Depressed & Discouraged

[Former_Member]

I opened my shop in August of 2010. I didn't really know what I was doing until about May of 2011. So since that time...I have had 58 sales. Of course there were craft show sales & facebook sales & jewelry party sales as well, but I'd say that's a pretty disappointing record. I've tried it all. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, I've done treasuries, I've been IN treasuries, I've tweaked my photos, my titles & my tags, I've had sales...I've given coupon codes to customers to use for future sales....and most recently, I had a big 25% off sale which I advertised on Facebook. NOT ONE sale. I also attempted a giveaway....where all you had to do is "like" my fan page, pin an item (or items) and share the post...& let me know that you had done so. I had about four responses...three of whom are friends. I'm really trying hard to NOT be depressed & discouraged...but how else can I feel? So I've decided to close my shop until further notice. My plan is to overhaul EVERYthing. Once again, re-do photos. I might even take apart a bunch of pieces. And basically, I'll start all over again. My FB page will remain open and I'll continue to list new items there...but I feel like I'm spitting against the wind. I'm open to any and all advice/suggestions/criticisms. This team has been a tremendous source of information and support...and for that, I thank you!! And I will be back....eventually.

[Former_Member]

Hi there,

I am sorry to hear you are closing. Jewelry is one of the most if not the most sold item here. I went to your shop, your items are beautiful, but you may want to check your prices against similar items here. They seem a little high. Your pictures are nice, I think, and your supply prices are reasonable. Take care.

[Former_Member]

Personally
I wouldn't close
Peeking at your shop I see many things that can happen
To get your items seen more

If your interested
Join "commitment team"
Brutally honest crits
Help understanding etsy

Good luck!

[Former_Member]

Thank you, Christine. My prices WERE lower....and things were still not moving. So I raised them slightly and put everything on sale for 25% off. Still nothing. Dawn, thank you as well. I don't know, I'm just feeling so down right now...I feel like I need to re-group. But I WILL check into the team you've suggested. Thanks.

[Former_Member]

JuJu,
I remember seeing you around all the time. I did a giveaway with only one person entering and you'd never guess who the winner was?! Anyway, that one person told me to do giveaways through another site. For future reference I used this one.
http://www.facebook.com/FreebiesandGiveaways?ref=ts&fref=ts
They post you time on their page and to get many new fans. I went from about 20 to 140. Some of them left after the giveaway, which I expected, but I still have 120. Facebook has stopped showing our fans our posts, I'm not sure if your aware of that. That has really hurt me.
You know what's best for you and I hope to see you around, Don't lose touch with Etsy though. Things change so much around here. Good luck in all you do.

[Former_Member]

Judy-
I definitely understand your frustration. I have the same feelings towards my current job search. I have skills, but not enough allegedly to be hired. It's almost a catch 22- you do everything you can, almost begging for a job (in your case sales) but in the end you have to remember that it's not your fault!

Some advice I would give you is make your photos look cohesive to crispen the look of your shop. I've used foto fuze on some of my images, and I really like the end result. If you're going to have a leaf in one background, add it to all your backgrounds.

Make sure you're updating listings, even if it's adding content or switching up tags- making your jewelry newly relevant is a major factor in SEO for Etsy.

Also, make sure you're adding a profile and header photo in your twitter account- it doesn't even need to be a pic of you! Maybe add your favorite piece of jewelry/photo as your profile pic, and make sure photos you're adding are relevant to your etsy page :)

Hope this helps!
Best,
Kelly

[Pintody]

I'll give you a little bit of what I see this listing
http://www.etsy.com/listing/98389982/tree-of-life-bracelet-bridal-pearl

I would use your third photo it's brighter and easier to see.

I would also keep creating, You are in a very saturated category so you need to have a lot of items. Until I was over 125 I didn't get very many sales. I started in 08, re-did my shop and name and started again still nothing until I had way more items.
I think your shop will do fine but you need to have at least 100 items
Brighten up your photos (photo's mean everything) look at the front page photo's of jewelry for ideas and technique. Lots of light (natural if possible)

If you want it to work keep working it, Facebook is a great place but share other things you like with your fans. How about a short tutorial of you making something. show your studio or work area, other things you like to do, cooking, gardening ect.

Run an ad on face book or promote a post. It takes time to build a good following but once done it can really help.

[Former_Member]

Good luck with your overhaul, Judy. You are very brave! All the best to you, and hope to see you back soon :)

[MetalRoosterOrganics]

I completely understand where you are coming from, I had only 1 sale after a year and a half, even after trying several unsuccessfully to have sales, deep discounts, with a twitter and blogging presence. So I ended up making this new store, I am slowly listing things but with really top quality graphics, top quality packaging, and really the best photography that I can possibly do. I admit I cried my eyes out because I loved sewing and named my business after my two grandmothers, and honestly for the past month since I shut down my old shop I would feel like I let my granny who is still alive down, but she put things in perspective that she's proud of me no matter what I do as long as it's morally and legally ok. With that said, Good Luck hon! You'll come back refreshed and better than brand new!

