Attracting customers to your website as a maker or small shop

Published on October 7, 2026, updated on November 7, 2026 · 9 min read · The 123Ventes team

Opening an online shop is a bit like opening a shop in the middle of a forest. It looks lovely, it is tidy, but nobody knows it exists. Visitors do not fall from the sky: you have to build them a path.

The good news is that you do not need a big-brand advertising budget. Here are the methods that really work for a craftsperson, a shopkeeper or a self-employed seller, from the simplest to the slowest.

1. Start with the customers you already have

Your first online customers are often the people who already know you: customers from your shop, the market, craft fairs, friends, neighbours. They are the ones who will place the first order and talk about you.

• put your shop’s web address on everything that leaves your premises: bags, labels, business cards, invoices, van;
• display a QR code on your stall and at the till: “See the whole collection online”;
• invite customers to sign up to your newsletter when they drop by.

It is free, it takes an afternoon, and at the beginning it is often what brings in the most.

2. Be on Google Maps, and collect reviews

If you have a workshop or a shop, create your Google Business Profile. It appears when someone searches for your trade near them, with your opening hours, photos, reviews and a link to your online shop. It is free, and for a local business it is often the main source of visits. We cover this in more detail in our guide to selling locally online.

Then come the reviews. Before buying from someone they do not know, people look at what others say. A profile with ten genuine reviews is far more tempting to click than an empty one, however pretty.

• ask happy customers for a review, in person at the till or with a little note in the parcel;
• give them the direct link to your profile: the fewer clicks, the more likely they are to do it;
• reply to every review, even in two lines, and above all reply calmly to negative ones: future customers read your replies as much as the reviews;
• show a few reviews on your shop, with the customer’s first name and their consent.

Never buy fake reviews: Google spots them, and so do your customers. Five real reviews are better than fifty made-up ones.

3. Use the social networks that suit you

There is no need to be everywhere. Pick one or two networks, the ones your customers use, and stick to them:

• Instagram: ideal for products that are a pleasure to look at (ceramics, jewellery, fashion, home decor, cakes);
• Facebook: widely used locally, with neighbourhood groups and community pages;
• Pinterest: often forgotten, but excellent for home decor, weddings, cooking and handmade goods. A single pin can send you visitors for years.

What works best is not advertising, it is behind the scenes: the workshop, the making, the new delivery, today’s failed batch. People buy from people, not from logos. And with every post, include the direct link to the product.

To choose the right network, read which social network to choose as a craftsperson, and for Instagram, our step-by-step guide to selling your creations on Instagram.

4. Get found on Google

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is what brings you visitors for free, every day, with no effort once it is in place. But it is also the slowest: allow several months. The basics are simple:

• give each product a clear title, using the words your customers type: “handmade stoneware mug” rather than “Aurore model”;
• write a proper description for each product, different from the others;
• give your photos meaningful names and describe them;
• mention your town and region if you sell locally;
• publish a useful page from time to time: care advice, a size guide, the story behind a collection.

Google likes websites that answer people’s questions. If you answer the question, it will send you the person asking it.

5. Ask the people who know you for links

Every website that talks about you and links to your shop sends you visitors and reassures Google that you are serious. Think of:

• your suppliers and partners;
• the tourist office, the town hall, the chamber of trades (the chambre de métiers in France);
• your town’s shopkeepers’ or craftspeople’s association;
• the fairs and markets where you exhibit;
• local blogs and newspapers, always on the lookout for a good craftsperson’s story.

A simple, polite email is often enough. The worst that can happen is that nobody replies.

6. Bring back the people who have already visited

Attracting a new customer takes far more effort than bringing back an existing one. A newsletter every month or two is enough: something new, a season, a market date, a quick note from the workshop. No need to overdo it. The idea is simply that people do not forget you.

