Please Critque what is my issues

[suzstitches]

Please take a look at my shop and give me your honest opinion of what I could change (Add or Delete)

One of my issues is that when I look at my photos they seem to lack clear color,
They look washed out to me. I'm not a good photo taker in the first place I have tried a few things but I few like they don't look any different.

Please Help!!
Thank you
Sue

[Former_Member]

Hi Sue, I think you need to improve your titles, some of them are way too short and lacking of important key words.
For example, for this listing:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/186632044/newborn-to-3-mos-3-piece-crochet-set?ref=shop_home_active_5

You could try to add these popular search phrases to both the title and the tags:

crochet baby set, baby shower gift, newborn gift set, newborn booties

About the photos, why don't you try to do them with a white background? And maybe you could use some photo editor to improve them, you can easily find one for free online.

I hope I helped you a little, surely someone with more experience than me will be able to give you more advices :)

[theVexedMuddler]

Hi Sue,

I see what you mean about your photos, they definitely aren't showing off your adorable products the way they deserve. A few suggestions:

1. Build a lightbox ( http://www.instructables.com/id/Photography-Light-Box ) OR set up a table against a wall and put a large white sheet of paper behind it (if the wall isn't white) and under it (if the table isn't white)
2. Add at least 3 lights at different angles and put something translucent and white in front of them - very thin white paper, white umbrellas, etc. to help diffuse the light so you don't get harsh shadows.
3. Set up some kind of a stabilizer for your camera instead of holding it in your hands. Obviously a tripod is ideal, but if you can't afford one, you can set your camera on a box, chair, or anything else that's stable and that you can get to the right height.
4. After taking your new photos, open them in some kind of image editing software (fotofuze, pixlr, and gimp are some free software options) and tweak your colour and exposure as required.

This should go a long way to fixing your photo issues.

Besides that, you need to work on your tags. Single-word tags are not usually the best for being found in search. Typically, 2- or 3-word tags work better. Try to use short phrases that you think customers might search for. Then echo those phrases in the item title and description.

[suzstitches]

Hi
Thank you both
I do have a question, If your item is white would you still use white?
Won't bland into the background?

Sue

[theVexedMuddler]

It depends on the item, really. Your stuff is so textured that you might be alright with the proper lighting setup. You could try also try a pale grey background. That would certainly work for your white items while still providing a neutral background for everything.

[Former_Member]

Your kids clothing is so cute! My only suggestion is that you put your shop name on your banner. I just opened my own shop and did the banner using free software called gimp so I could write ontop of my image. Otherwise, your shop look great. Best of luck!

[Former_Member]

Hi there. The first thing I noticed when I check out your shop was your welcome message. Its great that it is full of information about what you offer, but it looks a little bit sloppy. It is choppy and the spacing after commas is missing. I would suggest changing it to look more like this:

Hi & welcome to my shop!

All items are made by hand by me. I offer quilts, and knit, crocheted, or machine embroidered items for the entire family. I specialize in knit items for babies and toddlers. All items are machine washable unless otherwise stated in the listing.

My items are always READY TO SHIP in the size and colors featured.

Also you would have better response if you change the title of your listings a little. Make the first 3 words really reflect what you are selling, like "Newborn knit sweater" and then complete the description.

The only other suggestion is to work on your photos. I use a light box that I bought on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PC4A0O/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Its not perfect, but it works well. I like that it folds up for out of the way storage and the tripod helps me to take clean photos.

[suzstitches]

Hi Michelle
This may be a dumb question
How do you use the light box when photographing?

Thanks
Sue

[VintageJewelleryFun]

Hi Sue,
I love your shop front - the banner looks lovely - immediately appealing !! I found myself kinda wishing that I had a baby to get clothes for (not for long though - LOL !!)
Your question about the light-box will be answered straightaway when you click on the Amazon link that Michelle gave you, because there's a good photo of it in use. Essentially, a lightbox illuminates your subject evenly on all sides with a soft diffused light, and makes your photos look really professional even if you're a beginner !! This would be a good investment for your products which tend to be soft paler colours anyway.
On another note, I agree that your initial introduction description of your shop, and what it's all about, needs a bit of editing - there is always a space after a full stop, and spelling/good grammar is crucial in my opinion. Michelle's suggestions on how to reword it are great - I would only add that saying 'hand-made by me' instead of 'by hand by me' is a little easier to read, and the phrase 'knit items' should be'knitted items' - but that could be because I'm British and not American !!

Good luck with your lovely shop..
Wendy