Etsy Success Shop Makeover: Week 1

[#1]

For the next four weeks, I’ll be sharing a series of blog posts and challenges to help you give your shop a makeover for 2011. Let’s start this year with a bang! In today's Etsy Success newsletter, you'll find homework to help you focus your branding and enhance your product photography.

To get the most out of this series, be sure to sign up for the Etsy Success newsletter — full instructions will arrive in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Once you've received the newsletter, I'd love to hear what you think about this week's task list. Let us know if you have any questions or are feeling stuck.

[Former_Member]

just joining the conversation and read through ALL of the posts...well worth the read. On my list to do: re-do my banner, re-take photos, and update descriptions to tell more of the story and inspiration for the items.

thank you all for you just being here.

[Former_Member]

And I agree with a previous poster, that moonbindery's post on page 13 of these comments are very helpful with regards to the banner.

[HeidiandSeekBoutique]

I'm new to this convo as well, I want to make a great effort to be more effective with my etsy this year! I know my photos could be better (anyone have a suggestion for taken good photos indoors when I: don't have any white walls to make use of, live in the basement and have awful flourescent lighting, and can't take photos outdoors cuz it's winter?)
I'm working on a new banner AS WE SPEAK!
Great tips all around :)

[Former_Member]

I'm glad to hear that my banner comments were helpful. :)

I think that just getting a shop up and running can be a bit overwhelming. I remember when I started my shop, I finally said to myself "it doesn't matter that it's kind of crappy looking (I was having a lot of trouble with photos back then), just get the thing open, already!" Then, I started working to make it better, and that's what I've been doing ever since! It's a never-ending thing.

It's so great to have these shop makeover articles, because they can help us improve our shops, no matter how long we've been in business.

[StudioCherie]

I agree with you moon. I think that advice about just moving ahead before it's all perfect is important too.

[Former_Member]

finished re-doing my banner...I realized my old one looked more like a letterhead design than an etsy shop banner.

oh and my motto...in spite of everything, keep moving forward :-)

[mtillery]

Thanks for this task list... I have been perfecting my photography and have had friends who are professional critique my shops and have read and been applying all the info that I am reading and have paid to download --- have started a blog, still no followers but it is young. I am determined in the next year to increase sales as I have many followers or folks who favorite but no sales action. I have just begun to offer free shipping to the continental USA. Anything else I can be doing would be appreciated.

[Former_Member]

Your banner looks great, TheMandalaLady! Love the colors -- they really go well with the items in your shop.

[Former_Member]

@mtillery I like your jewelry, it is lovely. It is hard to see your jewelry against your backgrounds though. Maybe it was just the lighting, but you might want to play with them, maybe some photoshop? To alter the lighting? I hope this helps, you really do have beautiful jewelry.

[DreamspiritCreations]

played with the old banner a bit and came up with something a little cleaner as a temporary fix. Can someone take a peek and let me know what you think of the remake? Thanks.

[sammysgrammy]

I organized my shop yesterday. It can get kinda disheveled looking in there. I plan on keeping at it so it does not fall into chaos. When I list a new item or renew an item, it appears in the #1 spot on the page. Immediately I will relocate it into the proper section (department)

I am inspired by ANTHROPOLOGIE. They carry a large variety of items. Mainly clothing, of course, but have kitchenware, jewelry, bed and bath items, etc. But the sensibility is cohesive. I hope to achieve that same classic sensibility in my shop. I'm aiming at it.

My first step will be a representative banner. Just seeing Moonbindery's new banner is so inspirational. How it perfectly communicates to the viewer what to expect to find there. Thank you so much for telling us about your process in getting there.

This is gonna be fun and ..............serious work

[Former_Member]

I've been re-listing my items in color group order so they stay in the sequence I arranged them. It's a time saving ploy, and it keeps my shop looking organized and more attractive, I think. I don't have to go in and rearrange every time I re-list!

[Former_Member]

I really love taking pictures and have been thinking of new ways to make my shop photos stand out. I really liked all of the suggestions, particularly the part about making your shop look cohesive by the way in which you arrange items.

[imakecutestuff]

Quote:
SeeSpace says:
I'm with some of the others having trouble with updating my banner. Just deleted mine by mistake last night :( so frustrating ! I've used gimp program. What program do you guys recommend? It's hard to get the sizing right. Thanks!
~~~~~~~

I personally didn't like Gimp at all and Picasa scared me when it started auto loading ALL of my photos!

I needed more control than the standard editing software on my computer so I downloaded to Paint.net after my computer crashed and used it for most of 2010 until PSE9 appeared under the Christmas tree. I'll probably still use it on occasion.

Paint.net is free and very similar to Photoshop elements...with a few quirks, but none as confusing as Gimp, IMO!

[Former_Member]

HeidiandSeekBoutique, I have some suggestions for you. You will have to scavenge or buy a few things. Get some nice looking white fabric--a nice sheet will do or go to your local fabric store and look through the fabric ends or invest in some white foam core board or mat boards or even a roll of white paper. Get some push pins or tape. arrange your white background so it covers a wall and drapes onto the floor, or covers a corner. Get some lights--go to the hardware store and buy a couple of clip on light or temporarily move lamps from other rooms. Before you shoot, try arranging the lamps so that one is aimed from the top/side and one is aimed from the front or the other side but a little farther away. Remember to set the white point of your camera so it matches the lighting--indoors/florescent, etc. I took a whole bunch of photos of the same item using each white point setting to find the best--that really helped.

LEt us know when you have some new photos posted!

[Former_Member]

Hi Mystifieddesigns. I like your art. I suggest changing the color of your shop name in your banner--that grey doesn't go with anything you sell. Maybe use the colors from your most popular item? I'd also make sure to use a font that has a sharped edge. The soft edge on your current font makes it look out of focus, I think.
Have you thought about arranging your product by color or by category-- all baby announcements together, for example?

[Former_Member]

awesome video tutorial using gimp here, that makes it super easy to do your banner and gives the correct dimensions for the photo.
http://www.etsy.com/storque/seller-handbook/seller-how-to-banner-tips-6265/
I was able to do mine in less than a half hour. It's not fancy but let me know what you think.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Libunnyfoofoo

[Former_Member]

Libunnyfoofoo, I think the new banner looks great, and incorporating your unique statement into it is wonderfully fun. I smiled when I read it, and had to heart your shop! That probably says more about your banner than my words can. :)

[Former_Member]

I sold a new hobo tote this motning! thanks for the help here, I arranged my bags by color, and have continued to work on photography and tagging..it's fun to own a shop! I get so busy making the handbags, it's hard to stop and work on the shop...but it has paid off! :]

[Former_Member]

I wish there was a like button on each post...like facebook! LOL I'm reading back through and want to 'like' so many of them...thanks to MandalaLady..I will check out the banner person...I really need one, but need to buy it completed I think..

[Former_Member]

sorry...it was sammysgrammy with banner info...

[Former_Member]

can someone tell me how to find a particular shop? I honestly don't know how..I've tried typing in the shop name in search..I copy and paste my link to others, while at my shop...

[Former_Member]

Mudijudi, are you selecting "sellers" in the drop down menu when you search?

[Former_Member]

I just became aware of the poster tool. Could someone expound on how arranging things to look good there could help the look of my shop when the shop is set up with each product lined up vertically.

[Former_Member]

Orese...thanks..it seems like each person has an address, much like email...wondering how to go there from Etsy...like mudijudi...do I type in my shop name?