AAA Cafe' Daily Chat 03/10/2015

[NaturalClocks]

Welcome to new members, welcome back to returning teammates! If this is your first time here - this is a place to ask questions, share your most embarrassing secrets, or just chat about the slow and boring bits of your day…we want to hear from you!!

Be sure to check out the discussion board. There are games to be played and threads to explore. The more you promote your fellow team mates, the more you get promoted, so be sure to participate on a daily basis. Check out our blog and our Facebook page, as well as the other links provided below.

IMPORTANT LINKS:
* Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/301427606658253/
* Etsy Calculator: salecalc.com/etsy
* Etsyology: www.etsyology.net/
♥ Online Photo Programs: fotoflexer.com/ or www.picmonkey.com/
treasurypin.com./ and editor.pho.to/
arwmedia.net/tools/pixlr_express.php
* Etsy Craft Tools: www.mycrafttools.com/
* Etsy Gadget: www.estygadget.com
* Craftopolis -Edit multiple listings: www.craftopolis.com/#com=ee
* Etsy Banner Maker: bannerfans.com/banner_maker.php?bnew=1&pses=1a256d05
* Craftcount - craftcount.com/teritory.php
* Google+ tutorials blog.kissmetrics.com/personal-google-plus-account/ and moz.com/blog/tips-to-use-google-for-s
* Chrome Treasury Box: brittanysbest.com/treasurybox-chrome-extension/
* Google+ information plus.google.com/communities/112658132414010568954
* Etsy team page: www.etsy.com/pages/aaasupport
* Check your keyword relevancy in search: www.tools4etsy.com/Wall-e/Relevancy/Keyword
* 50 Reasons you're not getting Etsy Sales: www.handmadeology.com/50-reasons-youre-not-getting-etsy-sales/
* Betsi Lite: www.blugrin.com/ (make sure you click on Lite at the bottom of the screen, as that is the free edition!)
* New Category List: www.etsy.com/help/categories/seller#node-id-1250

Please don't forget to post in the AAA Support Team thread in the promo forum :)) www.etsy.com/uk/teams/21915/promos/discuss/15267796

Good morning team!

After yesterday's deluge we are getting a sunny day today. For today only mind you, we are expecting more rain tomorrow. Oh well.

I have finally got around to create a listing for International Royal Mail Tracking Service, it only took me a year and a half LOL. I woke up to an order and the buyer put in the note to seller to provide a tracking number if possible. It is not something that I can really pay out of my own pocket unfortunately, as it cost £5.00 (about US$ 7.50 at today's exchange rate), so I've sent her a link to the new listing and we'll see what she decides. Either way, my customers will never be left out of pocket, I take full responsibility if a parcel fails to turn up. I chose not to use tracking so as to give the best possible shipping rates and increase my chances of making a sale. I personally don't think that I would have had as many international orders if all my shipping prices had an extra $7.50 on them. Not when the shipping price would end up being so close to the price of the item anyway.

Yesterday Vicky mentioned "Etsy mood". Vicky, it's easy to get down when despite all our efforts sales are slow to arrive at times, I hear you. However, I refuse to let Etsy dictate my mood LOL!! Sometimes I don't feel very motivated, and sometimes I just get sidetracked with my brick and mortar (which remains my main source of income anyway). The way I see it is that whilst there are very successful sellers that can make a living on Etsy and get regular daily sales, the rest of us are still not quite there, so we have to go with the flow. As far as my shop goes, it's the usual roller coaster, I get good spells and bad ones. What I know is that bad spells won't last forever, so that's what keeps me going. Of course, Etsy is not helping with all those tests that they keep running, there are too many of us having days with low views and low or non existent sales. Problem is, it's beyond our control, which is frustrating.

Lets hear about how you keep yourselves in good spirits and motivated today :)

Have a great day everybody!

[TurningTrueStudios]

Hi Team! New to the group and getting my feet wet. Thank you for being here.

Cooler and rainy for the next few days in Baltimore, but at least it will melt away some of the dirty snow piles. So looking forward to spring.

[Former_Member]

Hi team!

Laura, I live pretty close to you - right down 95 in Columbia. It would be great if we could get together sometime.

Vicky, I hear you about the "Etsy mood". I had 3 sales at the beginning of January, and none since. I don't think changing the categories is the problem. My categories didn't change under the new system. How am I coping? By making more product. I have a lot of embroidery to keep me busy, and then I'll start working on my new product line (towels). Plus, I just downloaded about 20 Celtic designs that will keep me busy when I get around to them.

Weather was gorgeous yesterday -- it got up to 58 degrees! I was outside without a jacket for the first time in months! And it's supposed to stay that way throughout the week. I love it!

Have a great day, everyone!

