Sellers Tips: Writing a good title/description to maximise your item being found via the search function.

Madeit and our buyers use the search bar to search for items - this is done by searching keywords that relate to the product.

In fact the search page is the highest viewed page on madeit.com.au so it's important you write good titles & descriptions, as you may be missing out on possible sales & promotion.

The search bar is found on the left hand side of the website and we give the option to search the Title or Title & Description. So both your Title & Description is a very important marketing tool for your store.

Why is your item title & description important?
To increase buyers finding your item via the search field
To increase your items being found by madeit for features on the front page & newsletter.

How to write a good title?
• The most important thing to remember is to include as many descriptive keywords about your item in the title as possible.
• Your title doesn't have to be a compressive sentence
• Repeat the type of item (ie Dress, Coaster, Eco friendly)
• Include the size

How to write a good description?
• Again just like your title you should include as many descriptive keywords as possible that relate to your item. Think in your buyer’s shoes… If you were looking for an item like yours what words would you use to search for this product?

• It is also important to explain your item & the possible uses,
• Include the material used and include clear dimension or size information.
• If there a story behind your item, then it might be worth including this as it may appeal to your buyer.
• If your item requires special care, include the instructions so that the buyer is aware before buying.

Examples of keywords to include
• If your item is a blue include blue in your title & description.
• If your item is made with fabric that is a bird pattern include bird in your title & description
• If you item suits a particular person for example Dad include Dad in your title & description


I (Bec) use keywords to search for items for the Wednesday newsletter & front page. A few of my recent searches have been owl, tree, yellow, and heart. If your item is related to one of these searches and you don't include this word in your title & description then you may miss out on the opportunity to be featured!

What shouldn't you do?
Copy another sellers or website title & description. It is really important to put the effort into writing your own descriptions as you know your product the best and also other sellers has taken the time to describe their item and you should too.

Do not include external website in your descriptions or banner, you can however include your facebook, twitter & blog if you link back to your madeit store. If external web addresses are included in your descriptions or banner then you may be excluded from promotion of your products in our newsletters, blog interviews and spotlight interviews.

Advertising & Promotional Tips from madeit Sellers!

We asked some of our successful sellers what advertising or promoting tips they have for sellers, here are some of the top responses extracted from their interviews when they featured on the Designer Spotlight page. You can read the interviews in full @ madeit.com.au.

Bliss Clips visit store :: read interview
Do whatever you can to put yourself out there, friends and family is a great start, for me it was my head start and from then onwards, it was my online madeit store that drove it further. Start a Facebook page, this is a great way to showcase your products, hold promotions and keep people informed with new products, as well as a great way to get people involved

Red Tree Designs visit store :: read interview
Wear, use or display what you make. That way, people will see it and ask about it (and you can ‘road test’ and perfect it). Give your product to friends and relatives as presents. Start a Facebook business page and a blog.



AnK Bowtique visit store :: read interview
We can’t emphasise enough the value of quality and clear photos, especially when selling online. A great photo will sell the product before a customer has even got to the description. We also often include samples with our orders; everyone loves to get ‘freebies’. When we attend markets or craft fairs we include a flyer in with the purchase which has links to our madeit store, blog and Facebook site and also tells a little bit about our business.

Georgie Girl visit store :: read interview
Get out there and interact with other sellers and businesses. The more you talk to people, the more people become familiar with your business name and product. Have an online presence and take an interest in what relevant sites are doing. Keep abreast of what is happening in the handmade community.

Little Wise Owl visit store :: read interview
Giveaways have been great for me. I have one on my blog once a month and they really drive interest. Everyone loves free stuff!





My Sweet Prints visit store :: read interview
Make up a 'Press Release' with a brief description of your store including product shots, a web link to your madeit.com.au store and a small bio on yourself. Email it through to a few blogs or websites whose themes compliment your product.



That Vintage visit store :: read interview
Celebrate your label’s milestones every now and then by having “Free Postage” for a month or giving away a freebie with a purchase over a certain dollar value – change it up a bit, stagnant stores will remain… stagnant.

