Newbie here.. Need some assistance please!!!

[Former_Member]

Hello!

So I'm new to Etsy and I'm desperate for some answers... I opened my shop back in March but it wasn't until now that I started to post items at a very slow pace. Anyways, I have two questions: first, I make a bunch of different things. For instance, right now I have posted a few greeting cards and a few pouches of different kinds. I'm about to post appliques and I also work with polymer clay so some of that is coming too. My question: am I all over the place? Should I have a different shop for each kind of product or is it Ok to have it all in one place as long as I keep things organized and categorized?

Second question: I, as a consumer, like shipping costs being included in the price of an item. It seems like I'm paying less somehow (I hate it when something is x amount but then shipping is outrageous) so I'm applying that strategy and have included shipping within the US in the prices. I'm curious to hear your opinions. Will this backfire on me? I've found only a very few shops implementing this measure and it looks like it works for them, but why don't more people use it then?

I have yet to find out... I'm getting very little traffic because I just started. Hoping this will improve soon..

Ok, thank you sooo much for taking the time to read... I'll be looking forward to your replies, comments, feedback... anything!! :)

[COLDHAMCUDDLIES]

Starting up can be daunting, but don't lose heart! It takes time to be noticed, and you may have something when you ask if you're doing too much, too soon.

However, don't spread yourself too thin with numerous shops, because listing takes an age (plus an effort) and doing it for one shop takes quite enough time!!

You may be better putting your items into the "Sections" slot provided on the Etsy profile site. That way you have min-shops all within one main one.

Shipping defeats me: I find it very difficult to put a price on my toys, when a buyer wants a big one or a small together. I prefer to have it shown separately as a unit price and repeat the same price if there are more than one item involved. When an order comes in, and the process of contact begins, I weigh the two different sized items, and inform the buyer via convo or e mail and we then proceed from there. Otherwise one gets into the process of refunds being required and so on.

Hope that helps. Good luck with your shop.

[Former_Member]

I think customers on Etsy expect to pay shipping - but there is nothing wrong with free shipping! I would add the words "free shipping" to the ends of your titles because it catches the eye, and people use it as a search word as well.

Your pictures are a little dark. You don't have to do anything technical or expensive. I use the microsoft photo editor I already have on my computer and adjust the midtones and up the contrast to almost every picture. It makes a huge difference.

[hydeandstitched]

Rolling the shipping into the cost is nice, but it also increases your overall price, and that could initially deter people (until they realize it is free shipping). I opted to go for realistically priced shipping, and absorb some of the packaging / handling costs into my product's price.

[umeone]

I just addressed your first question in another thread;
" One shop is plenty for me to take care of and I like drawing a wider audience into my Shop. They may enter for one thing but, might find something marvelous that they just must have! But hey, I'm older, not very computer savvy and am a little slower. So if it works for you then go for it! I would open with 8 items and add one a day from there."
As for free shipping I think it is a perception problem, in my opinon a fair price for your item draws me in and I expect to pay a shipping cost. I think that you are able to ship your items relatively inexpensive so offering free shipping is great. Shipping can be very costly to ship in a box, bubble wrap and your time, that is what I include in my price of an item, then only charge the actual shipping charge. I prefer USPS Priority Mail, the customer gets their purchase fast and I rarely have any complaints on the cost.
Good Luck with your new venture!

[Former_Member]

Thanks so much... I'm gonna try the free shipping strategy and we'll see. I'm adding that to the titles (thank you Rachel for the heads up)... It didn't occur to me that people also search for that. I also agree with the pics being a little too dark so I'm fixing that too. In any case... I just know this is a learning process and figuring out shipping costs and prices is gonna be a trial and error kinda thing.

Thank you guys for your time... I really appreciate it!