many people will place the link of your store on their websites without even a single request from your side.

To make your site more user friendly, check the links of other popular sites to see that what kind of information they are providing and finding that why they are so popular.
Read and update your site frequently, because it is a continual process and you must make necessary changes after some time. For instance, you should add some new content if you have found some new information about any product. And you must display your latest handmade jewellery designs on first page with their links. You should check the working statistics of your site and if any thing is not working then change it.

St. Thomas has long been known as one of the best shopping destinations in the Caribbean. With numerous malls and markets catering to resort and cruise tourists, you can find almost anything you want at a great price in the island’s bustling capital – Charlotte Amalie. However, not all travelers are aware of the wealth of incredible locally-produced products available in St. Thomas. From folk arts and crafts to handmade food products and spices, there are plenty of ways to shop for the best products St. Thomas has to offer.

The best location to find Caribbean folk art and local products is the Native Arts and Crafts Cooperative. Featuring the work of nearly 100 different locals throughout the year, the Native Arts and Crafts Cooperative is the largest shopping center devoted to local artisans in the Virgin Islands. Conveniently located next to the tourist information office in central Charlotte Amalie, the Cooperative allows locals to sell their artwork and handmade products directly to the public from the former United States colonial courthouse.

One of the most popular booths within the Cooperative belongs to Gwendolyn Harley, the artist behind a very popular series of hand-sewn dolls. Throughout the years, Harley has maintained an adoption log and seen her historically-minded dolls travel throughout the world in the hands of tourists and collectors.

For those in search of unique food products, a stop by Cheryl Miller’s booth will yield a number of award-winning flavors. Besides the popular jams and jellies handmade by Miller, five of her sauces – known by the label “Cheryl’s Taste of Paradise” – have taken home trophies from the National Fiery Foods Show in Albuquerque, New Mexico. You can also find Miller’s products within the store she maintains in conjunction with her kitchen at the Compass Point Marina.

One of the Native Arts and Crafts Cooperative’s strangest booths belongs to Justin Todman, known locally as The Broom Man. Utilizing traditional Caribbean methods, The Broom Man weaves date palm fronds in intricate patterns and attaches all lengths of handles to create brooms for every possible purpose. Todman’s brooms are also very popular with couples getting married in St. Thomas, supporting African and Caribbean tradition of newlyweds symbolically jumping over a broom to start their life together.

Art collectors will also want to visit the gallery and silkscreen studio located at Tillet Gardens. For nearly 50 years, Tillet Gardens has served as the home of St. Thomas’ vibrant art community. The gallery is full of paintings and prints by the island’s most talented residents with work available for all budgets and interests. Housed in an old Danish farm, Tillet Gardens is also a great place to spend an afternoon as the site features a great outdoor restaurant and occasional performances by local musicians.

As you walk through the streets of the capital city, you will also see several additional art galleries selling the work of local painters and sculptors. Outside of Tillet Gardens, the best selection of artwork created in the Virgin Islands can be found at Mango Tango. Like Tillet Gardens and the Native Arts and Crafts Cooperative, the work available at Mango Tango and other galleries throughout Charlotte Amalie is reasonably priced, with unique pieces for all tastes and budgets. Also, keep an eye out for artisans selling their work in the small, open-air markets of the city. Many talented individuals sell directly to the public each day and all love sharing their stories with visitors.

St. Thomas is also one of the best locations in the Caribbean to find exotic spices. Much like the fabled Caribbean spice markets of the colonial period, today’s spice markets offer visitors the chance to taste and purchase exotic flavors and gourmet products. The best assortment of Caribbean spices can be found at Caribbean Marketplace, a sprawling emporium that specializes in bulk spices and gourmet condiments. Spices, teas and condiments can also be found at Down Island Traders – a popular store in Charlotte Amalie that also carries locally-made jewelry and crafts.

Like many other islands in the Caribbean, St. Thomas has plenty of talented individuals creating distinctive products by hand. Wherever you travel in St. Thomas, you will be able to find a piece of the island to take home with you. Most importantly, in most cases, you won’t be able to find these special treasures anywhere else.

Marketing experts tell us that marketing is about creating a need, a genuine need. When selling handmade products the same principles apply. Do you have a product that is natural, organic, made by local artisans? If you do, there is a story here that can fulfill a need.

Customers feel the need to be connected to the local community and want to be supporting local artists, crafters, and ecologically sustainable businesses. If you make your crafts in the community in which you are selling them, then you can qualify as a local ecological sustainable business. Handmade soap can contain both soybean and corn oils which are grown right here in the Midwest and support local farmers. This could be a natural selling point for local products.

When customers approach you about your products, the dry facts will never entice a customer to buy as much as a good story. I wrote a press release about how my soap helps mid-western farmers because we use American ingredients and I got an order from such a farmer who saw the press release in his local town newspaper. Integrating this story into your sales pitch is much more interesting than just saying ”I’m helping the farmers and the environment with my products”. Good stories show the desired results in action without any lecturing or condescension.

Also tout the attributes of your crafts that make them different from mass produced products. Once again tell a story. “We have a customer who was suffering terribly from a skin irritation, they tried our soap and within one week the irritation had been reduced significantly”. Or “the main ingredient in our soap that helped my mom’s rash is the shea butter we use, which is known for its healing properties”. In both cases you are fulfilling a need by telling story. Many potential customers in the handmade soap market have some type of skin malady that could be exacerbated by the use of commercial soap. Good handmade soap is product that easily fulfills both genuine and perceived needs. The need for soft skin and to smell clean and fresh might not be as pressing as clearing up a rash. For some customers it might be more pressing. If you can tap into this need, then a sale is likely.

A really nice source of good stories is your current customers. Ask them to submit stories and testimonials about your crafts. You could give them a mention in your flyers or on your website. These stories appear too be genuine, when a name is attached and a specific occurrence is sited. I have found customers to be an endless source of great information.