Help! What I am doing wrong?

[Former_Member]

Hi Team,
I have been selling on Etsy for just over a year but am just getting serious about it now. I have reworked my descriptions, photos, etc. but I am lucky to get 20 views per day (half of what I was getting when I first opened). I am not sure what I am doing wrong. I think my stuff is good and the people who have bought from me leave awesome reviews but I can't seem to get anyone to come to my shop! Is my shop too all over the place? Is there anything that seems to be throwing people off?

Any advice would be welcomed and please be brutally honest.

Thanks,
Ashley

[AnExtraBlessing]

Hi Ashley!

Your shop looks great, I know you already know that, but wanted to let you know what I see! I'm not really getting sales myself, but 2 things I can bring up.

1. Are you on any social media? I didn't see any listed in your about section. Pinterest is great. If you are on there (and any other sites), list them in your About section and your profile. And use them to promote not only yourself, but other things.

This makes me think of one other thing, your own blog. I have had a blog for quite a few years and it is under a different name than my shop, but I do have a widget on my blog for my shop. I get views almost daily from it. So if you have a blog, add a widget. If you don't have a blog, perhaps start one. Personally I like to find DIY advice or How To. Perhaps you could do something with a blog in that direction related to your art and cards.

2. Marketing
There is another team that is led by one person and she posts a link, once a week (haven't seen her post for this week yet) with really helpful advice on marketing. She also sells ebooks that are full of helpful marketing advice. I bought one and am SLOWLY going through what she suggests.

Here's a link to her team:
https://www.etsy.com/teams/21227/hot-marketing-tips

And a link to her shop:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/AttentionGetting

I bought her ebook for Children and Babies shops and found it helpful (as already stated).

Cheers!

[Former_Member]

Thanks Shelia, I joined that team and look forward to reading up on the marketing tips.

It is kind of a pain to have to do so much marketing but I know it must be done. I am on Facebook and Instagram, but haven't been consistent so I know I have to step it up. I do want to do a blog but I am just not sure if I have enough to say lol.

Thanks again

[WilliamsGiftshop]

Don't forget that hundreds of thousands of competitors have opened an Etsy shop (and millions have opened a shop elsewhere online) in the meantime.
You have to work much harder for the same results now.

[fishcouple]

Hi Ashley!

I like your shop! Too bad there are not many views... It reminds me when I first started. Keep up with the nice work and you will find many buyers who appreciate your work.

Have you tried Instagram and Pinterest? I am not super active on social media but I do see some traffic from there and they are actually from my target market. :)

[WhoopsyDaisyArt]

Beautiful shop!!

[Former_Member]

Thank you all for your support. I will keep plugging away at social media and hope it helps.

[Former_Member]

Nice shop Ashley!
and i also find very helpful tips, because i have similar problems with my shop.

[Former_Member]

I clicked on a few items and noticed that you are repeating part of your title as your first line in your description. You will want to edit those asap. That is considered keyword stuffing. As far as SEO goes, they do want to see your keywords/phrases repeated in your descriptions, but rather have them show up in natural-speak. Also check each of your keywords and tags with the search bar. If it doesn't show up in the search bar, it's not a term being searched for, and basically is a wasted term. (Do it slowly, one letter at a time. Once your term disappears you know you have hit a dead end.) Example..."Great for Dad's Birthday" does not show up in the search bar at all, but "dad birthday" and "dad birthday card" do. Yup, SEO is a thorn in our sides. It'll take a while, but it should help you get found.

[Former_Member]

Thanks guys.
Lisa, I will definitely look into you suggestions. I didn't realize I was doing a disservice by repeating my title in my first line of the description (I actually thought that is what I was supposed to do to improve SEO). Thanks too for the tip about using the search engine. It will be a long process to edit and it surely is a thorn in my side. Hears hoping it works this time.

[DesignstheLimit]

Dear Ashley,

1.) TITLES: Concentrate on the first five words of your listing and match them to the most likely words a potential customer would type. Use the Etsy search bar to assist you. Start typing a potential search and stop, Etsy will make several suggestions and many shoppers will click on these rather than finish typing their search terms. Match them.

2.) DESCRIPTION: You may not realize it, but the first two or three sentences of your listing will appear on Google searches and when you post links to your listings on Facebook or other sites. We recommend including the best sales pitch you can make at the top of your listing.

3.) TAGS: Put yourself in the customers shoes. We recommend taking a step back and looking at Etsy differently than you are accustomed to as a shop owner. Use the Etsy search bar and go shopping for items similar to the items in your shop from the customers point of view. See what page you come up on and what comes up on page 1. Many of the items on page 1 are most likely ads, but click on one that isn't and see what they are doing right.


Richard and Tatiana
Design's the Limit

[Kidphilosophy]

Thank you Ashley for having opened this topic. I read all above replies and they are so much helpful for me as well.
Now I need to change something in my shop too to make success.

Thank you ladies for sharing your experience and thank you Ashley again =)