PINNED: Discussions and Questions About Everything Else

[Former_Member]

USE THIS THREAD FOR ALL QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS THAT DO NOT FIT ANY OF THESE OTHER PINNED THREADS:

1. PINNED: Discuss SEO and Relevancy Myths http://www.etsy.com/teams/11352/relevancy-and-seo-for-all-ets­y-shops/discuss/10406495
2. PINNED: Discuss Etsy Shop Titles, Section Names and Shop Welcome Text http://www.etsy.com/teams/11352/relevancy-and-seo-for-all-ets­y-shops/discuss
3. PINNED: Discuss Listing Titles, Listing Descriptions and Listing Tags http://www.etsy.com/teams/11352/relevancy-and-seo-for-all-ets­y-shops/discuss/10406457/
4. PINNED: Discuss Google SEO: Keywords and Text http://www.etsy.com/teams/11352/relevancy-and-seo-for-all-ets­y-shops/discuss/10406463
5. PINNED: Discuss Google SEO: Backlinks, Link Building, Link Popularity http://www.etsy.com/teams/11352/relevancy-and-seo-for-all-ets­y-shops/discuss/10406483
6. PINNED: Google+ for SEO http://www.etsy.com/teams/11352/relevancy-and-seo-for-all-ets­y-shops/discuss/10416906

[Former_Member]

Lets keep this on top.

[GraceEarrings]

hello team mates,
let's help each other out by sharing

1 ( ......maybe 2 ) of your **secret *** tips
about selling, making a cute product, balancing work / family or how to reach out to potential buyers.

spill those *** secret *** now ..... i know you have some .....

I will go 1st :
I am very fast about answering customer's message, I found that it seems to help me convert them into sales sooner.

[Former_Member]

Hi all.

I am very new here....seems like a great team!! : )

Here are a couple things I do to add to what Grace said:

1. I have email on my phone...so when I get a convo...it is answered in usually 5 minutes. Grace is right...you snooze ...you lose.

2. With every order I ship out I add "Lagniappe" It means "a little something extra" I always include with orders something free with a sticker on it that says "FREE- because you are awesome" Sometimes it is a pen case, sometimes an ink refill, sometimes it is just wrapped candy (pepermint mint) to have while they open the box. : ) So many people have written back thanking me for the freebie. It isn't the value of the freebie. It is the the thought that you included ANYTHING extra. : )

Look forward to see whats next!

All the best,

Mike

[ramonahall]

Mike, have to say that when I open a package for something I've ordered and get a free extra something, it just makes me smile. Love it. Also think a handwritten thank you note is a great extra.

[IslandGirlPottery]

These links are not working for me. Strange!

[Former_Member · Accepted solution]

Here are the working links:

PINNED discussions threads by subject:

1. PINNED: Discuss SEO and Relevancy Myths http://www.etsy.com/teams/11352/relevancy-and-seo-for-all-etsy-shops/discuss/10406495

2. PINNED: Discuss Etsy Shop Titles, Section Names and Shop Welcome Text http://www.etsy.com/teams/11352/relevancy-and-seo-for-all-etsy-shops/discuss/10411492/

3. PINNED: Discuss Listing Titles, Listing Descriptions and Listing Tags http://www.etsy.com/teams/11352/relevancy-and-seo-for-all-etsy-shops/discuss/10406457/

4. PINNED: Discuss Google SEO: Keywords and Text http://www.etsy.com/teams/11352/relevancy-and-seo-for-all-etsy-shops/discuss/10406463/

5. PINNED: Discuss Google SEO: Backlinks, Link Building, Link Popularity http://www.etsy.com/teams/11352/relevancy-and-seo-for-all-etsy-shops/discuss/10406483/

6. PINNED: Google+ for SEO http://www.etsy.com/teams/11352/relevancy-and-seo-for-all-etsy-shops/discuss/10416906

7. PINNED: Discussions and Questions About Everything Else http://www.etsy.com/teams/11352/relevancy-and-seo-for-all-etsy-shops/discuss/10514106

[Former_Member]

I wasn't sure where to post this, but I started a shop almost a year ago on etsy and just recently opened a new shop (the one I have now). In my old shop, my pictures were not very good (distracting backgrounds and blurry lens) and I didn't know much about SEO but I was still making about $500 a month, so I was happy! Now, however, I've only made two sales in the new shop in the last 40 days and don't get any of the kind of views/sales I used to have. I would really like a review of the way my shop looks, how good my keywords are and any other suggestions. I started my own website to go along with my shop here: www.bonfirevintage.com. Please look at both my website and my etsy shop and let me know if you see any problems. I would really appreciate it as I'm starting to really second guess this shop change :(

[GraceEarrings]

one tips / ideas that I found to help me with my shop is:

1) know some of the words that " Google shopping " dis-like, so I can avoid using them and what words " Organic Google ...the normal regular Google " accept.
For ex: the word FREE , as in free shipping is one word that " Google shopping " dislike
but it is ok to use in " Organic Google...the regular Google" most people use to search.

