Holiday Boot Camp Week Two: Spruce Up Your Shop

[#1]

In Week Two of Holiday Boot Camp, we're looking at all the ways in which you can spruce up your shop for the holiday. The holidays are a perfect time to infuse your shop with a little extra holiday sparkle. What are you doing to freshen things up and give your shop an edge among holiday shoppers? Discuss below!

Also be sure to attend our Online Workshop “Merchandising Matters” this Friday, October 18. Etsy’s merchandising pro, Emily Bidwell, will share insider insights and interview successful seller, Tamara Bavdek, of This Ilk, about holiday merchandising strategies. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/event/8639520037

Not signed up for Boot Camp yet? Sign up here: https://www.etsy.com/emails/seminars

Curious about other sellers’ holiday goals? Check out last week’s discussion here: https://www.etsy.com/teams/5002/etsy-success/discuss/13139423/page/1

[Former_Member]

I will work on standardizing and preparing our wrapping materials in advance. I will also photograph a few of my listings with holiday decorations in the background.

[seemomster]

I've got a few pieces I'd like to re-photograph...but I'd also like to make/add more product. My plan for tomorrow is two hours of crafting, two hours of photography, go to day job, two hours of listing when I get home. We'll see.

[Former_Member]

I am adding a couple of new lines of products to my other shop. Continuing to add new items here as well.

As I renew, I am checking the title, tags and descriptions for improvements. Working on retaking pictures of older items too.

[TheTikiQueen]

I want to work on my tags, titles & keywords ... I need more traffic to my shop!

[Former_Member]

I want to put up a Christmas banner after Thanksgiving, and I'll be retaking some photos with Christmasy embellishments. Like, maybe a sprig of pine needles or a candy cane over a white background. My profile picture I probably won't change. It takes too much time and too many shots to get a picture where I'm not squinting at the camera :b
This will be my first Christmas selling on Etsy, so I won't have as many customers as you pros on here, but I'm putting my best foot forward anyway :)
~Lydia

[titiluli]

Thank you for all the great advise.
Is Christmas in my studio...and I love it! I am printing with my favorite red ink.
Finding inspiration when I have not yet finished decorating the house for Halloween was a challenge, especially at the beginning. Placing some holiday decorations around my workshop, playing holiday music or watching holiday films while I design does help me a lot. Hot chocolate and ginger cookies help too :)
I opened my shop last November so this is my first Christmas selling on Etsy. It is great to read all these posts and learn from you all.
Thank you!

[Former_Member]

I started reshooting my photos in August and am just about done. It takes time to shoot over 600 items!

Other than that I'll just be reviewing tags and titles as I relist / renew items.

[Former_Member]

I am adding some new designs to my shop. I have updated my banner and am now working on some new photos. I will also be having holiday specials. I am really looking forward to the new couple of months!

[SmallbonesStudio]

I made a new banner and a little "Yuletide" graphic that I'm adding to some items. I also made a new section called "Gifts 10-25 Dollars" (wish we could use a dollar sign for section names). If it doesn't get more views in the next few days, I'll put the items back in their regular sections.

Also making more gifty type things, but I'm participating in two xmas shows in November, so I'm not sure if I'll put them in my Etsy shop or my website.

[Former_Member]

I am making new designs for an upcoming show and plan to add them to my etsy shop! Also hope to spruce up my photography and listings.

[Former_Member]

I redid my banner to something a little more "alive'.

Still working on adding new items.
;)

[Emariecreations]

Re-doing some pictures, tweaking listings, adjusting prices and shipping prices as needed, and making notes in my calendar to remind me when to do certain things for the holidays.

[Former_Member]

Bootcamp is awesome! I have my holiday banner & avatar ready to go after Halloween. I'm working on new pieces to add. I want to kick up my outside marketing. Ordered new packaging and making embellishments for packages. Making new thank you tags for the package. Working on a little promotional gift.

Always working on tags and titles.

And.... if I have time I would like to take some photos with a holiday theme prop in the background.

The calendar is extremely helpful! also using the Week 2 Plan a Holiday Photo Shoot worksheet.

:)

[Former_Member]

I've recently rebranded my shop and logo and am working to overhaul all of my products listings. My store banner has been updated for fall, and I hope to have more gift type products photographed better.

[ZephyrValleyCeramics]

I am unclear on the gift wrap upgrade option. Can someone clarify? Are we allowed to add a listing just for a gift wrap upgrade? I sure hope so!

I have lots of ornaments and small-ish gifty things in the process of drying, waiting to go into the kiln for first firing. The process is slow, but when I'm done I'll have lots of ornaments, spoon rests and coasters to add to my shop.

[MoorieCaavieKnits]

I am going to re take pictures of my items, list Christmas items by the beginning of November and try and spruce up my banner.

[RockyMountainBeadery]

I have reached part of my goals. I have a new banner, hooray! I listed over 25 new items, whew, and I learned about more features on my camera so I can take better pictures. There is always much to do and I am happily plugging along. Wish you all the best!

[Former_Member]

My goal is to fix all my pictures and give them a more professional feel. I'm also hoping to work on a bunch of new items ! I have so many ideas, but I just have a lack of time and concentration :(

[Former_Member]

After Thanksgiving im going to be giving my banner a little extra Christmas Spirit!!!! Im also thinking about adding christmas lights to all my new listings soon!!!! TIS THE SEASON :)

[Former_Member]

My goal is to photograph and list 50 items before the first of November. I also am working on a new line and by November 1st my 2013 ornaments will be available. My first holiday craft show is November 2nd and then I will focus on my ETSY shops being revamped.

[Former_Member]

i have gone over many of my listings and and refreshed many of my tags also i have listed many Christmas necklaces as well.

[Former_Member]

Well, I guess my sprucing up has already started, re-did some photos that were sub par, still a little under par, but getting better. Made a whole bunch new cards, and I just need to get up about 10 listings that have been waiting for me to have time, which I might actually have this week! My most ambitious goal is to have a 50 item shop, but that may never happen.

[Former_Member]

I've listed the first item of a new product line up (vintage reproductions) and will be listing more models over the coming weeks. I've also added a coupon code for the holiday season TISTHESEASON for 10% off entire shop, and finally I want to add a little holiday flair to my banner, just have to spend some time figuring out what i'd like to do to it.

[Former_Member]

I am definitely looking to create some varying price points of products to put in my shop. I think everything in my shop is well priced but I think I need more higher priced items, and more lower priced items. Right now everything seems to be about a middle range and it could be good to create some really amazing things for those other price points. I'm also trying to add more holiday themed products in between my goods, so that buyers can see a true range of goods that I sell.

[LUXXORVintage]

Im retaking a ton of photos, and adding a wider variety of items including men's jewelry pieces.