04 Nov New Tools and Resources for Crafty Businesses
Since March, the craft industry and others have had to pivot to create new shopping experiences (both virtual and in person) for their customers. In the newest Social Media Trends guide from Hubspot, they recommend that efforts focus on what they call the 4 C’s: Community, Contactless, Cleanliness and Compassion. Today we’ve gathered a collection of tools and resources to help you serve your customers better in these 4 areas.
Digital Hosting Platforms
Gumroad: Gumroad is an American company that has created a simple commerce system for creators. If you’ve got digital files (patterns, books, music and more) to sell, Gumroad is a platform that will host your files, process your payments and then deliver files to customers. Gumroad provides you with in-depth analytics to determine how your business is doing in real time, and also allows you to interact with your customers and resolve any issues or generate refunds. One of the key features that caught our attention is that Gumroad allows you to offer a “pay what you want” model of fees, allowing customers to contribute what they are able to for your work. In light of recent economic conditions, this may appeal to you!
Payhip: Payhip is a UK company devoted to making it easier to sell digital downloads and memberships. While they originally focused on ebooks, music, memberships, software and design assets to name a few, in recent months they have become an alternative to Ravelry, Lovecrafts and Etsy for pattern designers. They have been quite responsive to those in the crafting industry, and even handle EU VAT collection and reporting, which is quite a burden to small sellers.
Tools to Enhance the Virtual Shopping Experience
CommentSold: CommentSold provides features that power successful social selling and online stores. CommentSold integrates with many point of sale systems and enables you to turn comments on Facebook, Instagram and other social media applications into seamless transactions. We’ve seen it in action in Facebook Live videos, where crafty businesses host trunk shows and showcase their products, and customers’ comments with the correct syntax create a shopping cart for their purchases and direct them seamlessly to checkout. The fewer steps your customers have to take to purchase your product, the more likely they are to hit buy now!
Eco-Friendly Packaging
NoIssue: As the climate becomes an issue of increasing concern, we’re always on the hunt for materials that are eco-friendly. NoIssue was founded to provide makers, brands and businesses of all sizes access to custom, sustainable packaging materials. From tissue paper, to stickers, tape and mailers all offerings are compostable and reusable, as well as made from recycled materials. Join the Eco-Packaging Alliance and you’ll contribute to global reforestation: For every order you make, NoIssue will plant trees for you in areas of need. Transition your own customized eco-friendly packaging and reduce your carbon footprint today!
Managing the In-Person Shopping Experience
Safe Queue: Safe Queue is a new app designed to manage the flow of customers digitally, so that customers can wait inside their cars or in a nearby park until it’s time to shop in your store. Safe Queue was created as a part of IBM’s Call for Code Global Challenge. The app is GPS-based and knows when customers are within 1,000 feet of a store with the technology enabled. As soon as they get close enough, they simply tap on a big green indicator and it puts them in the Safe Queue line, a virtual line. Then they can sit in their parked car or wait at some place socially-distanced until it’s their turn to enter the store. If you’re holding in-person shopping events this holiday season, this may be a great resource for you!
Do you know of other tools or resources that can help crafty businesses managing this new normal? We’d love to hear from you – leave us a message in the comments!
Are you looking for help managing the new normal? Contact us today so we can get started helping you craft a better business!
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