Etsy's New Pattern Website Option

[#1]

I would not use this even if it was free. Here is why:

I took a look at this to see how the Pattern websites are structured. The website is part of Etsy and is so deeply embedded within Etsy that it would be very hard for the search engines to even find it. All SEO would have very little effect in Google rankings.

Look at the URL address and count the number of slashes ("/") https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/me/pattern/home. There are five slashes which means that the website is 5 levels deep and each level deeper makes it harder for SEO to work and for the search engines to find your shop. these are also powered by Etsy.

The website depends on Etsy and if anything happens to Etsy or Etsy removes your shop for some reason, the website is also gone.

There are so many better options for stand-alone websites. Use a different Web hosting service, if you would like your website to be easily found in Google searches and for all your SEO efforts to work.

I like Etsy for many reasons but this new venture is not very good for Etsy sellers.

[UtterApparel]

The thing I do not like about Pattern is that you still have all your "eggs in one basket".

The point of having your own website is that it allows you to have complete control over your own destiny.

Etsy would have been better off creating plugins that work with mainstream website platforms like Shopify, Wix etc.

The plugin downloads items from your Etsy account and then adds them to your own website. Then when a transaction is made on your own website, the Shopify/Wix website talks to your Etsy account and then deducts the purchased quantity from your Etsy website.

Likewise, when a purchase is made in your Etsy shop it calls up your own website and deducts the quantity purchased.

Then say every 4 hours your own website checks in with your Etsy account to compare stock levels. If they do not match you get an email containing the errors so you can manually adjust the quantities.

I would probably pay $15 a month for such a plugin.

[Former_Member]

Can we start a Mary Fan Club? Once again you have put me on the right track. Thanks so much!

[umeone]

Thank you, Mary, for the information.

[YellowCottageStudios]

I understand Etsy coming up with different revenue streams, they are a business after all. Some may not benefit us individually and we choose to use or not to use. I took one look at Pattern and said no way... Not for me. I don't like cookie cutter websites and saw no benefit to me. If I market my etsy site I am content sending them directly to my etsy URL.

I have my own website with links to my Etsy and Amazon stores. No duplicating descriptions. One place to send my customers and they choose what venue they prefer (so far Amazon is the leader). I use Wordpress.

[Former_Member]

Mary....I'm not a complainer but my views clicks and sales have plummeted over the last two months and I'm just wondering if I should pull out of Etsy altogether. I simply do not know what to do. I love how easy it is to manage a business on etsy as opposed to my Wordpress site. It's not easy managing two sites. What is your input?

[homecraftframing]

Mary Said:
Every page of every website should have a unique title tag as well as a unique meta description tag. Etsy's Pattern does not include a meta description tag and the main shop page and every section / category page title tag is "shop Shop YourEtsyShopName's store". I could not find a way to change the title tag to include keywords. This is also very bad for SEO. The title tags for the listing pages are all the same: "Etsy Pattern: Design your own website, powered by your Etsy shop." These are website SEO basics that should be included but are not.

Mary, I do not think Etsy is concerned about Google, because how Etsy's algorithms are set for Etsy's servers. Etsy is the one who is manipulating Etsy's search. Since the changes Etsy has made last fall, views have nose dived for everyone, including those of us who use to have 100s to thousands views per day. If they control the search on their servers no one shop will have first page control regardless where the views are coming from for any keyword. As it is, I do not clump until page 14 of search. For my competition who are using Promoted Ads they have an additional picture on the first page. Sadly to say, it is the same picture that is there in the first place.

Now that the Promoted Ads are Bid Ads, if you lower the bid you will not find your items on the first page depending how much you lower the ad price.

When you do a Google search, those who have excellent Keyword SEO will be front and center right at the top of the search. If I am going to pay anyone for Promoting my listings, it will be Google. There is a larger buying crowd to drawl from as well.

