new way of listing

[Former_Member]

well Ive spent 30 minutes trying to find listings for woodworking and jewelry boxes, finally I found them. I dont like the changes and I think people like me are screwed so chances are I'm gone. and just when things were starting to go good, thanks a lot.

[WilliamsGiftshop]

David, don't despair!
Browse is just a part of Etsy, but not the most important part.
You want to be found through Searches (on Etsy and from other search engines).
You totally don't need to show up in Browse for that.

One tip though: you have a lot of room for improvement on SEO (search engine optimalisation).
Your current item titles and tags are not good enough to be found in Search. THAT is what you want to be working on!

[WilliamsGiftshop]

Your item titles should start with the most important descriptive words for that item (words buyers are most likely to use when searching for such an item).
Search engines read from left to right, just like we do, so you want the most important words to be found quickly.

Take this item:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/111431925/canarywood-at-its-best
It's a 'wood box' or 'wooden box' or 'jewelry box' or 'wooden jewelry box'.
I bet NO buyer will use the search term 'canarywood at its best' when looking for a wooden jewelry box. See what I mean?

[Former_Member]

David,
your boxes are beautiful. And I don't even wear jewelery and I like them. That's a good sign.
Browse is terrible, nobody here likes it or gets found through it, so just try your hardest to ignore it.

What you can do for search is this:
pretend you are a potential buyer and put in search terms in to the search you would look for if you are on the lookout for jewelery boxes and organizers. Etsy has auto-fill and suggests you terms that people have recently searched for. I've started tagging and naming my items with these terms, it has really helped my search results.

Try changing up your pictures a bit. Everyone on here loves the neutral backgrounds, light grey, white, you name it. I think it would really benefit your woodwork and jewelery boxes. I like that you show them in a natural setting, but play around with some white backgrounds and see how you and your viewers like them.

[WilliamsGiftshop]

The same goes for your item tags.
- Use all of them!
- Use multiple worded tags!
- Make sure all important search words and search word combinations can be found in both your item title AND your item tags (and in the first sentences of your item description).

You want to use tags like:
- wood box
- wooden box
- handmade wood box
- jewelry box
- handmade jewelry box
- wooden jewelry box
- wood and glass
- jewelry display
- artisan wood box
- artisan jewelry box
- exotic wood box
etc.

[WilliamsGiftshop]

Ow, and I forgot: I think your wooden boxes are beautiful!
Great work!

[Former_Member]

I was worried at first to and was thinking should I spend a whole bunch of time changing tags and titles and Then I realized Browse is only a part of Finding us and I am pretty sure they are rotating the items so what you may not find today may be there the next day. I would not worry and dont give up

[WilliamsGiftshop]

To become successful on Etsy, you need (not Browse, but):
- unique products of excellent quality (like David's boxes)
- a stunning presentation (pictures)
- make excellent use of SEO, so your items get found
- have excellent customer service
- find your target market (outside of Etsy) and promote directly to them
- promote, promote, and promote some more (outside of Etsy, bring in your own customers, they don't care for Browse)

[Former_Member]

David i just want to say your items are extremely beautiful beautiful and i wish the best of luck with your shop.

Great advice BeaG! I noticed while looking through my old listing that my SEO was very bad. i didn't even have tags on some things, and now that i am going through the listings again, i can see an improvement in views at our shop.

I would also recommend advertising on facebook through a facebook page for the shop and maybe through twitter and pinterest as well. That way friends can invite friends to look at your items. Also friends on facebook can vouch for the quality of your items things.

I hope this is helpful :)

[Former_Member]

BeaG gave you great advice. And use as many of those tags in your titles, separated by commas. It looks awful, but it will help to get your items found in searches. Good luck - really gorgeous shop!!

[Former_Member]

I understand your frustration. I too, was freaking out about the new browser. Then I decided to look at my tags and titles to see if that would help. They still need work.

I love your work and I hope you hang in there. BeaG gave great advice on tags and titles. Maybe you can tweak them and see what happens.

Whatever you decide, I am wishing you the best of luck in all you do!

[Former_Member]

BeaG - great points! Good luck David, your items are wonderful!

[Former_Member]

I'm still getting most of my views in all three of my shops through Search - Browse is a very small portion of my hits. Do the things Bea suggested - tweaking tags and titles never quite goes away. It's something I do all the time.

[Former_Member]

I just visited your shop. Your work is beautiful. I agree that updating and tweaking titles and tags is important. I have been doing that and getting more views (still no sales since June). Hopefully the views will turn to sales soon.
Good luck!

[ferrytalesgifts]

This has been very helpful advice. I do use every single tag, sometimes I just change the order of the words. I know the tags I'd use when shopping and if one doesn't give me what I want I try reversing the wording and that often gives me what I'm looking for.

