Is there something wrong with these neckties?

[APRILLOOKshop]

Hello everyone, glad to have joined this wonderful team. It's been more than a month since we reopened, but bussines has been slow. Yes, we increased the prices, it was expected for sales to drop, but not that much! I think we need to find our target buyers anew. Of extreme concern is, that noone is buying the neckties, we've sold only a single one yet. Is there something wrong with them we don't see? Photos not as clear? Descriptions too meager? They don't look worth the price? What would stop you from buying one?

It would be extremely helpful if you could give any tips, we're getting really desperate and think if we should continue to make them at all.

Here is the link:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/APRILLOOKshop?section_id=11416977

[Former_Member]

Hi Agne

These are my thoughts...

The photos against the white background are a little sparse looking...maybe edit some of the white background out so that the background doesn't dominate your item.

The width...is that at the widest point? Or is the measurement done somewhere else. I think you should clarify that.

Hight - 'Length' would be the correct English term for this.

'Cut Diagonally' - change it to 'cut on the bias', which is the technical term and sounds, to me, more professional.

When shopping for neckwear, I like to see the sort of knot that I'd get from the tie, so maybe include a picture of the tie as worn.

[Former_Member]

not too familiar with ties, but everything dan said seems to make sense. i actually like the second photo in you ties listings. i think it's a better representation of the tie.

in the picture with the three wrapped packages, what's in those packages? i'm guessing one is a tie, but what about the other two?

i do think they are a bit pricey, but you have to charge what you feel comfortable charging. never underpay yourself.

good luck!

[Former_Member]

Forgot to add...

Are your ties interlined? If so, with what?

I don't think your prices are a problem, as I know the amount of work that goes in to a necktie, as well as the amount of fabric they eat up and also what good quality neckwear retails for in shops.

[Foxery]

I am going to give some very basic constructive criticism. I hope this is OK! But one thing is leaping out at me, and to me it is obvious.

Is it possible that the neckties are not unique enough?

There are some successful necktie sellers here on Etsy. What they sell is unique neckties that you would not be able to go to a chain store to buy. Some of these ties are screen printed with original pictures and words that people can identify with, making the tie desirable.

Your ties are beautiful and handmade, but is that enough? Many ties in chain stores are beautiful and handmade, but cheaper.

[Former_Member]

Your ties look very nice and I like the look of your shop! For me, it would be the price, but I am not experienced with the cost of linen fabric and how much it requires to create one tie, but I think, in this economy, everyone is watching every penny spent.

[Former_Member]

Depending on the width of the fabric, it takes maybe 3/4 to 1.25 yards to make one tie.

I do think that plain colours are maybe a harder sell, as they lack the visual impact that something like this one has..

https://www.etsy.com/transaction/80224465?transaction_id=80224465

[Former_Member]

Looking at your bow ties and your neckties there is a big difference in the number of views each are getting the bow ties all have 200-400 views and the neckties have around 45-150 views each with a couple of colours which have more than that. That suggests to me that your neckties are not getting found as often.

I think you've obviously already worked on seo quite a bit in your shop, but there is more you can do. One more thing to suggest is just typing all the possible descriptors for your neckties into the search bar and seeing what else comes up. For examples 'skinny tie' comes up before 'skinny necktie' so maybe try a listing with that in the title. You want your main keyword phrase to be in the first 2-3 words of the title ideally, then add further descriptions later. The main keyword phrase needs to be a popular one.

I'll go through an example of one of your pieces:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/100172980/skinny-necktie-with-stripes

You've optimised it for 'skinny necktie' but that is your ONLY stripy tie, so I would definitely focus on that characteristic. Typing various 'stripy necktie' terms into the search bar shows that the only term that comes up as popular is 'striped tie' so that's probably the one should go for. Add 'in brown and gold' in after the keyword phrase.

For tags lots of the phrases you have used do not come up in the search bar when you type them in. Try 'brown tie' 'mens tie' 'wedding mens tie' 'mens skinny ties' 'skinny tie' 'linen tie' as all of those terms come up in the search bar as popular ones.

