Business Chat

[#1]

If you have any questions or pointers to give relating to the business of running your Etsy shops, please post those here.

[Former_Member]

Still struggling with instagram. Technology and the effects really blow my mind. I mean, I do not want to waste my time if it really does not work, however, I heard over and over again that it does. Especially instagram. I have an account, but only three pictures on it so far. I have not taken the time to really understand it and get the followers I need that would want my product. I need help with figuring out who they would be. A lot of my customers are some older and probably would not be on instagram, but their daughters who would like my painted rocking chairs for a baby gift probably would be. Any advice would be appreciated.

[EurekaGuides]

@whimsyburd You have to find a platform that is going to appeal to your target market. Instagram tends to be younger people so perhaps it's not the right venue for you.

I would say though that for any social media site to work, you need to work on it for some time and really commit to it. I've been pleasantly surprised after quite some time of thinking I was getting nowhere.

[dstefanTreasures]

I haven't been doing any social media except for Pinterest. It's not so time consuming, but I don't know if it brings results. I can't tell. Not many views from Pinterest in my stats. I tried to change to a business acct, but I'm not sure it happened. I went through the steps, but nothing was confirmed.

I actually think I'm selling a little more this summer, July and Aug at least. It's encouraging. I've had my shop for 4 years now so maybe I'm building a following. Wouldn't that be nice.

It's hard to figure out why things happen. I know it's not really random and has to do with listings and relistings and algorithms and front page exposure and social media and who knows what. I'll take whatever comes my way and just be grateful though.

[StitchedUpByJenny]

Hi Could I ask just one more question about the changing name on my shop. My shop is called honeybeedesign20. I wanted to change the name on my shop, I wanted to ask. When I go to the etsy page to change my name. I fill out the new name and click onto it , if it has been used on etsy. Will I lost my original name honeybeedesign20. I hope this makes sense, I didn't want to go to the etsy page change the name and find out the name is taken and I have lost my original name. As etsy only lets you use a name once.
huge thank you for your help and time
jenny x

[EurekaGuides]

@jenny, no your existing name will remain.

[StitchedUpByJenny]

thank so much x

[2010louisek7]

Hi, since the new changes about Etsy new sections, categories, my items do not show in the first pages. I have noticed in the earrings drop and dangle display, that it seems that the low cost of items are showing first in the display. Is the cost of the item a criteria for showing? if so, I dont think it is fare for all the Etsy sellers who are paying for listing or renewing items? Should I stop the renewing strategy to have items on the first pages?

[EurekaGuides]

@2010louisek7 Definitely do not stop renewing, there have been no changes to Etsy's relevancy search and this still favors recency. I'm not sure what changes you're referring to or how you are searching for your items but I doubt very much if Etsy will favor low cost items. Please explain how you search.

[Former_Member]

Hello, everyone!
I opened my shop not so long ago and I read a lot about how things work here, but on practice couple moments are not very clear to me, so I have several questions too.
First, as a new shop, I thought, I needed more exposure, so I started playing promo games and favathons. As I know, it's a great way to show up on trending items page. And when I play, I get views from there, in average 10-15 a day, BUT I've never seen my items on trending items page. So my question is if people don't see their own items on trending page or it could be something else?

The other question is about stats and how it calculates hearts.
For example, I have two open tabs in my browser: one with stats page, the other with Etsy home page. I updated both of them and saw, that I had 370 favorites, so I went to dashboard, checked it and there are no more new notifications about shop activity. Then I leave my computer for an hour, come back, update home page and see, that I have 85 new notification next to my shop icon. SO I open my stats and see that I have 410 favorites now.

How does this happen? And it does this all the time. Sometimes missed hearts are close to two-three hundred a day.
All numbers are made up to illustrate my problem :)

So any ideas?

(Thank you for your time and sorry for such a long post :) )

[tjCervantesArt]

Etsy invited me to use a new prototype tool call Shop Photos that you can post, you will find it on your Etsy Seller App in the near future,

This is a really fun tool, and you use it to share your listings by taking pics of the process or your events where you will be selling you item in the listing. I

I am having a lot of fun with this, it will be showing up on the About page in October.

Here is one of my shop photos with the tagged listing

https://www.etsy.com/shop/tjCervantesArt/shares/18075

This will be an awesome feature on Etsy!

