Seriously Thinking of Quitting

[UrbanJule]

So discouraged lately. I've been open for over a year and have only made 50 sales. I can't afford to do this as a hobby and it has been my dream in forever to have my own little business. I have to work part time at an outside job to make ends (barely) meet so I can't devote 100% of my time to my etsy shop. I've joined teams, made treasuries, worked on SEO, advertised in and outside of Etsy. It seems like nothing works. My views are low and the favs I get are mostly from participating in team threads ("like an item from the shop above you"). I've been working on my photos and think I have improved them. Tried to improve my product and offer new items, slowly working my way towards the magic 100.

Right now I just feel like crawling into a black hole and not coming out. Is my stuff just bad quality? Am I just fooling myself to think that I deserve to do better? I come from a large family and have always compared myself to my brothers and sisters, who are successful, and thought, "well, Martha, you're just not good enough." I thought that being creative was one way I could make my mark. I'm definitely having those old feelings of being inferior and wanting to just disappear. Somebody tell me what to do with all this jewelry and supplies when I do, though.

[Former_Member]

I know that might not seem like a lot to you, but I have been here a year too and haven't even made 30 sales. Your shop is great! I love your jewelry! Just keep trying!

[Plektra]

I will have a look at your shop but had to say right off the bat....This is the beginning and root of your problem:

" I come from a large family and have always compared myself to my brothers and sisters, who are successful, and thought, "well, Martha, you're just not good enough." I thought that being creative was one way I could make my mark. "

I'm the eldest of four kids in my family and I guess my younger siblings look up to me and I could say 'hey, I'm the smartest and greatest' but I can't think like that. I make mistakes in some areas and they are better than me in others. I refuse to compare myself to others and say I'm better or worse. I am who I am and how I choose to be.

Back with the shop review....

[heartsabustin]

Your things are beautiful. Jewelry is really hard, and there are definitely days when I want to give up or wonder just what it is I'm doing here.

The magic 100 doesn't really exist, BTW. People say that, and a few years ago, 100 listings was something. But check out the Jewelry Cat - there are 3 million items in jewelry alone. I'm closing in on 300 items - another jewelry seller, a friend, told me she didn't start really selling here until she got to 300. I'm not trying to be discouraging, at all - I'm just telling you I understand.

This crazy thing called Etsy can be insanity inducing.

[Former_Member]

Hi, I know the feeling TRUST me! There are some days I just want to quit cause I have NO time to do anything. I also work a full time day job and would love to make my etsy shop my full-time and be able to rely on it.

For your photos, I HIGHLY recommend that you use a solid white background with natural light , that seems to be what buyers on here look for the most. I'm slowly working on my... its a process!

DONT GIVE UP! At least wait out the holiday season and see how you do with a few photo fixes, it could take time.

GOOD LUCK!

[Plektra]

I don't know if it is my monitor, but I find the light color of your products getting blended with the light-colored background. Maybe use some contrast to highlight your items?

In your titles, you have some words repeating like silver and sterling. You need to use different words so you are found in different searches. The first three words are very important so you need to put the ones tha best describe your items first.

Others in your line of work might have some more ideas...Good luck!!

[Former_Member]

Hi Martha, don't give up! Do you have your own website? i am thinking about getting one just for the fact that selling jewelry on Etsy is so very hard, just as was already mentioned! Have you ever thought about adding other items besides jewelry? When I was just selling my jewelry, it was hard to sell an item per week. I started adding women's accessories and crochet hooks and it helped.

I agree with the post about your photos, too. The solid white background would be better - the background now is distracting. Good Luck!

[UrbanJule]

I have struggled so much with pictures. I don't know if I have the emotional energy to redo them yet again. I've had such conflicting advice on them and had thought that I was finally settling in to my "branding" and that a white background wasn't the be all and end all of having decent pictures. Plus, I have studied other jewelry shops and one shop in particular has pictures very similar to mine....I mean VERY similar....and her sales are in the thousands. I've tweaked my SEO so that, with a lot of my items, I show up on the first couple of search pages but neither the pictures or the improved search results have improved my views or sales. I think I'm just destined to be a failure.

[Former_Member]

Your jewelry is great. I think the photos could be better, & show off the detail more. The photo in your banner is STUNNING! If all the photos were like that, I would want to click on everything! It's the close up, detail, light background that really makes it sing. Some of the detail in your rings gets a little lost on the stone type background. I like the texture, only I kept looking at that instead of the rings. I'd aim for CLOSE UPS, CLOSE UPS, CLOSE UPS!