It can be a bit grueling going through your whole shop at once updating all the search terms so just do a couple at a time! You'll see the difference I reckon!

Hope that is useful!

Best wishes,

Emily

[Former_Member]

Your quality looks impeccable. I just made a tie for my son and I KNOW it is difficult. My only thought is that they need to be different, not solid or stripes. Or at least a very unique fabric that you can't get in a store. I would say shoppers are looking on Etsy for items they can't find in a department store. I like your photos and the shots of the way you package the ties are good but I do agree with jenni that I don't know what is packaged in the square packages.

Hope this helps

[Former_Member]

Firstly, I'm not an expert on ties (just so you know). Though I agree with Dan on the photos. I love the uniform look since it makes it easier for me to find the designs I like more easily. I find there's too much white space so I can't see the details as clearly. Perhaps cropping the tie image a bit closer to the edges? Well I hope this helps.

[sunshineandvodka]

Since everyone has covered the ties, I'll give my feedback on the pockets...

http://www.etsy.com/listing/99593201/pocket-square-green

I have no idea what this is for unless I click on the pictures within the listing. Maybe you could elaborate further in your title what it is.

[Former_Member]

Bow ties are trendier and I am not surprised they have more traffic on Etsy! I personally like the model photo best - the white photos look very... very white and I don't know what that little white box is in the background of the shot. A model shot would catch my eye!

For tags & title I would focus on colors. I wouldn't normally shop for ties but did for my wedding - and I was searching for specific colors. :) so for this: http://www.etsy.com/listing/95858430/formal-linen-skinny-necktie I'd include taupe , tan , light brown, neutral.

I'm also not sure how necktie vs. tie affects search - I'd use 'tie' before I searched 'necktie' but this might be an age/country thing as well.

[starflycreations]

Hi Agne,

It looks like you have advice coming from all different directions. I agree that you are selling a quality product. The only thing I think of is initial appeal. How do you grab the viewer into going "Ooooo"?

Photography can make or break a buyers viewing experience. A potential buyer may miss the important facts and quality of your product if you don't snag the viewer with the first image. Photos can make you like an item even on products that you wouldn't normally look at twice.

I would try changing up your photography to crop closer, try different angles, different folds - maybe rolled?, with closeup detailing on part that fades back with short depth of field on your photo. You could search tie sites to see how others fold and angle their ties to showcase the beauty. Remember you have 4 other images for each listing to get everything across but you need to grab your potential buyer first or they won't even see the others. I realize that's easier said than done. I continue to experiment and hopefully one day we will both get there!

Good luck,
Starla

[Former_Member]

Hi Agne!

Love your ties and love your photos! I do agree with some of the other comments that it is nice to show your product in "action." Maybe change it up so that every other tie features a model photo as the main image. This will be a good experiment to see what draws viewers more - a simple, clean product photo, or a model shot.

I also agree that you should make more ties with unique patterns - checkered, stripes, dots, and interesting fabrics - ones that obviously very different than the same ol same ol you get in a department store, as someone else mentioned.

And yes, Stephanie is right, you should tag/title all of your items with the color(s). I would think that people buying for weddings would be a big market for you - and this is how they search. Also, take advantage of the Weddings category when listing your items.

I think that Paulette is correct on the pocket square - this is definitely one item that should be shown in "action" so people know right away what it is. I can envision a closeup of the pocket as your main image.

Good luck to you! You have an awesome, well-made product and I can see great success for you if you are able to take advantage of current trends, weddings etc.. :)

-Amanda

[Former_Member]

The photos don't showcase the ties enough- maybe zoom in, or adjust the angle so that they ties are shown as they would be worn, instead of on an angle?

[Former_Member]

When I look at your shop in it's entirety, the bow ties grab my eyes, because well, they look like bowties. The regular ties, look flat and not appealing. I agree, you need to show them on a model .
Here is an example that appeals to me.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/76950164/mens-tie-cream-solid-ivory-off-white?ref=sr_list_21&ga_search_q...

