Hey Newbie Here
I haven’t yet created my online Folksy shop as I am not really sure where to start with postage and pricing and packaging etc.
I was wondering if anyone would like to check out my Facebook Page and let me know what they think of my products and how they think I would do with regards to successfully selling online??
I would be very very grateful and welcoming of any criticism or support or comments etc in email maybe? I am not very confident yet as all this kinda seems quite daunting LOL
Www.facebook.com/maritascandlescents
Email: maritacandlescent@gmail.com
Many Thanks
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Morning,
Postage and packaging is easier to answer about - http://www.royalmail.com/price-finder. You would need to weigh some of your candles first. For packaging you would need some suitably sized cardboard boxes and bubble wrap - try amazon or ebay and possibly some cellowrap to put the candle in first. Whether they would sell well on line I don’t know - I would want to smell the candles first but that might just be me - there are people selling candles on folksy so there must be some sort of market.
Good Luck
Sasha
If you have them selling through Facebook already then you’ll know better than us as to whether they will sell online on other platforms.
Personally I would never buy candles online- but that’s just me. If they’re scented I would prefer to smell them first & there are plenty little shops around me selling candles- but that’s just me.
There are people on here already selling candles- I don’t know to which success. They might find they sell really well- so there’s no reason why you wouldn’t either.
You will only really sell on here though if you promote…a lot! Especially to start with until you maybe have a following/regular repeat customers. It’s all about how you market yourself & how good your items are when they arrive as to whether they will sell or not.
There’s certainly no harm in giving it a go. The listing fees are very small.
Thankyou Ladies !! Your comments have actually been ALOT of help ! With regards to customers wanting to smell the products first which is understandable… Maybe I could just put a couple on to sell perhaps half price but I have started making little wax melts and tealight sets which I could maybe send out as testers for the customer to see what they think first before they order? Would be very light weight too so wouldnt cost much to send… what do you think?
I wouldn’t put anything on for a reduced price. Just price them as you normally would- you don’t want to sell yourself short.
There probably are a lot of people out there who will buy online without being able to smell them first- I guess your descriptions will just have to include enough information to give the buyer the best possible idea as to what it will smell like.
You could sell testers- but again, don’t sell yourself short.
Maybe have a look around Folksy or Etsy or other similar online shops for other candle sellers to get an idea of how they maybe describe their items- even the larger shops that sell candles like the White Company for example- their candles are very expensive and while they have the benefit of being a trusted brand, a lot of people still just buy their scented candles online without smelling them first- so maybe have a look and see how they market that. If you haven’t already that is- apologies if I’m saying things you’ve already done.
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I wouldn’t reduce the price or send out testers. But have you thought about doing a selection box of your tea lights instead? A sample pack with 4 different smelling tea lights in it for example would make a nice gift for someone too (or gift for yourself) It’s an introduction to your products and if someone likes them, they could then invest in buying your bigger candles.
I would definitely buy a sample pack to try the products before I bought a full size candle, I’ve done this a few times with beauty products.
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A mixed tester/ selection pack sounds like a good idea to me as well either for some to try for themselves or as a gift (I’m drowning in candles I’ve been given it is the sort of thing that gets given when someone has runout of ideas). I wouldn’t send out freebies in the hope it leads to sales but if you wanted to slip a small freebie of a new scent in with an order then that might encourage people to order the new scent in future. You will need to make sure that your descriptions of the scents are good and give details of whether the scents are from essential oils or synthetic blends. I had a look on your facebook page and you had something in ‘baby powder’ scent - I’ve no idea what that smells like so that is the sort of thing that would need a really good description.
Also don’t know how long you have been selling candles but I imagine that there is a seasonal variation with the sort of scents that people want - in the run up to christmas they want the sort of mulled wine, orange and cinnamon, pine etc scents (i’m basing that on what people have been selling at christmas markets in the past) but in summer they want fresher scents, citrus, honeysuckle, jasmine. I know its only August but it is time to start thinking about Christmas!
Sasha