From Northern Italy to Taiwan: here's how I exported by craft abroad
Published by Incomedia in Success stories · Thursday 18 Jul 2019
The web is a limitless tool, which is why it can offer great possibilities. Imagine a small business owner who produces goods and sells them locally. Tailors, winemakers, sculptors: they all create handmade products and sell them in their neighborhood stores. These products have a limited market, which only extends a few hundred kilometers: meaning only local residents will purchase them.
The Internet, however, has changed the game: nowadays starting a website offers important advantages, including the ability to expand your target audience. Not just in terms of selling, but also in terms of building a global reputation.
Edo Sartori knows this well: he was able to draw upon the web's potential to find a new market for his products. Read more about his story.
Edo Sartori: an instrument maker from Northern Italy to Taiwan
Edo Sartori always loved music, but he didn't get into the business right away.
After twenty years of running his family's knitwear company, he finally decided to pursue his passion. He earned some distinctions early on, but the Italian market is very specialized and hard to penetrate.
How can you showcase your art to a wider public? With a website!
Edo's not a webmaster, which is why he chose a complete solution that is also perfect for people who don't know anything about programming: WebSite X5.
First steps online
A clear, clean template, beautiful images, the main information, and contact details: Edo's ready to go online.
His website breathes new life into his business, and opens a door onto the international market, which is why he chooses to also write his content in English.
“I sell a lot of my work abroad, to specialist stores who sell artisanal string instruments. My website brings me important contacts all around the world.”
New opportunities and long-term clients
The trade fairs Edo used to participate in draw fewer and fewer visitors, but the cost of attending never decreased. Edo decides to put more focus on his website, promoting it and putting even more effort into the images, which in his case clearly represent his craft.
Contact requests pour in: through the form, through social media accounts connected to his website... Edo builds stable and long-lasting relationships with certain specialized instrument stores, and maintains commercial relationships as far as Taiwan. Without his site, he would never have tapped into a market of this scope.
“My website has allowed me to establish relationships with stores who trust me and contact me through the form”.
A website improves customer relations
Having a website can allow you to create better relationships with your clients. For example, your visitors can view your products online several times, and read all the information you've chosen to share about them. They can even read reviews other people may have left, view photos and videos about your business, and if you've installed one, use a live chat system to contact you in real time about any questions.
Why you should have a website in 2019
Modern consumer habits have changed over time, but they still prioritize a need for information.
As people's lives become more and more digital in 2019, potential clients interested in coming to see you in person (if you live close enough for them to do so) still appreciate the convenience of going online to see what you have to offer first. In fact, six out of ten people expect brands to offer information about their business online, and over half of them search for this information directly on the brand's website.
This is reason enough to understand why having a website is so important today.
To sum up, if your company doesn't have a website yet, we recommend taking Edo Sartori's example and creating one!
No need to be a programming expert: solutions like WebSite X5 allow you to achieve professional results in just a few, simple steps.
Convert web visitors into clients, show them what you have to offer - your news, ideas, products, and services - through articles, videos, photos, updates, and more. Worldwide opportunities are waiting for you online!