Notes vs. Conversations

[Former_Member]

I'm still fairly new to selling on etsy, so this may be a dumb question, but what is the difference between the "add a note" option when someone purchases from your website versus the general "contact" or "Conversation" option?

How are messages delivered? To their email inbox or only through etsy? If I wanted to send a quick thank you and note about shipping, what would be the best way to do that?

Thank you, thank you!

[CarolBradley]

The "note" appears in the "note to buyer" or "message from buyer" section of the invoice. That's the only place it goes.

The "convo" goes from one Etsian to another via Etsy's internal email system. You can reply back and forth and keep all the messages in that conversation together. A copy will go to the user's email if the user has selected that option. The email will display the convo text and have a clickable 'reply to ... " button.

Do you see the gray envelope icon in the Etsy toolbar at the top of the page? A blue number will show up on that envelope when you have an unread convo. You click that icon to get to your convo.

I use both the message to seller and a convo for a quick thank you and details about the exact shipping date and expected delivery date. Because the message on the invoice is automatic, it's a bit generic (thank you, ship within 48 hours).

[MythOfTheWild]

A note that is added to an order by the buyer is something that you see, as the seller, and are supposed to take into consideration when packing and making the product, such as colour, specific packaging request and so on.

If you are the seller, however, and you are looking at an invoice, "add a private note" just means that ONLY YOU can see it, not the buyer. I use this space to update order statuses to keep Etsy happy in case something goes wrong with a complicated order, such as if I have to contact the buyer to ask a question, and I need to wait for their response, and I make sure to date each note.

[Beaderbeads]

Couldn't have said it better. Cheers

[Former_Member]

Thanks, everyone! Great answers!