The Changing Face of Handicraft in India With The Coming of Online
Handicraft in India
India is a country that is rich in its cultural heritage and for a very long time it has been reflected in its handicrafts that are made by the people who are bound to its soil and have emerged from the art flows in their blood, and they are born with the skills. The only difference that the Indian handicrafts industry sees when compared to the industry of other countries is that- they are less organized, decentralized, workers are not skilled workers, having low capital, lack of education and technology, and absence of a marketplace. This creates a difficulty for the artisans to reach a bigger audience globally though the diversity of Indian handicrafts cannot be compared to other countries’.
With the competition that the Indian handicrafts face because of the cheap Chinese products, it becomes difficult for it to grow. But there are a handful of people who admire the Indian handicrafts and have the inclination towards it and thus they even buy from handicraft shop. The face of Indian handicrafts has changed with the advent of e-commerce. It has proven to be a boon for the industry as it is bringing the true worth of the Indian handicraft in front and has been successful in reaching to a greater audience not just nationally but internationally whether you are selling a flower vase or a silk saree. The digital marketplace is taking over the traditional way of selling and it is a sure-shot way to reach out to larger customers and is a great opportunity to make your small business into a brand.
Benefits of selling handicrafts online
- It is easier to reach to a large number of customers
- This is a platform that will help you to convert your business into a brand
- Customers can shop day and night as there is no time constraint
- Less capital is required to set up your business
- More exposure to your business
- There are various tools to measure your performance
- No middlemen to share the profits
How to start selling online?
- Determine the product category
Before you plan to sell online it is mandatory to decide the category of product that you want to sell online as there are a myriad of options available. If you are the one who is selling these products physically, then you can continue the same online, but if you are a first-timer, then you should decide whether you want to go with an exclusive range or go with anything that suits you with every category. For better understanding, you can also visit the exclusive markets organized by the government like Dilli Haat.
- Do market research
A well-researched market can help you get into the skin of the business and will give you an idea about the demand of the product, availability in the market, price, strategies to be designed, and the design of the website. You should have a prior idea about the availability of the products, what are the popular products, the prices, your competitors and the target customers. Thus it becomes critical to do thorough market research before going online.
- Making your product catalogue
Getting your product catalogue ready is the most important step as it displays the real picture of your business. Here you select those products that you want to sell online and so it is a hectic and a fun task. A lot of things have to be taken care of, from the selection of the products to the clicking of the picture.
Some of the important steps in creating a product catalogue are:
Category mapping:
You need to decide the primary and the sub-category pf the products as it will make things easy for you as well as for the customers as you both can track the products easily. Thus, list all the products and decide the main category and the sub-categories.
Choose the price:
The price of the product online is the total of the base price, taxes, and shipping charges. Thus you have to choose it very wisely looking at the demand and your competitors. Make sure that the prices are not too high for your customers and should also earn you profits.
Product shoot:
What you see is what you get. Thus, the shoot of the product must enhance the beauty of the products and make it look more alluring. Then only the customers can imagine it to be a part of their homes. Hire a professional photographer for it who can create beautiful backdrops and adds to its beauty.
Writing the product description:
Professional content will add to its beauty by describing the product as it will help in judging the products. A neat and clean description is imperative for the product to sell.
- Preparing the website
Hire a designer and a developer who can create and develop a beautiful website for you. It is a time taking and a long process, so, if you want you can use the templates available online that will save your time and money as well. Make sure that the modes of payment and shipping policies are mentioned and you should be up to date with it as it can make or break your image.
- Marketing
Last but not least it is the most important part and without it, your website cannot reach your target audience. There are several ways of bringing your website on top of search engines so that it reaches the maximum. The most important is Search Engine Optimization, Email-marketing, paid advertisement, selling on third party sites. Make your website known through different social media handles and leave no stone unturned to promote them.
