Website, Email, & Visuals: Building the Essential Channels to Sell Your Products
Crochet-to-Cash Roadmap: STEP 4 of 6 - Setting Up Your Core Online Sales Channels
Let’s build an Online Presence! Here are your 3 essential actions to getting that visual presence and highlighting your crochet products.
The Problem with "Selling Everywhere"
(And How to Build a Home Base)
You've completed the heavy lifting: Foundation (STEP 1), Validation (STEP 2), and Business Essentials (STEP 3).
You have a protected brand, a defined customer, and a validated product. Now, the question is simple: Where do you sell it?
The biggest mistake at this stage is diving into every social media platform or listing on every marketplace (Etsy, eBay, etc.) without a central strategy.
This leads to burnout, scattered efforts, and no clear home for your customer.
STEP 4 is your solution. We are moving from structure to system, focusing on building a strategic, cohesive, and easy-to-manage online presence. You have 3 core actions to complete in this phase to establish your online home, set up your direct sales channel, and master your visual showcase.
If you used the All-in-One Craft Market Toolkit (from STEP 2): You should already have the core elements of your online infrastructure in place using the 5-Prong Approach.
This means you already have:
a dedicated business email - aligned with your chosen business name
a contact method - widely used and free like WhatsApp (with a QR code for scanning)
an online platform - some form of free online space (one social media) where people can click through to see who you are and what you do (a basic business profile)
a product gallery - an online space to visually display your portfolio (images of your crochet products, you, your workspace and past/upcoming craft market images
a system to collect email subscribers - some form on online secure database/online form to collect email addresses and direct customer feedback on price.
Copy of the 5 Prong Approach page from the All-in-One Craft Market Toolkit
Well done, you're ahead of the game! Now, it's time to expand this so go straight to Action #1.
Haven’t got all 5 Prongs in Place?
IF you haven’t completed the ‘All-in-One Craft Market Toolkit’ where we completed the 5-Prong Approach step by step (including all the tech) please make sure that you have: an email and contact method, a way of collecting subscribers and most importantly some form of online presence where you can visually display your products in an online portfolio/gallery or visual setting.
If this sounds like a challenge, don’t worry you can still grab the All-in-One Craft Market Toolkit and the above steps in PART 3 of the guide, along with the exact step-by-step instructions. Get it now!
Action 1: Choose Your Online Home
Website vs. Marketplace
This is the most crucial strategic decision for your long-term income. While marketplaces like Etsy are great for initial discovery and traffic, relying solely on them means you don't control the customer relationship, the branding, or the rules.
Your First Action Item: Decide Where Your Business Lives You need to pick a primary "home base" where your brand is fully showcased and where you own the customer relationship.
Your Own Website: This is your true home base. It lets you fully express your brand, collect customer emails (Action 2!), and process sales without marketplace fees.
Marketplace (e.g., Etsy): Great for volume and discoverability, but it should function as a traffic driver to your brand, not the brand itself.
Your goal: Direct customers to a primary home (your website) where your brand is in control. Use marketplaces to supplement discovery.
Need Help Deciding? We break down the pros and cons in our deep-dive posts👉🏼
Action 2: Build Your Money Channel
The Email List
This is the single most important asset you will build online. Social media algorithms change daily, and marketplaces can shut down your shop without notice. But your email list? That is a channel you own, and it is the key to repeat business and profit.
Your Second Action Item: Set Up Your Email Capture System Stop viewing email as a nice-to-have. It is a non-negotiable sales tool. You simply need to be able to capture a name and email address. I’ve given you an example of what you are aiming for below.
Choose a Platform: There are 3 different options here:
Set up a simple, free account with an email service provider (e.g., MailChimp, MailerLite, ConvertKit).
If you are creating your own website you should already have a built in method for capturing subscribers.
Use an online form that securely stores your subscriber contacts in a database. Make sure you can embed the link to the form.
Regardless of the method make sure that you can capture subscribers details and store them securely. TIP: We covered this step-by-step in the tech quick guide in your ‘All-in-One Craft Market Toolkit’ from earlier.
I like to have an embedded link so that I can collect subscribers from any laptop/phone (especially at craft markets or events).
2. Create Your First Opt-In: Give customers a reason to join! Offer a free resource like a simple pattern, a sizing chart, or a coupon code (related to your brand value).
3. Place the Sign-Up: Ensure the sign-up form is prominently displayed on your website or the platform you are using. (Action 1).
Your goal: Start collecting email addresses immediately. This list is your most reliable channel for announcing new products and sales.
You Might Like our post ‘Building Your Email List from Day One (The Underrated Sales Tool)’, read it here!
Action 3: Master the Visuals
Photography & Social Media
Online sales are 90% visual. If your photos look amateur, your customers will assume your product is, too. After all your hard work on your brand, you need your product showcase to match your professional identity.
Your Third Action Item: Create High-Converting Product Photos
You don't need expensive equipment; you need great lighting and a clean backdrop that aligns with your Brand Core (from Step 3).
Light is Everything: Use natural daylight (near a window) for crisp, clear photos.
Brand Consistency: Use the simple colour palette from your Step 3 brand work in your backdrops or styling. Show the scale, texture, and close-up detail (the "touch and feel" you proved in Step 2).