[PiecesOfMePaperCraft]

I will miss you Judy (at least we still have FB!). Your jewelry is beautiful but unfortunately, it's out of my budget. I think there's a market for higher end jewelry and you just need to find it.

I somehow missed your giveaway on FB. Like someone else said, FB doesn't let us see all the posts for some reason. I thought I've been seeing most of yours but I don't remember seeing that one. I would have participated had I seen it. :(

[JillAllenDesign]

I feel the same as you with etsy, but I think it b/c I don't work it enough. I have website and fb b/c there is sooo much jewelry on here. I work my fb daily a zillion times and pro note with paid ads on fb. I'm not sure if Etsy will ever be for me but I keep trying. best of luck

[Former_Member]

Hi Judy,
Sorry you're feeling discouraged. Your jewelry is beautiful. Your photos are clear and detailed... I can't imagine that you would need to spend time redoing them. It doesn't make sense why some shops are successful and others struggle. Selling handmade items can be challenging emotionally. It's difficult to avoid taking it personally when items don't sell quickly. I try to remind myself to focus on my creativity rather than any negativity. It's hard to do, but I'm getting better. Good luck.

[GreenOrchidDS]

Come on Ju Ju, we've been in this together for to long to give up now....walk away from the computer and all that social jazz, work on more of your wonderful pieces ( less promoting and more of what you really like to do: make jewelry!! Weddings are also saturated, so I just keep working on listings ( when I'm not at work) The old # use to be 100 items, but I think with soooo many sellers now we need to have more then that. No reason not to just let your listings run their coarse while you do your improvements. O.k... that was my 2 cents worth. I also think its going to take longer to get established now then when it did a few years ago. Hugs in whatever you do, but I'll miss you in the forums.

[Former_Member]

Brighter and sharper pictures. But who am I to say? I can't get my camera to get off of spot focus. It focuses on only one part in the frame....I have to take the time to learn my settings.
I think someone said cohesiveness. I think it's boring to be on all white.....but, I might try that too. Have all the same background or get a color combination pattern chart.
Ultimately, I think it comes down to what Kristen said from SnowFallStudio....we don't really know why some shops are successful and some aren't. I think the reason I do okay is because of my shop name. However, I'd like to do better. I've seen some amazing jeweler's around here without any sales. Then, I've seen some seriously bad work and it sells. Like my man said, "Most people on Etsy like to buy junk!"
I know there are a lot of other places to sell now. Etsy started an uproar! Go get 'em!

[Former_Member]

Judy...the giveaway is still on. It's going through January 10th. I originally had it through the 3rd but decided to give it another week. I posted about it on my Jujubeader page AND on my personal page. Ugh, it's very disheartening!!

I feel that exact way, Kristen....I don't know why some shops manage to have sale after sale after sale....and these giveaways where they get like 300 likes!! I don't know how that happens? But I can't say that I haven't tried. BELIEVE ME, I'VE TRIED. Glass Beach...there are one or two shops that I have liked on FB...and honestly, their stuff is no better than mine. In fact, the materials are clearly cheaper. Half the time, it's putting two, three charms or pendants on a cheap chain and selling it. And people go nuts for it. THAT really bugs me BIG time.

Am I better off closing the shop and re-doing stuff (photos, tags, titles, etc.) or should I leave the shop open and keep on adding new items? I feel like I waste my money every time I renew an item that has been there for TWO YEARS. What should I do?

[Former_Member]

I know how you feel. Sometimes I feel like chucking it all in, but I do enjoy making jewellery myself. I think my expectations of having loads of sales from day one, was way off. It is a long, slow and frustrating process, especially the jewellery market.

Jewellery is saturated with mass produced crap that sell at cheap cheap cheap prices. But etsy seem to do nothing about it, as they make 1000s of sales and give etsy a lot of income.

My goal is to one day sell 50 - 100 items a month. *fingers crossed*

Even I did a giveaway for my jewellery for a like on my FB page. Nothing.
I have done sales, and nothing. Now I refuse to do sales. I have lowered and raised my prices. Everything you can think off.

It is frustrating - I understand your feelings. But don't give up. We need to report as much 'handmade' jewellery shops as we can and make a stand. It is ridiculous.

[Former_Member]

Also, if anything. I would offer free postage in the USA. Your jewellery is lovely.

