Top 7 Must-Have Tools for Running a Thriving Online Candle Business
So, you're thinking of starting a candle business, envisioning its success in the online space.
You already have a candle business name and over 100k followers across multiple online platforms. Online candle business ideas are flourishing in your mind, and you are envisioning eclipsing other successful online candle businesses. Carved candles, hand-dipped candles and hand-poured candles all fall into this category.
Your candle business plan is ready to go, but running a successful candle business requires significant effort. The lucrative but oversaturated candle business demands the right tools for success.
Yes, there's immense competition, but with the right tools, your path to success can be expedited compared to online businesses that took decades to establish themselves. Ready to thrive in the online business world? Keep reading.
Choosing the Best Platform for Selling Your Candles Online
Now, I wasn't joking when I said you are at an advantage for selling online candles. When it comes to selling your candles online, your goal should be to dominate every single platform. Make sure that luxury candle gift basket oof yours is on the right platform.
If you look at Yankee Candle, they are everywhere. Everyone knows the name, and yes, they have been around for 100 years and have authority in the field, but we can learn a lot from their strategies. If you want your candle business to grow, you need eyes on it everywhere you are.
I would say start off with one platform and dominate that single platform. And that platform will be your own website. I understand it's very easy to open up an Etsy shop and start making sales. Trust me, it's very tempting, even I did that. But you are your own brand.
If you put so much effort into your candle Etsy shop, your website will come second, which is bad for your online candle business. You need to have complete control of your candle business. The only way to do that is to make sure that you have your own website and it is perfect. These high-end candle companies put their business first and so should you.
If you're interested in having your website, there are two places from my experience that have always done the job correctly:
Bluehost and Squarespace.
Bluehost has hosted many of my websites throughout the years. They helped me get sales and develop a sense of confidence. I felt like such a big shot having my own website, and it did wonders for my brand confidence.
You can start with Bluehost for a very cheap cost, and there are plenty of Bluehost videos on YouTube University that can help you with every single issue you have.
Squarespace is my newfound love. I love how simple, easy, and creative Squarespace can be. You do pay a monthly fee for Squarespace, but if you play your cards right, you'll be making all that money back within the first 3 months.
Squarespace is a website builder that takes away all the stress of starting a website from scratch. You can find inspiration on Squarespace for your candle business or any business that follows and launch a masterpiece. And Yes! I am talking about your beautiful handmade candles.
It's one of the best things ever; I bet those other candle businesses in the 90s didn't have access to this. If you're ready to start your Squarespace website, you have no idea how much time you'll be saving.
Sign up for your Squarespace website here and get started.
After you have your own website and it's up and running, it's time to tackle the next beast. And no, it's not Etsy, at least not yet.
It's Amazon Handmade.
Now listen to me, I understand there is a lot of controversy surrounding starting Amazon Handmade.
I've heard it all, from the wonderful Amazon return policies to the insane fees and how it's nothing like Etsy. But you have access to all of Amazon's customers. Let me ask you this: How is it that there are millions of successful Amazon sellers online who are making a killing? They deal with all of those Amazon problems just like you would. You just have to learn the game. Create unique candles with unique ideas.
Getting started on Amazon Handmade is probably the hardest part in all of this. It is a rigorous, detailed process that can take a few weeks. But during this time, you should be reading up on Amazon Handmade, understanding their policies, and reading success stories.
You have to stay on the positive side of things and find ways to manipulate it to different areas of your online candle business. What is a handmade product you can sell that doesn't take a lot of time and can possibly be customizable (customized items are a loophole for getting out of Amazon's return policy)? Amazon Handmade isn't as saturated as other platforms, so it's time to get started before it's too late.
And finally, we have Etsy.
When I launched my candle business, I ran straight to Etsy. I love Etsy. I love everything about the style and vibe. I even purchase a lot of things for different small businesses across every niche. Etsy is great from a customer perspective, but it takes a different turn if you are trying to sell on the Etsy platform.