Social Media Strategy: Set up your chosen social media channel (e.g., Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook) and use them strategically to drive traffic to your website (Action 1). To make it simple I strongly recommend you start with JUST ONE channel! Why? Read this…
Your goal: Create a gallery of product photos that instantly communicates quality, consistency, and value to convert scrollers into buyers.
Need help with your Product Photos?
Just getting your products listed online? Don't let confusing camera settings or a lack of professional gear stop you! Your product photos are the first thing customers see, and they need to look credible right from the start.
The DIY Product Photography Playbook is your essential e-book, packed with actionable secrets to creating stunning, credible product photos directly from your home. We'll show you how to skip the overwhelm and recreate a professional studio look using simple, budget-friendly tools and everyday items.
Inside, you'll discover:
The Blueprint for a Clean Background: Learn how to use a table and craft paper to create a "sweep" that eliminates distracting lines and simplifies your editing process.
The Power of Natural Light: Simple tips on positioning your setup near a window to utilize the most flattering light source for your products.
A DIY Lightbox, Step-by-Step: Get the instructions for building your own lightbox from a simple cardboard box to gain ultimate control over lighting and backgrounds.
Mastering the Display: Ideas for using stands, props, and simple stability tricks (like fishing line or glue dots) to elegantly showcase jewelry, clothing, and other accessories.
Strategic Staging: Go beyond the basic shot by setting a scene that tells a compelling visual story and attracts your target audience.
Stop stressing over your product shots!
Download your free e-book now and gain the confidence to create stunning product images using just your phone, natural light, and the techniques and tools inside!"
This phase is where your business moves from an idea to a visible entity.
By choosing a clear home, building your owned channel (email), and ensuring your visuals are professional, you are building systems that will generate sales without depending on temporary trends or shifting platform rules. You are building a sustainable Crochet-to-Cash income stream.
Key Takeaways
STEP 4 is Complete!
You have established your Online Home, built your Money Channel (Email), and defined your Visual Showcase.
Own the Relationship
Always prioritize your own website and email list over rented marketplaces for long-term profit.
Get your Online Home Created
Get your online home established (either a website, marketplace, or simply a social media channel). Somewhere were people can find you and your crochet products.
Prioritise Your Product Photos
Take high quality photos of your products, this is a non-negotiable. They are the sales person for your online shop.
Create Your Digital Gallery
Display your products in your online home or an online gallery where people can visually see your work.
Let’s Recap
You've successfully completed the first four crucial steps of the Roadmap and are now fully online!
Here is your progress so far:
In STEP 1 (The Foundation), you found your spark, set your confident mindset, and ran the 3-Part Goldmine Check.
In STEP 2 (The Validation), you proved demand by developing your Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) and gained essential market validation through test sales.
In STEP 3 (The Essentials), you defined your professional Brand Core, located your Ideal Customer, and established your Legal Safety Net.
Now, in STEP 4 (The Channels), you have chosen your Online Home, set up your Email List, and prepared your Visual Showcase.
You are officially open for business!
Pause Here: Build Your Online Home
Pause here and dedicate time to building out these three channels. This is the last major setup phase before you move into the final, profitable stage of marketing and launching. Refresher: you’ll need:
a website/platform - somewhere to centralize your products and where customers can see who you are and how to contact you
a method to collect subscriber names & email addresses - electronically and stored securely for privacy
great product photos - a digital gallery and ONE social media platform (OR Website) where you can showcase your product images, or embed a link). You want any contacts or potential customers to easily access your work online.
Remember, a strong foundation in these online channels saves you countless hours of troubleshooting later. Good luck building your beautiful new online home!
You've Completed STEP 4!
What’s Next?
Blog Number 5: Preparing for Launch: Product Descriptions, Profitable Pricing & Smart Tools
You've done the work, built the systems, and are ready for the fun part: making sales and watching your business grow.
In STEP 5 of the Roadmap, we will transition into the final phase of sales and launch strategy, focusing on building out your product line and announcing your official launch to the world.
GO Back to the ➡️Crochet to Cash Roadmap
Discover More
For more ideas, inspiration, and free resources on turning your passion into profit
Check Out This Category of Resources:
Visibility & Sales: Selling Your Creative Work has loads of relevant and helpful information, resources and guides. It’s designed to guide you through getting your products seen and sold! Find quick, actionable tips on product photography, choosing the right sales platforms, mastering social media and much more.
Click the image below👇
Need Inspiration?
You can also find a stream of daily ideas and motivation on our Inspiration for Crafters Pinterest Board—your creative idea or ideas just might be waiting there!
Click the image below👇and be sure to follow the Crochet Inspiration Board!
Explore Our Full Crochet to Cash Roadmap
Unsure of your next step? Our interactive roadmap provides a clear path through every stage of turning your crochet hobby into a side hustle and even a full time business. See The Crochet To Cash Roadmap
Stay Inspired & Get Actionable Tips!
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A Sign-off from Me
Thank you for being here, and I can't wait to help you build your own crochet business!
Warmly, Nicole! 🌱
Building online businesses for passionate makers.
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