[FreehandStudios]

Terry,

Thanks for the heads up- Wow, very cool tool! I am trying to learn how to use social media without it completely taking over my life! I have been resistant because I'm not a fast producer of my artwork, but I see the value if I can get a system so I don't fall into online preoccupation. This will help.

[tjCervantesArt]

Pat,
Social Marketing is key to your success, I fought it and fought it, and then got some great advice from @EurekaGuides, she critiqued my shop, and told me about social marketing.

I did much better after that. My views tripled, my sales doubled. I have high end stuff, so it is still a struggle, but there are apps out there to help you with social marketing so it isn't so tedious.

I have talked to and made some great friends along the way, and now I am finding Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, work much better for me. Give it a shot! Get advice from Cathy...she rocks, @EurekaGuides is one of the captains, click her link!

[Former_Member]

Hello everyone! I'm having trouble with selling anything. I've been with Etsy for 2 years and haven't sold anything yet. I'm not giving up though. I don't think I'm over charging...any helpful tips out there for me?

[tjCervantesArt]

@alesiasitems

First and foremost, you need to take better pictures. Your items are not being shown very professionally, If you can use a backdrop that will give the pictures consistency, your items are great they just need sprucing up in the pictures

Also, if you really want a critique, contact Eureka Guides, she is our captain on Craftnoodle, and her shop deal with helping you create a better shop, and a tutorial on how to market you items, it is money well spent!

[EurekaGuides]

Thanks @Terry, you're very kind for recommending me. So glad that things got better for you.

@AlesiasItems Terry is right in that imagery is everything when selling online. It's the only visual that they have and it has to be enticing enough for them to buy it. They cannot touch or feel the item so you need to make your images really good. It's also vital that you set up your listings correctly so that your products can be found. You don't have near enough text in your listings and this will affect your traffic. I will be happy to help you. Please just send me a convo.

[ArtByTatianaZ]

To increase the views, I recommend free schedulers which allow you to promote links to the listings or photo of your products in several social networks at the same moment: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin, etc.
Moreover, you can charge the scheduler with your posts early in advance, and it will public them automatically at the scheduled time. For me, this is really a magic because I can not sit on the Internet all days and nights. It charges and publish it without my participation. Lately I use Postcron. Free version is designed for 10 publications at a time, but a professional version, the paid version, allows to charge unlimited number of posts. If anyone is interested I described it in more details here:
http://artbytatianaz.blogspot.com/2015/07/how-to-increase-views-and-drive-more.html
This is the invitation link for free use of the professional version during the month:
https://postcron.com/referral_freemonth?referral=478382
Enjoy, my friends :-)

[Former_Member]

If anyone is interested in a Secret Handmade Santa gift with other etsy members feel free to email me at

artisanloft @ yahoo.com

I will send you a questionnaire (and the rules) and then on December 5th I will email you the questionnaire that your secret santa completed in order to understand them a little better on what handmade gift to make for them!

If you do not send me your surveys by December 4th you will not be involved. I hope you all had great sales this weekend! Happy Crafting!

Happy Holidays!

[Former_Member]

I'm interested can you email me at Sarah.freels@hotmail.com

[EurekaGuides]

Hope you all had a good Christmas and are ready for a successful New Year!

[TheWelshCrafter]

I'd love to say the year has gone with a bang - but sadly no. My sales only seem to come around Christmas time. I often wonder if the cost of postage holds my product back - if its £4 for a soap and £3.30 for postage its nearly the cost of the product - but what can I do?

[elleandbellejewelry]

I thought I saw some information about craftcult .com here a few months ago butcan't find it now. I am wondering if it gets enough traffic to warrant buying a side bar ad there?
Thanks

[Former_Member]

I have a question for the group. I have been promoting my wreaths on facebook, as well as twitter and pinterest. I would like to get out of the facebook world with it. There seems to be lots of trash lately posted on the groups that I am part of. So I am wondering if there are other sites that I can post to? Or, could someone tell me if you have gone into local boutiques and sold? Pros and cons of the local stores. Thanks.

[Former_Member]

I have a question as well. I am trying to break into the wedding world and was curious if anyone hear had any tips.

[Former_Member]

We are new seller at etsy.
Being new we are not able to catch attention of the customers.
Please give us tips how can we effectively draw traffic to our shop.
We work for craft revival and we are based in India.

[Former_Member]

Hi,
Just curious if sales have dropped off for everyone in January or just me?
Thanks
Wanda