Learn about SupaDupa eCommerce

Peas & Carrots owner, Brittany is here today to share about the SupaDupa platform. She is sharing all about her shop, why she chose this platform and really great tips for small handmade businesses. Her advice comes from a successful year of working hard, promoting, sharing & growing her business. Thanks for stopping by today!

How long have you been in business?

Well, I opened up my etsy shop in September 2011… so about nine months. (WOW!)

What do you sell in your shop?

I sell accessories for your home, your family, and yourself!

How did you get started?

I made a sports wreath (GO RAZORBACKS!) for my house about a year ago and many people asked me if I’d make them one. My husband kept telling me I needed to open up an online shop, and while I was flattered I really didn’t think my craftings were cool enough to constitute a store! Ha! Then one random night I came home from running errands to find out that my husband had went ahead and actually opened up a shop for me anyway…so I figured why not. Kind of crazy, huh?!

How long did it take for you to become successful?

Oh geez…am I successful?!? About two months after I opened my shop, I noticed a boom in sales. From that point I think we are at a really good place with consistent orders rolling in and keeping me busy! But there is a lot of room for improvement and growth! Never be satisfied where you are.

What tools do you use to promote your shop?

my blog (www.naturallyestes.com), twitter (@naturallyestes), Facebook (www.facebook.com/naturallyestes), and pinterest (www.pinterest.com/naturallyestes)

Promoting yourself and your shop is a BIG, BIG deal! If you don’t believe in your shop and share with others then no one will believe in it either.

How did you choose your pricing?

Well let me shoot you straight…I STINK at pricing. For some reason I feel guilty for my prices and wonder if people think they are too high. BUT I did hear pricing explained to me once and I am really trying to work towards that. Your total price of an item should be 3 times the cost of supplies. So it wold look like this: first 1/3, the cost of the supplies; second 1/3, the time it took you to make the item, and the last 1/3 is your profit.

If you made the switch to this platform, what benefits resulted in the switch?

I am still pretty new to SupaDupa, but I must tell you that I am IN. LOVE. You purchase a package where you pay a monthly fee to list a set number of items. Such a nice change from Etsy and where you pay .20per item listed and then a percent once the item sells. The fees ended up costing me more than I pay now, ha! When I switched sites to Supadupa they had a way from me to just import all my current listings from Etsy so I didn’t have to retype everything, WOOHOO! Also I really like that my website looks professional and I have my own domain name. I really think a great website can set you apart from your competition.

How did you select your eCommerce platform?

Well when I opened my shop I first went with Etsy. The risk is very low, they make it easy to list items to sell, and people LOVE to go there and search for items! But as my business grew it cost me more in fees, and I also desired to have my own website for a more professional look. When I heard about SupaDupa from a friend, I was REALLY excited! It offered me a flat monthly payment to list a TON of items and helped me EASILY make a website to be proud of!

What was the most important criteria when selecting a platform?

There are SO many important things, but I think the most important criteria comes down to fees. Make sure you understand what you’ll be charged and what you get for that.

Share some Pros and Cons for the platform you selected

Pros:

-your own domain name

-you pay one flat fee a month

-easy to use

-you can set up certain coupon criteria (ex: good after $30 purchased, limited to 5, excluding certain items, etc.)

-more customization options

Cons:

-shipping is a pain in the behind at first

-you have to pay the monthly fee whether you sell things or not

-you have to make more of an effort for people to find your shop (unlike Etsy where people can type in “wreaths” and your item will pop up)

Did you choose to customize your eCommerce site? How did you go about doing so?

Yes and No. I have added my own pictures, colors, and logos but I haven’t had a site overhaul like I’d like to. When that time comes, believe me, I’ll be calling on Aimee to help a sister out! ha!

What else would you like to share about your experience with eCommerce?

The beauty about all of these eCommerce sites is that you aren’t stuck with one for the rest of your life. No contract is signed in blood

and you can switch whenever you like. So don’t stress too much about which is the right fit for you and your shop. There may be different answers for your business’ different growing stages.

Do you have a growth plan for expanding your shop? What would that entail?

Right now I am working on a growth plan for Peas & Carrots, and really trying to figure out where I’d like it to go. What products should I add? Which should I cut? I know I’d like to see my items in more stores around the USA…that just sounds pretty awesome to me.

Would you overall recommend this platform? If so, to what type of businesses?

YES!!!! And I think any handmade shop would fit beautifully within the SupaDupa platform!

If you have ANY questions at all about how SupaDupa, handmade shops, or just want to chat feel free to contact me! As you can see I’m on every social media outlet known to man, ha!

Hi, I’m Brittany. A mom to FOUR amazing, but crazy kids who spends her days sipping coffee and blogging. When I am not spending my time changing diapers, chasing, and feeding kids I like to craft! This shop has become my outlet to keep my sanity, ha! So you never know what treasure you might find in here! Please feel free to check out my shop Peas & Carrots!