HI!
Just some advice please. I am currently finding it hard selling on here. I’m not selling much.
I am trying and have been doing what I can to promote my page.
At present I am only selling in this country on Folksy, so wondered would it be good to add selling internationally to my shop? My items are only small so the postage should not be too much.
What are people’s experiences? Did it increase how much you have been able to sell? Pros and Cons?
Thank you!
I’ve sold internationally and never had a problem, mainly wooden plaques, fairy doors and small artwork. I’ve never had a problem and postage has never been too much. It can’t hurt by giving it a try. I love your nature photo’s and I think they would appeal to all nationalities (and ex pats). You can set postage for Europe, USA etc.
Yes definitely, if your items are small there is no problem with postage and cost. I have had a few international orders on Folksy.
Thanks Jan. I will look into costs and maybe give it a try. Have lost a bit of confidence so thank you for your nice comments about my photos.
I have a set of kitchen scales I use to weigh the wrapped package, I use Royal Mail and get the prices from their site. I always get get 1st class and ask for proof of postage. x
Yes is the short answer.
It increases your exposure and can net you a cheeky sale or two all by adding a postage figure right below that for the UK!
Make sure that the price you charge for postage is accurate. Don’t be put off by some of the seemingly high rates! A lot of overseas buyers have relatively high postal costs and accept such charges as a matter of course. It can be a bit of an eye opener at first. Tracked postal services are your friend too!
From my own experiences I have had one overseas sale here on Folksy (my last one). About 50/50 on the other site and have about 25% overseas buyers in my other channels. The majority of these are US based with SE Asia being second.
Thank you! For my cards I think if i got them tracked and signed for when sending them internationally. The post would cost far more than the card… Do you think just normal post (not signed for or tracked ) would be better for small items?
If the item is below £20 I would just send it normal Airmail @FatSquirrelPhotography
I sell quite a lot of tea cosies abroad, mainly USA, but not many of the overseas sales are here on Folksy. They are quite light to send so it doesn’t cost too much. Your items are lovely and I am sure you could sell some overseas. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to try.
Yes it is worth selling internationally. I’ve only had one overseas sale via folksy and in that case I hadn’t put international postage rates on the item so the customer had to contact me first, I guess they really liked the cufflinks, but that proves that they will contact you about overseas shipping if they like the item enough.
I have done, but recently decided not to offer international shipping. Without wanting to put you off I had several customers in the US who complained about the time taken to receive their order (I had posted them on the day the order was placed so it was a postal/customs delay). Also on my other shop I was held to ransom for my 5 star rating … item sent exactly as described and pictured, but the purchasers said it didn’t look the same when received (please take my word for the fact it was just as pictured) and they would be leaving a one star rating unless they received a full refund, including postage. Now I could have disputed this and hoped that other purchasers looked at all of my ratings, but I wasn’t prepared to risk it. Due to postage costs I didn’t bother sending a prepaid envelope for return so I lost out badly twice. I’m not trying to put you off, but that stopped me from offering postage to the US.
Good luck
Ali x
I would say go for it Roxanne. Just give it a go and see. I have finally set up the international postage on my cards today on Folksy.
I already sell internationally in one of my other shops ( for a year now ) and I would really recommend it.
Your work is beautiful and completely agree with Jan @HandcraftedbyPicto that your nature photos would appeal to people outside of the UK. Also, are you on instagram? If not, you should try that also. It would be a great thing for you to be on to show your wonderful photos.
Go for it and good luck : )
If you decide to take the plunge (and what have you got to loose) you can use the ‘bulk edit’ facility on the dashboard to update your postage rates in one go rather than doing each listing individually. Just click on it and then select all the items that fall into the same postage bracket, update the details, hit save and you’re done. (Royal Mail’s postage calculator will help you work out how much to charge per region and for different types of item)
I’ve started selling abroad and have had quite a bit of interest from America. Postage costs didn’t seem to be a problem.
Thanks Sasha - I’d never even noticed the bulk edit button. I spend hours sometimes, adjusting all of my items. I didn’t realise you could do that.
Thanks every one for your advice. I appreciate it.
I think I will give it a go. X
I’m pleased you’ve decided to go for it - your pictures are lovely (especially the bunnies) x
Aww thank you! I love fluffy cuddly animals!
I’ve just received my order from Roxanne and her cards are absolutely stunning. You made the right decision to give international shipping a go and I wish you many many more sales : )
Helen
Thank you so much!! Your support and lovely words mean so much!
I am really happy that you liked the cards!
Thank you xx