Website for potters: what to include and how to get found
Buyers of handmade ceramics are paying for the person as much as the mug. Your site's job is to show the work, the process, and the maker, then make buying or booking a class easy.
Short answer
A potter's website needs a shop with whole-dollar prices per piece, photos of your hands and studio, clear shipping and care details, and a way to book classes or commissions. Write it in your own voice, and keep the catalog small and real.
What to put on it
- An online shop
- A gallery of your work
- Answers to common questions
- Reviews from real customers
- A blog or journal
- Events and markets
What earns trust
- Process transparency: studio and hands-at-work photos, not just product shots
- Materials named specifically (soy wax, full-grain leather, sterling, walnut) with sourcing
- Made-to-order lead times, care instructions, and a plain handmade returns policy
- The maker's first-person story plus upcoming market/fair appearances
How to show prices
Price each piece in whole dollars and say what drives it: size, glaze, one-of-a-kind or small batch. Underpricing is the most common tell of a hobby shop. Commissions and wholesale get a 'from' price and an inquiry form.
Questions your customers will ask
Answer these on your site, in plain text. They are what people type into Google and ask ChatGPT before they buy or book.
- Shipping times and made-to-order lead times
- How to care for handmade pieces
- Returns and exchanges on handmade goods
- How custom orders and commissions work
- What materials you use and where they come from
Mistakes to skip
- Forty products on day one. Six to twelve real pieces plus process photos reads more credible.
- Product shots only. Buyers want to see the studio, the wheel, and your hands.
- No care or shipping details. 'Is it dishwasher safe?' and 'how is it packed?' are asked on almost every order.
See an example
Kiln & Clay, an example pottery site built with Fraya. Every section on it was drafted from one sentence and is editable.
Build yours from one sentence
Describe your business and Fraya drafts the whole site, with these sections, your prices, and checkout through your own Stripe. You approve everything before it goes live. Free to start, no card.
Straight answers.
What should a website for potters include?
An online shop, A gallery of your work, Answers to common questions, Reviews from real customers, A blog or journal, Events and markets. Trust comes from: Process transparency: studio and hands-at-work photos, not just product shots; Materials named specifically (soy wax, full-grain leather, sterling, walnut) with sourcing.
How should potters show prices on their website?
Price each piece in whole dollars and say what drives it: size, glaze, one-of-a-kind or small batch. Underpricing is the most common tell of a hobby shop. Commissions and wholesale get a 'from' price and an inquiry form.
What are the most common website mistakes for potters?
Forty products on day one. Six to twelve real pieces plus process photos reads more credible. Product shots only. Buyers want to see the studio, the wheel, and your hands. No care or shipping details. 'Is it dishwasher safe?' and 'how is it packed?' are asked on almost every order.