Help Desperately Needed

[beevintageredux]

Hello all.
This is part vent/rant, and part a desperate plea for help.

I opened my shop around 18 months ago, and things kept chugged along until just after the holidays: views climbed slowly but steadily, and I had a few sales (I averaged two a month, which sucked, but it was something). In that time, I managed to really develop my style and settle very nicely into a little niche. Things were looking up, and I was happy.

Sometime around the beginning of the spring, everything just bottomed out. I had more stock in my shop than ever before, I was active in the Etsy community, and my little blog was even starting to grow a following. But my views and sales just stoppped. I changed my photographs, cleaned up the shop, nothing.

When the change to relevancy happened, I jumped at the opportunity to completely empty my shop and give it a complete makeover. I re-shot all of my photos in a consistant style. I played around with titles. I had always given my pieces names in an effort to make them stand out a bit, have a personality. Most still have the fancy names, and they show up on the first few pages when I search for things. But I'm experimenting with a more straightforward, descriptive title. So far, it's made no difference. I struggled with the tagging, but I still managed to completely re-do every single one of them in what I hoped was a more relevant fashion.

Since making all of these changes and tweaks, I feel like I've just gotten lost completely, both on Etsy and in myself. I love what I do, and take great pleasure in holing up in my little studio space making pretty things for hours on end. But the joy goes out of it when nobody is even seeing the effort.

I feel, genuinely, that I have done all of the right things. I've worked hard at making my shop more relevant. I have re photographed everything, sometimes 3 and 4 times over, to make my shop look nice. I do craft fairs in and around the entire Philadelphia area. I have a facebook page and a blog, both of which I update regularly. I'm on flickr and pinterest. I make and comment on treasuries and other people's blogs. I add multiple new items to my shop Mon. through Friday. I've joined a few teams, and I'm following along with the Holiday Boot Camp. I don't know what else I can do to drive traffic, and eventually, business into my shop. I'm teetering on the edge of my breaking point.

If anyone has taken the time to read through all of this (and I thank you greatly if you have), please, if there's something missing, or if it's just all bad and nobody's had the heart to tell me, I really need to hear it. I am quite desperate to make this work. I've invested so much of myself into this, if there's anything I can do to make it happen, I want to do it. If I should just give it up and move on to the next phase of my life, then I need to do that. Please help.

Thank you so much for listening.

[LaurasLastDitch]

Your shop looks very nice!

Here are some ideas:

*Shop announcement helps SEO and Etsy relevancy. Stuff it with keywords. Here's mine, to give you an idea of what I mean: http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraslastditch

*Category names help SEO and Etsy relevancy, too. Make them specific rather than descriptive. Use all ten.

*Think of one keyword phrase you want to optimize for each listing, then optimize it. So, for one of your hooks you might want to optimize for "shabby chic hook," so put that early in the title, make it a tag, and use it in the description a couple of times. Use the other tags in the description, but not to the point that it sounds stilted. On another hook, you might call it "Robin's Egg Blue Home Decor," then make "robins egg blue" a tag. For each item you have that is similar to another, take care to optimize for different phrases, and don't make the tags all identical--this way more people will find your items and your shop.

*Make your descriptions shorter--that's a lot to wade through--then link to your shop policies. If people feel there is "small print," it scares them, yet they don't want to take the time to read it all. Even if there's nothing scary in there, that can be the perception.

I'm sure other people will have ideas, too. You have the photography right, and I think that is one of the hardest things. If people find your shop, they will like it.

Best wishes!

[beevintageredux]

Thank you.
There's some really good avice in there. I had no idea that my shop announcement could affect relevancy! I've always just thought of it as a little space to welcome visitors or post important announcements.
It's also a very good tip to switch up the tags. I get so stuck on tags, and feel that I've tweaked them to the point where they've gone right past relevancy and settled into irrevelance. Guess I've got a bit more tweaking ahead.
Thank you, you've given me a little something here. I appreciate that enormously.

[QuiltSewCover]

Great ideas from LaurasLastDitch. I totally agree about the descriptions. I tend to write a lot, because I want shoppers to know everything. But they won't read it. We are a very impatient society. Put a lot of it in your policies, and direct them there.

Also, I think your photos are lovely, but the whole shop looks gray. It is a little difficult to sort one type of item from another. Maybe use the custom arranging feature more to put very similar items together. JMHO

[beevintageredux]

Ok, maybe this is a dumb question, but does the order of tags matter? Do I want to put the tags with the more important key words first? And can anyone give me a few tagging suggestions? I tend to get to that box and draw a blank :(

[QuiltSewCover]

http://www.etsy.com/listing/75313349/floral-mosaic-necklace-made-from-vintage?ref=pr_shop

So I looked at this llisting, and it has only 2 tags. I think it should have tags for
--floral
--vintage
--necklace
--china
and many more!

[beevintageredux]

Oh no...where did my tags go???? I just relisted that, and changed the title and all of the tags! Grrrrr....

[beevintageredux]

The missing tages seem to have appeared, with a few duplicates. Very odd. But I'm still wondering, does tag order matter?