[GlensWorkshop]

Good Morning Everyone,

It's a breezy day in paradise. We will learn today which dry camping site we get tomorrow. Today is also pack up the shop day and there are other things to get ready for the move as well.

Laura - Welcome! It's good to see you have already been active in the game threads. We will be in your area in early May to visit daughters and new grandchildren.

I try to keep plugging away even when not feeling motivated. This comes from knowing it is important to maintain a high effort level in promotion, new listings, etc. Control what you can and try not to obsess over the rest.

Have a great day everyone.

[CherryPicks]

Welcome Laura! If you have any questions this is the place to ask. We love to help!

Today we find out what the new Grandbaby will be. YAY!

I am just finishing up orders from this weekend. The post office has been crazy lately so I'm not looking forward to the line.

Have a great day!

[naturepoet]

Hi everyone. It was a beautiful day here yesterday, but overcast today. Good day for taking photos if I can find time.

I learned these words many years ago and use them whenever I need to. It's only four lines so I memorized it.

"God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference."

Believe me, it's a great reminder. Take life as it comes, don't worry over what you have no control over, do what you can to help yourselves and others.

Remember, it takes up to 5 years to build a successful business. I struggled for the first 3 here on Etsy and now that I have hit my 5 year goal and put in blood, sweat and tears, things are finally coming together. Be patient, promote like crazy and keep on listing. If it's not listed, it can't sell.

[naturepoet]

A warm welcome to Miss Laura. So glad to see you joining in.

[Former_Member]

Welcome Laura! You'll love this team!

I've been trying to list this morning but my toddler is non-stop tantruming. I've gotten three things listed but I'm going to take a break now because she drives me totally crazy. :O Too hard to concentrate with a screaming, crying two year old yanking on my arm.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/225676482/hot-pink-rose-bracelet-shabby-chic-brass
https://www.etsy.com/listing/225674860/lavender-button-bracelet-shabby-chic?ref=listing-shop-header-...
https://www.etsy.com/listing/225676273/pink-lotus-flower-bracelet-shabby-chic?ref=shop_home_active_2

[COLDHAMCUDDLIES]

Hope the tantrums stop soon, Lacey - still the age group is not known as the "Terrible Twos" for nothing, is it! Faved the items you listed here, by the way!

Welcome Laura - hope you'll enjoy yourself here. It's a friendly group and everyone is willing to help out as and when they can. Alanna's suggestion of meeting up is something I'd recommend. Last year, four of us within train journey of each other here in the UK, all met up and had a great time actually chatting to each other - Val, Lagney, Lucy and I said we'd do it again this year, so hope we will manage it later - when Val's brick and mortar shop doesn't require her undivided attention as much!

Sounds as though the two of you might make a date to see Glen too, when he is visiting family (although such rendezvous don't always work out when family gatherings are entered into the equation).

Beautiful Spring day down in Nottinghamshire today. Rain forecast for tomorrow, but it's lovely to see the sun pouring in through the living room window now. It's still very cool in the wind though: definitely not sitting out weather yet, although the invitation to do so in Clare's garden was extended during our daily conversation this morning.

As for motivation: I just plug away and make more toys so that when orders do come in, there's a choice for the Buyers to sort through. I'm here to make enough to cover my costs so that i can keep my arthritic fingers moving. So far, that motivation has been achived!

Must away to do my other Etsy chores. Have a good day everyone.

[GoldFeatherStudio]

Hello, everyone!

It's comforting to hear that I am not the only one who struggles--I know I'm very new, only open since January, but there are many moments of frustration and wondering if my shop could ever make it! I need some deep breaths and patience. At least I enjoy creating. It's an excuse to paint and draw more in the very least.

Mary, I love the serenity prayer as well. It always brings things back into perspective.

It's a dreary day in the Nashville, Tennessee, airport but I am headed home from a lovely visit with family so all is well.

Have a great day!

[Former_Member]

Hi, everyone.
I've changed my tune. I'm not faving things like I used to.
Instead of faving, I'm power clicking. I go to a shop, and open up 10 or more items, then close them. So if you get 10 or more views at a time, it may be me.
Bwa ha ha ha.

[Former_Member]

I just did a page of stuff on everyone's shop who'd on this thread. Did those views register in your stats?

[DoorCountyVintage]

Jillian from OilofAngels asks..

Hello, all!


I'm Jill and I just joined the team. I have a question re: the shop URL that I hope someone can answer. As you can see, my shop name is Oil of Angels. I realize now that I probably should have named it Oil of Angels Skin Care. My concern is that I passed out tons of samples/business cards with the current URL (www.etsy.com/shop/oilofangels). If I change the shop name and add "skin care" to it, will people that try to get to my shop with the old URL be able to? Will it forward? I can't find my shop by googling it yet and so I'm afraid many people will not be able to find me if it doesn't automatically forward.

