Is It Style? Prices?

[SangriaSilverDesigns]

My shop has grown slowly in the 2-1/2 years I've been here. I've reworked titles, tags, and pictures. September was going along pretty well, but now I feel I'm invisible! I rarely get a hit from Google, my search and views here are going down to practically nothing. Today, I haven't had ONE view in 11 hours, and from Friday through Sunday, I had 46 listing views (21 from search) and only 4 favorited.

I offer a variety of jewelry styles & prices while at the same time trying to keep my look cohesive. I really dislike complaining, but I'm baffled.

[RomaMiaTradingCo]

I know jewelry is a flooded market on Etsy. Try finding a way to make your store stick out from the others.

[SangriaSilverDesigns]

I'm not sure exactly how you mean...I offer a quality product, excellent customer service, respond to inquiries usually within the hour received, ship same day at as low of a price that I can. I've tried to "brand" my shop as having a timeless, romantic style.

I've pinned my items, started on Instagram, but given up on Facebook - not sure how else to stick out from others.

[RomaMiaTradingCo]

I am not saying that you don't offer quality products nor offer excellent customer service.

I know that the jewelery market on Etsy is flooded with many other sellers, so you are competing with them.

[SangriaSilverDesigns]

I realize that Etsy is flooded with jewelry. I see others doing really well with less quality items and photos and horrible descriptions. I'm really open to any specific advice...SEO, photos, prices...if you don't want to state your view here, you can message me. I really would appreciate viewpoints, thank you.

[SangriaSilverDesigns]

Thank you Ida, for your thoughts. I know it's impossible to compete with that mass-produced market and I know that's not who is going to appreciate what I offer. You have great ideas about blogs, but I'm clueless when it comes to that.

[WhatCandySays]

Same day shipping? Wow! That's amazing!

[KiltedWoman]

Hi Sandi, I am from Richland! Have you tried any local craft shows? We have a TriCities etsy team on fb which is quite active and also a team on etsy where I share good info.

I am not sure what is going wrong with your shop. I think your items are very pretty and unique. Your prices seem appropriate.

A few things I've done to get my name out there: bought a purse with plastic windows and put my jewelry in it. Each time someone commented I handed them a business card. I made a "catalog" of my jewelry and put it in the break room at work. I hung my business cards at the laundry mat, gym, bank and coffee shop. The first year I went to many craft shows. Now I just do 3 and give out a ton of cards. I use Pintrest, and Fb to a lesser extent.

Have you approached local wineries and boutiques? I could see your jewelry in those settings. Get your name out there in the community and it will help grow your etsy shop. Your shop name sounds like a supply store for beads, could that be an issue?

Look at Fable Bay and MaryMorrisJewelry, both local etsy jewelry shops who are doing well. I know Mary would love to give you tips.

Good luck and let me know if I can help!

[SangriaSilverDesigns]

Thank you so much for your input Lori! It would be so nice to talk to someone local. I've often wondered about my shop name! I've never been crazy about it, but at the time I couldn't come up with anything better. And now I have the thought if I fail with my jewelry on here I can always destash my beads and my name would be appropriate (not funny really and it would break my heart).

I've only done a couple local shows - both not very successful for me. One was outdoors in really bad weather so I can overlook that. The other one was last years Columbia Community Church. I sold two pairs of earrings - and froze to death in the gym all day! I'm trying to decide if I should attempt it again and ask to be in the sanctuary.

I'd love to have some of my pieces in a winery, but not sure how to do that and if they take 40-60%, I can't make enough on most of my items. I do have some pieces at Bella Fleur but my items are not marketed very well there and they don't get a lot of traffic. I'm not being charged much though so I kind of let it be.

Great ideas about marketing with business cards. I really have a hard time putting myself out there. I'll definitely have to check out your team and facebook!

So back to my shop name...can I ask for opinions/suggestions on that?

[TooSplendidSupplies]

One thing I noticed with my jewelry shop is that I got more hits once I switched to a solid white background. Your pictures are lovely, and I would definitely keep them, but when I'm looking to buy something I like to see in that tiny window what I'm getting and some of your backgrounds make it difficult to see your item. Like this one:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/180570085/long-butterfly-pendant-necklace-initial

If I'm shopping from my phone on that tiny little screen, I can't tell what this is a picture of from the search results, so I'm going to click on something that looks like a butterfly, rather than figuring out what your necklace is.

Also, several of your photos could stand to be brightened up. Using a free program like GIMP is an easy way to do that. This pendant has beautiful detail, but I can't see it from the tiny thumbnail that shows up in search.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/180096242/art-deco-style-long-necklace-with-purple

[MaryPowDesigns]

Hi Sandi,
I know this won't direct traffic to your shop, but it think it would be wonderful to include in your item descriptions something about how you make each item. That will help your beautiful handmade jewelry stand out from the manufacturers stuff out there.

