Hey Success Team!

[PIXELGRINphotography]

First of all, I just browsed the regular forums, after not even glancing at them for months and months and so I am super grateful to have such a wonderful support group here!

I'm wondering if anyone would be willing to take a look at the wording of my shop (announcement, tag line, .ect) or descriptions if your willing! Just to make note of any things that might come to mind, better (less wordy) ways to express my shop items and the like.

I've been doing pretty good so far over the last year since I actually started selling here. I want to make sure I continue the upward path PixelGrin is on in 2013. However, I am a better visual creative than a writer so summing up what I do and what I have for sale, is sometimes a challenge.

I think my titles are the best they can be, and my tags are satisfactory Although, I cannot make it to the first page for "coaster" or "coasters" under any circumstances. I have looked at all of the constant first pagers and for the life of me cannot figure out how some of them are there and my items are not.. I have more views, more hearts, more sales, more feedback then a few of them. But I'm not so much concerned about that! Just thinking the times I have been on the first page for my largest search term, business was bustling!!

I've gotten some tips in the past such as to photograph my coasters with drink glasses on them, and also to get closer and more detailed, but I am not sure I want to include that in my listing photos, just yet.

I know everyone is busy, and looking at our shops is not the best thing you could be doing on a Sunday afternoon, so know that each opinion is appreciated.

[EleanorsVintage]

Hi Jennifer - I like your descriptions in general, and that you personality come through in them.
Just two little things I noticed: The beginning of your shop announcement is precious 'SEO real estate', and unless you think people are going to search for your name in particular, it might help to re-arrange the order a little, and have your name a little further back.
In your 'about', there is a typo, it should be 'otherwise'.

Hopefully, someone else will add their impressions, I'll just wish you best of success!
(Really like the personalized coasters; will remember for future gift-giving!)

[PIXELGRINphotography]

Hey Claudia,

Thank you! That's the area I was most concerned about.. it feel wordy to me! I actually get a lot of hits from people searching for my name and my shop name, a nice chunk comes as "Jennifer Jackson pixelgrin" or similar, but you make a good point. On Etsy, it's probably not as useful... So I will try and reword that section which is what my goal is!

I read my about twice and cannot find a word that should be otherwise! Can you let me know where it is? :)

Thank you for the warm wishes.

[EleanorsVintage]

You have it as 'overwise impossible' in your 1st paragraph. Or maybe you wanted to express something I didn't get?

I thought you would have gotten more suggestions by now! It seems a very quiet Sunday on this team...

[PIXELGRINphotography]

ohhhh! You're talking about my profile, not my About page. HAHAHA I swear I read it like 10 times and still could not figure out what you were talking about. Yes, yes on my profile "otherwise impossible" is correct - I was talking about how old pictures allow me to live moments otherwise impossible, since it's kinda hard to imagine them, but seeing a photo lets you put all the pieces together.

Yup, everyone must be suggestion-ed out! That's okay. I changed my shop announcement with your advice. have a nice night.

[Former_Member]

Hey Jennifer,

I love your shop, always have. Your framed work looks so pretty. Here are a few details I noticed.

On the key deer coasters, you have a link to custom coasters, but it's not clickable. The same thing for the link of your Policies. I think you're forgetting a space before the link.

Have you ever thought about shipping everywhere? Did you have a bad experience? You could have the United States, Canada, and Everywhere Else. That would also streamline the look of your shipping prices. You also have the shipping for an additional item cost more than if you buy the item by itself. Some sellers get confused about how this works. The additional cost is what they will be charged in addition to the first item. It's hard to explain. If I buy something that has $1 shipping and with another item it's $.50. If I buy it by itself, I pay $1. Lets say I buy it with another item that costs the same. I would pay $1 for the first and $.50 for the additional, for a total of $1.50.

I only looked at that one listing, but what about the words "beverage" or "beer"? You could have that in your title, tags, and description.

I prefer a shorter description, but that's just me. I have a lack of focus when it comes to reading. I wouldn't take anything out unless you wanted to. I will say, I don't leave a link to contact me or a link for my Policies, because Etsy does that for us automatically. But, I know buyers don't always see that either.

I also love the idea of Shop Sections in ABC order, I think it gives a professional look.

Just my two cents. I also have a question, are you from Florida or California?

Jenni
Consider this as a slight payback for the help you have given me.

[PIXELGRINphotography]

Hey Jenni!

Ah, I thought it fixed all of those links! I just fixed the ones in the Key Deer Set, I will check the rest tomorrow, a few months ago when I updated all my descriptions they were nearly all not clickable, because like you said, I missed that space.

I ship to most places, I have shipped to Australia, Germany, Canada, Belgium and the US so far. I took Etsy's advice and have shipping profiles set for:

United States
Australia
Canada
France
Germany
New Zealand
European Union (, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.)

Because shipping my items are very high for international buyers, I almost feel bad even offering it and have considered removing the option on more than one occasion. I recently shipped 2 sets to Germany, and the shipping was nearly the same cost as the coaster sets themselves, but she really wanted them. The posted rates are the absolute lowest and are exact. I actually lost 4$ on the last package to Germany, which was fine.

On some of my listings i have beer coasters as a tag, and on 1 of the 6 new sets I added last night I used beverage I think. i used the Etsy search stats thing for both terms, and drink coasters seem to be the best one to use.

Thank you for the input on the listing description size. That is one thing I have also not liked. It is A LOT and my attention span isn't all that great either. I read that it is good to have long personal descriptions with as much info as possible, and also to have short and sweet to the point... always conflicting information! I guess you're right comes down to a personal choice. I will try and shorten a bit and see if that helps! If nothing seems to change i could leave it as is, or always turn it back. (That's what I was looking for help with kinda, shortening it to be less wordy - ill have to talk a look tomorrow when my eyes are closing so much)


Let me explain how the shipping is set up in my shop. I can really see how confusing it might be, but the postage is so outrageous for international buyers.. I use the USPS small flat rate box for shipping my coasters.. in the US it is 7$, for International it is $17.

The box can only fit one coaster set in it, (perfectly, I might add!) then I have to move to the next box size for 2 or more sets which is why i have that note to international buyers at the end of my listings.

For the medium flat rate box to the US it is $11, but internationally it soars to well over $40! Since Etsy only allows us to add one other price for each additional set, but depending on how many ordered in my shop it would vary greatly. It's very tough to make sure all shipping costs are covered and I know it must look silly to them as it does to us, but I really have no other way to list it. Other than, like I mentioned in the listing that I will refund any extra postage, if someone internationally ordered 4 sets (which would fit in one medium box for $40 postage) Etsy would charge them 18 + 21x3 and I would just refund the additional difference, other wise I would be out all sorts of money... I know it's hard for me to explain in text - I hope you understand, if not it doesn't matter. I wish there was a better solution, other than to just not ship internationally anymore.


I am a native Floridian :)

Heh, no reason to pay me back! We're all in this together!

[Former_Member]

Hi Jennifer! Unfortunately I don't have time right now to critique your shop wording as requested (sorry), but I just had to say that I think your photography is beautiful. I especially love your idea to turn your photos into coordinating sets of coasters - really unique and creative, love it! You've been favorited :)

[PIXELGRINphotography]

Thanks Virginia! I think we got it all settled anyhow! I'll just keep tweaking and tweaking until I'm satisfied. :D