Not giving up, but definitely discouraged

[Former_Member]

I've had my shop open for almost three months now.

I try to have decent pricing for the time it takes to create the items that I sell. And I've tried to take decent photos of the items I'm selling. Although I do not feel that they are all absolutely wonderful, I think that overall they're ok (maybe I'm wrong?)

I have been trying out some paid marketing stuff with adsense (no luck at all), facebook ads (no luck at all), ishopindie (no luck at all), backpage (no luck at all), and now recently with project wonderful (still no sales but it's been two days)

I have a blog that I actually started before I fully opened the shop, which is where most of my traffic comes from, but the people that follow me tend to be other crafters, and the other people who follow, except one who made a purchase, don't make purchases. I also have my blog post automatically show up on twitter, and I also post to craftgawker, flickr, pinterest, and a little to stumbleupond.

I don't know what I am doing wrong. I don't expect a hurricane of sales (though I'm sure secretly in the back of my brain I expected people to just come flocking!!! lol) but all but two of the sales I've had have been from friends or family.

I'm not giving up. I know that this is a long journey. I know it takes even more work then I have put in and will just take time. But I'm really wondering if I'm going about this all wrong.

Its hard to stay positive and I've let two days go by without working on any new items because I over all just feel bummed out and disappointed in myself. I would really love and so greatly appreciate some feedback from the team if any of you have time and thoughts.

[Former_Member]

Hi Daintyloops- I don't have much advice for you, just writing to say I share your disappointment. I opened my shop in September 2010 and have had few sales. Its hard to know if it is worth it to continue to spend time (a lot) and money (a lot) on it or let it go. I saw on Handmadeology that there are about 291,000 Etsy sellers. I think its really hard to get noticed or stand out no matter what you do. For what its worth, I think your necklaces are very beautiful and unique! I'll be following this post to see what other's advice is.

[LuLuLancaster]

Daintyloops don't give up! I just looked at your shop and it's beautiful :) your crocodile hooded cowl is fabulous!
Just keep creating, make new listings, the more you have the more people you will potentially appeal to. Work on your titles a bit; searching I don't know how many people would look for "crocodile" as a search term for a cowl. Your first three words for google are the most important in a title and your first line in Descriptions is important, but be sure it's not identical to your title.
But most of your photos are very well done. I know for me titles and photos are the thorn of the whole thing.
Have you used circles? I know I love them, and its how I see shops I would of never seen before by others hearting items :)
Keep swimming :) you have some beautiful work!

[Former_Member]

Ah! The 3 month itch. I have been there. And I wasn't doing HALF of the promoting or leg work you seem to be. I try to be laid back about my etsy shop. If I sell, great! If I don't.... great?! Yes, great! I have more time to MAKE more. I have more time for afternoon walks with my kids. But for me, Etsy is not a full-time thing. And not relied on for income. So... I might be coming from a different angle.

I swear, once I stopped grasping for sales so much they came. Kind of like love. And, some of my first sales were personal friends and family also. What a blessing! It's those first few sales that really count... those first 5 positive feedback under your belt. Not everyone opening a shop has that kind of instant customer. If the ones who know personally love your stuff so much, you are doing something right!!!

OK, your shop is BEAUTIFUL!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66595126/pink-crocodile-purse-free-shipping
This purse is *DROOLING* amazing. A couple things... I like the second photo better than the one you chose for your main pic. It shows that wonderful texture of the petal-like crochet work. And why free shipping? Did you work the cost of the shipping into the price of the item? Are you trying to draw in buyers? Because that purse is definitely worth the price you are asking PLUS shipping. Don't start lowering your prices or giving hand-outs just because you want sales. I learned that one quick. ;) Lastly, the title of the purse "crocodile" I can see why it's called that... but since it's pink, why not "petal" or something more feminine? Also, you should include crochet to your item title, too. Easier for Google to find you when someone is looking for a pink crocheted purse.

:)

Anyways, don't be discouraged. You are doing GREAT. A big Etsy hug to my fellow Floridian.

-Brook

[hoganfe]

Hi Michelle I think your shop is great & I really love this color & photo - http://www.etsy.com/listing/66601233/sky-blue-infinity-chain-circle-scarf

I didn't see a size or measurement tho.

[StitchKnit]

I'm new too, and crossing my fingers every time I open my email..........hoping for a sale. I have only had items listed about 6 weeks now, and have sold 2. Both on the same day too! I wasn't ready for them either!
I try to create something on a daily basis, or at least work on something daily. Many of my items take a bit longer!
And, I've used some of the time coming up with my packaging ideas, as others recommended. Tags, labels, note cards, all that sort of stuff I was just not thinking of when I first opened.
One thing I've enjoyed, is the actual face to face meet ups with other local Etsy sellers. Very nice to see others who have blazed this trail and are still having a great time.

I love your shop, and added it to my favorites, so will be keeping up with your new listings.

