{"id":5117,"date":"2022-07-15T02:02:58","date_gmt":"2022-07-15T02:02:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/15\/e-commerce-101-for-musicians\/"},"modified":"2022-07-15T02:02:58","modified_gmt":"2022-07-15T02:02:58","slug":"e-commerce-101-for-musicians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/15\/e-commerce-101-for-musicians\/","title":{"rendered":"E-commerce 101 for Musicians"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p3\">The world of e-commerce can be a confusing one for independent musicians. With brands like Shopify and SquareSpace to research and terms like drop shipping to learn, it\u2019s tough to just get started, let alone have success.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">That\u2019s why we\u2019re here to give you a crash course in e-commerce. We\u2019ll cover platform options, things to be aware of when getting started and even some merch ideas. But first, let\u2019s answer the basic question\u2026<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/15\/e-commerce-101-for-musicians\/#What_is_e-commerce\" >What is e-commerce?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/15\/e-commerce-101-for-musicians\/#Which_e-commerce_platform_should_I_use\" >Which e-commerce platform should I use?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/15\/e-commerce-101-for-musicians\/#How_do_I_choose_an_e-commerce_platform\" >How do I choose an e-commerce platform?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/15\/e-commerce-101-for-musicians\/#Things_to_be_aware_of_when_shipping_your_merch\" >Things to be aware of when shipping your merch<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/15\/e-commerce-101-for-musicians\/#1_Shipping_rates\" >1. Shipping rates<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/15\/e-commerce-101-for-musicians\/#2_How_you_package_your_product\" >2. How you package your product<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/15\/e-commerce-101-for-musicians\/#3_Volume\" >3. Volume<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/15\/e-commerce-101-for-musicians\/#4_What_kind_of_products_youre_selling\" >4. What kind of products you\u2019re selling<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/15\/e-commerce-101-for-musicians\/#5_Think_about_popularity_of_items\" >5. Think about popularity of items<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/15\/e-commerce-101-for-musicians\/#DIY_merch_ideas\" >DIY merch ideas<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/15\/e-commerce-101-for-musicians\/#Tips_for_selling_merch\" >Tips for selling merch<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/07\/15\/e-commerce-101-for-musicians\/#Learn_more_with_our_full_podcast_episode\" >Learn more with our full podcast episode<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_e-commerce\"><\/span>What is e-commerce?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p3\"><strong>E-commerce is any arrangement of the buying and selling of goods on the Internet as opposed to in real life such as at a store.<\/strong> When you buy something on Amazon, you\u2019re using e-commerce. Pretty simple!<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">So how can you the independent musicians use e-commerce to sell your music and merch? And what options do you have?<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_e-commerce_platform_should_I_use\"><\/span>Which e-commerce platform should I use?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Bandzoogle:<\/strong> CD Baby\u2019s partner for artist website hosting. <a href=\"https:\/\/bandzoogle.com\/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=Search_Brand&amp;utm_content=BZ-Core-Brand&amp;utm_term=bandzoogle&amp;device=c&amp;kw_matchtype=e&amp;network=g&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjw_b6WBhAQEiwAp4HyIMWKNkqDf5_U__ceGJMkAgtzQ9dY0DLEbm__GGlvT7YCvRoX9XGrMhoCoA8QAvD_BwE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bandzoogle<\/a> has an integrated merch store, so no need to use another platform if you\u2019re hosting your artist site through Bandzoogle. They\u2019re also commission free and they integrates with the print on demand service <a href=\"https:\/\/www.printful.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Printful<\/a>. CD Baby artists get two free Standard album submissions per year with an annual plan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><strong>Shopify:<\/strong> This is the current number one e-commerce platform. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shopify.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shopify<\/a> integrates with your artist website and social media profiles Facebook and Instagram.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><strong>Bandcamp:<\/strong> If you\u2019re already selling your digital downloads on <a href=\"https:\/\/bandcamp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bandcamp<\/a>, you can add physical products as well. CDs, shirts, you name it, you can sell it on Bandcamp.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_I_choose_an_e-commerce_platform\"><\/span>How do I choose an e-commerce platform?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p3\">There are three things to consider when choosing an e-commerce platform<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><strong>Cost:<\/strong> This is the big one. Times are tight right now and you don\u2019t want to pay for something that offers more than you need. Which leads to\u2026<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><strong>Needs:<\/strong> How much merch are you selling currently? Do you need an on-demand printing service? Are you just starting out and only have a few items to sell?<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><strong>Outsourcing:<\/strong> There\u2019s a middle ground between going to the post office all the time and using a dedicated shipping service. A service like <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.zebra.kdu&amp;hl=en_US&amp;gl=US\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Print Station<\/a> can print shipping labels at home and find you the cheapest shipping method.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Things_to_be_aware_of_when_shipping_your_merch\"><\/span>Things to be aware of when shipping your merch<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Shipping_rates\"><\/span>1. Shipping rates<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p3\">Understand where your fans are. Lean towards the high side for shipping rates and you can always set a discount later.