Help!!

[Former_Member]

I'm new at this and I don't know where to start. My fiance and I are EMTs and just started a small candle business. Our candles are customizable with any color and any scent that the customer wants and they come in specialty glasses but I haven't had many views or any sales yet. I need help!! Any ideas?

[RainnRoseArt]

you really need more items!! at least 10-20

your photos are okay for now. I took a look at your tags in your items

Ill use this one as an example

https://www.etsy.com/listing/210913905/customized-candles?ref=shop_home_active_1

when I see it, tags that come to mind are - customized candle, candle, wine candle, wedding candle, anniversary candle.
always put candle in the listing, gives a better target search.

in your item info, I would give choices to color, fragrance, size, jar, cup etc, its great that they are made for the customer, but customers like to have opinions, if you have a list, of what you have, they will have a better understanding of what you can make...and just make sure they they know you can make custom candles if you dont have what they need., and seeing that they are customized I would change your prices too..5 dollars for a customized candle will most likely cause you to lose money, in your tags I and in the information about your items, list what you use in your candles (like soy wax beeswax etc) and gives examples as to what you can use for waxes and fragrances too. The more info you give, the better.

you REALLY need to have more detail polices like shipping info, returns, what will happen if the person item is lost or damaged..

join more teams for candle making, support etc, get your inventory up there and be as annoying as possible with information and also put a displace picture on your profile, it gives a better personal feel when you are selling...even if it is just a photo of one of your candles.

[ArcaneArtiste]

Outside of Etsy, social media can really help out. I use Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, and Google+. You certainly don't have to use ALL of those, but it definetly helps to build awareness outside of Etsy. In particular, I think Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest are fantastic for driving people to your shop. You can post pictures of your items, behind the scenes, ideas for things that have to do with the events you sell your candles for (eg. weddings)... really anything that people will like!

That being said, @Devon Day's suggestions come first! In particular, update your policies. I've noticed from tracking through Google Analytics that's one of the first things new people in my shop click. This article from the Etsy blog should help you figure out what information you should put. https://blog.etsy.com/en/2012/service-tips-for-sellers-creating-policies-that-work/

I also dug up some articles from the Etsy blog that helped me out when I first opened my shop! Hope this helps!

https://blog.etsy.com/en/2008/shop-makeover-series-crafting-a-profile-page/
https://blog.etsy.com/en/2011/the-quick-start-guide-to-selling-on-etsy/
https://blog.etsy.com/en/2009/etsy-success-for-beginner-sellers/

This article is about custom work, which you do. https://blog.etsy.com/en/2010/etsys-guide-to-custom-work/

[Former_Member]

Etsy is a lot of HARD WORK.


You dont have a banner
You dont have an avatar
You dont have an about page
Your policies page is barely filled out.
You dont have shop categories
Your photos dont display the item very well.
Your shop is not Search Engine Optimized - read about SEO.
Your titles arent helping you get found.
You dont have much of anything in your description describing the item you are selling.

The less work you put into your shop - the less you get out of it.
Etsy requires a lot of work and effort, just because you post something quickly online, does not mean it will sell.

Im a LONG time seller here and have put in years of effort to get 1500 sales.

[Former_Member]

Have you joined different teams?
Before I did, I used to get 8 or 10 views a day, I am also a newbie. Since then, (two days ago) I got two sales and 50 plus views a day. If I may suggest
https://www.etsy.com/teams/16593/daily-etsy-sales
I favor Etsy Sales with Debbie. She is great:
https://www.etsy.com/teams/16593/daily-etsy-sales/discuss/12878359/page/3496?ref=team_page#
https://www.etsy.com/teams/16593/daily-etsy-sales/discuss/12878359/page/1

Best of luck

[FreshFromtheFlame]

The very first thing I notice is you have no avatar. So before I would even check out your shop I would feel like you really do not have a shop. Seeing the provided by Etsy avatar makes me feel like I am going to a garage sale, if that makes sense. Rather than a shop.
Keep working on everything and good luck. And thank you for being an EMT.

[2TrickPony]

Breanna from UntamedRose says Edited on Nov 15, 2014

This isnt a magic put items up and sell site.

*********************************************

now you tell me.

[Former_Member]

Thank you all for your help! @ Breanna if you are not going to help me instead of putting me down don't respond to my post and just so you know there is nobody as hardworking as me I have 36 hour shifts and work my butt off in a daily basis try to help my community. I'm new at this so it might not be perfect (that's why I needed the help!!) But my heart is in this and I'm trying to make it better so don't you dare tell me I don't have my heart into it. I'm glad your shop is doing great but I'm sure you didn't know everything in the beginning. To everyone else who gave me real advise I appreciate it :) if you can message me and let me know how I can create an avatar I would appreciate it. Thank you all again :)

[maydaylabels]

Here is a good place to start: http://etsymentors.blogspot.com/p/critique-your-own-shop.html

[RomaMiaTradingCo]

I like the idea of personally customizing candles.