[Former_Member]

Hi Michelle, definitely don't give up... your shop is beautiful and the pictures are very nice (always room for improvement). It takes some time and often patience to build up your client base and for people to find you. Marketing is the most challenging aspect for me too. I try to renew a few pieces every day that way I have a couple of items that appear righ up in front on the ETSY search engines. Staying visible on ETSY is very important so people can find you, including other ETSY sellers, for inclusion in Treasuries, etc. When things get slow for me I try to focus on the creating side. Just keep the positive energy going (although know it is easier said than done sometimes). You have beautiful product, it's just a matter of time for people to find you. :)

[Former_Member]

Don't give up! Your pictures look amazing.

[Former_Member]

first, thanks for the feedback guys. i can't tell you how much the encouragement and advice is helping me today and how grateful I am that you take the time to respond.

i have always tried to relist at least once or twice a day. But I would see my Etsy bill grow very large, and nothing come from it. The two sales that I do have that were to strangers came from a reader on my blog, and a person who saw my item on craftgawker (a site which I highly recommend to anyone who hasn't already seen it. in part for advertising, but mainly for inspiration) Because of the zero sales from listings, I'm really rethinking how often I should be relisting things.

I keep trying to think of other marketing avenues that I'm just not thinking of...and I think because I'm not naturally inclined to be a seller I just come up with nothing. :\

I also have lowered my pricing much below what I would like, and I justify it by saying it's just a cost of starting out, and eventually I'll be able to raise the price to what I feel I deserve for my time. And even with that I see some shops that sell things for ridiculously low prices. I mean there's only so much speed one can have when hand knitting or crocheting something. So either they don't realize how low their prices are, or they don't care...and I feel ill prepared to compete with that. i'm a mom of twins with a full time "regular" job. so any time not spent with babies, husband, or work, is spent on crocheting and this shop. that means every lunch break, and every minute from when the babies go to sleep until I end up passed out on the sofa mid-stitch, lol.

.....ahhhhhh **shakes the monitor**

<3

[TheCreativeMedley]

Are you open to a slight critique? I am no expert, and am very new to Etsy myself. But as a buyer, I do not like crocodile print items. So I would never search for your lovely crocodile necklaces just because it has the word crocodile in the title. (Although I LOVE them, those are beautiful!) Maybe mix it up and retitle a few of them? scales or petals is what they remind me of.

[Former_Member]

Hello.
I took a look at your shop and you have amazing talent.
Keep going with this way, blog, FB, twitter and all the rest.
Your items are very unique, and it wont be fitting to many people.
I would like to see more like your cream white scarf, its amazing, I think if u make more like this people will have more options to pick the one they liked the most and buy it.
This is only my opinion so i might be wrong, trying to say different stuff since you doing everything right.
Anyways try to renew more often and make treasuries.
By the way sorry for my bad english.

[Former_Member]

What she said above... the crocodile thing! I just love the idea of trying out some with the word "scales" or "petal"... mermaids & nautical stuff is very in right now, maybe call it a mermaid scale pattern instead of crocodile? Maybe play around with your listing titles and working on being found with some keywords on Google? This article is great: http://www.handmadeology.com/etsy-seo-made-easy-a-tutorial-on-getting-your-shop-found/

I'm with you on being passed out on the couch trying to work on stuff for my shop at night. I have two kids under 5 and although I'm a sahm it's very difficult to find the time to create! :)

[Former_Member]

Also, try tagging your items with words found in the monthly Etsy Merchandising Desk. They just posted a new one for March: http://www.etsy.com/storque/seller-handbook/from-etsys-merchandising-desk-marching-into-spring-12119...

[Former_Member]

Hey there,

I'm sorry to hear about your frustration. Your shop is really beautiful, so don't give up! I have found, as others have mentioned above, that when I relaxed suddenly sales came to me. My shop did okay during the holidays but suddenly beginning a few weeks ago I have had at least a sale day. I think these are possible reasons why: 1.) I renew my best sellers at least once a day. 2.) I make Treasuries and as a result those people feature me in their Treasuries 3.) I got lucky and had a couple of blogs feature my best seller. This drove major traffic to my site. Your items are beautiful and could be "discovered" any day! So don't give up!

[Former_Member]

I pretty much agree with all of the great tips you have already recieved and I just wanted to say I think your shop is really beautiful and your pics are great and you should definately hang in there! Dont give up! Many hugs :)

[Former_Member]

I never actually knew about the Merchandising Desk. I will definitely read through this tonight to see what changes.

I use the name of the actual stitch, just because I figured it would be the best thing to do. But I totally see your guys point in renaming those items to something like petal, or something more "common" I'm going to go through all the items to night to see how to better name them and see if they help get the items in front of more people.

