to share my 2 cents....it has been a stressful and wild ride. I think my success is derived from sleepless nights of planning and worrying, a little bit of luck and a customizable product. Implanting myself into the wedding industry was never something I had considered and I'm up to my eyes in brides pouring their dreams of perfect bouquets on my plate. Accepting projects when I don't have the time, bending and breaking to please my customer and a 8 day work week are my entire life. And if I didn't have a passion and love for my product, as well as the creative process behind it, I would've quite months ago.
As far as how etsy has helped me:
-Renew everyday; i know this gets expensive so start small and expand as your business expands. Now i renew 2 or 3 in the mornings and i tend to post new/custom listings throughout the day and that keeps my shop at the top of the searches all day.
-Be a presence in the forums but don't expect miracles- I believe advertising in the promotion forums is what got me started but I rarely post there anymore (unless on a slow day when I've got the time). I also post on facebook everyday, i should tweet- but i don't ;)
-Love etsy. I read countless forums of people blaming etsy, among other things, for lack of exposure- i've never been on the front page or a featured seller and I consider myself a success. Etsy provides the forum, we do the work.
-And of course, the ABC's- great photos, titles, descriptions tags. I'm constantly updating mine, my shop is a constant work in progress. I make changes everyday to the featured items, descriptions, photos, even my banner and shop announcement.
I started on etsy being totally clueless and having months of no sales. I totally understand the feeling and the excitement of every sale, no matter how small. Don't give up and anyone feel free to stop by the shop and ask me any questions if you think i could be of some help!
-d
