Crafts Report: Public Opinion

WHAT'S YOUR OPINION?

Each month, The Crafts Report invites readers to respond to the Public Opinion question. Responses are published in the magazine.

This month’s question is: What is the best business advice you have ever received?

Please respond by Oct. 8, 2002. Responses to this question will appear in the December 2002 issue.

E-mail:
publicopinion@craftsreport.com; or CLICK HERE

Send responses to: “Public Opinion,” The Crafts Report,100 Rogers Rd., Wilmington, DE 19801; fax: (302) 656-4894.

Anonymous responses will no longer be published.

The Internet provides information for those seeking to use it. It also provides convenience for purchasing. Over time the Internet will have an effect on craft show sales. The [craft] industry is slower to adapt to technology than many others. Consumers will force change.

Last fall, I was surfing the Internet and went to the St. James Court Art Fair’s Web site. On the site, several of the exhibiting artists were listed with links to their business Web sites. I browsed several artists’ sites, and when I went to the show, I saw one of the artists whose work I liked, went right up to her booth and knew exactly the [product] I wanted to buy. The Web site helped me have a preview of the artist’s work before I went to the show.

No, I don’t think the Internet will affect craft show sales too much, because people who go to craft shows like to meet the crafters and see the products in real life. Craft show goers know right then what they are getting, and sometimes what you see isn’t what you get on the [Internet].

While there are some artists that do well on the Internet, most don’t even cover the cost of their [Web] site. Art and craft is tactile. People want to hold or view their purchase in person. The best thing about our site is people can order items after they have seen them at a show. The Web is a very nice adjunct to shows but definitely not a threat.

Retail customers, for the most part, enjoy the sensory experience of a craft show and I do not see the Internet making a dent from that point of view. Wholesale foot traffic may diminish slightly, but again, I feel that they also enjoy the sensory [involvement] at a craft show.

No, I don’t believe that the Internet will impact craft show sales. People who attend craft shows do so for inspiration and because they like to see an object, its size and presence before they purchase. There is a saying, “I won’t know what I need until I see it.” This applies here.

The Internet may enhance the show’s after-market sales, as some folks may see something they like and look for a similar [piece] to purchase at the artist’s Web site.

We have not yet become a totally virtual society, thank heavens!

No. I sell my work online and do quite a brisk business but I also sell at retail and wholesale shows. People go to a retail show for many reasons: to buy quality handmade items, to get a “deal,” to interact with the artisan and also for the experience, the fun of walking through the show and being able to see and touch the work first hand. The Internet can’t replace that experience.

No. I think the majority of shoppers prefer being able to handle and touch merchandise despite whether or not they buy it. Being able to see a three-dimensional object in person is still the best marketing tool compared to a visual image.

I had a Web site that I marketed heavily — I got more than 7,000 hits in a month’s time, but that only generated one sale. Hence, I’ll stick with the fairs and festivals and boutique sales. I’m debating whether or not to renew my site since I didn’t get the extra sales I had anticipated.