P.S. Any tips on my shop/sections or anything else is appreciated. I have another shop as well that I've had since 2011 so I'm not totally new to etsy. However, I want so badly for this to be a full-time endeavor so I have much to learn in terms of marketing, etc.

Thank you!

Jillian

[Former_Member]

Interesting question about shop names, Jillian. I'm considering changing my shop name as well.

[ItsSewYouDear]

Good afternoon all!

A gorgeous day here today, I already walked on the beach and rode my bike road to soak in the beautiful sunshine ; bliss! That's gotta get any one out of hte Etsy mood lol.

On a more serious note, I think because my shop is not my bread and butter so to speak, it's easier for me to just go with the flow. The last two days were aggrevating for me, because my search views tanked big time, so instead of stressing, I just left Etsy alone and got caught up on other things I needed to do. I think it's important to get my mind off things that are not going well. The outdoors help me personally, if I am stressed (regardless of the reason), a power walk takes care of it for me.

Laura, welcome to the team.

Jillian, I have no idea if the old shop name URL would direct one to the new shop, but you have a very nice shop.

Ok, gonna go sew for a bit. Happy Tuesday all!

[ZingRetroFinds]

Just dropping in for a quick hello. I take a break from Etsy when I get low. A short break of course.

My newest listing:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/225696429/sea-glass-jewelry-pastel-frosted-glass?ref=shop_home_feat_1

Have a good day.

[Former_Member]

Good afternoon everyone -

Welcome to the team Laura.

Jillian, I am thinking that the URL would redirect everyone to the new one. But, I am not totally sure on that. Seems though that it should as that would make sense.

Very glad to finally have the snow melting away here. I can finally see spots again in my yard. Hopefully by the end of the week more of the snow will be gone.

Like Candi, I find when my Etsy shop slows down or gets frustrating, I go outside and rethink things with it or set it aside to create new listings. Seems to help out. However, with the changes Etsy has been making I am finding a lot less views and sales now have reached another plateau. I keep thinking like Val and keep the thought in the back of my mind that each item in my shop is meant for just the right person and eventually they will come along. But in the meantime, I work on my shop constantly and rewrite descriptions or work with tags to see if that helps out.

Have a good day!

[Viyoli]

Today I received a few emails from customers who have received their orders and it really elevates mood,
there are also some orders on the "stove"

Mary, thank you for remind me these nice words.

Thank you Val and Alanna yours words truly encouraging.

Laura, welcome to the team.

Glen You must add a picture of paradise

Jillian, that's what I found, hope this help:

"What happens when you change your shop name?

All links to your shop continue to work, and no one can use your previous shop name.
Your shop will have a new URL. Links to your previous shop URLs will redirect to your new shop URLs. We use 301 redirects to help maintain your search engine rankings after the change.
We let people know you changed your shop name.
For 45 days, this icon will appear next to your shop name on shop pages, your profile, and shop search results to let people know you recently changed your shop name. People who purchased from your shop under the previous name will always see your previous and current shop name on their receipts and transaction pages.
Choose Wisely! You can only change your shop name one time. Changing the casing does not count as a name change. "

I must admit that I can't quite figure out the new games, do we need to look for in-store for the entire group? Sorry for the ignorance, I follow for a few days and .....

Funny how some of us in the world wants the sun and some want the rain, I do not want the hot summer to come lol

In Hebrew we say, "Tuesday is twice good can be"
Have a great day!!!!

[NaturalClocks]

Welcome to the team Laura! And Ellen too! :)

I don't have much to add to what Vicky wrote regarding changing your shop's name, as I'm quite unsure myself. It looks that Etsy will continue redirecting the old URL to the new one if I understood it correctly?

Betterwyth, I think the views have registered, I have a peak between 12.00 and 12.59 in my stats graph, and you posted at 12.52 (all times are EST of course), so it must have worked. Thank you! :)

Vicky, I'm not quite sure I understand... which games are you referring to?

[Viyoli]

I mean these two ):)
This Week In History
Pop Culture Eye Spy

[NaturalClocks]

Right, for those two games you can pick items anywhere on Etsy, they don't have to be from team mates (Chris will correct me if I'm wrong!)

[RedRiverValley]

Good Evening everyone!

Stopping in late again today. My son and I spent the day at my mom's grandma's house. It was a very nice. We got to enjoy the beautiful weather. It is so nice to be outside!

However, our little day trip has meant that I haven't gotten anything done on Etsy today. It has been a nice break. Back to the grind tomorrow.

Hope everyone had a lovely day!

[naturepoet]

Welcome Laura and Ellen. Nice to have you aboard.

[naturepoet]

Sara, I worked on my shop when I couldn't sleep last night. After I took Brandon for a hair cut, I lost steam and haven't done much since except a couple hours of research and then I uploaded my photos. Maybe some new tomorrow.