[Former_Member]

As a buyer I never use browse since I can't stand how it works!! I always use search and narrow down my search from there.

So don't worry I'm sure I'm not the only one!

[eileenkeay]

etsy sucks ! They do not know what they doing! I will be leaving soon! They don't deserved it!

[WilliamsGiftshop]

Eileen, that is not a really mature reaction.
Just because Etsy makes changes, you don't have to get all upset about it.
Think for a while and figure out if it is worth stressing over. It isn't.

As far as 'Etsy sucks': Etsy still is by far the best online selling venue for handmade artists that sell their own products. And cheap too.

I don't like a lot of aspects of Etsy, but hey, we are with millions of members, so of course we don't all like every part of it. That's life.

Etsy introduced Browse because
1. They copied it from other popular sites like Flickr and Pinterest.
2. Because research showed them the Categories are hardly used by buyers.

So, why would you care if those buyers now try Browse?
I bet they will like it less than the old Categories (and remember they hardly used those).

Just take a deep breath and concentrate on things that ARE important for your shop!

[eileenkeay]

@Beag first of all you do not know why I upset??????? And I am mature or not is not your concern it is not very nice to say it before you know what had happen????? Just mine your own please!

[MadeByMari]

OK, back to David... I looked at your boxes which are really lovely. I concur that your photos should all be on similar backgrounds which would showcase them a little better.

And I totally agree with what BeaG said about titling and tagging. I am not sure my items really fit the Browse categories as I have only had one hit in Browse. People can find me easily enough in the regular Search box at the top. As for yours, you have to have the right words to be found in Search. I say, concentrate on the easy stuff.

Example that I found: a really pretty box labeled Beautiful Bocote. I had no clue what that was and would not search it that way. Nor would it be found in Browse that way.

I think simply said, you have to dumb it down to the easiest kind of search. I hope you aren't offended by that. I mean, give easy names that buyers might think of. The list of tags BeaG gave are perfect and wonderful for your types of boxes.

For this particular box, I might list it as: Handmade Box of Mexican Rosewood in Cube Shape

The description and tag could include the words Bocote as well as size and uses. Etsy's rules prohibit the use of words like "gift" because anything sold can be a gift. So keep in mind actual descriptors of the item itself. Take a look again at the great tags BeaG suggested.

What I do for my similar items (and boxes are all similar but different!) is leave ALL 13 (yes, use 13) in place, but as I am looking at them, start typing them again in the box and add new or different words depending on the woods, glass, size, etc, separated by commas, in the tagging box. When you are happy with it, start deleting the ones on the right that WERE there. Then click on ADD to put in the new ones. Bingo! You have your new tags and they are the right ones for this new item. It's pretty easy and they are relevant (the big word) for searches.

Good luck. Don't get bummed about Browsing. Just shoot for the right stuff in searches and Browse will probably follow once you play around with it to see where things like yours are. Then you can change a few of the tags.

[QuailHollowCreations]

David you wood is wonderful. everyone is right browse is terrible I have only had 4 views from browse. I have been working on my tags and things I am now just starting to get views from google. Alex has given alot of ideas on a thread here read it. Like BeaG said make sure to use wood in your titles and every tag. Your tags should describe your item. As a shopper I would type in wood box, wood jewelry box. They can see what kind of wood when they click on your picture. I'm very new at this just learning, and its working. Best of luck to you:)

[WilliamsGiftshop]

I hope you found our help useful, David.
If you have any more (specific) questions, just go ahead and ask.
Perhaps we can help some more.

[Former_Member]

thanks guys for all the comments, my biggest problem in my opinion is I dont know how to optimize my search results. I get lost when i read on how to do it something isnt connecting in my head. But all your comments are helping because I was doing real slow at first but the last few months have been very good so Im happy I joined this group. And to be honest I was doing one craft show a year ( because it takes time to build up enough stock ) and made around $2,000.oo well ive been on etsy almost one year and have doubled it so its better I just need to learn a lot more. I think one thing that helped was changing my pictures I used to take them in the house on a table but that lacked something . since I moved the pics to outside though I've gotten a lot of good comments on them, my descriptions suck lets be honest there a little lack luster here again i have a hard time writing something but I'm getting better. Anyway I'm rambling on I just wanted to thank you..

[Former_Member]

ok ive been reading all this again and I think I'm starting to understand Ive copied and pasted a lot of these tag words and other stuff so ty ty that helps. I trying to adapt to online sales, the thing is I can sell anything in person. I just have a hard time expressing things in writing. but you guys are definitely helping.

[MadeByMari]

David, SEO is exactly all the tagging and key words. You'll get it!
I used to do ONLY craft fairs and made so much. Sometimes face-to-face is better for some of us people-people! But your products are really well suited for Etsy and I think so are you! Hang in there and good luck this holiday season.

Bang 'em out so you have a ton to sell!!