Check out www.FotoFuze - its' a way to brighten your photos online, & remove the background. Could be a simple way to freshen up the look, & I bet you'd get front pages in no time. The chainmail bracelet would look stunning done like that!!!!!!

Also, I think you need to find other outlets aside from Etsy. Have you tried taking beautifully packaged items to local stores, hand made craft markets etc?

[Former_Member]

I really like your rings but in this listing and some of the others, the background is in focus and the ring itself is blurry. I also think the background is too busy. It competes with the beautiful texture of the ring. Dont worry about that other shop and their sales. Also, dont be afraid or reluctant to change and work on your pictures more. That is just part of successful selling on Etsy, always working to improve.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/108169995/fork-ring-sterling-silver-fork-ring

[Winterwomandesigns]

I'm glad you started this thread. I was feeling kind of meh about my stuff and my shop. I was thrilled to make it to 100 sales, but then I would look at other shops, their stuff and their shop stats and say how is it that they can get so many sales.

Lets both Stop It!!

You make beautiful jewelry. You were brave enough to start your own business. You work out side the home and probably do most (if not all) the housekeeping and still make your jewelry.

Failing is easy - all you have to do is stop.
Take a deep breath. Take the very good advise of the other posters. Take a look at what you have done and keep going.

[Former_Member]

I don't really have much to offer by way of advice. But I think your work is fantastic and hope you don't give up. If you're constantly looking over the fence at what others have you'll miss the beauty of your own backyard.

I agree with what others have said about the photos. You don't have to use white but a more solid background probably won't compete with the details in your jewelry as much.

[PJCRAFTSWORLD]

Martha - I know what you mean. I've been here for a bit over a year and I have had only 10 sales. It is very discouraging. I don't even get many views most of the time. I did get a lot of view and some favorites the other day when I wrote on this team that I finally made 50 items. Then yesterday it dropped down next to nothing again.

Sure wish I knew the real secret to getting found here.

[BeautifulByCharlene]

Martha,

I know how it feels. I have a jewelry shop too and have been through at least five different iterations of backgrounds for photos. Your work is excellent, for the most part your photos are not doing it any justice.

As Melinda stated, the banner photo is gorgeous. Some of the copper ones are as well, like this one. It has nice contrast with the background.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/86194776/copper-bracelet-blue-bead

I think in a search for sterling silver rings, my eye would not be drawn to your photos because the silver blends in with the backgrund too well.

Looking at the listing above, it appears that at one point you had your categories broken out by type of jewelry so some of the links don't lead to the expected result. I suggest moving back to categories since I think it is more what people expect.

Sometimes when our shops are not meeting our expectations, we start making changes and some changes help us and others don't. Just my 2 cents.

If you can, I would expand the copper line since it would allow you to have more lower priced items. I would rearrange the shop to get some of the bolder photos like the one above on the front page and to show more diversity on the fromt page.

Shake off the negative. You have the talent, we are heading into the prime selling season. See if you have any quick kills - alternative photos that could be used for some pieces.

Maybe take one piece and try it on five different backgrounds and come back and ask for opinions. Take what seems to work best and decide to work on 2-3 pictures each day. Hope this helps!

[GabriellasTreasures]

C'mon ladies ang gents: Who said it was an overnight success selling on Etsy - or anywhere for that matter.

I think if you come into this with an unrealistic expectation, you set yourself up for disappointment. I am open almost a year, have I think 52 sales, and am happy happy happy. Why: I am gaining visibility, I work at my Shop constantly, I came into this "let's see how it goes". Not "this is going to support me".

I understand disappointment, frustration, etc., just be the best YOU can be and don't give up.

P.S. check posts on this team today for using/making a light box for photos. I think it'll make a huge difference and it's easy.

Hang In - Good Luck - Keep working it!! :) :) :)

[BZFingers]

Dear Martha, you have your own style and jewelry you're making is beautiful.
If you quite now at the very beginning you will regret. Most successful shops are registered with Etsy for a few years and also sell outside of Etsy or have their blogs and sites that lead to their Etsy shops.

I agree with the above critique on your pictures. Here is very simple instructions on how to build a light box that will improve the quality of your images dramatically:
http://www.wikihow.com/Create-an-Inexpensive-Photography-Lightbox

Please, stay with us. You are not alone in your straggle, but we have to believe in each other, support and care.
Good luck

[Former_Member]

Have you checked into local juried art fairs for the holiday season?

