12 Ways to Increase Conversion Rates at Craft Shows

A conversion rate calculates how many people you convert. What exactly you convert them to can vary.

At a craft show, the most important conversion rates are:

1. Shopper conversion rate – how many craft show visitors you convert into being your shoppers.
2. Sales conversion rate – how many of your shoppers you convert into customers.
3. Lead conversion rate – how many of your shoppers you convert into leads (i.e. they don’t buy today but there’s potential for them to buy in the future).

There may be other conversion rates you want to track, such as how many people who sampled your product ended up buying. This will tell you how impactful your samples are and whether or not they’re worth the cost.

 

To calculate conversion rates

To calculate a conversion rate, you simply need to divide the number of people who take a desired action (e.g. buy), by the number of people who did and didn’t take that action. Then multiply that number by 100 to get the percentage.

For example, if 200 people stopped at my craft show table and 50 of them purchased:

50 (people took the desired action) divided by 200 (people who did and didn’t buy)

= 0.25 x 100

= 25%

My craft show table had a sales conversion rate of 25%.

 

Why this number matters

Conversion rates help you track how successful your efforts are, so you know whether the changes you’ve made are helping or hindering.

When you calculate your conversion rates, it helps you determine what your average is and when you have a higher or lower than average conversion.

When you’re able to notice higher or lower than average conversion rates, you can analyze what changed and may have had an impact on your numbers.

*This article includes affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Read full disclaimer here

 

How to improve your SHOPPER conversion rate

The following are ways to get more craft show shoppers to stop at your table.

1) Perfect your display

The first step in getting shoppers to stop at your table/booth is getting them to notice it.

You’ll never get every shopper to stop, but the key is to create a display that appeals to your target market so you can get every ideal shopper to stop.

For example, a vendor selling minimalistic jewelry for women won’t attract most men or women who prefer bold jewelry pieces. But if that vendor creates a display that radiates a minimalistic style, it’s likely to attract every woman who loves minimalistic jewelry.

There are many ways to improve your display. Here are a few popular articles to get you started:

>> Want to Stand Out at a Craft Show? Try these Display Tricks

>> Craft Show Display 5-Minute Fix: Color Groupings

>> How To Brand a Craft Show Display Without a Logo

Or you may want to join the free 5-day email challenge: 5 DAYS TO A STANDOUT CRAFT SHOW DISPLAY

 

2) Raise your display

“Eye level is buy level”. Products displayed at eye level or higher are more likely to catch shoppers’ attention, which gives you the opportunity to draw them over.

Try to add levels to your display so it has the opportunity to grab attention from a distance.

If you’re unable to display your products higher, consider adding signage at a higher level.

Your logo or an enlarged photo of your products can be just as effective at catching attention and drawing shoppers in.

 

3) Create a welcoming environment

If you stand behind your table looking “too hungry” for a sale, it will deter some shoppers. But you also don’t want to look uninterested (in being at the event).

When an event is slower and you’re not occupied with shoppers at your table, try finding something behind your table to keep you busy. For example, you may work on your craft, organize your stock, pre-stuff shopping bags with business cards/coupons, etc.

Look up periodically and smile at shoppers in the aisle.

This can make shoppers feel more comfortable to approach your space.

 

4) Increase turnover rate

In this scenario, turnover rate means how many shoppers/customers move through your space.

You don’t want to make shoppers feel rushed or like you’re pushing them out of your space, but you don’t want shoppers hanging around for 20 minutes, hemming and hawing over a purchase and blocking other shoppers/sales.

Although it’s great to have a busy booth, which can draw more shoppers over, it can also be a deterrent if it’s too busy and crowded.

Refine your display, sales techniques, and sales process so you can move shoppers through your space and get them to a buying decision quicker.

>> 8 Ways to Streamline your Craft Show Checkout Process

 

How to improve your SALES conversion rate

The following tips will help you convert more of the shoppers who stop at your table/booth into paying customers.

5) Connect with shoppers

Most people shop at craft shows to have a unique shopping experience, find unique products, and support local artists/makers.

You are a part of the experience for them. And if they don’t feel a connection to you or your products, they likely won’t buy.

Try to talk with each shopper.

You don’t have to spend the entire time selling or talking about your products. You can ask questions to find common ground. You might discover you grew up in the same neighbourhood, which can help build a connection.

Often, a connection on any level (even one unrelated to your products) will encourage someone to support your business.

 

6) Highlight bestsellers

It’s important to track your sales stats so you know which products are most popular with your target market.

Once you know which product(s) are your bestseller(s), put them front and centre.

They should get priority in your display, and you should spend more time promoting them to each shopper.

 

7) Offer entry products

The majority of shoppers at a craft show will be discovering your business. Meaning, they aren’t familiar with your business or its products, and they won’t be ready to spend a lot of money with you.

If you only have higher-priced products, you may miss out on sales from people who like your work, but just aren’t comfortable spending a lot of money with you yet.