Becoming a quality seller on Etsy can take time. I say this because you hear success stories on YouTube from people saying they are making 50k to 100k a month with their print-on-demand and whatnot. You have to be very careful.
Don't chase the money, chase the art. You are on Etsy because you are a creator. And if you continue to create art that is beautiful and meaningful, I know it's cliché but the money will come.
Starting an Etsy shop is very simple. But here are a few things I would have ready to go if I was starting a new Etsy shop today. I would do some product research to see how I was going to sell my candles on the platform.
Do you want to make the candles yourself which adds uniqueness to your brand or do you want to go the print-on-demand way which adds convenience. If you're thinking of starting a candle business, check out our post here.
Etsy has a bunch of resources and communities on the seller apps and on Facebook. You have to do your research to find the best one that fits your niche. Once you've done your research, it's time to create some products and start listing them on Etsy.
I do recommend sending any traffic you create on your own to your own website rather than Etsy, considering that Etsy has its own traffic, but you can do what's best for your business. Etsy is a great place to sell your crafts and to build an audience.
Keeping Track of Your Candle Inventory Efficiently
Keeping track of your candle inventory is crucial if you plan on making them yourself. You need to calculate how much product you're using to make each and every candle. It can get stressful real quick if you aren't organized with your inventory. My candle shop was a mess for months because I was ordering items I didn't even need.
When you own a craft business, you need to find a way to stay on top of inventory so you don't miscalculate. The worst thing that can happen is you get an order for an item that's out of stock. That's the worst feeling ever.
Promoting Your Candles on Various Social Media Platforms
I don't know about you, but I felt so awkward posting my candles online. My inner voices were telling me how horrible my product was and that I needed to just stop, lol. It was my own insecurity that was preventing me from growing my own company. I cared way too much about what people think and needed to put an end to that. Are you someone who cringes at the thought of posting your beautiful artwork online? Well, don't worry, you aren't alone.
The first thing you need to do is take a photo and just post it! That's right, don't even edit it. Make sure your first post isn't perfect no matter which platform you choose. And keep doing this once a day until you are 100% comfortable with posting consistently.
You have to train yourself into the habit of posting. Get rid of your nerves and get comfortable with seeing your candles on your feed. After you do that, it's time to get serious.
I like to be present on every social media platform. If you haven't secured your accounts for them, go ahead and do that now. My favorites are Pinterest, Instagram, X (Twitter), and TikTok. These are my four core platforms to promote my business and get noise out there.
Now within all of these, pick one and make it a part of your business growth plan to post once a day then increase it to 3 times a day (depending on the platform). And you don't need to reinvent the wheel.
Take one photo and/or video and share it across all of these platforms. That is literally what everyone else is doing and it seems to be working for their online businesses. Work smarter, not harder, and get your business out there. After you've grown your platforms, it's time to branch out to the less common ones.
Promoting your business is one of the most important things to do when growing a business. Make sure you have an organized plan for it.
I understand growing on any platform can be overwhelming, so I set up a sheet to help ease you through your business growth journey. You can download it here.
Building Strong Relationships with Your Customers through Email Campaigns
Emails! The golden nugget to online candle business success. Building an email list is easy and difficult. You have to have two things in order to grow your list to unimaginable levels. You need a following of some sort that trusts you. You need a freebie that is packed with value.
For me, I love writing. So, I created a free valued pack pdf that my followers can download and benefit from. I was not thinking about money; I was thinking about emails. In order to start making money in your business, you need to be in the most precious thing: their inbox!
Now, whatever your niche, you need to create a loyal following, and even if you have 7 followers, start promoting that freebie and grow that email list. Once you pass 500-1000 emails, it's time to take it to step 2.
Create an email sequence that your subscribers will love you for. You don't want to collect their emails and just have them sitting there.
