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I’m a huge advocate for having a niche, or specialty, in your Silhouette or Cricut craft business. While some believe it is better to be a ‘Jack/Jill of all Trades’, here are some benefits of choosing a niche.
What is a Niche?
Before we look at the benefits, what exactly is a niche? A niche can be defined as a specialized section of the market. Here are a few examples:
- Drinkware
- Apparel
- Party goods
Now, the niches I listed above are huge with thousands of different products. Rather than select a huge niche, I suggest choosing a more specific niche:
- Drinkware – Epoxied glitter tumblers
- Apparel – Unisex t-shirts with sayings related to outdoor activities
- Party goods – All in one party supply packages for moms planning parties for children under age 6.
See what I did there when describing and picking niches? I narrowed them down to specific product lines. Now, let’s take a look at the benefits of niches.
10 Benefits to Having a Niche in Your Craft Business
Credibility
When a new customer comes into your online shop or store and sees many of the same items, and positive feedback, you gain instant credibility as a seller of the products you make when you have a specific niche.
Mastery
The more times you make the same (or similar items) the better you become. You are more likely to come up with new ideas, or seek out additional training (which could be researching a new technique on YouTube or taking a class on Craftsy.com) within your specific niche.
Efficiency
To expand on number 2, the more mastery of a product you have, the faster you can make them. This ultimately will allow you to cut down time creating products, which means you will be able to fulfill more orders in the same amount of time.
Higher Pricing
With credibility and mastery comes the ability to set higher prices. After you’ve proven yourself in your niche, raise your prices slightly. If sales are still going well, raise them a little more. You will find that customers are willing to pay a higher price from a store that specializes in the product they are looking to buy.
Neater & Tidier Store
When you have a niche of products, they will likely fit into a smaller amount of categories. This will help your store look neater and tidier. This is especially true on Etsy, where you have a limited amount of categories.
Cheaper & Easier Marketing
When you have a niche, it is easier to narrow down your demographic (those are the categories of people who buy your products). When you know who buys your product, you can market to these buyers. For example, if you sell infant bodysuits, you may find that your main demographic is women in their 20’s and 30’s (primary child bearing time). After researching your demographic, you find that these potential buyers are active on social media. You’ll then be able to target them directly either through paid or organic advertising.
Narrows the Competition
In many product niches, you’ll find that the more specialized you become, the less competition you will have.
More Memorable
Niche stores, especially handmade niche stores, are more memorable when they create and specialize in a small number of products. The more memorable you are to your customers, the more likely they are to talk about you. Word-of-mouth advertising can be powerful to a small business owner with a limited (or non-existent) marketing budget.
Customers Buy Multiple Items
If a potential customer finds your store while looking for glitter coffee mugs, and you have multiple styles to choose from, you may find that the customer will purchase several items. If the same customer comes to your store and you only have 1 glitter coffee mug, you may only get a one item sale.
Naming Your Business is Easier
Once you decide on your niche, incorporate it into your name. This is great for two reasons: 1) Customers will instantly know what you sell 2) Search engines will pick up the keywords in your name and when someone searches for “xyz product” your name is likely to appear higher in search results if you have “xyz product” in your name. In contrast, a shop who only has the words “Designs” or “Creations” in it may appear lowered even if they offer the same product.
After you choose a niche, read my tips on naming your craft business.
Since 2015, Christine Schinagl has been helping crafters start and run craft businesses through her blog, Cutting for Business. As a Silhouette and Cricut crafter herself, she has a unique take on what works and what doesn’t work in the craft business world. She also enjoys teaching other crafters how to create digital SVG designs, available through the Design with Me series.