Shop Help

[DapperCatDesigns]

I figure since we are all new at this Etsy game and looking for assistance, I would start a thread where you can offer your shop up for suggestions without having specific questions. So far, this team seems to have a great bunch of people, all with different strengths and different areas of focus! If you know your product is great (like we all do!) but feel you aren't getting enough traffic, views, or whatever, feel free to ask away and we can all take a look and offer any suggestions!!

**please note: this is a positivity focused team. Constructive criticism will be welcome but any negative comments will be removed. We are here to help each other, so keep it growth focused!!

[Former_Member]

I'd like some feedback about my shop please! :)

[Former_Member]

I was selling really good, but, now I have hit a brick wall. No sales in over two weeks. I've tried everything. It's so frustrating... Could someone please critique my shop.. Thanks so much!

[MollyMacCollection]

Tracie...your hats are really, really cute. And you are lucky...I have no sales yet, at least on Etsy (though I did have local sales this morning). I think you have to remember the season. At least where I live, it is really, really hot right now and I wouldn't even be thinking about hats. I bet as the cooler weather starts to roll around again, things will will up!

[MollyMacCollection]

Fripp, I think your stuff is supercute...and I repinned for you on pinterest. I would maybe, for your item's main pictures, show them in use...like the switch plates actually on the wall. But more importantly, the coasters. I had to go in and read the titles/descriptions to know what they were. You might try a shot with a mug on one and another one just out, so we can see the design. Just a thought.

[PerfectVintageFlea]

Tracie I agree with Molly! I'm sure it's probably always hot in NC in the summer but most of the upper midwest and Canada just went through a massive heatwave, so I'm positive no one was looking at buying wool hats :) Maybe consider separating some of the hats and diaper wraps so people can just buy one or the other? Or maybe making some more seasonal things to put up on there while the weather is still warm? I see that the sock monkeys are popular and I'm sure they will continue to be once the weather cools down. They're adorable!

[DapperCatDesigns]

Hi Fripp,

I agree with Mollie that your items are super cute. I also agree that showing the coasters with a mug on one of them might help to identify them at a glance. My suggestion would be to brighten up your photos to really make your items POP! I'm trying to think like a customer, and I think the newsprint behind your items almost makes your items blend in to the background instead of standing out!

I do want to commend you on adding your personality into your policies. I love it when shop owners act like real people instead of businesses, that's why I come to Etsy! I loved your "Never fear, we will ship to you!"

[DapperCatDesigns]

Tracie,

I would have to agree with the consensus...I'm having the same problem in my shop...lots of lookie Lou's, but not a lot of sales (you have already done better than I have in that department!!) I have been telling myself that it's the weather. Your items are super cute, but many seem fall/winter themed. I'm sure as the weather turns colder your items will pick up.

One thing I did notice is that you have a no-refund or return policy. I've noticed lots of conversations about this in the forums, and it seems that a majority of sellers have noticed buyers will steer clear of shops that don't allow refunds. I'm not sure what guided your decision on this, I just wanted to give you the heads up that it seems some buyers will not purchase unless they are able to return an item they are not satisfied with.

[Former_Member]

Thank you all so much for the advice!
And thank you Molly for repinning my items! I <3'ed some and sent others to my friends. And one of them repined! Yay!

[Former_Member]

Hello i`me really new here not shure how it all works any input would be greatly appreciated thanks.

[DapperCatDesigns]

Hi Michael, and welcome! So far your shop looks pretty great to me! The only suggestions I would have would be to fill out your policies a little more and to keep adding items :o). I would also check out some of the threads on tagging.. Most successful sellers suggest using more than one word in each tag. And, I would double check your shipping costs... I'm not sure how much your pottery weighs, but I know everything over 4lbs is super expensive to ship international, and its about $20 to ship my scarves (which I hope weigh less than your items!!). I don't want you to get to the post office and have a shock!! :o).

Anyone else have any suggestions? Also, stop by some of our other threads and introduce yourself :o)

[Former_Member]

I'd love to get some critique on my shop. :) Something tells me my photos aren't that great, but I can't figure out how to fix it.

[Former_Member]

Hi Michael! Looking through your items, I do have one suggestion for you. The pictures are great quality, but the dates in yellow at the bottom might bother some customers. They were the first thing that caught my eye, before your beautiful pottery!

[PerfectVintageFlea]

Hi Morgan,

You r photos are already not bad, and I love your cards! All I would say is try to use natural light as much as possible rather that whatever lighting is in your house. Are you editing the photos in any way at all (with photoshop etc) or just exporting directly from your camera?

[Former_Member]

Would Definitely love some opinions about my shop please!!

[PerfectVintageFlea]

Karisa,

Just a personal opinion, but I think jewelery always looks best on a solid white or solid colour background.

[DapperCatDesigns]

Morgan,

I agree with Lindsay, I thought your shop looked great! There are a couple that seem a little dark, but otherwise they definitely draw my eye in and I know what is for sale :o)

[DapperCatDesigns]

Karisa,

I second Lindsay :o) (again) as much as I think the dirt is interesting, I like the "nana forever" picture best, it seems to pop just a little more :o)

[Former_Member]

Thanks for the comments!

Lindsay,

Some of the photos I brighten up a bit in photoshop, and I re-size them for easier uploading. Other than that I don't do anything.

[PerfectVintageFlea]

The only other thing I would do is make sure the white balance is set properly. In your camera this would be daylight /the pic of the sun or clouds (if you're shooting in natural light) or tungsten/the pic of the lightbulb (if you're shooting with your house lights). This will make the whites as close to white as possible, and not that orange/yellow tint that you get when you're shooting indoors. Try not to use indoor and outdoor light in the same pic though!

You can also do this in photoshop after if you are familiar with levels or curves, and sometimes doing Image/Auto Color works just fine :)

[Former_Member]

Id appreciate any critiques about my shop if anybody wants to check it out and let me know what they think.

[Former_Member]

I just checked out your shop and some of the thumbnails for the items are not centered. I would try to reposition the photos so they show the items better-- like on some of the necklaces the main pendant is cut off. Also try to shoot outside in the natural light. Here is a blog post that I think will help you.

http://www.luckieclover.com/?p=261

[LoftyCastleCrafts]

By looking through this thread I was able to find a lot of things that needed to be changed in my shop! I've gone though and provided a processing time for every item, changed the tags to be more relevant (though I'm afraid some of them are too redundant now), and make sure all the pictures were clear and taken in natural light.

Somethings I would like help on is having a return policy, adding international shipping, and how to do better descriptions as mine seem really lackluster. But any advice at all would be helpful!

[DapperCatDesigns]

Alexandra,

I'm glad you have found things helpful!! That's the plan :o). I felt redundant too with a lot of my tags as I changed them... Until I found one of my items on page 2!! Just make sure you watch them, because sometimes tags can make you move down, not up, in relevancy!

As far as your return policy, you have no policies showing as of yet... Can you give us an idea of what you would like your policy to be? You can post it here if you are not ready to go public yet :o)

[LoftyCastleCrafts]

I would like to offer returns if an item becomes damaged in shipping, or if the buyer feels that the item doesn't match the picture. But not if they decide they didn't want it after all. I was thinking of offering a refund or a replacement for damaged items.