How to Sell Cherokee Handmade Baskets Online
Cherokee baskets were originally created for function. They were used mainly to store items such as eggs, laundry and food. American Indian baskets were made from various materials, but Cherokee baskets, in particular, were made from bundled pine needles or river cane wicker.
Today, people purchase Cherokee baskets for many reasons, not just as containers. Some buyers are Native American arts and crafts collectors, while others just want to support the artists. The reasons for purchasing a Cherokee basket vary, but the cost of selling them online is relatively low and, with practice, the process becomes simple to manage.
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Instructions
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Building Both Inventory and Your Website
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Build your basket inventory. If you already have these items in stock, you can ship them to your customers quickly. Whether you are making the baskets or purchasing them for resale, it is important to have enough variety for customers to browse through and keep them interested in your website.
If you are purchasing the baskets, contact a Cherokee basket-weavers organization for procurement information. A search online will lead you to one in your area.
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Purchase a domain name. A domain name helps a shopper locate you on the Internet. It is your web address and is commonly formatted as http://www.yournamehere.com. You choose what you will call your business and then incorporate that name into your domain name.
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Build your website. You can hire a web-developer to create one for you or you can make your own. Some websites even offer free space on their own websites to sell your products. However, a key disadvantage to using a free website is that you will not be able to use your domain name.
After you have built your website, be sure to post clear product images and give full descriptions of the baskets you are selling. Post contact and company information, as well as product and shipping prices.
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Open a payment-processing account. These are offered through various websites and must be used if you want to accept electronic payments from your customers. A payment-processing account will allow you to accept credit cards--the payment-method-of-choice for most shoppers' online purchases.
Before signing on with any processor, carefully read through its terms and conditions and take into account any fees that will be associated with the use of its service.
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Submit your website to search engines. This will help customers find you and your products on the web. Access any search engine and read its directions for submitting your URL to the site. Some search engines have different instructions, so read them carefully before making your search engine choice.
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Make customer contacts online or in person. This will help you establish customer relationships and build potential buyers' faith in your Cherokee basket business.
Tell your friends and family about your baskets, attend trade shows or craft fairs and host a personal showing of your baskets at home. Build your contacts in person and then direct interested customers to your website for their purchases.
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Tips & Warnings
Be sure that you are selling authentic Cherokee baskets. It is illegal to advertise a product as Indian art if it is not authentically Indian.
As stated by the U.S. Department of the Interior: "The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-644) is a truth-in-advertising law that prohibits misrepresentation in marketing of Indian arts and crafts products within the United States. It is illegal to offer or display for sale, or sell any art or craft product in a manner that falsely suggests it is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the product of a particular Indian or Indian Tribe or Indian arts and crafts organization, resident within the United States."
References
Resources
- Photo Credit basket image by Maciej Syrek from Fotolia.com