[Rt9NJvintageFun]

Judy, I totally understand, but growth is always painful, don't close, just leave your Shop open and try other things, all of our Shops are always in transition, trying to take them to the next level, or trying to get re-motivated to wait for our next brain storm to conquer.
I recall the question being asked by someone in the audience last year during the on line lab, "Pricing For Profit", last spring by Tara Gentil and Megan,(sorry Megan can't remember how to spell your last name). I do remember what the answer was....No.....don't close your Shop, keep it open and upgrade it. I have listened to this lab probably 10X and always pick up something new. Try and schedule your yourself for 1 1/2 hours, to re-listen to the lab before you close your Shop!
Even if you do decide to close during your "remodel" the ideas of Tara and Megan will definately bring a smile to your heart!
Please hang in there, for all of US!!!!!!

[QuirkyUniverse]

I don't think having sales or offering deep discounts or lowering your prices is the way to go. Obviously there's a market for that type of thing, but that's not your market. Play up how well made your items are. One way to do that is with photos, I would research on here and on the web how to do product photography and see how high end jewelry stores do it.

I've tried with FB too. I've run special coupon codes and all sorts of things and not once have I gotten a sale because of it. I know some people are very successful with it but I have no clue how they do it. I don't put much time into FB anymore and concentrate on the places I have generated sales and interest.

I love your shop and your jewelry and I hope you don't close up for good.

[StuffJustStuff]

I agree with Candy donnelly
Keep your shop open and try different things. Good luck:)

[Former_Member]

I can definitely relate. I decided to keep my shop open and try different things. I am re thinking my product line and looking into trying some different things. I am looking into expanding and listing items outside of jewelry. It is such a saturated market.

[Former_Member]

Judy, your items are gorgeous! Don't quit!

I didn't get "regular" sales until I had well over 100 items in my shop. Now I have 300ish listings and see a sale every other day or so, even if it's small. Since April 2011 - 746 sales. I am a mom, wife, full time college student, and a homeowner. So I don't have the most time in the world to work on this, so I guess you really don't need it if you make it easy on yourself.

I use Twitter, Facebook, Stumbleupon, and Pinterest. But not everything all the time - that gets overwhelming.

I expanded my titles - my titles are long. Sometimes I run out of room! I've seen people say keep your titles short, but that just doesn't work for me. You never know what people are using as a search term, so I try to include as much as I can.

I use different words for the same color - blue isn't just blue, it's indigo, sky, powder, cobalt, sapphire. red is maroon, burgundy, fire engine, lipstick. white is ivory, off-white, cream. Think like a Crayon box. When I need help thinking of different names for colors, I actually start pulling out crayons, checking out my old Alfred Angelo color swatch book, or searching for Pantone's current or just past "it" colors.

I have several search phrases that people keep using over and over again to get to my items - these phrases are in each title that it's relevant to put it in. It was easy to figure out - look at your all time shop stats and you'll see phrases pop out at the top.

I also lowered my prices. Sure, I probably put more work into some of my items than I'm charging, but I have a "Rust Belt" mentality. The economy really sucks where I live, I know how much my supplies cost, and how much it makes someone smile at a craft show when they find something they really like and see that the price is right! So I brought that mind set over to my Etsy shop. I think that helped, too.

Also, don't repeat the same word in your title. I see a couple of your titles say the same word at least twice - that's a SEO no-no.

Your photos are great, but some of them are "far off". Learn to love your zoom and macro settings on your camera. I like to have my first photo be an image of an upclose focal part of my jewelry (if it has one). I also edit my photos to make them pop - brightening the background to a brighter white, cropping out dead space, etc. Some of your photos, you can't even tell exactly what the item is because it's taken so far away!

When my shop didn't take off immediately, I didn't quit. I got really quite mad and started working my rear end off to make it work. I had to use eBay sales to pay my Etsy fees for a few months, then it started to go the other way!

Hope this helps!

[Former_Member]

I really appreciate all of the advice on this thread...it means the world to me. And maybe I'll take your advice & keep the shop open while I'm re-vamping the photos (some of them) & reworking titles.

Molly, I agree with a lot of what you'e said. The only thing I'm unsure of is your comment re: some of my photos being "far off" to the point of not knowing what they are. Can you please show me an example of that? I know that some of my photos are "fair" and could be much better/brighter/clearer than they are. I just have to go one-by-one and see where I can make improvements.

You all are SUCH a wonderful group. My heart is full!! I will take ALL of your comments in...and make a decision as to whether I should keep my shop open or not. You all seem to feel that I should keep it open...so I'll continue to think about it.

[Former_Member]

I think the best advice you have received so far is to go away from the computer for a while and go to your workshop and create beautiful new items. When you are ready to start posting again do so one a day or every other day. Get the number of items in your shop up to that magic number (100?!?) Spending time away from Etsy and in your workshop will not only give you a mental break but hopefully stir up your creative juices again and give you time to build up your inventory.

I hope you don't give up.

Best, Babs

[dalystudios]

Yup... I think you just need a breather to hit your mental "refresh" button. Your shop is beautiful: photos, jewelry, banner, etc. Try to keep the door open :-)