To many new jewelry designers, selling their jewelry online seems like an ideal situation.  They simply list their designs, watch the orders flood in, and post out the jewelry.  In reality, selling online is just as difficult as selling through any other medium.  You need to carefully consider costs and pricing, think about your branding, invest in advertising, and examine logistics such as shipping methods.  You will also need to have high quality images of your jewelry in order for it to looks it's best online.

That said, if you are willing to put in the effort, having an online sales portal can reward you with an extra source of income from your jewelry business.  Over the next two weeks I will be reviewing some of the most popular ways to sell your jewelry online.

eBay
You may not have heard of this site, but it's been around for a while. Perhaps the logo might look vaguely familiar to you...  Ok, so everyone know eBay.  It is one of the oldest online bidding marketplaces on the web, and is still going strong with over 90 million users worldwide spending around $165,000 each day.  It's certainly a big pie, but the slices are small. 

Your listings will be alongside thousands of others, and you will have to find a way to make them stand out.  Think super clear images, enticing or flamboyant sales descriptions, and strongly branded auction pages that will encourage visitors to both bid on your items and return to your listings or shop.  If you also have a website, blog, Facebook page* or other way to interact with your customers, be sure to advertise this fact on your listings pages, as well as with any correspondence you include when shipping items.  Turning a one-off sale into a long term customer can help to even out any losses on items that have sold below your ideal ticket price.

The biggest decision when selling on eBay is whether to sell your items for a flat price, or allow bidding.  Setting a low initial bid amount can encourage bidders to compete for your jewelry, but this can backfire if the price doesn't get as high as you wanted.  Often, opening the bidding low, but including a Buy It Now price will give you a better chance of selling an item to a buyer who doesn't want to lose out during bidding.

Think carefully, too, about your shipping costs. Offering free shipping definitely attracts bidders, but can you afford to lose upwards of $2 per sale? 

Before listing any jewelry ask yourself how you want to use your eBay account.  Do you want to sell one-of-a-kind designs?  Clear out old stock? Or will it be your primary marketplace?  Do you have to make a certain amount per sale, or are you happy to just collect anything you can for your jewelry?

Pros:
Most people are familiar with the site, and are comfortable buying from it.
You can create your own online shop quite easily and affordably. 
You don't need your own payment processor or even website

Cons:
It can be difficult to demand a higher price for your work as most people go to eBay for a bargain
Complicated pricing models for pro sellers can result in fees racking up when you want extra features on your auctions
It's not the most professional way to represent your jewelry if you are trying to establish a strong brand

Come back tomorrow for some top tips on how to sell your jewelry online, before we review other online selling forums such as Etsy, Artfire and Amazon.

* Are you a fan of The Jewelry Report on Facebook yet?