[beevintageredux]

Ok. Last shot here. I'm desperate to make my shop work, and have already spent hours working on my tags, only to have them not be relevant. I am beyond frustrated with the whole thing, and I really need help. My question at this point is: does tag order matter? Can anyone help me?

[Former_Member]

Just sending you a virtual hug as I am in a bit the same situation, but did not know that my shop announcement would affect it.

[Former_Member]

As far as I know tag order doesn't matter

I know you might like this, but have you thought about reshooting (again) your photos with a plain white backgound?

Remember that what people will see 99% of the time is just the thumbnail, so not only does the picture have to good the thumbnail has to cleat about what your product.

[RuthNoreDesigns]

Hugs. You have amazing items. I'm in the same kinda boat. I feel like I'm getting lost in the crowd. Almost all my free time, which isn't much, goes into trying to revamp my listings. I wish you the best of luck and I favorited your shop!

[Former_Member]

just marking this thread for further research. I know I need a ton of work done on my shop....but was running out of ideas.

[Former_Member]

I think your shop is absolutely LOVELY. your pictures are awesome. your products are awesome. maybe it's just minor tweaking......

i just found this listing for wall hook on first page of search, perhaps some of their tags will give you new

http://www.etsy.com/listing/80828603/wall-hook-cast-iron-antlers-refinished?ref=sr_gallery_4&ga_sear...

Also, maybe some more tweaking of the title.......I'd drop the descriptions at the front of your titles Big Pretty Wall Hook, I'd put:

Wall Hook: Big Pretty Shabby Chic Upcycled Wooden Knob

or something to that effect. I hope that helps. Please don't give up, I really think your shop is special.

Also, other than forums and your blog, which I will check out, are you doing any advertising/marketing beyond the social thing like facebook and blog? Perhaps adv on a popluar blog that attracts the people that like your stuff.......shabby chic, vintage redux, etc.

Hang in there.

On another note, Laura always gives the best advice!!

[Former_Member]

Adding...........a thread I marked that is worth reading too, more good tips:

http://www.etsy.com/teams/7722/business-topics/discuss/9010570/page/1/

[Former_Member]

Hi Heather,

I understand your frustration and wish you luck getting over this bump! I think your shop looks nice and your pieces are very pretty but, as someone has already commented, the photos look a little grey which is a shame, as the detail of the items is being lost.

Rather than re-take photos, as the presentation and composition is lovely, just tweak them with an on-line photo editing suite. I use Picnik.com - it's free, it's easy to use and you can get great results.

You also mentioned that you do markets in your local area - do you get good feedback and sales from this? I'm asking because Etsy is a global platform which means each individual shop is competing against thousands of others in the same categories and jewelry is a particularly hard-fought category. I've also noticed in various group discussion that people are saying sales are particularly slow at the moment, so don't fret, it's not just you!

Markets are great for meeting people and having them see your work first hand - the quality, the texture, the colours - and you may find it easier to differentiate your work at a local level and use the Etsy shop as a back-up or a means of building upon those personal relationships you build up through your local contacts.

Given your current level of frustration, you might benefit from that personal contact and reinforcement for your work - there's nothing lovelier than seeing the delight and appreciate people have for beautiful hand-made objects first hand and it could help you reconnect with your love for what you do.

I'm not suggesting that Etsy doesn't or won't work - it's a great calling card and an online showroom for your pieces. But if the Etsy shop forms part of a wider strategy for your work, rather than its primary focus, you might find the happier balance between being a maker and being a shop-keeper that you're looking for.

I hope this is helpful and wish you lots of luck!

Angela x

[SeptemberWren]

Hang in there, Heather! Love your shop.
And thanks for all the tips, everyone!

[Former_Member]

there are some great tips here! I've too been struggling, so thank you all for the great advice, sometimes it's good to know you're not alone.

[LBlackbournJewelry]

The shop looks great but I agree about the photos being dull. I cannot tell you how to change it but they're flat. And I agree that a plainer background would help. I would search around etsy and really study the best photos -- try to simulate.

[MariasWorkshop]

I cannot add anything to what has been said before - in fact, I am learning from it, I just wanted to say that I really love your shop. You have lovely items. I love your photos, as well. They impart that Shabby Chic feeling.

Good luck. Do not give up.

[beevintageredux]

Thank you all so much. I will be tweaking titles and tags when I get home tonight, that's for sure! And brightening up photos (but not reshooting. I like them :)). There is some invaluable advice in here, and I will be following it. I wish you all great luck and success. xo

[Former_Member]

lots of good info in this post! thanks for posting ~

[Former_Member]

Heather,
I think your shop is great. I can so relate with what your going through because I've been doing this for almost as long and have had only one sale! So I've been putting a lot of time into social networking. I also have a website janacosta.com. One of the tools I use the most is color. Maybe if you perk up with some color it may help. Some of your work gets lost in the background of your photos. Try using colors that make your items pop. Like lighter backgrounds for darker items and vice versa. Color will create more interest and get attention. Alghough, don't go by my sales as an example. I've just decided I'm hanging in not matter what and I think you should do the same. I am bound and determined to leave my real job and do this full time some day if it kills me!!!!!!!! (and it might)
Jana