Crafters, photographers and artists also are tapping into the Web's potential as a marketplace for their goods.
Notley Hawkins, a fine art photographer from Columbia, Mo., started selling online by uploading his photographs onto Flickr, a popular digital photograph storage Web site.
Flickr subsequently partnered with Imagekind, a Web site that specializes in selling fine art prints. Since then, Hawkins has sold about 50 of his prints through Imagekind.
Hawkins has found that having a Web site and selling photos online helped to enhance his reputation offline. He says his online presence helped him gain credibility with area travel magazines, for which he does freelance work.
"It's helped my career in many ways," Hawkins says of Imagekind. "It's helped me make some money, which is very important."
Hawkins urges budding photographers to start gradually by posting their photos to a site like Flickr.
"Try to establish a reputation online by publishing online," he says.
In the crafting world, Web sites such as Etsy offer merchants of handmade goods a way to expand their customer base while conveniently selling their products. Sellers who use Etsy can use the service to take payments via PayPal or money orders.
Other craft-selling Web sites include FreeCraftFair.com and Handmade Catalog.
Adam Brown, spokesman for Etsy, says handmade jewelry and craft-making supplies are two of the site's most popular categories.
To make money online, Brown says sellers must pay particular attention to posting good photos of their products and writing eye-catching descriptions. These skills are important, since the Web page has to substitute for a tangible product.
Brown also recommends the age-old suggestion of good customer service.
"When people contact you, you should always respond quickly," he says.
He says other smart marketing moves -- such as throwing in freebie extras when a customer orders something -- can build customer loyalty.