I also like to see photos of the process of creating. Could you set up a camera on a tripod with a timer or have someone you know take photos of you making your jewelry? Even close up shots of your hands creating the pieces is nice. I love seeing those pictures. Add them to your about page or include it in the listing.

I think your item photos are gorgeous! Your shop looks great! I agree you might consider changing your shop name and also your shop banner to tie everything all together.

I think you might also want to rearrange your shop announcement so the handmade in the USA is at the top and can be seen without clicking on the announcement.

Good luck!

[SangriaSilverDesigns]

Oh the good ole' background debate! I've switched mine up so many times - I first took them outside on a natural background. Then I switched to white Fotofuze and got tired of that in your face washed out look that all of the Front Page was geared toward. So then I decided to get a little more artistic using a piece of driftwood for some of my metal pieces. Can't use it anymore because it started oozing sap :( So now I'm trying to match the feel of my vintage-y, romantic look with the current background.

Good viewpoint about how they appear on a phone though. I just don't know if I want everything to be on a plain white background. I have a hard time with my camera reading it blue and then everything in my shop ends up a different hue from session to session.

[SangriaSilverDesigns]

Thank you for your suggestions Mary. I'm always the one taking the photos and I'd be hard-pressed to find me in one - I'm so not photogenic! I should think about a work-in-progress one for my About page though. I can blur my wrinkled hands in photoshop-right?

Interesting thought on my shop announcement switching the paragraphs. I thought the first part of it was read by google so I'd want my more descriptive keywords up front. Does anyone know about that?

[TooSplendidSupplies]

My camera reads my background as pink. I have to use a color corrector through GIMP to make all the colors look right.

[Former_Member]

I love your shop. Your esthetic is very pretty. I like your paper with the handwriting in the background. Jewelry is such a flooded market on Etsy, it IS hard to be seen. Get out and talk to those wineries and boutiques! :)
All the best!

[KiltedWoman]

I know little to nothing about photography but I think you can adjust the white balance, if you can find the right button, and that should improve the colors. I, too have been through a lot of backgrounds. It does seem to make a big difference in sales when I post new pictures of the ones that look so-so.

As for a shop name, you could go with something meaningful to you, a local reference, something that fits the romantic quality of your work or even your own name. When someone sees it they should think "women's jewelry" instead of supplies.

I'm not sure anyone actually looks at the about page other than people very familiar with etsy. Your work space is lovely. Mine looks like a three year old has been cut loose in it for a few hours. No way I could show it!

When choosing venues for craft shows I always found the lady who sells aprons or the lavender lady (both experienced vendors) and asked them which were best. They helped me avoid the poorly advertised, waste of time shows. Don't feel bad if you don't sell anything at this kind of show, no one does.

[SangriaSilverDesigns]

I know photos are important, but if a person likes what is being offered it should still sell-right? That's why I thought maybe my prices are coming into play. I don't have a lot of profit built into most of my items, especially my labor-intensive bracelets. Also, I look at what others are selling at and feel my prices really are in line-others are higher, some way lower.

Funny thing happened last night. I received a convo from a local person that liked my jewelry and wants to sell it in their business. I've been contacted this way before and nothing's come of it. I don't make enough to do wholesale on most of my pieces. I'm not sure how to proceed with this, but it's a huge local venue.

@Lori-thank you, I do love my work space and have a jealous hubby, LOL! I think he thought "man cave" when our son moved out.

I asked in the forum yesterday about changing my shop name. Most people said to keep it, that it does speak of my jewelry. Funny thing on Instagram, I'm not getting any followers with my business name and I changed it to reflect my personal side. As soon as I did that, I got a follower. I think people are put off by so much jewelry or the word "beads". So I'm still uncertain about changing on here.

[TooSplendidSupplies]

The reason I brought up photos isn't because I don't like them. I think they're beautiful and so are your items, but I wouldn't click on them in search, because I can't tell what they are and I have 74 other items to choose from right in front of me.

If I was to do a search for a butterfly necklace for my daughter and there's a listing with the first photo from this and a listing with the last photo, even though it's the same necklace, I can't tell that from the thumbnail, and I would click the last one, because I can clearly tell that it's a butterfly necklace.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/180570085/long-butterfly-pendant-necklace-initial

Congratulations on that request. Even if it comes to nothing, it's wonderful that your items are being recognized like that.

[SangriaSilverDesigns]

I did have the last photo as my primary one - that's how most of my photos used to be. I took a photography class (believe it or not LOL) and the photographer pulled up my shop on his screen and I was alarmed at the hue of my pictures on his monitor! They look right on mine and on my phone, but I decided to redo them anyway. Still working on the right lighting set up...in the meantime, I just snap shots by a window.

