Five Common Etsy Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

[BelovedDollDesigns]

This article was made by Etsy and I felt it was a good read. If you haven't already, here is a link tot he article so you can read it:
https://blog.etsy.com/en/2015/five-common-etsy-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them/

#5 is especially important!!

[KiltedWoman]

I was quoted in this article and have gotten over 7,000 shop views in 3 days. That's the first time I've gotten any etsy attention in all these years :)

[dsgnGrl]

That was a good read!

#5 is the only mistake I think I have made, and so far I have only made a few minor mistakes. I have made the wrong size and caught it before shipping, but had to sit down and make a whole new item, and I once sent one hat when the order was for two. I double and triple check and hope to avoid repeating those mistakes!

I change my photos all the time. I don't think I will ever think "well now I am all done!"

[howtobooksandmore]

I think there are a lot more important mistakes new sellers make. Like thinking buyers should contact them for shipping charges after they order. Or assuming they aren't responsible for anything that happens after they put the order in the mail. Or assuming all they have to do is list an item and wait for the money to roll in.

[ChildrensCandyKC]

Thanks for sharing .

[GlassesChainsByLisa]

Photos sell an item. When ever I manage to get a really good photo (which is rare) I notice that the item gets lots of views and more sales. Never underestimate the selling power of your photos. If I got paid for all the hours I spend on taking pictures and editing, then updating my listings, I would be rich.
I still have not got the hang of it.

[ThreeRiversForge]

Lisa, you couldn't be more right about photos making the difference. I'm in a constant battle with the camera!

One thing I do that's really helped is to try and mimic PatinaBijoux and her photos. While I don't have the warm, inviting look, I love how she creates little vignettes that create an atmosphere around her pieces. If I could hire her to do my photography, I would in a heart beat.

If you haven't checked out her store, take a minute to visit and see how she combines backdrops, props and lighting to work her magic.

[FiguredCo]

Pricing continues to be a sticking point for me. I've built relationships with wholesalers and I have very low overhead, which keeps my production costs on the low end of the market. However, other sellers in my industry depend heavily on small volume retail suppliers, and their comparables are priced according to their retail supply costs. I find a lot of these retail prices unreasonable. It's a struggle to find that psychological pricing point that says, "this is a quality product," but is also reasonable for my customers.

[MichelesAManoDesigns]

Thank you for sharing this! I bookmarked a couple of the links within to read tomorrow :)...branding is the thing I'm trying to tackle better this year. It's always wonderful to see how sellers create that "experience" for their shoppers...

[weekendjewelry1]

I think the under-pricing issue is a biggie. there's so much of it and it makes me sad. I know how tempting it is - we've all seen artists and vendors that lower their price point to get traffic and sales, and I understand that inpulse! But it hurts everybody - the artist isn't making a profit and the customers get to thinking that "That should only cost XYZ charges" - when XYZ is not even breaking even.

[PrimFun]

I've done all of those at one time or another. The hardest one for me is pricing. On some things I can do a fair price but my art dolls are the hardest ones to price for me.

[JewelerSoul]

Thanks for sharing .

[PanchromaticaArts]

It doesn't say so explicitly in the article, but a common source of underpricing is the assumption that the difference between the cost to make and the selling price is your profit. Many people forget that they are in business to make a living and you have to include in your pricing a wage to yourself.

I'm lucky in that what I sell in this shop comes in fairly standard sizes. Even so there are several options for a given listing so I've just spent a day setting up a spreadsheet that helps me calculate the cost of production and set a selling price.

I have included the cost of all the components of my products, estimated the time I take to make them and on the basis of an hourly wage rate added the cost of manufacture/assembly. On top of that I have added a % for miscellaneous overheads. That's currently pulled out of the air but is easily changed as a variable. On top of THAT, I've added my profit margin. It is vital that you don't confuse the wage you pay yourself with the profit. The wage goes on personal living expenses - food, rent etc. Business overheads like travel, rent if any, heating, materials etc are separate. Only after all that is calculated can you set a profit margin.It is from the PROFIT and the surplus that you accumulate that you grow and expand your business.

Remember - if you don't cover all your costs, then essentially you are paying your customers to take your goods away!

Of course it may take a year or so to get into profit as you grow sales,but that is a separate issue. Even if you feel you can't actually pay yourself a living wage yet, build it in, then you have a benchmark against which to measure how well you are doing.

[Former_Member]

Thanks for all of the information. It all helps.

[JuniperAndLace]

Lori, I am curious to hear if traffic has remained steady since then or leveled off?