7. Paid advertising, in moderation

Ads on Facebook, Instagram or Google can give you a boost, for example before Christmas or for a launch. But they stop the moment you stop paying. If you give them a try:

• set a small budget, for example €5 a day, and an end date;
• target precisely: your region, your customers’ interests;
• send visitors to a product page, not the home page;
• check your statistics: if it does not sell, it is often the page that needs improving, not the budget that needs increasing.

For Google ads, our guide Google Ads for craftspeople on a small budget explains the settings and the keywords to exclude.

Which method should you choose? A comparison

These methods do not all require the same time or money, and they do not deliver results at the same pace. This table helps you decide where to start:

In short: start with the first four methods, which are free and quick, and keep advertising for the busy periods.

A simple plan for the first month

• Week 1: your shop’s web address on your bags, cards and labels; a QR code at the till; your Google Business Profile.
• Week 2: titles and descriptions of your 20 best products rewritten with your customers’ words.
• Week 3: choose one social network and publish three “behind the scenes” posts with links to the products.
• Week 4: five emails asking your partners for a link, and your first newsletter.

Then start again, a little every week. Consistency pays off, not one-off stunts.

And to attract customers to your physical shop?

Your website is not only for selling online. Today, most customers look on the internet before walking into a shop. So your website can also fill your shop:

• offer in-store pickup: the customer orders online and comes to collect the parcel, and often leaves with something else too;
• show what is in stock and the week’s new arrivals, to give people a reason to drop by;
• display your opening hours and address on every page, with a map, and keep them up to date on Google;
• announce your events: a workshop demonstration, an open day, a tasting, a market appearance;
• offer a small perk to people who come via the website: a code, a sample, gift wrapping.

To go further on this subject, read our guide to selling locally online.

And once the visitors arrive?

They need to buy! If you get visits but few orders, read our article why my website does not sell: it reviews the most common obstacles.

With 123Ventes, your shop is ready to welcome those visitors: payments, deliveries, in-store pickup, statistics and newsletter are included, for €29.90 a month or €319.90 a year, with no commission on your sales. So you can spend your time bringing in customers rather than fiddling with your website.

And the subscription only starts with your first order: as long as customers are not buying, you pay nothing. You only pay when you sell.

For what comes next, our article how to succeed in e-commerce gives you the three figures to track and a plan for your first 90 days.

Frequently asked questions

How can I attract customers to my website for free?

Start with your existing customers (your website address on your bags, labels and invoices, a QR code at the till), create your Google Business Profile, ask for reviews, share behind-the-scenes posts about your work on one or two social networks, and take care of your product titles and descriptions for Google. All of this costs nothing but time.

How long does it take to get visitors?

Customers who already know you can come in the very first week. Social media and Google Maps bring results within a few weeks. SEO is the slowest: allow several months, but after that it keeps sending you visitors with no effort.

Do I need to pay for advertising to attract customers?

No, it is not essential. Advertising can give you a boost before Christmas or for a launch, but it stops the moment you stop paying. Start with the free methods, and keep advertising for specific occasions, with a small budget and an end date.

How can I use the internet to bring customers into my shop?

With an up-to-date Google Business Profile (opening hours, photos, reviews), an online shop that offers in-store pickup, and local posts on social media. Many customers look online before making the trip: if they find your products and your opening hours, they come.

How do I attract customers to a new website?

A brand-new website is invisible to Google for several weeks. Your first visitors will therefore come through you: announce it to your existing customers, add the address to your Google profile, your social media and your printed materials, and ask your partners for a link. SEO will take over as the months go by.

What is the most effective way to attract customers?

For a craftsperson or a shopkeeper, it is almost always your existing customers and a Google Business Profile with reviews: it is free and results come quickly. SEO is the most profitable in the long run; paid advertising is the fastest but also the most expensive.

Conclusion

Attracting customers online is not about magic or a big budget. It is a series of small actions: telling your customers you are online, being visible on Google, showing your work, and giving people a reason to come back. Start with one, then add another. In three months, you will be surprised how far you have come.

👉 Try 123Ventes for free and see what your shop could look like.