Monday, March 9, 2009

Sell More Handmade with Rapid Cart & Market Hub

Selling handmade items on ArtFire has never been easier. New tools, features and functions are constantly in development to better support your business and your brand. If you are just getting started with ArtFire take a look at the "Promote" tab on your My ArtFire page. There you will find the latest and greatest applications to increase traffic to your artisan Studio.

ArtFire's focus is on helping your handmade brand survive and thrive in the ever growing sea of items on the internet. To do this artists need to increase their online foot print by blogging, being involved in social media sites, and selling on several handmade venues. ArtFire suggests spending 59 minutes a day to promote your business and your brand and has a guide to help you do this under Social Media Resources tab on your My ArtFire page.

After reading the ArtFire Quick Start guide, you will be on your way to a more successful handmade business. Now you can really increase your traffic, your overall internet exposure, and your sales by using Rapid Cart and Market Hub. These are exclusive features available to ArtFire members only and give you a substantial advantage over the competition.

Even More Traffic with the Rapid Cart/Market Hub combo!

Market Hub is a revolutionary shift in thinking by a sales venue. ArtFire wants artists to make more sales in every venue and by any means necessary. This means showing your buyers who you are and how hard you work to promote your brand. Market Hub allows your buyers to get to know you as an artist a little better, and it helps you maintain your footprint as a seller.

With Market Hub link outs riding on every listing your buyer has the option to visit your other venues or your own Web site. If a buyer doesnt find what she is looking for in your ArtFire Studio, your Etsy shop, Web site, or other venue is just a click away!

Setting up Market Hub is quick and easy, just fill in the URL for your social media sites and link outs on your Market Hub control panel (sign into your ArtFire account before following this link). Your bio will also go right in the Market Hub body to prominently display your story. Make sure to fill all the boxes so that each link is live for your buyers. Your social footprint should all interlink so that each destination pushes traffic to the other.

ArtFire released "No Sign-up" check out for your buyers in February which again revolutionized the way that online market places allow buyers to shop. Now your buyer can process a purchase in about 30 seconds without signing up as a member of ArtFire. Studies have shown that "No Registration Checkout" can substantially increase sales and as this is the mission at ArtFire, it only seemed natural to encourage more sales by making it easier and faster to buy on the venue!

The development team at ArtFire did not stop at No Sign-up checkout for however, but instead took it three steps further with the introduction of Rapid Cart. Yet another first in innovative methods to increase sales and support your social foot print. Rapid Cart rides on your Blog, Web site or any site that allows Flash and allows your buyers to purchase and checkout for your handmade items that you have listed on ArtFire, with out leaving your the page!

Rapid Cart is like putting a cash register on every one of your blogs and again requires no registration, no sign-up, no fuss, no hassle, just a quick remote checkout right on your blog (in fact about 28 seconds). No more waiting for your buyers to find you, Rapid Cart puts your ArtFire items right in front of your customers and makes it easier than ever to purchase.

These are just several of the great features offered to ArtFire artisans. The community has only been in open Beta for about five months and has already demonstrated a dedication to the success of it's members through creative and innovative features and functions. With hundreds of new projects in the queue and the ability for artist to sell their handmade items absolutely free of charge (never a listing or final value fee), ArtFire promises to change the face of online handmade marketplaces.