- Setting up product collections in your handmade shop takes
intentional thought and planning.
You want to design your product collections to really appeal
to your ideal customer and entice them to click,
but what's the best way to do that?
Today we're going to talk about the three different types
of product collections you can create
for your handmade shop,
each one unique in its own way
and each a really good option to consider.
Ready, let's dive in.
(bouncy music)
Bonjour, my name is Deb,
and I'm the founder of Tizzit.co,
a membership community for makers and handmade shop owners
just like your fabulous self.
You can learn more about our community, Tizzit HQ,
via the link below this video.
But for now, let's jump straight into today's conversation,
3 Smart Ways To Organise Your Product Collections.
First is the signature collection.
This is often the first collection you create
and is the product line you plan to always sell in your shop
and really be known for.
This collection will not have products
that you only plan to sell for a little while
before switching to something else.
This is your evergreen collection,
and the products in it are fixture offerings in your shop.
Of course, you can add items
to this collection from time to time,
like, for example, a new colour that you're introducing
but that is here to stay
like our best-selling beanie, now available in this colour.
And you can also remove items that aren't selling anymore
or that are losing momentum.
But the idea is that, this collection is here all year,
something that you market consistently,
and that is an anchor in your shop
because it represents your signature style
and introduces shoppers to your products and your style.
Another type of collection you can play
with is a limited edition collection.
This is a collection of products that will only be available
for a short amount of time or until they sell out.
Perhaps you used a limited supply material
that you can't get more of or a special technique,
but regardless, the collection will only be available
as long as you have stock.
And since you're not going to be creating more
after they sell out, this makes every single item
within this edition very special.
Here's an example
from an Etsy shop called ClayAndCollection.
You can see this item is a limited edition within the title,
and so the Selling fast, Only 1 left notification
just below feels even more pressing.
It becomes more valuable to the shopper
because it won't be made again once they sell out.
I have to admit, when I see only one left,
it gives me this urge to quickly purchase it
before someone else does.
And I think we all know this feeling,
it's 101 consumer psychology.
And finally, we have seasonal collections.
Creating a seasonal collection will depend
on your ideal customers and on your market.
For most makers,
you will have what are called classic seasons,
fall, winter, spring, summer.
And you can create a collection for each season
or choose specific seasons you want to make collections for.
You can also have collections around special occasions
and holidays like Christmas, Mother's Days,
Valentine's, whatever fits your market and your customers.
So the product you make
for these collections will only be available
for a limited time, most likely until you sell out,
because there is no point in trying
to sell Christmas earrings
in the middle of the summer, right,
unless you live in Australia
in which case you do wanna be selling Christmas earrings
in the middle of the summer.
But the bigger point here is that,
seasonal collections will have a specific time of year
that they sell well and are in demand,
but for the rest of the year,
you won't want to feature them prominently
in your product listings,
and you won't be focusing on marketing them
either until the time is just right for them.
In our jewellery shop example, she's doing exactly that.
You can clearly see the Christmas theme
with all the Christmassy colours.
Now, it's important to note here
that seasonal collection can be limited as well,
meaning they won't come back next year,
which is what this maker seems to be doing here.
Or they can be the same designs every year
or the same for the most part,
but it's just that they're not really relevant
the rest of the year
so you don't focus on them outside of that holiday season.
So you can create designs from scratch
for your seasonal collections,
designs that aren't available anywhere else in your shop,
or you can offer spin-offs
of your signature collection items.
For example, if you sell canvas bags,
you might have four or five main designs
in your signature collection
in some always relevant colours,
but you can also offer them in a special spring pattern
when spring and summer come around.
Collections actually help you organise your shop.
It forces you to think
about what products you want to sell all the time,
what ones only sell well during certain seasons or holidays,
and which ones you want to keep
as special products you only make
for the limited edition run.
And having well-organized
and cohesive product collections will solidify your brand
and make your shop look much more professional.
Another important thing you will want to be aware of
when creating your product collections is avoiding
the three common handmade product collection mistakes
that I see most often.
So definitely check out my video about it
that is showing on your screen right now.
Click on it, go watch it.
Don't forget to subscribe,
and until next time, au revoir!