[Former_Member]

I love that you changed to the second photo! looks much better. Such a simple change, well fairly simple.
I must add, you have sooo many more sales than me, and many others. I think your shop has been quite successful and you could probably give most of us some advice.

[APRILLOOKshop]

Thank you so much for your help, we didn't expect such a tremendous response. We took a lot of the tips into consideration, already changed the descriptions, changed the photos for the time being (will try to reshoot them on a person), and will do alot of other things in the future :) Thanks again everyone, you've been really helpful!

Sure, if anyone has anything more to say, please do so!

APRIL LOOK
Agne

[Former_Member]

What do you mean by reopen? Your shop says you opened in April 2011 and you've have constant sales…
You must be used to amazing sales, because you seem to be doing pretty good (especially for someone who just reopened).

I personally love your shop, your photos, and your products. I don't think you are too expensive. So If your sales are lower, I believe people are just not finding you. It does take a while to be found again after closing. I heard people saying that their shops take a hit from a simple vacation mode…

I don't know if anyone said this before me (too late to read thru all post), but if I was searching for your item I would search for "skinny tie" and not "skinny necktie". I know not everyone is like me, but I would try to reach both types of buyers with your tags. Add some "skinny tie" in there. Also, you might want to add some more wedding tags, as it is wedding season (try groom attire, groomsmen gift,…) . Consider the multiple word tags carefully (if I was searching for a gift for my father I wouldn't search for father's day necktie… it would be more likely for me to very generic and search for a "father's day gift" or if I wanted a tie I would search for the characteristics of the tie instead of the occasion…).
Keep in mind that takes a while for people to find and want a new item. It needs to build up in peoples favorites, timelines and memories. Also your necktie is the most expensive item in your shop… people need to come back and look at it a few times before committing.

Good luck!

[Former_Member]

Thanks Flavia for your response. Well, we were under a different name, changed pur packaging and image, and adjusted our prices accordingly (we didn't calculate work, fabric, retail price earlier). So now, only a few people came back who bought prior to reopening, so yes, now we need to find another audience. We're not that concerned with bow ties and squares, they're still quite popular, it's just that the response for neckties was quite underwhelming, and we started worrying what's wrong with them!

We're always trying to keep the shop aesthetically flawless, so photos and how they fit in with our shop is very important. We sometimes forget the practical usage, so thanks for reminding us about this!

Also, an interesting fact we noticed. 90% of the buyers were from the US and Australia the rest from Europe, now after the change it's like 95% Europe and only a few US customers at all. So does that mean Americans are always searching for cheaper options?

[APRILLOOKshop]

Sorry about the above post, i accidentally wrote it from my friend's account. It's confusing when 2 people are using the same computer!

[Former_Member]

Oh! I was trying to figure that out just now! :)
Your friend has a beautiful shop too.

Your drastic change in demographics is pretty odd…
I am just guessing here… your bow ties are very unique, on the other hand, your skinny ties (thou very trendy) have high quality and cheap competitors everywhere. There are off rack stores here in the US that sells DKNY skinny silk ties for $20. Yes, they probably not stitched by hand like yours, but they are well made. So you are competing with those ties. I can remember who said in one of the posts above about the fabric you use… try to be more unique on your prints and color choice. Maybe try to have a funky lining. Make them unique so you won't compete with the $20 off rack ties… You can also think of funky, trendy wedding colors and make ties with those colors (neon yellow? orange?).

When I got married about 6 years ago we gave the 5 groomsmen bright green ties for them to use at our wedding (our wedding color). We've spent $60/ tie. And even thou I was a student with little income, I thought (and still do) the ties were worth every penny! Try to grab people like me! Just there would be a $300 order! (maybe give a little discount to incentive multiple ties orders).

One more thing: even thou is great to tag your items with "wedding", try to put some ties on the "wedding" category and others not the "accessories" category so you can reach different demographics.

I love your ties and I think you should keep trying to sell them.

Good luck!

Good luck!