Make money from your hobby: sell what you make online

The 21st-century way to promote, market and sell your own homemade goodies, whether it's all-natural soaps, knitted cakes, or your prize-winning bramble jelly, is to do it online. But what are the most effective ways of doing that?

Selling on the web

Creating your own website or blog is a must if you're serious about promoting your goodies. The advantage of a blog is that it is free and simple to create. You can set up a blog right here on Allaboutyou.com , or try Blogger.com. For a DIY website, try Mrsite.com, which costs from £19.99 for a starter pack. On either a blog or website, you can add an online store for customers to purchase what you make.

Take some great photos of your goods and ask a friend who's a computer whizz to help you upload and design the pictures on your site. 'Linking to associated websites is a good idea,' says Lizzi Vandorpe, who produces and sells everything from mosaics to necklaces to cards and gifts at markets, shows, and online. 'So if you produce wedding cards, then find larger online stores which sell wedding products, and ask for a reciprocal link.' Use Google Adwords to boost your search rating, too.

Use Twitter as a marketing tool - follow members of hobby interest groups and the websites and magazines which you'd like to feature your product, and strike up conversation with them - soon they'll be following you and you can keep them updated with what you're selling. (Try sending journalists on publications a free sample, too - it can work wonders!) Other sites you might find interesting for selling things include Gumtree (which is great for selling locally), Amazon Marketplace, UK Handmade  and eBay. For knitters and crocheters, if you create your own patterns, why not sell them on Ravelry?

'I did lots of research into how to sell and market my homemade chunky knitted scarves,' says Georgi Simpkin of Scarves by Simpkins - 'getting a stall at Greenwich or Portobello Market, approaching boutique shops - but in the end decided on the quickest, cheapest and biggest reach option, which was through social media. So I've kept it simple and started a fan page on Facebook and combined that with my online store at My Etsy - and I am also using my Twitter account and personal blog to promote my brand.'

Pro: Lisa Tanner, who makes and sells her own natural goatsmilk soaps using her own goat's milk, says: 'I find my Facebook page invaluable to question my market on what they would like, promote new lines, offer special prizes and so on. Plus all of my friends tell their friends about my page, so I get new customers that way.'

Con: Lisa adds: 'The written word can be misunderstood - customers can't smell the item or see it and therefore you are more likely to get people wanting refunds.'

Etsy

Etsy is a website which deserves special attention, as it's set up especially for crafters to sell their things, often at respectable prices. Felicity Hall, a needlepoint designer who makes and sells needlepoint kits through her own website as well as her Etsy store and some other online shops, offers the following top tips for selling on Etsy. 'Your main selling tool on Etsy is photographs - make sure they are clear and describe the product well, use the extra photos to detail the texture, colour and the size of the product you are selling, and give your images a similar style throughout your shop, to create a cohesive look to your brand. Buyers love to know a little about you and the story behind your product, so don't neglect the shop policies and profile section, either.

'Don't upload everything at once! The products that have been recently uploaded are the first on the list, and therefore the first a buyer will see when clicking on that category, so add your products little by little - that way you'll always be towards the top.

'Finally, visit the forums regularly - participation in interesting posts will help enhance your presence on Etsy. Remember other sellers on Etsy are also potential buyers, so if you make an interesting comment people are sure to check out your shop! And always leave feedback for good transactions and request that buyers do the same for you - it's often the first thing a buyer will look at before proceeding with a sale.'

Pro: You can sell through an established, secure platform without spending a fortune.

Con: You still need to work to get noticed among all the sellers.