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_How_you_package_your_product\"><\/span>2. How you package your product<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p3\">Consider slimmer options for CDs to lighten the package and lower shipping costs.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Volume\"><\/span>3. Volume<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p3\">How much merch are fans ordering? Set aside time each week to ship orders. Think about printing on-demand instead of in bulk if your volume is lower.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_What_kind_of_products_youre_selling\"><\/span>4. What kind of products you\u2019re selling<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p3\">If you offer unique merch some places won\u2019t sell them and you\u2019ll have to sell and ship it yourself.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Think_about_popularity_of_items\"><\/span>5. Think about popularity of items<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p3\">If you have a few shirts that sell a lot, it could be worth it to print a lot of those and ship them on your own. You can print in bulk for cheaper and ship lots of packages from one trip to the post office.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"DIY_merch_ideas\"><\/span>DIY merch ideas<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Are you ready to sell some merch online but not sure where to start?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Here are some merch ideas for indie musicians:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li3\"><strong>CDs:<\/strong> Yes, people still buy <a href=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/music-career\/how-to-price-your-cds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CDs<\/a>! And they\u2019re high margin items, which means they cost little to make and you can charge $10 or more for each. Personalize them to incentive people to buy them. Eco options instead of normal jewel cases make it even cheaper.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><strong>Think outside the box:<\/strong> Everyone sells shirts. Make merch that is unique. Personalized notes or signed drum heads. Even one of a kind items.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><strong>Limited merch:<\/strong> Only make a certain amount of an item to entice people to buy something limited edition.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><strong>Make videos for your merch:<\/strong> \u201cHow it\u2019s made\u201d showing you making your merch. Unboxing videos of you opening one of them.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><strong>Look local:<\/strong> There might be a merch shop in your area. A place that prints shirts near you that you can visit and check out their quality. Lower shipping to you too.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><strong>Buttons:<\/strong> Super cheap and you can do a set for people to order multiple different buttons. Pure Buttons is a great option.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><strong>Factor the form factor:<\/strong> Books are easy to package but can be expensive by weight. Posters are annoying due to the tubes they ship in.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><strong>Digital merch:<\/strong> PDF booklets instead of physical books. Use them for lyrics or liner notes or extra art so people who don\u2019t want the CD can still access extras. Tab books for people to learn your songs. Easy to host on your website and cheap. Sell your full digital discography in one zip file so new fans can access your entire catalog for one price.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tips_for_selling_merch\"><\/span>Tips for selling merch<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>And finally, a few tips for selling your merch online:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li3\"><strong>Don\u2019t be afraid to actively sell:<\/strong> Advertise your merch on your social profiles and in your emails.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><strong>Follow up with people:<\/strong> Use a site\u2019s \u201cabandon cart\u201d messaging. Track people who add your items to their cart and don\u2019t check out.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><strong>Sweeten the experience:<\/strong> Use cool packaging. Put bonus things like stickers in the package with the merch your fans have bought. If it\u2019s a surprise and their experience is good, they might want to buy more from you.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><strong>Keep notes on who\u2019s bought what:<\/strong> If you offer an item you have too much of at a discount, make sure you don\u2019t send the email for that offer to someone who already bought it at full price.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><strong>How to move items that aren\u2019t selling:<\/strong> Tell your fans you\u2019re putting items on sale. \u201cEverything must go!\u201d Fans know you\u2019re offering them a deal.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><strong>Lead with your story:<\/strong> Provide your fans some value so they buy into your brand.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><strong>Experiment with price:<\/strong> Don\u2019t be afraid to lower or raise price based on what\u2019s selling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Learn_more_with_our_full_podcast_episode\"><\/span>Learn more with our full podcast episode<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Want to get all our expert advice on e-commerce for indie musicians? Listen to the full DIY Musician Podcast episode!<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"iframe-container\"><\/div>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/musician-tips\/e-commerce-101-for-musicians\/\" target=\"_blank\">E-commerce 101 for Musicians<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">DIY Musician<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The world of e-commerce can be a confusing one for independent musicians. With brands like Shopify and SquareSpace to research and terms like drop shipping to learn, it\u2019s tough to just get started, let alone have success. That\u2019s why we\u2019re here to give you a crash course in e-commerce. We\u2019ll cover platform options, things to be aware of when getting started and even some merch ideas. But first, let\u2019s answer the basic question\u2026 What is e-commerce? E-commerce is any arrangement of the buying and selling of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5117"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5117\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}