[DzinesLaura]

A question I would like to see Etsy answer is this:

Before the roll out, was a live pattern website tested to see how Google search treats it? If so, how long was the test? If this has already been asked and answered, I missed it even after 3 hours of reading questions and answers for this roll out.

My other concern is for those signing up for the free trial and then choosing to cancel. What will happen with Google search ranking then? Does it take time for things to go back to normal? The next 30 days are a busy time for some shops due to Mothers' Day and not wanting to mess with that.

TIA for any insights.

[DzinesLaura]

IMO, Etsy enabled Pattern without announcing it first, hoping people would sign up before the facts were brought out in discussions. All on a day when many eyes were looking for the new layout, with an orange banner that we could not dismiss right away.

Per Etsy announcement, Pattern is a standalone website, this is not true.

[ChromaticWit]

Thanks for the info, Mary. I don't comment a lot, but I'm here reading all of the time and I have learned so much from this team.

As Laura (and I think some others) above said, it always seems sort of slimy when Etsy introduces something without an announcement. And this one, brought out on the day we were supposed to get a "neu look", is especially slimy.

I feel bad for the people who think they are getting a stand alone website for almost no work and $15/mo.

If it looks fishy, and it smells fishy, it's probably fish.

[cosediisa]

absolutely interesting thread

[FloralMemorials]

You are getting a stand alone website for $15 a month. You may purchase an URL extension for $10 a year. You can also put your google code into settings on Pattern as well as your own descriptions and titles. Shopify is expensive and if you’re looking for a website to own it’s a great selection. I have my blog attached to the website also. I do think it could use some more choices as far as graphics go.

[GojoDesign]

Dona
Thank you for the super helpful info!

[Former_Member]

Thank you Mary, your team and your SEO information has always been so helpful. Your a good egg in my book.

[CafeChaCha]

Thank for this public service announcement, Mary.

I played with it last night to test the waters (not intending to use it). What I found stunning were the high amount of "views" it generated within the first hour. Either they were fake in hopes of reeling me in, or they were recording my own views.

[Former_Member]

I have a question but uncertain of where to post it, and did not want to start a new thread.

My current stand alone is about to expire and has left me wanting to look for an alternative.

Which site building platform would you recommend? I've researched 7 platforms and have a current pricing sheet. My goal would to be featuring products a secure cart of course and having a blog in the same location. ( the blog factor is just as big as the product and secure cart )

I am ready to do the work but with all these options I am a tad confused.

Thanks

[Former_Member]

Kelly Ann,

SEO is an ongoing process and algorithms change now and then, both on Etsy and on Google. I took a quick look at your shop and can easily see that your listings would benefit from add more keywords so that they are found in a variety of searches. In stead of only using the keywords perfume or perfume oi, for example, you could include the words "natural perfume oil for women" which includes the keywords "natural perfume oil" and "perfume oil for women", both search terms that are popular with shoppers.

Use Google Adwords Keyword Planner to find related keywords that are popular with shoppers. Add the best ones you can find to your listings which should make a difference in views and sales.

[Former_Member]

Laura,

It takes a few weeks for Google to find and index a new website. Since Etsy does not include SEO in the Pattern websites, I don't think that a 30 day trial would harm any current rankings in Google searches.

[Former_Member]

Tami,

Here is my recommendation:

Use a self-hosting platform like bluehost.com or hostgater.com. I prefer blue host and have worked with them for over 8 years. The basic plan is $5.00 per month.

Install Wordpress and the Woo Commerce plugin, both free. Bluehost has a nice one-step installation app for Wordpress and for Woo Commerce. Buy a template from templatemonster.com that is designed for use with Wordpress and Woocommerce. Install the template. Customize the template with your logo and other graphics and your photos.

Template Monster has thousands of templates to choose from and if you sign up for their newsletter (daily, sorry to say), you will receive notice of really good sales now and then of 40% - 50% off.

The cost of this recommendation is very low compared to platforms like shopify, weebly or bigcommerce or any other platform that includes Site Builder software.