I can't thank you guys enough for all the encouragement. Really. You've totally helped to turn my day (week) around, and I'm very grateful. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

[NutfieldWeaver]

Your work is really well done. I noticed a few things about your listings that might help, especially when it comes to getting yourself into some treasuries:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/65740785/blue-crocodile-necklace
In this listing you use the tag "blue." It is also cobalt, royal, nautical blue, etc...It is also a "statement necklace" or a "conversation piece." It also looks like shells or fans or layers.
Getting started here is a tough gig. My first sale was to my mother. :)

[Former_Member]

Some of your tags might be a tad misleading too - one of your big shoulder wrap / cowl things says *shawl* - now if I were searching for a shawl, I would pass right over your listing. *wrap* works better - the other thing is, you need to be more descriptive with your colors, texture, and such in your tags. When I hunt for Treasuries, I don't hunt for crocheted or knitted or wraps. I search by themes - plum purple, deep amethyst, ruby red, etc. Use styles and descriptive tags - tagging a cowl as shawl will hurt you rather than help you.

And if it's knitted, only use knitted in your tags, don't add crochet. SOme people don't understand the difference, and to the people who know, it just irritates them to see something that's knitted described as crocheted and vice versa.

Your pics are great - tweak your tags and charge for shipping.

[Former_Member]

I like your store a lot. I agree with everyone else regarding tags and descriptions. Just give it some time and you'll be glad you didn't give up.

[Former_Member]

Danityloops-I just looked at your shop, gave one item a heart(I love the color!) Your photos are beautiful, and displayed very nicely. You know the value of what you put into it and the cost of materials, so lowering your price below that point wouldn't be the answer. I do know it is a test of patience. I opened shop last August/2010 and waited 3.5 months to start listing items! It can seem like alot of work, and the social networking can be a full-time job in itself, but don't give up! Your store is wonderful! Patience is key, reading the blog here and experimenting with new ways to promote. I know we all wish for sales every day-I still get just as excited and happy as the first sale! It's such joy when someone loves what you create when your heart and soul are in the work.
Good Luck-as is my wish for all of us here on Etsy! :)

[Former_Member]

Hi there,

I too am a newbie. At times I have felt like giving up. I opened my shop and didnt have a sale for six months (but I didnt put any work into it either-had a baby in that time). Then out of the blue I had a custom order and Poof! Like magic it all started! I am beside myself with 5 sales haha.

Baby steps! Just remember there is so so much competition out there. Every time an item or my shop gets added as a favourite I mark that as a success. Every view is a success and every enquiry is a success.

I heard a guy the other day on the radio 'if you can get paid for doing what you love even if it's a dollar you are a success'. It is so true. Stay positive, don't give up. You have put yourself out there and that in itself is amazing. Have a little faith.xx

[hoganfe]

I would like to add one piece of advice that an Etsy admin gave me - never lower your prices, if anything slightly raise them - I did this and got more sales lol.

I keep working on my photos as it is a never ending spot for improvement.

[UnicornHill]

I just want to add that I agree, your shop is beautiful. I knit as a hobby and I know how much work goes into it- your prices are great. I've been open almost two months and I empathize with you :)

[Former_Member]

daintyloops... I LOVE YOUR SHOP! Your items are amazing. The craftsmanship definately shows- please don't sell yourself short by charging too little. Your photos are pretty good, but it's one of those things where there is always room for improvement. I can see that you've gotten lots of great feedback in this thread already so I hope that your discouragement is lifting. At the 3 month mark I think I only have around 4 sales. Etsy shops are constant works-in-progress, you learn as you go. Read the Sellers Handbook! It's chock full of awesomeness. I agree what others have said about some of your titles, but instead of naming your pieces according to the stitch, play with keywords that are good for searching as well as something that shows your/your shop's personality if you want something fun in the title. The Crocodile Necklaces (which I adore) reminded me of dragon scales (but I'm a fantasy nut).

One thing that you could work on is your product descriptions. The third paragraph in your profile contains information that you could use in some of your descriptions. But what I noticed most was that your descriptions don't go too far beyond product specs (size, material, etc) and slightly vague customization options. Use your descriptions to tell the customer
-why they want this item,
-what it can do for them,
-what the creation of it has done for you (you mentioned you found it therapeutic) for example - "Creating this item gave me peace, comfort, and a sense of accomplishment. Now that it's complete it's ready to become the newest addition to your collection of beloved accessories"
-in what scenarios the piece can be worn
-who it would make an ideal gift for

I can tell that a lot of love and hard work went into the creation of piece in your shop, I'd love to see that communicated to your customers.

AND you have GREAT feedback from shoppers! Why not put some of those amazing comments in some of your descriptions?

[Former_Member]

Wow, you've gotten some great advice.

I only have one little tip to add. Free Shipping is great and I swear by it, but you need to put it in your shop announcement so people see it.
I browse with all the images in tiles so the descriptions are cut short and I almost didn't see that you offer free shipping.

Just a thought. Good Luck! I also went a few months with very slow sales but I hit my 1000th sale this week. Etsy is a lovely place and your stuff is great.