Shop Critique Needed!

[Coloringyourrainbow]

Hi! I've been on Etsy for 3 months now, but I haven't gained much traction. I've been using Etsy Ads, but that has also decreased significantly. I've been fixing my SEO and also fixing my photos, yet I've noticed my aesthetic is very different from others, is that a good thing or bad? I would love to have some critique on my shop! 

Thank you!  

[BagmakerSupply]

@Coloringyourrainbow: You will probably find more help in the https://community.etsy.com/t5/Shop-Critiques/bd-p/shop-critiques?ref=gnav forum as this one is for technical issues.

[TheVintagePineapple]

Like so many other sellers, the OP probably cannot access any other section besides Technical Issues and Announcements.

@Coloringyourrainbow Add you name to this list:

Solved: Cant access seller's forum!! Etsy devs - fix it pl... - Welcome to the Etsy Community

[VintageRescueSquad]

50 sales in 3 months is actually a lot better than average. I would tweak your shop title (where you say "Worksheets l Printables Canada") to have better keywords in it.

Your items are ideal for homeschoolers and young learners, so use those kind of phrases. You will know better than I (a non-parent).

Remember that anything printable that is fully saturated color uses a ton of ink, and many buyers will be hesitant to purchase. Consider that when designing.

[Coloringyourrainbow]

I will definitely keep that in mind! Thank you so much for your feedback! I will try tweeking it a bit!

[sharonjenkins1]

I don’t know about your aesthetic……honestly, that seems to just be a trendy word which means nothing to me, anyway, sorry.  But you have 19 items and 51 sales in 3 months which is great.  Lots of competition for your type of product.  Keep adding more.

[Coloringyourrainbow]

I'm just worried as views and sales have reduced, but thank you for the feedback! I will definitely add more!

[PlatypusDream]

Remove the illegal superhero listing before you are caught and it is removed for you, causing a strike against your shop. The word "superhero" is trademarked and the likenesses are copyrighted.

Newer shops are more likely to be permanently shuttered for infractions like these.

https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/22398703823

[Coloringyourrainbow]

Thank you for letting me know! I'm just wondering though,how come there are a lot of products on Etsy using superhero contents. Is there something specific I need to do in order to be able to use it? 

[sharonjenkins1]

@PlatypusDream   Oops, I missed that.  It probably represents a lot of those sales, but still has to go.

[sharonjenkins1]

@Coloringyourrainbow   You can only use licensed items ( there are thousands) if you pay for a license.  Most sellers using protected items are doing it illegally.

[audreytherese]

" I'm just wondering though,how come there are a lot of products on Etsy using superhero contents."

Don't ever go by what you see other shops doing. 

What you don't see are all the shops that have already had their items removed and possibly had their shops closed down permanently. Seeing these items in other shops just means those shops haven't been caught. 

Put it in perspective of your everyday life. If you saw lots of other drivers running red lights, would you then conclude that it must be ok to run red lights whenever you wanted? 

[TheVfloStore]

consider yourself lucky.. Ive had my shop open for 3 moths and 0 sales. 

[Coloringyourrainbow]

I honeslty don't think I would've gotten to this point without the Etsy Ads though..but now I'm turning them off since it's costing me most than I'm actually making.

[TheVfloStore]

i have etsy ads too, and it seems like its just costing me dollars..  

[Coloringyourrainbow]

I just checked out your etsy and it is really nicely done! I'm surprised, honestly, that no one is buying! I think we both have niches that are in high demand resulting in a lot of competition... maybe advertising on pinterest or instagram could help? I'm going to be trying that next.

[AnniebelloPaper]

You're in a saturated market - not only other sellers to compete with but also all the free resources available everywhere. You need to make yours unique enough stand out. Homeschoolers would be your primary target market and they are very resourceful at finding the best and cheapest items (if they don't already make their own).

I would second the comment above about too much colour putting people off. Coloured ink is expensive. Perhaps offering a b/w version would help. It would also add value as the sheets could be used for colouring in (bonus activity). 

Be aware of different spelling depending on the country of your buyers (colour vs color is the obvious one for me). Maybe mention you use Canadian (US?) spelling. 

I would add some photos for your about page and edit your shop name ... ColoringYourRainbow is easier to read and hopefully easier to remember. It's not a name change just a cosmetic edit.

[TheVfloStore]

I do use TikTok, ig, and Pinterest... I'm guessing my art just isnt that great lol

[TinTeddy]

There are so many people selling similar items nowadays, so adding anything about how you are qualified or experienced in the niche could really help.   If I were looking for educational products, I would want to know they followed the latest best-practices etc.

You are selling internationally, but don't clarify if the products have regional language that may be very relevant for educational products.  For example, I see one item saying "Mom", but much of the English-speaking world would use "mum" instead.

Or "colour" being spelt as "color".  This is something that parents need to know before buying.

What actually is Dave's "cane"?  Like a walking stick?  Or a gardening cane? Why is he hiding it in a cave? I really don't understand the story.

"Dave can't find his cane too."  In UK English, this would be "Dave can't find his cane either."

You are selling to the EU and UK, so you must have a GDPR privacy policy and put the physical address of the business in the area called Seller Details. These are legal requirements for selling to those countries, so essential.

"Print on A4 paper".  The Letter size standard is more commonly used in the USA.

Best of luck with your shop.