Handicraft Shop

I'm planning to start a shop to sell Persian handicraft and artwork, but I have this feeling that customers get attracted to these kind of items if they touch and feel the product themselves. I want to know if I have thats true and if it is how can I overcome this issue and convince the customers that my item is good in terms of quality and art and to be able to gain the trust of a customer.

It is all in the photography. Warm, well lit photos will make all the difference in the world.

Emily Hollingshead
www.cedarcitysidewalk.com
Web Sites for Small Businesses

do you have any store in mind that has good photos in order to see how pictures should be taken and then do the job myself or should I hire a professional photographer who knows how to attract customers. I've also seen some companies who make 360 degree view of products, would you recommend those or photos would do the job?

I would agree that excellent photos would be the best idea. I would do a search and see what comes up and see thier photos. If they are not that good and you can do better, than thats good for you. I would take one picture of a zoomed out view so they can see the rug itself, then a few detail pics. let the customer know you are available for questions, like in a real store, mabey do an online live chat. its comforting to online customers if they know they can get to a person if they need to

I'm not planning to sell rugs and carpets at least for the moment. Currently there are many shops that sell Indian handicraft but I have only one competitor, and the items which I'm going to be selling are very close the ones in the link below, thats my future competitor.
http://www.uitir.com/other_khatam.htm
Do you think I'll have a chance of succeeding and will people buy?

A Couple of problems with your competitors site that you can use to your advantage. Their initial photos are not really good. There are glares from the flashes that wash out the detail. Take better pictures then theirs! Even though they offer alternate views when you click on some of the pictures, the initial thumbnail does not inspire me to check it out.

Also, and I think this is a biggie - They have "Buy Now" buttons under the photos, with a meager amount of information about the product (basically dimensions and weight). Make sure you have some great detailed information. - talk the product up!

With some thought to SEO and work, you'll easily be able to beat the current competition.

i wouldnt worry, that site is not very good. the pictures have a bad glare and the site itself is very old school and i dont like the layout. If you could do a nice sleek up to date site with excellent pictures, great descriptions, and let the customer know you care and are available to help them, you should be okay