Shop Help

[#1]

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!!

[DapperCatDesigns]

That sounds fair :o). I will say that not offering refunds if the customer changes their mind can be a turn off to some online shoppers, just because its difficult to know what you are getting since you can't touch it. Just a heads up about that.

As far as international shipping, if you go to USPS.com, they will give you shipping rates for international shipping. Paying for postage on etsy allows you to have all the forms you need as well already printed :o)

[Former_Member]

In one of the forums, it was suggested that you take pictures of everything before you send it. That way you can verify the condition that your item was in when it was shipped.

Nicole- Do you know if there's a way to see what Etsy charges for shipping before you actually make a sale?

[DapperCatDesigns]

Kristin,

From what I understand from the forums, Etsy purchases their postage through USPS at a very slightly discounted rate compared to taking your package to the post office. What I have done to set my rates is look at USPS.com for the online pricing. So far, I've been within $0.30 of postage. I don't believe Etsy has their own postage calculator unfortunately. What I have found that makes it easier than going to the post office is that all the info transfers directly from what the buyer typed in, meaning there is less chance of a mistake on my part... I'm always so worried I will send something to the wrong person :o). Plus, using Etsy shipping gives every item a tracking number which is automatically sent to your buyer along with shipment confirmation.

[Former_Member]

Regarding Refunds I agree with Alex. In my policies I stated that refunds would be offered on a case by case basis. I also said that the item would need to be returned to me prior to any refund and that I will not refund shipping fees.

As I just opened my shop two days ago, I would appreciate some feedback on my shop's appearance and info. Thanks.

[DapperCatDesigns]

Wow, Debbe, you've been busy!! The only suggestions I would have are to see if you can lighten your pictures to be more like your "race car wreath"... It would really make them pop off the page :o)

I have 2 questions about your policy.. The first one is what made you decide to only ship within the US? (Just curious...) and my second question is because I am just learning about tax laws... Does PA require you to charge tax based on where it ships? I know NY charges tax based on destination, so I'm curious :o)

Also, something I picked up in the forums.. For custom orders you may wish to require at least a deposit on your orders unless its something you believe you can list. From what others say it sounds like a fair amount of people who request custom orders back out prior to purchase...

Hope this helps :o)

[Former_Member]

Yes I was planning this opening for about a month. Thanks for your input. Because of only starting out I did not want to have to think about international shipping issues. I do plan to expand to international shipping in the future. I'm not sure about charging tax for shipping from PA. I'll look into it. Thanks!!
I was thinking about requiring a deposit but thought it might turn people off. I guess I should trust my initial thoughts.

Thank you so much for your input and suggestions. I'll work on the pictures.

[Former_Member]

Deborah - I noticed a few of your photos seemed out of focus as well. It looks like the door, not the wreath is in focus. Maybe try taking photos in natural light so there is no glare from a flash. If your door doesn't get nice afternoon light, maybe you could use a neighbors? Or any wood surface would probably look nice with your products, a fence, a barn etc.

[Former_Member]

Also, you might want to see if you can remove the date stamp from your photos. It will make for a much cleaner professional look. And, no one needs to know how long the wreaths have been waiting to be sold. :)

[CallunaMuse]

Hello all! First week behind me, I've met some great people and have been doing a heck of a lot of research, but no sales yet!

As far as photos, or the main photo, would you say up close or more distant is the best? I've found photography is not my strong suit. I've changed between natural light to indoor and it's hard really to decide which is best.

I also saw some tax questions, and have been trying to research the same things, so any links anyone has that maybe helped them out with that would be so appreciated! I'm in the process of a move from one state to another and the little information I have found was less than helpful.

I will add international shipping later on. My biggest worry is the shipping charges because I'm not entirely familiar with finding out how to determine those. I don't want to overcharge people, but I don't want to split shipping fees either because I figured it out wrong. Plus I guess there is a form that needs to be signed with each one?

Anything else I might have missed, or some suggestions would be awesome!

[PerfectVintageFlea]

Hi Heather! I would say for the photos, natural light is always best. Try to used a diffused light like a big window, outside on an overcast day, or even a sheet in front of a bright window. Why not do one close up and one far away pic? I'd say the ones you have on there look pretty good already in terms of distance, although I did notice that a few are out of focus. Other than that your stuff looks great!

Unfortunately that's all I can really help with, since I'm in Canada and taxes and shipping are totally different for us. I have found it helpful to have a small postal or kitchen scale at my house to help with estimating shipping costs.

Best of luck!

[CallunaMuse]

Thanks Lindsay! I really appreciate the feedback! Out of focus pictures are not good, I have to take care of that soon. You definitely hit it with trying it on an overcast day, I'm going to take some time to try that out.
I was able to get my tax questions down, which is a relief.
Shipping I'm still working on a little so I can offer to everyone. Most of my stuff is so lightweight, I don't think it will be too bad determining rates from what I've read up on.
Thanks again for the feedback!!

[DapperCatDesigns]

I don't know if this helps, but I recently found several postage scales on amazon that were quite reasonable! I had expected them to be super expensive but I think I found a pretty decent one for under $20 (which I'm hoping will pay for itself with being more accurate in my postage)

[CallunaMuse]

It's a great idea! I think it would pay off in the end, especially if it staves off mistakes.

