Startup promotion for artists, artisans and crafters

So many times now I've come across people who are ready to take those first steps into converting their hobby or passion for creating unique, one-off objects into a small business.

The advice from 'experts' in the field is generally: register and buy a domain, buy an e-commerce facility, populate your site with all your products and so on.

But what if you just want to 'test the waters', try out a few objects and interact with your potential customers? Perhaps you're not ready for the full 'bells and whistles e-commerce' site just yet.

To this end, I've built - and am I'm trialing - a site at ikonit.co.uk/one-offs where anyone wishing to promote their unique, one-off objects can upload images and descriptions and easily promote the listing to the various social media platforms without having to re-upload each time.

It's free to use, supported by Google Ads and any profits from the ads after running costs will go to charity. If it proves popular I'll purchase a more appropriate domain name.

Each listing carries a form which the viewer can use to get directly in touch with the object's owner. After requests from our first member, Carl Wood of Woody's Woodwork, we're in the process of adding a Paypal checkout option too.

Also, when a member makes the listing 'go live', links to the listing are posted ikonit's various social media feeds to aid in exposure and search engine optimisation. Share buttons on the listing mean the member - or anyone else for that matter - can quickly and easily share the posting to major social media platforms.

Screen shot of a bowl by Woody's Work

Here's a section of a screen the member who has posted the listing would see:

A seller's view of the listing

With one click the listing can be made available or have a 'reserved' or 'sold' sticker placed over each image. The 'Request check' button allows a member to email a version of the listing to a trusted person who can proof-read, amend and, if required, make the listing 'go live', on the member's behalf.

A quick recommendation whether you choose this system or not: go to your twitter feed and share it with your facebook page. Afterwards, one share of your listing to twitter will also go to your facebook listing.

More suggestions are coming in all the time .. like automatically posting the listing to the member's blogger.com blog when it goes live.

As a first step, a 'taster', I hope you'll agree this is an interesting option. 

Feedback and comments are most welcome.