Should I Have Made a New Shop?

[Former_Member]

Hello! I have been on Etsy since 2012 selling sublimation drinkware that I hand made in my home business. I was in the process of expanding into making soy candles again as I made them locally almost 10 years ago and loved it but had to quit due to pregnancy and morning sickness and eventually just went back to work.

The drinkware was selling but not enough and I wanted to diversify. Right after investing in a small amount of inventory for the candles, my sublimation printer died! I did not have the extra money to buy a new one. It was a hard decision, but I let the sublimation go at least for now.

Instead of creating a new Etsy shop I switched my shop to soy candles and took down all my mugs. This was about a month ago and I have yet to sell one candle! My partner just started selling on Etsy with his knitted items and thankfully has gotten sales. He is much more social than I am and despite my history here seems to be doing better than I am right now! So I have been following his lead, jumping in and promoting and joining teams. I know I need patience but so far no sales.

My question is should I have made a new fresh shop? Could people not want to buy as I seem to have failed in my last venture? I had 164 sales in two years and good reviews that I thought might help with the new inventory.

Any advice is welcome! I need to be selling again.

Thanks so much,
April

[maydaylabels]

The reason you're not selling has almost certainly nothing to do with the past incarnation of your shop. You need to reread how to do SEO with Etsy's relevancy search; it changed a couple of years ago and best practices are different.

[Former_Member]

Thank you Matthew or Sara :). I will look into that and see what I can change. Ironically I also do design and was just making Christmas labels to post last night! Your shop is terrific.

[maydaylabels]

Basically, your title should be a buyer-friendly (readable) composition of several phrases that people looking for your items frequently search. Then your tags must repeat these phrases exactly (as much as possible given the character limit), then you add more tags with other phrases people looking for your kind of items actually use to search.

You'll have to research which phrases/words to use.

It is a lot of work but it will produce results in a week or two :) (it takes a while sometimes for the relevancy search to fully catch up with your changes/new items).

Christmas labels are fun! Holiday designs are generally my favorite, but no one ever needs halloween/easter fabric labels, alas.

[Former_Member]

Thank you this is very good information! I have studied design but not as much in the marketing side. It is good to know how to work the titles and tags.

I think you have a great idea going with the fabric labels very unique and helpful to other sellers! Mine are just paper gift tags. Yes, things like that are seasonal sadly! Though special events happen year round such as birthdays and births.

[maydaylabels]

Etsy is kind of its own unique thing; once you get the hang of it it's not too bad, but there's a lot of research to be done up front, esp. regarding the search.

[KiltedWoman]

There are millions of candles on etsy. What you are making looks like the same thing I can buy anywhere. Make yours different. Tartan candles, I'd be all over that! Market to a group of people, not just people who like candles. I saw a candle on etsy named "aromatic bullshit." I am buying it for a gag gift. Stand out from the crowd!

I don't know what a sublimination mug is but I bet there were not as many of those as there are candles. You are in a huge pool in the candle category.

It is hard to sell something with a scent when the buyer can't smell it. Be creative with the product and describe it in an interesting way.

Good luck to you!

[KiltedWoman]

Ps, I tried selling soy heather scented teacup candles. Sold one. That was a bust so they are now gifts :)

[KiltedWoman]

Pss, color changing coffee cup =83 items on etsy
Soy candle =47,847 items!
I looked at your sold items. I really liked your coffee cups. They were clever and customizable. How can you translate those qualities into your candles?

[Former_Member]

Thank you Lori for your replies. I think you are right I have gone into a more flooded market. I do have some ideas for making mine more unique. I know the latte mugs I sold were not made by many either. It was a hard decision. I am looking up tartan candles.