However, I'm one of those people who wouldn't know where to start with it. If you give me some options, I'll know which way to go. If you tell people what you have available, it'll be easier for them to choose. And it'll help you with any headaches for when people might ask you for something crazy ridiculous. People might ask you for one of those huge giant candles that come with ten wicks, and expect to pay $5 for it.

You definitely do need more items. Maybe if you have different listings for the different candle holders you have available? Than with each of these listings, you can have the different colors and scents that you have.

Also, your descriptions do need a lot of work. This one for isntace. You talk about you and your fiance being Emts. When I see that, I think, "Oh, that's great. But what about the candles?" Fill out your about page and talk about you and your fiance being Emts there. For the description, go on and talk about what type of candles you are offering. Talk about the colors, the scents, the containers that you are offering.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/207074257/customized-candles-any-way-you-want-them?ref=related-1

Also, you will want to work on your titles and tags. You might want to call them Custom Candles/ Create your own Candle. Than have your tags match the title.

Also join this team for the best SEO advice.
https://www.etsy.com/teams/11352/relevancy-and-seo-for-all-etsy-shops

And when you can, you will want to work on your pictures. They work for now, but once you can work on everything else, you will want to work on your photos.

[FreshFromtheFlame]

Glad to see the avatar! One step at a time, keep at it and don't get discouraged.

[Former_Member]

Janice, I'm sure you are very hard working. However, that is your other job.

So far on here you haven't researched what it takes to start up a small crafting business. This requires a lot of research.

Candles are everywhere. Why would I buy candles from you? What makes yours unique?

I see they are in wine glasses. Do you have a plan for shipping? If something breaks? Do you know how much it will cost to ship? Do you understand what your responsibility is if something gets lost or broken?

Do you have that in your policies? Do you know what SEO is? How much research did you do before you opened your shop?

I'm not being negative but am genuinely asking. Not a day goes by where a new seller comes here and complains they aren't getting sales, oblivious to the fact that they have no idea what they are doing.

It's okay, we've all been a newbie too. I was very much in the same boat as you when I first started. I had no clue how much work it was going to take and my shop has seen many changes before I finally settled on what it is now.

Just and FYI - it took me 9 months to get my first sale (old shop, not this one). I used to sell jewelry but struggled because it's a saturated market. Unless you can stand out in the crowd, you get buried.

The same goes for candles or any other craft. This is a BUSINESS. It's no different than opening up a shop on Main Street. It requires understanding of the market, business management, accounting (for some), marketing, SEO competency, upfront capital and so on....

I would suggest learning SEO, reading a ton of articles both by Etsy and others about how to start a crafting business and keep working on your presentation until you get it right.

It took me about a year to get my presentation right. And even then, I'm still constantly tweaking, changing, learning....

Lastly, please don't misunderstand Breanna's comment as it was a snarky joke not meant to be rude. As I said in the beginning, you are the [insert number here] person to ask this today/this week/month/year, etc.

It's a common problem and us old time sellers tend to chuckle because we've been in your shoes. Good luck to you. It's not for everyone but if you are willing to put in the work, it could be successful. It's not a guarantee but it's possible.

[Former_Member]

Example: HUGE RED FLAG

In your shop policies, you state that if something is damaged, it will be remade "at extra cost".

That is incorrect. You are responsible for getting it to your customer in one piece. That means even if something is damaged by the carrier, you have to replace or refund.

It sucks, but that is our responsibility as sellers. I would suggest researching how much it will cost to ship your delicate glass stems including insurance. I would also look into etsy's policies regarding disputes. You don't want a case opened against you for not knowing the rules.

Please fix this right away. I wouldn't buy from you with that policy because there is no guarantee that if my item is broken, you won't just take the money and run.

This is an online business we conduct virtually with strangers. As a buyer, we put faith in the system to ensure we get what we are promised in the transaction.

But there are systems in place to protect both the buyer and seller when things go wrong like damaged shipments. It happens, I've had to replace a shipment once and it sucked but I made another one and the customer was happy in the end.

Please do your research and remember to think like a buyer as well as seller when you are writing your policies. You want to ensure the buyer is going to be comfortable enough to purchase from your shop being that you are a virtual stranger. Good luck.

[Former_Member]

Thank you for the encouragement from all of you. @ Diana I really appreciate that you took time to give me so much great advise and don't get me wrong I don't mind the criticism that's what makes you grow I just don't appreciate someone saying I'm not working hard. And by the way I fixed the policy it was a typo. I'm really trying to grow my business and I will put as much work as I need to into just like I do at my other job. Like you said you were a newbie to and I know you know how much time it takes to make it perfect and I just didn't know where to start that's why I'm on here trying to get advice I know that it takes time and effort and a lot of work and I really didn't know where to start so I appreciate all your help and everyone who is trying to help me :)