You're leaving a bunch of money opportunities on the table. You don't want all your time that you put in to create the freebie to go to waste.
You need to capitalize on it, and there is nothing wrong with this. Lucky for you, I did the hard work for you and created an entire outline of an email sequence you can follow that will have your clients standing in line for your products.
Email sequences are all about welcoming, brand awareness, resources, and discounts.
Here are also my recommendations for email marketing:
- Constant Contact: Offers easy-to-use email marketing tools, as well as additional features like event management and social media posting.
- GetResponse: Provides email marketing, automation, and landing page creation tools, all in one platform.
- AWeber: A popular choice for small businesses with a focus on simplicity and effective email marketing.
- ConvertKit: Designed for creators and bloggers, it offers easy automation and segmentation features.
- MailerLite: Offers a simple and affordable solution for small businesses and startups with email marketing needs.
- Campaign Monitor: Known for its beautiful and customizable email templates, suitable for both beginners and advanced users.
- ActiveCampaign: Combines email marketing, automation, sales automation, and CRM features in one platform.
Ensuring Safe and Attractive Packaging of Your Candles
Are you someone who purchases something simply because of its beautiful art-filled packaging? It's almost like you don't even want to open it! Many online candle business owners across the board don't understand that packaging is an art.
It's not just something to put your package in; it IS the package. Your candle packaging needs to be unique and reflect your business as a whole.
Here are some things to consider when designing packaging for your candles:
Start with one color.
What are your brand colors? How do you want your customers to feel when they receive your product in their hands? You don't want to overwhelm them with too many colors, but you do want to wow them. Give them packaging they will never forget.
Next, pick a style.
Do you want your candle in a box? Bag? Wrapped up with paper? Pick the style that reflects your brand voice. Simple is always a great way to go.
Yes, your packaging should be beautiful, but you need to make sure your product is safe for shipping. Nothing is more disappointing and frustrating than a customer complaining that their package arrived broken.
Test your packaging out and ship it to a family member a few states away and see if your packaging passes the test.
Capturing High-Quality Images to Showcase Your Candles
I know you hate it, I do too, but it is a must if you want to get those sales for your online candle business. Product photography can be a fun task to do; you just have to tap into your left brain a bit. But the first thing we must have is, without a doubt, proper equipment.
When I first started my candle business, I was taking pictures on my iPhone. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
The iPhone is a great way to get started, but just like other areas of the business, you are constantly upgrading and improving. Your next goal is to move to a more professional setting because remember you are competing with the rest of the online world.
Once you are ready to upgrade, here are some key things to add to your toolkit.
Optimizing Your Online Candle Shop for Search Engines
After creating content, SEO should be the next important thing that you master heavily. We all know it's important but don't add it as a priority. Strange, right? Not really. We put it off because it's not the sexy stuff.
There's no fancy lights and easy lifting when it comes to SEO. You need to be sitting down for hours at a time doing research for your business, finding new ways to get your website views to boost your sales as you rank for 700 different keywords. It's not an easy task, but that shouldn't scare you.
There are so many resources to choose from when it comes to SEO, but I'm just going to cut to the chase. The best ones are expensive, and there's no way around that price if you want to be successful.
I'm completely biased since I have been using SEMrush on and off for years, but to me, I like their interface, customer service, and policies. They have every possible resource to help you and will set up one-on-one workshops with you to help guide you through the platform.
If you're serious about upping your SEO game this year, invest in the proper SEO tool that's going to skyrocket your sales.
Invest in the Best Tools to Boost Your Online Candle Business Success
First, I want to thank you for making it to the end of this post. Since I know you're a candle lover, here's a little something special for you.
I have a discount code to my candle shop for any candle of your choice. It's important for you to have a little candle for yourself as you continue to grow your brand awareness.
I hope these tools inspire you to invest in yourself and your business dreams and goals. The key is just to get started. Even if you do one thing on this post, you're already in a better position than most.
Good luck!