[homecraftframing]

http://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/news/2016/04/05/etsy-launches-pattern-paid-seller-service-website...
Here is some more information about Etsy's Pattern.

[MalibuJewel]

I am very grateful for your expertise and insights on the new Patterns, Mary. Thank you! It is also my experience that if a buyer gets redirected to another site during checkout, it can make them nervous and less likely to complete the purchase.

[homecraftframing]

I have my own website and it was a handful to set up and maintain. I had Susan Emerson from Accrete update my home page and get it Mobile compatible and she done some other things for me that I hated to do myself. It was well worth the $350.00 for her services.

Along with having a website, you will need to make sure it is properly optimized and you need to submit it to the Search Engines on occasion. Not too often but I cannot remember how often. Back in 2000 I paid over $5,000.00 to have my website optimized. The fellows in India did a great job and it brought in the views and sales. Keep in mind you always have to be updating your content and making sure you pages are relevant.

This is why I had my homepage updated and I took the sections on my navigational bar and linked them with the sections in my Etsy shop. My Website customers are still able to buy from me and I do not have the mind numbing work that html presents.

You can get a domain name from about anywhere but I have my website hosted with www.gkg.net for $75.49 a year and it is the SOHO plan. I renew my domain names every 2 years. They have everything you need to have and open a website and they can even make it for you. When I had my huge website on gkg.net I was paying $19.95 a month. I took up a lot of bandwidth. So think about what you really want to put on your website. I learned I did not really need all the stuff I loaded on there.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/BellberryLane Kristen from BellberryLane on Etsy made my new Logo and business look. She listens carefully to your wishes and comes up with some clean designs that I feel are charming.

Yes, I know it seems like a lot of money up front but this is part of being in business. You have to spend money in order to make money. By the way, I do not have my domain name pointing to Etsy, I only have my links that connects my website to Etsy. So buy your domain name from someone other than Etsy. If Etsy buys the name for you, they still have rights to that name. I learned that mistake back in 1999. I am going to have to get a lawyer to have this person relinquish her name on my domain name. I am sure this will get ugly.

This is Susan from Accrete Web Solutions, if you only want a homepage right now, you can do what I have done. She really helped me and listened to what I had in mind.

Susan R. Emerson
Accrete Web Solutions
Owned and operated by SRT Services

Phone: 604 619 4945 Fax: 604 588 9937
Email: semerson@accretewebsolutions.ca
Website: http://www.accretewebsolutions.ca/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AccreteWebSolutions
Twitter: http://twitter.com/accrete
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/accrete-web-solutions

[Former_Member]

Thank you, Dona. It sounds like you have had good experiences with SEO and web design.

I also have designed and optimized websites for the past 13 years and am happy to help anyone who needs help with either.

You and anyone else interested can join my Facebook SEO group where there is a lot of teaching and sharing about basic and advanced SEO and web design: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1686821111533696/. (Promoting yourself or anyone else is not allowed).

[GabriellasTreasures]

Mary, I was toying with Pattern last night and wondered if I should try the 30 day trial, and you answered here, thanks!~ Think I'll give it a try for free 30 days and see what happens.

[kalliedesigns]

Hi Mary, so glad I took the time to check in and read as usual, your very insightful posts here. The work you have done for me in past has been so very important.

I've had a really good run here on etsy, but like many am feeling the pinch and thinking I need to move in different directions- not pattern!
Thank you!

[WilliamLeeHolt]

After looking at some that have already "built" their Pattern site, I actually find some of the templates to be visually OK. My bet: Etsy is hoping a lot of sellers will be so disappointed in the look of their shops after they are all rolled out (remember, very few, percentage wise, even visit the forums) and may have no idea of the new layout until they wake up one morning and... SURPRISE!

I find the new, regular Etsy page to just be horrible, visually, as if they deliberately made it graphically unpleasing. So, is this "Pattern" business an Etsy ploy for more revenue from those who are disgusted with the new look of their regular Etsy page, or am I WAY off base here?