Maybe a break from the etsy flow.....meet new customers advertise your etsy and get a one-on-one feel for what your customers like about your work.

OR try a charity event where you could donate a piece of your work to the event. Allowing you to also advertise you and your etsy.

Best of luck to you. etsy wasn't easy to get down for me at first. And I don't spend a great deal worrying anymore about it. I consider what I make here as gravy......small little toppings on my economical cake.

I can't think anymore about than that, if I did I'd go mad. I make what I love and list what I make, if it sales then all the better.

I don't think there's anything wrong with calling what I do a "hobby", maybe a bad word to some but for me it brings me and many customers joy.

[Former_Member]

I love the texture of your designs. The quality and artisanship are really obvious. I also love the simpler designs. I know there are many people like me out there who are fiends for metal who would love your work!

I agree with plainer backgrounds. I was against them for a long time, too, I wanted my photography to be artistic and different. But now that I've seen the White LIght,(haha) I realize that the pieces are artistic themselves, and a plain background shows off all their nooks and crannies without fighting for background space. I am not saying ALL jewelry should be pictured this way, but I think it would go well with yours, and that it's worth a shot.

Believe in yourself and the beauty of that work. Put that energy out there and work like hell with the knowledge that your store WILL catch on.

My only other suggestion would be.... can you reasonably make, say, more earrings for $25? It seems big metal earrings are pretty popular right now. Another price point might be good for sales. Either get them hooked on your work at a cheaper price so that they'll buy the more expensive stuff later, or for smaller incomes that want a piece too.

Anyway, you have gorgeous stuff! Don't give up!

[Former_Member]

.............and look at the positive support fellow etsy seller's are offering you.
Don't let yourself get down. Take a break from soldering and go for a long walk.

[Former_Member]

Your jewelry is gorgeous. You have one of the best logos I've seen. Your branding rocks. I love the feel of your shop, but agree that some of the photos are just a bit too busy. Please at least stay through the year, and see how it goes. I love your shop.

[Former_Member]

Best of luck!

[Former_Member]

Your shop is beautiful. I know you've spent a long time building it up - I think you should keep trying. Don't quit!

[MollyFinds]

Your jewelry is lovely. When I look through your sales, they are mostly items with plain backgrounds.
I like the wood you are adding but the metals are just not popping. Also it's higher end I would love to see a photo of a gift wrapped little box or your packaging so I knew if it was going to be a gift what I could expect to have sent to a friend or sister.
I would also love to see a picture with it on a really pretty hand:)
Just some ideas.
I think the wood could be worked in, it looks nice for texture but maybe just a hint of it somewhere in the composition
Hope that doesnt make it more confusing. your work is really pretty

[MollyFinds]

Like this one but it needs brightened a lot
http://www.etsy.com/listing/105276737/sterling-silver-ring-mens-ring

[Former_Member]

Don't give up your dream. Throw yourself back in to it wholeheartedly. But take a little break if you need to. Here's some advice, some that has worked for me, some that's just opinion.

I agree that the textured backgrounds are detracting from your work - they take my eye away from the piece you're selling. I think a plain background would really show off the beauty of your work so much more effectively. It doesn't have to be white - go grab yourself a selection of coloured card/paper in shades you like, take a ring and take a bunch of pictures with the different coloured backgrounds and then see which ones work and make the ring pop out at you. I use daylight bulbs and play around with the angles at which the light shines, to create shadow, as sometimes some shadow is also needed to get the item to pop and not look lifeless.

On to a critique of your listings. I'm gonna use this one, as I really like it

http://www.etsy.com/listing/103739956/unique-silver-ring-unisex-ring

First off, I've got no idea on how to figure out what size I'd need to order, so that would put me off. Maybe invite people to message you if they need help with sizing.

I think your title is maybe a little too generic. I'd also add Sterling in to the title, as well as copper.

I'd ditch the unisex. If I were looking for a ring for myself, I'd be searching for mens rings, or man ring, not unisex ring. Create two separate listings, one for man ring, one for woman ring (or however you want to phrase it).

Checked out your tags and you're using multi word tags. I find multi word tags work much better than single word, so job well done on that!

I'd also like a bit more info in the description...tell me a little about how you make the ring/jewellery...maybe a bit about what inspired you. Tell me why I should buy this ring and not wander off elsewhere.

Hope that helps some. I think your jewellery rocks and you'll find success if you keep trying new things out and keep working away at your shop. Follow your heart.