At a craft show, “higher-priced” tends to be in the $50 and up range, but “higher priced” may just mean in relation to your competitors. For example, if most soap vendors charge $8 for a bar of soap and you’re charging $12, shoppers may find your products higher-priced and want to think about a purchase rather than buying on the spot. 

Be sure to offer products in a range of prices (low, medium, and high) and consider focusing the majority of your offering on products in the under $50 range.

I’ve found that the majority of craft show shoppers will spend in the $25 and under range.

You’ll still make higher-priced sales with people who are familiar with your business and people who aren’t familiar but fall in love with your work. So it’s good to have those higher-priced options, you just may find they don’t deserve as much space in your display (it’s important to keep your revenue per square foot in mind).

 

8) Create urgency

If shoppers think they can buy the products they see anytime, they may choose not to buy from you at the event, and spend their craft show shopping budget with another vendor.

You can create some urgency so more shoppers buy that day by:

• Creating limited-edition products
• Running event-specific promotions (e.g. today only 10% off bath bombs)
• Keeping some stock behind your table (so it appears stock is limited)

You don’t want to trick or pressure your shoppers into buying, but helping them see how desirable your products are and that the products and deals won’t be around forever, can encourage more people to support you at the event.

 

9) Adjust your display (based on shopper behaviour)

Each craft show will be different. Even at the same craft show but on the second day, I would sell different products than I did the day before.

Pay attention to shoppers and see what’s drawing them in, what’s selling faster, what questions people have, etc.

Then adjust your display and sales pitch to favour that day’s popular items/common questions. This can help you draw more shoppers in and sell more.

 

How to improve LEAD conversion rates

The majority of shoppers who stop at your table won’t buy from you. But those people are interested in your products and may buy one day. So it’s important to have a way to stay in contact with them so they remember your business and think of it when the time is right.

The same is true of the shoppers who do buy from you that day. Those are people have proven they love your products and are likely to buy again. But if they don’t remember or think of your business, they won’t return.

Here are ways to convert those shoppers into leads you can stay in touch with.

10) Newsletter signup

A newsletter is the best way to stay in touch with leads. Every email you send is guaranteed to end up in the subscriber’s email account. The same can’t be said for every social media post you create.

There are many ways to collect emails at a craft show, but a QR code may be the most convenient (here’s an example of how to use a QR code).

>> You can also find free printable newsletter signup forms here: How to Grow your Newsletter at a Craft Show (free printable signup forms)

Give shoppers an incentive to sign up. That incentive might be:

• A discount on their purchase or a future purchase
• Information that benefits them (e.g. a vendor selling toxin-free candles may use their newsletters to share other ways people can live more toxin-free)
• A free printable (e.g. a checklist for removing the top 10 toxins in your home)

Then be sure to keep in touch with your subscribers by sending an email regularly. I’ve found once a week is ideal, but twice a month or monthly is also fine if you don’t have a lot of content to share. The key is to be consistent. Don’t disappear from subscribers’ inboxes for months at a time.

>> 365+ Newsletter Ideas (for your handmade business)

>> 13 Non-Promotional Emails to Send to your Newsletter List

>> 12 Types of Promotional Emails to Send to your Newsletter List

 

11) QR code for socials

Although social media isn’t as effective for keeping in touch with leads, it’s better than nothing. Display a QR code that shoppers can scan, which will take them to your social media page, where they can hit follow.

You want them to take that action while at your table, as it’s unlikely they’ll remember to look you up once they walk away.

You may even offer an incentive for them to do so. For example, shoppers who show you they started following your business on a social media platform may get to enter their name into a draw to win one of your products. Or perhaps you can offer a free gift for those who follow you (e.g. a sticker, pin, or sample).

 

12) Marketing material

Keep a stack of business cards on the edge of your table in zone 3 (this article explains a table/booth’s zones: Craft Show Table Layout Tips), as well as any other marketing material (e.g. flyers advertising upcoming shows, coupons for purchasing online, etc.)

Hopefully, everyone who leaves your table without buying will either sign up for your newsletter, follow you on social media, or take a business card to find you after the event.

 

Keep track

The point of conversion rates is to know whether your efforts are helping or hindering your progress. So try your best to keep track of the numbers you need to calculate the conversion rates you’re interested in.

At a busy event, it can be hard to know exactly how many shoppers stopped at your table, but even general numbers are helpful.

Some tips to track:

• Purchase a clicker counter – if you often sell at busy events, purchase a clicker you can hold in your hand and casually click each time someone stops at your table. You’ll find several budget-friendly options here.
• Track in groups – after a rush of people leave your space, write down an estimate of how many people you think where at your table in the last 10 – 15 minutes. At the end of the event, tally those numbers.
• Bring a helper – if you have someone who helps out in your booth, as them to track shoppers so you can focus on sales.

After the event, ask the organizer for an estimate on how many shoppers attended. Most bigger events can provide fairly accurate numbers, especially if they charged an entry fee.