All problems, issues and trouble!

[DLaurasArt]

This thread is intended to help our team members in trouble.
If you have questions about promoting, shipping, posting ...anything that you don't know and want a helping hand, post your problem here. The team will always help.

As a member of this team:
Be a good mate and try to answer to other members problem, try to help them.
Check this thread frequently.

Respect the team rules!
DO Not post listings in this thread!

[Former_Member]

Hm, I seem to not be selling anything and I'm having trouble advertising and networking. I'm guessing because I need to sell more but I don't really know. Does anyone have any awesome tips for a novas seller like me? T.T

[Former_Member]

Nanabanana7213, I would say add more items to your store. The Special Tee Shoppe has been getting tremendous views and we have only been open for a week. Haven't got a sale yet but alot of people have been inquiring. Check out @EtsySupport on twitter as well, they have great tips and things to push you in the right direction. Also work on building a following through others blogs, websites, twitter, facebook, pinterest and stuff. As we learn and grow we will be happy to help you out.

[Former_Member]

Oh ok, thank you! ^^ I'll try to network and add more things to my store then. I appreciate the support DeRon. ^^

[Former_Member]

Hi Everyone. I just joined the team.

I'm discouraged I haven't sold anything yet myself. I have been working on my photos however and feel like they are getting a "little" better. Also, trying to get more in my shop. Looking forward to Autumn. Thanks Alexandru for saying it does take a while.

[AuroraWings]

I would recommend new sellers to take advantage of the "follow" and "favorite" features. I didn't use them much the first few months I was here, but you can turn them into something of a passive marketing tool when you ...
1.) Follow a seller with a shop that sells items similar to yours -- because they have followers who shop for and buy these types of items and they just might see your info on the list and follow the link to your shop.
2.) Follow an Etsy member who shops at these shops for items similar to what you're offering. (*There is a limit of 1100 people that you can follow, so be selective and don't go overboard. ^_^ )
3.) Add cool items and fill your list of faverites with eye-catching, beautiful items from all over Etsy. Most people will only see your latest 4 faves on the list of followers, so be selective and let your good taste show through. You'll gain followers if you have beautiful and unique items in your favorites. And often, people who follow you based on your picked items will check out your shop and just might add your shop to their favorites.

The more chance of being seen, the better your chance of connecting with the potential customer and making a sale. I saw a wonderful spike in number of visitors (and sales) when I did this in June, right after I added a lot of items to my shop. I didn't realize this at first, but there are a lot of people who will reciprocate a fav for a fav, or a follow for a follow. If their list is full (meaning they already follow 1100 people), then they most often add your shop to their favorites.

[Former_Member]

Hi Deb,

I took a look at your shop and you have a lot of really beautiful stuff, and your photos look great. I'm pretty new to Etsy, and by no means an expert, but when I looked at your shop, the one thing I thought was, "I love these flowers, but what are they for?" I eventually realized they were to go in gardens, pots, etc. Perhaps if you took a few pictures with the flowers "in action" so people don't have to seek out what something is. Maybe people are too lazy to read the description? I could be totally off base, but maybe that's part of the problem...

[APinchofPanache]

Hi everyone, My name is Susannah from A Pinch of panache. I am happy to be a new member of the team!

I recently watched this online Etsy webcast (now still on You Tube). Here is the link :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5dWpwStzMg

They have really helpful ideas about branding, search words, product/store links, photography, etc. The www.Wanelo.com website they mention is pretty good for free advertising. I just opened mine and have had a little bit of traffic on my Etsy site already. Building that up more can only help with traffic!

Also, lately I have found that using aluminum foil with my Ott-lite helps my jewelry to shine a bit more than without it.

Hope these ideas help!
Happy selling everyone.
Susannah

[MoltenColor]

I'd love any advise anyone has for my shop. I get lots of views but very few sales. I use craftori a lot and wanelo a little, also facebook and Pinterest.

[DLaurasArt]

You could focus a little bit on your shop appearance. So on the images. Try to make images more "spectacular", I mean choose a nice background for every item, choose the light, the angle ...you have to spend more time making images for your items.
Besides all of this, you need to have helpful and interesting descriptions to all of your listings. Your policy must be helpful and trustful, too. There are a lot of facts that influence your sale.
Our leader Anca posted a link with some tips to improve your etsy store:
www.launchgrowjoy.com/5-tips-to-market-your-etsy-store/

[Former_Member]

The link that Susannah posted of a video was very helpful. I guess I have a lot of work to do!

[Former_Member]

What kinds of cameras do you use. I need to get a better camera and have no idea what I'm doing. Any info would be appreciated.

[DLaurasArt]

We use a Nikon Coolpix L320 and it's good, but not enough. The photos were always taken in natural light. Recently we've decided to use lamp light in a darkened room, instead. 4 identical desk lamps put together, lighting in the same spot would do the trick. This way, it seems to be a better contrast and shadow. In a very lightened room (sunlight), the pictures came up a little blurred with this camera.

[DLaurasArt]

And you should always use a tripod for your camera. The camera must be operated by a remote or timer, not to move it when taking photo.

[Former_Member]

I just joined this team today, and I need help! I wanted to play the"View" game, but my computer is so slow, it took a half hour just to view 1 item from the another team member's shop.
Then I went on the thread to promote my shop, and I couldn't figure out how to place a picture of some of my items like some of the other shops did.
Please help.

[DLaurasArt]

Hello Violet,
To post an items of yours, just copy the link of which item you want to post and paste it in a thread. The image will appear automatically. Please follow the threads, read the rules of the thread before posting so you won't spam.
When playing the view game you can hold ctrl key and click on all the items of a shops page. This way it will open each item in a new tab of your browser. But I don't believe it would work faster.

[crossstitchtheline]

In the last hour or so I have had the same item faved by 8 different people all of whom have just joined today (some have opened shops and some haven't - none of them seems to have any followers) and all with Eastern European names (no location given on their profiles/shops)

It is not that I'm objecting to the hearts, far from it, always more than welcome and all that! It just seems rather strange although I cannot see what harm this could be doing.

Anybody noticed something similar?

Thanks!

[photographytandp]

Yes, I have noticed a similar thing, but not exactly...

Weird thing is I was contacted by a team leader about it!!

I faved the shop of a person who faved my item and I was asked, by a team leader, to unfave the shop since the person turned out to be paid to promote other shops. They only had one item in their shop, very few shop faves, very few followers, no sales and been a member of Etsy for a while. The team leader told me that getting paid to promote shop's items is illegal so they were trying to stop these shops from doing it.

I never paid anyone to like my item of course, but it turns out some people do pay. Totally not saying you paid anyone of course!!! Just saying a strange thing about shops with no followers, no faved, and next to no items

[Former_Member]

https://www.etsy.com/listing/199106731/wood-wire-hanger-wedding-dress-hanger?
https://www.etsy.com/listing/236458498/wire-hanger-wedding-wire-hanger-dress?
https://www.etsy.com/listing/219940656/wedding-cake-kniferustic-wedding-cake?
https://www.etsy.com/listing/199215404/wedding-hanger-bride-wedding-hangerwood?
https://www.etsy.com/listing/199106549/bridesmaid-wire-hangerbride-hanger?