Welcome to my brand new UK online shop, which is based on a Shopify platform and enables customers to make the most of the payment options with the Shop app.
However, this is not my first ever online shop...
I first began selling my art online in 2011, when I opened an Etsy and a Folksy shop. The image above is of one of my first greeting card and wall art collections called 'Living The Dream'.
Back then I also listed a few products on my own website and was selling using the profile name ‘Artwork By Angie’.
15 years later, I still have both my Etsy and Folksy shops.
After the first couple of years of selling my art online, it quickly became apparent that it was far better to sell through the craft and handmade online market place spaces rather than the time consuming shop I had on my own website. This was solely because of the traffic already embedded on those creative market places made it worth the time and effort.
Etsy, with it’s massive global audience of customers already seeking handmade, soon became the primary source to sell my artwork online. This was because they had all the tools to help me sell, in one place, easy to use and their site traffic is still is second to none. It was clear, once I had set up my listings paying close attention to the Etsy Sellers Handbook, I consistently made sales over on Etsy throughout the years.
Folksy, the British craft online marketplace, was the first shop I ever opened.
Back in 2011 it was very similar to Etsy, because it was typically attracting the same kind of customers based in the UK.
Etsy quickly grew far beyond anything Folksy could compete with. However, I still sell prints on Folksy because it is a lovely online market place and is fully independently owned by a friendly British company based in Yorkshire. Plus, I believe in their values and always have, the UK handmade and craft community surrounding Folksy is excellent. The problem is, the income and sales I get from Folksy have reduced over the years (the truth is, Folksy is David and Etsy is Goliath). So its not somewhere I feel I can invest the amount of time needed for the returns I get for my business, unfortunately.
Which brings us to the heading of this blog post : Why this new shop and why now?…
The past couple of years on Etsy has revealed a very changing landscape over there.
Issues with low quality A.I. generated ‘art’ (slop) flooding the site, Temu counterfeit products using images stolen from Etsy sellers (including some of my own) being sold on the Etsy platform, and a lessening focus on the human, hand crafted businesses in favour of print-on-demand and cheap, generic digital products that bring quick returns for Etsy shareholders, but not necessarily any customer satisfaction for those of us who have enjoyed shopping on Etsy over the years. All of these factors have led to what is clearly pointing to a worrying downturn for Etsy. Go on any social media platform and you will see long term, genuinely handmade Etsy sellers sharing the same concerns. When you are someone who was also a frequent Etsy customer for many years and you can’t remember the last time you bought from the site, then it's clear, there's a bit of a problem here.
Talking of my own customer behaviour - last year, I noticed the increasing number of times I personally bought gifts and items directly from online websites using a Shopify platform and the Shop App.
What's more, I really liked the overall experience - it was simple and secure and often times, a little less expensive because the fees structure is more favourable to sellers, enabling them to pass those savings on to me, the customer.
This was when the penny dropped for me...
I need to have my own Shopify platform and get my wall art prints, cards, wraps and planners onto the Shop app. If I am enjoying shopping on sites like this, I am certain my customers will too.
It also means, I will have far more control over what I sell and how I sell it.
With so many more rules, regulations and tariffs now in force, being able to offer worldwide shipping from this new site is just not feasible at this time. That is why I will continue to have a shop on Etsy for this purpose. That is one clear benefit of an Etsy shop - they do make it easier for me to comply with all the various overseas shipping regulations, taxes and tariffs. Also, they still have the potential to reach a vast base of customers looking for items like the ones I create, with terms of payment that make it easy for people to order securely and confidently.
However, that is also something that attracts me to Shopify and is the key reason why I have set up this shop now : to offer the secure, flexible payment options of the Shop app.
This year also marks the beginning of a new chapter for me...
When I first started my art business my two daughter’s had just began school and nursery and I was using those hours to set up something that would provide me with an income, which enabled me to work from home around them as they grew up.
This year, my nest is emptying as both those little girls have grown up and are flying into their own futures at University. Which leaves me searching for a new direction for this next stage of my creative, working life.
My hope is that this new shop marks a new chapter for me as my new home on the web. Somewhere I can sell my art, especially as it evolves with new projects, new inspirations and a whole lot more time available for me to focus on developing those ideas.
I look forward to sharing my illustrated imaginings with you along this new creative journey and hope you enjoy coming along for the ride.
Best wishes
Angie