Bailey, you shop opens less than 1 month, so i think it is ok to think normal ebbs & flow of summer months / normal supply & demand of products.
We don't do whole shop critique, but overall, your shop photos are very clear & nice. Hang in there , good luck :-)

[Wcards]

I am pretty new myself but I started to add a little written Thank you to my orders-I believe its a thought that counts

[Wcards]

I use the Thank you notes i have in my store, they don't sell so I use them - if I get the order I will make more, hahaha

[Former_Member]

Bailey Bryans from BonfireVintage says
I wasn't sure where to post this, but I started a shop almost a year ago on etsy and just recently opened a new shop (the one I have now). In my old shop, my pictures were not very good (distracting backgrounds and blurry lens) and I didn't know much about SEO but I was still making about $500 a month, so I was happy! Now, however, I've only made two sales in the new shop in the last 40 days and don't get any of the kind of views/sales I used to have. I would really like a review of the way my shop looks, how good my keywords are and any other suggestions. I started my own website to go along with my shop here: www.bonfirevintage.com. Please look at both my website and my etsy shop and let me know if you see any problems. I would really appreciate it as I'm starting to really second guess this shop change :(

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bailey,

You have a new shop and made 2 sales in the first 6 weeks. That seems to be an average start for a new shop.

It takes a long time to review an entire Etsy shop as well as a Web site in enough detail so that any recommendations make a real difference.

We do have an SEO Review team where we will review one listing from your shop in great detail and give you recommendations you can use in the rest of your shop: http://www.etsy.com/teams/12637/seo-team-seo-reviews

According to Etsy, new shops are adding to Google shopping / syndication when they have had at least 6 sales. You listings would also have to be free of any promotional wording, such as "free shipping."

[GraceEarrings]

hello team mates,
let's help each other out by sharing

1 ( ......maybe 2 ) of your **secret *** tips
about selling, making a cute product, balancing work / family or how to reach out to potential buyers.

spill those *** secret *** now ..... i know you have some .....

here , I will state again :
I am very fast about answering customer's message, I found that it seems to help me convert them into sales sooner.

[GraceEarrings]

Hi team mates
Let's help each other out by sharing
1 or 2 useful tips or secret tips
About online business, how you organize work & family , sales etc

[Former_Member]

Mike, I love the candy idea! What a nice little treat and quite memorable too.

I give a coupon code for a 10% discount on all future orders with the first purchase. On any order over $25.00 I also include a free gift; the higher the purchase, the nicer the gift. I always include a handwritten thank you note.

I return convos ASAP and ship within 24 hours (except weekends and holidays).

[GraceEarrings]

Future coupon code
What a great idea!

Let's keep these useful " secret " tips coming everyone.

Any tips on streamlining or organizing packaging / shipping?

[JadjusJewelry]

Is a personal website necessary in addition to my Etsy shop?

[Former_Member]

A personal Web site is not really necessary but it is nice to have to make more sales from Google visitors. You will have to SEO your own Web site and create unique content for every listing to avoid Google's Duplicate Content Filter. You will also have to promote and market either your own Web site or your Etsy shop or both. Maintaining your Web site and your Etsy shop is a lot of work.

On the other hand, you would have your own Web site if anything happened and Etsy.com disappeared. Etsy could make changes that make it harder for your listings to be found and take more control of your shop away from you. It is good to have your own web site if anything like this happens.

[GraceEarrings]

having your own website is a good idea when etsy change things that will / may affect your shop....you never know...they keep testing things & moving things around or " removing the whole sub-category "....

i just set up my own website tonight , using supadupa

i have add in only 3 items tonight

Question:
will google index these items in my website?
will my items be submitted into google by supadupa?

thanks Mary

[DaliaShamirJewelry]

Mary wrote: "You will have to SEO your own Web site and create unique content for every listing to avoid Google's Duplicate Content Filter."

I don't have my own website yet, but I plan on having one (I thought on weebly, seems to be simple over there). I thought I can just copy everything I have on etsy, also partly as a back up for etsy if there is any problem here. So from what Mary wrote, I understand now that it would be wrong to copy item description? Can it hurt my etsy shop?

Also, when you say - SEO your own website, does it mean in the titles and descriptions and other public areas? or more than that?

Thanks!

[JadjusJewelry]

Wow!! All this information even make me think harder on what to do. I know Etsy keep making changes that put sellers in a spot. Then the time to keep maintaining the website plus the Etsy shop is really a lot.

To escape the problems of titles and descriptions would mean keeping the listings separate.......what's listed on etsy would be different from what's listed on the personal website.

Don't know what I'm going to do. Circumstances do come into play too.

Mary, is it very costly in terms of finances to set up a personal website?

Thanks Mary for your info.

[GraceEarrings]

Janet & Dalia
you can list *** THE SAME ITEMS ** on your website & on etsy.

exactly the same products .
That's what I do,

what Mary means is:
the wording , the way you write up the description has to be " unique " , that means " different "....at least as best as you can do to make the wording different...because of Google " duplicate content filter".

you CAN sell the exact same thing ...anywhere you like,
etsy, & other places.

read out blog post for more info about " duplicate content "
<---------
see blog post link on left side of the team page
scroll up a bit, on the left side.

etsy keep removing my main sub-category in jewelry
so if anyone sells jewelry, they need to keep an eye on the changes

[Former_Member]

Grace is right. Keywords and listing titles can be identical in many places on the Internet but the description should be unique to pass by Google's duplicate content filter.

The cost of a Web site varies a lot depending so many factors, such as, whether or not you do the work yourself or whether you hire someone to do with work for you. The cost of a web site can also change with the features you choose to install. Most Etsy sellers do best by using inexpensive and ready-to-customize and ready-to-use software through web sites like www.supdupa.me, www.pappashop.com and www.merchantmoms.com

[DaliaShamirJewelry]

Thank you Grace! But I can't find the blog link...

[Former_Member]

Dalia,

There is a link to our team blog on the left side of this SEO Team page - the direction of Grace's arrow,.

<<<<-----------------------------------------

Look left and scroll up a bit until you see the SEO Team Blog link.