A simple guide to selling your ceramics/pottery online
Selling online can be one of the most satisfying and scalable ways to sell. If you can start to generate consistent online sales, it will mean time saved going to markets and fairs, and more consistency when it comes to tracking sales.
Before anything else, know this: real life selling often feels easier in the beginning. Craft fairs, open studio days, even small local markets will teach you what people actually pick up, ask about, and want to buy. Those lessons make your online shop much stronger. You do not have to choose one or the other. Many potters do both.
Growing your online sales should be a long term goal that you are constantly building towards. As time goes on you will naturally have:
-More followers and traffic
-More reviews
-Better marketing
-More experience in what sells
Where you can sell pottery online
Below are the main platform types, what they are like in practice, and how they fit into a long term strategy.
1. Etsy, Folksy and other craft marketplaces
Pros
-Fast to set up
-Built in traffic from people already browsing for handmade work
-Good place to test your prices, photos and descriptions
Cons
-Fees add up quickly
-Paid ads dominate search results
-Your shop sits next to thousands of others
It is definitely worth listing your work on Etsy or similar marketplaces. It is quick to do and can lead to early sales. This depends on the appeal of your work, photos, descriptions and a bit of luck.
There are no real downsides to making an account and listing pieces. You only pay fees once you make a sale. Just make sure you factor the fees into your pricing.
Etsy works best as:
-A testing ground
-A passive background income source
-A place to pick up reviews and early customers
2. Your own website (Shopify, Squarespace, Big Cartel, Weebly)
Pros
-Total control over your branding and layout
-No listing fees
-You can build long term trust with customers
-Easy to add blogs, customer reviews and mailing list signups
Cons
-No built in traffic
-Needs more setup time and consistency
-Monthly fees even when sales are slow
Consistent sales through your own website is the best long term goal. It gives you complete control and you are not dependent on another company.
However, building up consistent traffic takes time. You will usually need one or more of the following:
-A way to promote your website such as Instagram
-Organic traffic through Google
-Paid traffic through Google or social platforms
A personal website is ideal once you are:
-Confident with your photography
-Making sales already
-Ready to build a brand, not just a shop
3. Social selling
Friends and family, word of mouth, Facebook Marketplace, Instagram DMs.
This gets you a long way in the beginning. People who know you will want to support you and will happily buy your early pieces. Their friends will see the work and the word will slowly spread. All you need is an easy way for them to contact you. Instagram is the best tool for this.
Pros
-Very low cost
-Works well if you have a local audience
-Simple for one off pieces or small batches
Best for early sales and building a small but loyal customer base.
4. Instagram as a traffic generator
Instagram is one of the best ways to grow traffic. You can reach people immediately and slowly build an engaged following.
Post a consistent mix of:
-Finished work
-Studio shots
-Behind the scenes process
-Events and shop updates
People love following a journey. Document everything. It gives you long term credibility and warms up buyers before they ever visit your shop.
Instagram is powerful because:
-It builds trust
-It builds demand
-It helps you test ideas
-It feeds traffic to Etsy or your website
Treat Instagram as a long term asset that grows alongside your skills.
A simple starter strategy
This avoids overwhelm and keeps you moving without trying to do everything at once.
Step 1: Start with real life feedback
Sell at one or two small craft fairs or open studio days. You will quickly learn:
-Which items people gravitate toward
-What price points feel comfortable
-Whether your glazes look different in various lights
-What questions customers ask again and again
This feedback is far more valuable than guessing online.
Step 2: List your products on Etsy
This is one of the fastest ways to get started. It is quick to set up and you can leave it running in the background.
If you get early sales, brilliant. If not, you have not wasted much time.
Early Etsy goals:
-Upload at least ten pieces
-Use clear titles and descriptions
-Photograph each piece from multiple angles
-Include measurements and capacity for mugs and bowls
Let Etsy work for you while you learn and improve your photography and pricing.
Step 3: Create an Instagram account and show your pieces
Start this early so your account can grow while you grow. It also becomes a visual diary of your progress.
People love seeing improvement and honesty, so post often and show what you are learning.
Focus on:
-Consistent posting
-Engaging with the pottery community by liking, commenting and messaging
-Asking all friends and family to follow and share your posts
Set a first follower goal of 500. This is enough to start seeing regular engagement and traffic to Etsy.
Eventually: Build a website and an email list
Once you have:
-Regular work you feel proud of
-Better photography
-More reviews
-A consistent Instagram presence
Then it becomes worthwhile to invest in your own site and an email list.
Email lists are incredibly powerful because:
-You own the audience
-Engagement is higher than social media
-You can announce shop updates directly
You do not need this on day one, but it is very useful for long term growth.
The simplest path
If you want the fastest, most realistic route without overwhelm:
1. Sell in real life to learn what people like.
2. List your pieces on Etsy.
3. Start an Instagram account and post consistently.
4. Build momentum for a few months.
5. Move to your own website when you feel ready.
6. Start an email list once you have regular customers.
If you repeat this for a few months, your online presence will grow naturally. The combination of Etsy, Instagram and real life sales will give you everything you need to build a long term pottery brand.
Remember, this will take some time. Real life fairs and markets are the best way to get some income to begin with. Focus on both so that you can get the best of both worlds!
We wish you the best of luck!