What did you change to increase your sales in 2012?

[Former_Member]

What did you change that increased your sales in 2012?

Now seems like a great time for evaluating the past business year. A lot of us have struggled, worked hard and grown in 2012 and it would be great if we all can share our experience and help each other for 2013.

Let me start:

1. I completely changed the focus of my shop. From felted bracelets I turned to my long time passion - photography. Not only did I get more sales but I got featured in a few influential blogs which brought more traffic to my shop.

2. I diversified the items I offer. It's not just prints, but greeting cards, custom portraits (+ home portraits), custom sets, photo jewelry and, since Friday - stock photography.

Now it's your turn.

[hipposdream]

I changed my titles and my tags and it truly helps. I also participated in a lot of forums.
For 2013 I plan to have a better pictures and a new banner, logo and avatar.
Can't wait...... :-)

[Former_Member]

Number one:
Joined the Etsy Success team and headed all advice offered. :)
2. Worked on pictures, titles, tags, descriptions, ect
3. Focused the direction I wanted my shop to go
4. Eliminated items I did not enjoy making or was tired of making
5. Raised my prices
6. Started working with a professional photographer
7. Switched over to mostly custom order items.

[Former_Member]

I am unsure what to change, I have been making jewelry and painting for a couple of years, but I am having a hard time selling online and now it seem even at art shows. I am wondering if I need to change to something more useable and/or pick a new art medium that is not so common.

I did change my tags and tittiles, I recieved more views but not very many sales

[Former_Member]

1) Diversified my stock based on what my customers were asking for.

2) Cut down on the number of 'custom order' listings in the shop

3) Started doing more marketing directly to my target audience.

[Former_Member]

ok, this is not good advice, but i got better pictures and stopped almost all marketing. i got less views but more sales and more profit and have a lot less stressful time and can work on things i want to do.

like learning to spin yarn and so on. which i hope to turn into a profite making venture.

[TheSalvagedEdge]

I added about 80 or more new listings this year to my shop.
I also promoted more online.

[Former_Member]

I've tried to keep posting new items and keep a full shop, adjusting tags, and labels. I'm working working working and have a long ways to go, but it's all helping.

[SandyRubinJewelry]

What a great thread!

I'm a new seller and I have had great success on one item specifically. I'm not sure why this one item is selling and nothing else is. So, in the new year, I plan to dissect this. I'll try to adjust my tags, labels, and titles. I've made some treasuries & I plan on being much more active in the Etsy community.

Happy 2013!

[Former_Member]

I changed a lot this year.

tags/titles (about a dozen times)
packaging
photos
about page (awesome feature, everyone should set up their about page)
policies
advertising
added more and more to my shop
Most importantly I really pushed the items I believed in and not just the items that sell easily. Some of my things I knew had great potential, so I put all I could into them and it paid off.

[Former_Member]

I created a facebook page to promote my shop. It has helped a lot!

www.facebook.com/FlowersBetterDressed

[Former_Member]

The biggest change I made was rephotographing almost EVERYTHING in my shop. I'm embarrassed by how bad my photos used to be and how much better they look now. It has definitely paying off as I near my next goal!

[SantasSockCentral]

I started a blog and posted some youtube videos. I think this helped a lot with SEO. I got lots of views from google this year. I remember thinking last year ("oh, wow, someone found me through GOOGLE of all things")

Whenever I make a new design or new colour combination, I post it as a made to order listing. It doesn't mean I'll get an order for the same thing again, but it's a listing which increases my presents and also shows people what I can do.

I had a great Etsy-year, overall I'm very happy.

[InnovativeStoneArt]

I created and added new pieces, worked on titles and tags and descriptions, and stayed busy on my favorite teams learning, commenting, making treasuries and enjoying the Etsy community.

[JanJat]

Great thread to make me think!!

I rephotographed my entire shop - except some random stragglers :)
More stock... lots more
wanelo - its the one promo thing that has generated sales
got my stock into a local shop
'focused' / 'small' treasury teams have paid off way more than the 1000+ member teams
continued to offer quick customer service be it shipping or replying to convos - this has really paid off with repeat buyers, great feedback and buyers recommending my to their friends

For next year...
more, consistent promo outside Etsy... including that blog I keep talking about and not doing
I have a several new design ideas
a focused direction for my shop I have a lot of random bits that don't fit a cohesive theme
another retailer is interested in carrying my work so I need to create stuff for them!

[absolutelyevo]

The biggest thing was that I started offering leather books/journals in addition to paperbacks. I was afraid to make the (cost) leap into leather and the tools, but I should have done it sooner.

[StreetCrossingDesign]

I read a great deal on how others were selling from the shops who were selling well.
I evaluated the shops who sold a lot and looked at their shops for guidance in mine.
I also made my pictures more pleasant to look at.
I worked hard on the tags, and see how others selling well were tagging their items too.
Kept promoting and promoting.

[PaintedSea]

I am really thankful for this post and all of your advice. I am new seller and so hopful and happy with business so far. I seem to do well when I have a well-stocked shop (which I need to fix ASAP) and TAGS! Wow, what a difference learning about how to make tags work for my shop.

Happy Holidays and lets ring in 2013 with much sucess!

[Former_Member]

I tweaked my titles/descriptions and introduced men's/unisex jewelry to my shop.

[BeColorfulFeltArt]

I started this year and the last month I'm getting a lot of favorites. I changed a lot: from tags/titles to the way of selling (pdf files for printing) and my flowers have changed too.

I hope all those favorites will get me some sales too :)

[Former_Member]

I opened up my shop :)

[Former_Member]

Added more items!

[Former_Member]

Hi
I found this site and changed my focus : https://sites.google.com/site/etsysecret

Also take Part in the Forums and teams

shiri

[Former_Member]

Sonya I love what you said in your original post. You totally changed what you offer in your shop from felted bracelets to photography! That is such a big leap and it brought you to a whole new level! I am so happy for you and I totally resonate with that idea. If something isn't working, try something different!

This if my first year to actually spend time on my etsy and let me tell you, I spent some tiiiiime with it this year! Hours and hours and hours of crochet, photography, promoting anywhere and everywhere, SEO, photo editing, coming up with descriptions, blogging, doing giveaways... I feel like I did it all! And I made 40 sales. That isn't very much, especially since many of them were between $6 - $20. In 2013 I plan to operate a functional and money making BUSINESS and I'm not sure if this is going to be it. I love to make unique, handmade, hippie style natural accessories and clothing.... but perhaps it isn't the right way for me to make a living. I'm opening up to new and different options in 2013 and I know I will find the perfect path to walk.

I believe I am a business goddess and I can do anything!

[Former_Member]

This was my first year on Etsy, so everything I did was a new thing in my shop!

- I discovered a couple good photo editing programs that I like
- I changed around some tags & titles from what I originally had written
- started using social networking sites for promoting my business
- joined blog networking sites
- participated in team forums regularly
- bought labels to put on my products
- bought business cards which I now carry with me everywhere
- listed lots of items (still haven't broken the 100 mark, but maybe someday soon I will!)
- invested in a new sewing machine, and just received another one for Christmas - I learned the important lesson of: always have a backup plan in case your equipment breaks!