Crafty & Connected - a social media bootcamp for Indie Biz

We always like sharing resources over at the madeit blog, today it's one of our sellers who is sharing their knowledge with other crafters. The lovely Jess from Epheriell Designs and *bespoke* zine is running a six-week e-course called Crafty & Connected. More details are below

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When you start out with your own business, one of the biggest challenges is finding customers, and getting your work ‘out there’.

If you’re like most micro-biz owners, you don’t have much money to spend on expensive advertising campaigns – but you do have TIME. And using social media effectively can take a lot less time than you think – if you’re smart about it…

But social media can seem overwhelming. What do I say? How do I find the time to spend on it in my already busy life?

If you want to get involved in social media – things like facebook, twitter, and blogging – but don't quite know how to go about it, then I've got some good news!

Jess Van Den of Epheriell Designs and *bespoke* zine has put together an e-course just for you! She's passionate about the power of social media - it's what took her from having a hobby to having a thriving full-time creative business.

This course will teach you how to spend your precious time wisely, harnessing the power of social media to get your business out there, and help it to thrive and grow!

Crafty & Connected is a 6-week e-course, run on a private blog. There will be between 3 and 6 lessons per week, which will include content, images, video and screencasts. There will also be 3 live Q&A sessions for you to interact with Jess and your classmates, and ask any questions you have.

If you want to check out all the details, visit the Details and FAQ right here.

The course starts on May 2nd, and early-bird registration is now open - so don't delay, the course price will go up to the full rate on April 20!

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This week in the Press!!

Madeit was lucky enough to get a double mention in the latest edition of Notebook Magazine. Not only did Notebook mention madeit.com.au, our twitter account was also mention for great tips by Australian designers and project links. Thanks Notebook!!

The below page is part of an article by Francesca Newby "The Homemade Revolution".


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madeit seller Mrs Beckinsale creative & oh'so gorgeous pillows feature in the latest edition of Frankie Magazine. Check out Mrs Beckinsale's Melbourne Tram and London Bus pillows in their madeit store www.madeit.com.au/MrsBeckinsale


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madeit seller Little Poppett dress features in the "Where the Wild Things Are" photo shoot in the latest edition of Shop for Kids Magazine. Visit www.madeit.com.au/littlepoppett for a range of gorgeous baby & children goodies. (Sorry about the quality of scan below - thumbs down to new printer/scanner)


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Promote your madeit store!

Below are a few tips to promote your madeit store as well as some great tips from one of our sellers.

Talk the talk
Tell friends & family about your craft, word of mouth is the best form of advertising.
 Send your family and friends an email with a short description of your label, a couple of low resolution pics and a link to your madeit store. Kindly ask them to forward this onto family and friends and so on.

Small cards go a long way
Order or print out business cards with your logo/label name and your madeit shop url. Hand them out to potential customers, friends or strangers.

Include daily
Add your madeit shop url to your email signature. Simple but effective. Your direct shop url is www.madeit.com.au/username

Share your craft
Start a blog - blogs are a great way of promoting your work & store. For more information on blogging visit whip up. Become regular visitors of other blogs and post comments. Add your madeit url to your blog so buyers can click straight to your shop. Madeit web badges can also be found here.

Be Social Part 1
Start a facebook page for your business and post updates. When you post updates ask your friends to post it on their page. Add your facebook page link to your website, blog & madeit profile.

Be Social Part 2
Join twitter & post updates. You can use the "share" feature on your listing and store front to post straight to twitter & facebook. Add your twitter link to your website, blog & madeit profile. Become a friend of madeit www.twitter.com/madeit as we love to forward sellers tweets.

Spread the news
Start a newsletter for your existing customers, keep an email list of your customers. If you go to the markets, have an email list form where visitors can register for your newsletter.

Be descriptive
Use as many descriptive words as possible in your madeit listings. You can simply list words that refer to your listing at the bottom this way you'll appear in as many searches as possible. Don't forget to add plenty of details about your product in your listing.

Take great photos
Having clear photos will help you sell your product.
• Try photographing them on a plain background, this way your product stands out and the background isn't distracting from your wonderful handmade product.
• Take a few pictures from different angles or a detailed shot.
• Try not to use a flash, natural light is best to show off your products & wares.
• Set up a dedicated photography area and test what works best for your product, take note of the time of day this way you'll get the same result every time.

inspirational craft spaces

Click on the picture to view flickr source image