I guess I do need to redo some of the driftwood ones that the item gets a little lost in - thank you for pointing that out, Melissa. It's so good to get someone else's view :)

[Former_Member]

I think your style and prices are perfect--I honestly don't like to buy "handmade" jewelry when it is too inexpensive because I feel like if the maker doesn't believe thier product or work is worth much, then why would I? I like your photos too...they are beautiful and artistic much like your product. Jewelry is so stinkin' competitive here. I think maybe you should change your shop name to something more personal... You talk about how much you love wine country and how your jewelry is inspired by nature--it is all so beautiful and romantic--maybe go with that. Your about section is so personal--you talk about your family, show photos of your home and garden-- and I think it would be neat if you included your hands in a shot! (no matter how wrinkled or unmanicured they might be). It would help to tie that into your shop name and banner. I would just pull out a sheet of paper and set a timer and brainstorm/word associate and see what you come up with...if you can put together a new shop name from there. And pass out business cards like crazy--give your handmade items as gifts or exchange them with another maker here on etsy and send your business card. A friend and fellow etsian gifted me a pair of earrings and I get compliments on them all the time--then I'm able to share where they came from and how talented and what a great person my friend is! Hang in there! We'll all make it through this holiday season and don't even think about changing over to a de-stash!!!

[SangriaSilverDesigns]

Thanks Andi, I really appreciate another viewpoint! So many good ideas! Maybe I should have a contest "name my business" LOL

I really don't want to destash, but I haven't had a sale in two weeks and if it keeps going the way it is, I can't keep paying $20 month after month in fees. I also realize I need to put on my brave hat and get myself out more locally - just really hard for me to do.

[maydaylabels]

I wonder if it's a matter of targeting the right phrases for search. I have no idea about your category, and I have done none of the keyword research, so my advice is not worth much, but when I look at this listing:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/180570085/long-butterfly-necklace-initial-charm?ref=teams_post

And start to search for the phrases in your title (long butterfly necklace, shades of purple, embossed brass pendant, art deco style, personalized jewelry), it seems like you're missing some of the key combinations. None of those phrases (as separated by commas) are suggested searches except "personalized jewelry" - and it has a gazillion results, you should never count on it alone as a source of traffic. There's no suggested search for "embossed brass" at all, and while "brass pendant necklace" is a suggested search, you don't appear because you don't have necklace after it.

"Long butterfly necklace" is not a suggested search, but "personalized butterfly necklace" is - why not have that as the beginning of the title? Your necklace belongs at the top of that search.

Anyway, I'd look again at suggested searches to see if you're missing some key phrases that people actually use to look for things like yours.

But if you've already done all this research and I'm off base, apologies! I don't know your category as well as you, for sure.

[SangriaSilverDesigns]

That right there is what confuses me about SEO. So are you saying I should put "Personalized Butterfly Necklace, Brass Pendant Necklace, Long Charm Necklace, Purple Necklace etc. with all the relevant terms of necklace I can find that people search for? I see that over and over again on SEO team as a no-no but also see hugely successful shops with repeated word 3-4 times. I try to find both competitive and small search phrases but like so many I have a hard time "thinking like a buyer" and describing my items.

I'm not offended in any way, and I truly appreciate all the help with this I can get. This particular style of necklace is one that I have the least amount of views on. Along with this one: https://www.etsy.com/listing/191228582/butterfly-charm-necklace-embossed-floral?ref=shop_home_active...

[TooSplendidSupplies]

The no no is putting Purple butterfly necklace, amethyst butterfly necklace, brass butterfly necklace... If you have the word several times in different phrases, then it's ok. If you have butterfly necklace ten times, then you're possibly going to be penalized by Google.

My best search hits on jewelry are a combination of color and noun that describes the item. E.G. Silver butterfly necklace, sterling nature pendant, purple bug jewelry, cobalt blue earrings, Silver Necklace, Purple Bracelet, etc. Don't forget to include color right next to the type of jewelry, though. For instance, the one that you just posted will not be relevant for the phrase "butterfly necklace", because you don't have those two words right next to each other anywhere in the title.

The best way to find out what's working is to look at the search terms you are getting hits for and use them more and style your other titles and tags to match.

[SangriaSilverDesigns]

If I pull up my search stats this year, my top search is Vintaj Jewelry - which I suspect is other jewelers searching phrases and their items, because the average buyer doesn't know what Vintaj is. My next popular search is SoManyPrettyBeads - not sure how that helps me. And I rarely get hits from Google - since the beginning of this year I have 58 GPLA and 32 Google.

So...back to redoing titles based my stats and keyword/phrase research.