[DapperCatDesigns]

Alright team... I'm having a frustrating day, so I'm offering my shop up for critique... I know I have a little reorganizing to do because I've added a bunch, but if anyone else has any suggestions?! I recently redid all my tags, and my views have dropped dramatically... Strangely though, my items are on the first page in some spots, so I'm at a loss... Any help would be appreciated :o)

[CallunaMuse]

Well, I love the colors, and everything is clear, easy to see. It all looks really nice together, and I think it all looks very inviting.
I think it has to say something that you redid your tags and that is when you saw your views drop. I see a lot of people say tags are super important, and I haven't found the right combination yet, but maybe you did! Maybe if you switch them to what they had been and watch and see if there is a difference?
I wonder too if August is typically a good month for sales in general?

[Former_Member]

Hey Nicole,

Sorry your day has been frustrating...hopefully this helps!

Gosh your shop is filling up! And it's not unorganized that I noticed. I like the way you've grouped things a bit by color (is that on purpose?). It makes browsing your shop pleasant and seems an especially nice way to do accessories.

I will just take a random listings to critique. I totally understand if any of this has "fallen through the cracks", you have a lot to maintain in your shop!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/151568678/rainbow-fluorite-pendant-freshwater?ref=shop_home_active

I find that the third photo for this item is the most intriguing. Would you ever try using that as your first? By the title, people will know it is a necklace, so the first photo you choose should make them want to click, and the 3rd one does! I've seen in my shop that having a super close up as your first really seems to draw in that first click. Try using the "crop photo" feature when you are in the preview stage of your listing edit, that way you are just "cropping" for the listing and the overall image stays the same.

That said, even in this photo, the wrinkled background seems to bother me a bit. Maybe a quick iron before you shoot photos or a foam core background would look cleaner than fabric. Maybe a shot of the necklace draped across/coming out of a cute antique looking dish. Is there any chance you could recruit a helpful friend (with a nice looking neck) to model some of your necklaces?

Your tags look good (according to all the advice I've read), are they working for you with this piece? The only edits I'd make is "jewelry" and "necklace" those are essentially wasted tags as they are both browsing sections and if someone were to type them in the search bar they would come up with 5,000,000 and 2,000,000 items respectively. So, unlikely that they are guiding anyone to your items.

Maybe consider "short pearl necklace" "silver pearl necklace" "dark pearl necklace" as replacements?

Also, is it important where your pearls come from? I felt myself wondering when reading the description. It seems a natural part of the description that is missing.

Sorry if this was too "critiquey". Your shop really is looking quite nice and so full! I'm very impressed...really makes me feel I need to get to work!

[Former_Member]

Hi! I'd love to hear what you guys think I could improve about my shop. I haven't sold anything yet, so any advice is welcome!

[DapperCatDesigns]

Mama, thanks for the help :o). I've been working to try to implement your suggestions... Including retaking some of my photos :o). Just to let you all know, I've noticed the new format seems to add extra tags that we don't put in?! For example, in the listing you mentioned, "jewelry" and "necklace" aren't on my tags!?

[DapperCatDesigns]

Ieva, I just took a peek at your shop.... Everything looks great to me :o). The only suggestion I would make would be to think about making your label on your photo a little smaller? It's kind of distracting... I would also just say keep adding items!! Looks like you are on the right track!!

[Former_Member]

Hello nice photos ,The only thing I would change is the banner in the photo it could be a little smaller or more subtle it takes your attention away from your jewelry every thing elses looks great.

[Former_Member]

Hey Newbies!
Besides adding more items (that's always a struggle as my time is so limited), any thoughts on my shop?

[BlackRavenCreations]

Hi I just opened my shop and would love someone to critique it. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Rhonda

[Former_Member]

Rhonda,

Hello! Your shop is so varied, you make so many things. Seems Etsy will be the perfect place for you.

A quick couple of suggestions:

For your items like coin purses and knot bags where you have several different patterns in stock and are able to make custom as well, you might want to list them a bit differently. I would suggest listing each individual one you have pre-made with unique photos and description for that one item. You could also include a photo of the many different kinds you have so customers could get an idea of how you can customize. For each individual item, try different kinds of photos, use natural light, try a few with some common items (lipstick, compact etc) peeking out so your customer has an idea of scale. I'm always a fan of a good closeup that shows off your detailed work...maybe your beading? If you take a look at my lovey listings you'll see what I mean. All my photos are taken near a window in mid-day to use natural light.

Listing each item individually seems like a lot of work, but for each item you have listed in your shop, potentially you have a greater chance to be found in search. I think it could really pay off for you.

Also, you really need to use your tags. On your coin purse listing I don't think you used any! This is the only way people will find you in search. Maybe take a look at the seller handbook to get started with those.

[BlackRavenCreations]

Thank you Mama Berry for you advice. I just spent the day retaking the photos and working on my tags, is there anyway you could go back and recheck my shop again to see if it is better.
TIA
Rhonda

[Former_Member]

Yea Rhonda! Yes, looking better.

You can still add more along the lines of tags. I think in general the consensus is use all 13 if you can. You also want to use phrases more often than single words. For example if you type in "coin purse" into search, you get 35,000 results. The phrase "floral coin purse" brings up 2,400. Even better "pink and brown coin purse" brings up 310. A MUCH easier crowd to stand out in. Not only that, but it's more likely that someone will be looking for exactly what you are selling!

Think of what a customer would specifically type into search to find your items: floral coin purse, blue gingham purse, cotton coin purse, metal clasp, polka dot coin purse, pink and brown etc.

Individual photos are much nicer too. You might want to try on a white background, I think that would make your colors really show.

Of course this all is just my opinion, please don't feel I'm being too harsh. I'm just hoping you can start to be found in search. :)