Goodbye, and Thank You!

[pillowsophi]

Well, I guess it's time for me to go... I just made my 50th sale!

I just wanted to say thank you; this team has been a great resource for me.

I also wanted to wish you all good luck! And for anyone who is struggling to establish his/her shop: Don't give up! It takes time. I'm not a success story yet, but things have started to pick up for me recently... more than 6 months after I opened. :)

My top tips:
1. Take great photographs.
2. Network!

I'll be removing myself from this team in a day or two. However, I'd like to give something back first... so if you're looking for advice, please feel free to post your questions here! I'm not an expert by any means, but I'd be happy to offer some personalized tips to new shop owners. :)

[Former_Member]

I would love any critique you could offer!
Be blunt.....
Thanks ever so much!

[pillowsophi]

Hi Barbie!

Okay, here is my advice:

1. "Purse", "clutch", or "bag" (or whatever best describes the item) should be within the first 2-3 words of every listing. Let's take this listing, for example:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/84369108/vintage-beaded-and-sequin-small-clutch
The current title is: "Vintage Beaded and Sequin Small Clutch Bridal Purse Hong Kong by Tote All Vintage"
I'd change it to something like this: "Bridal Clutch Purse Vintage Beaded Sequin Hong Kong", "Vintage Purse Bridal Clutch Beaded Sequin Hong Kong", or "Clutch Purse Vintage Bridal Beaded Sequin Hong Kong"... you get the idea. "Purse" or "Clutch" should be within the first two words, and - in my opinion - "Vintage" and "Bridal" should also be close to the beginning of the title. This is important for SEO and relevancy. In order to choose the precise wording, you might want to try typing keywords into the search bar in order to see what autocomplete options are offered (these will be popular search phrases).

2. Tags. I'd tweak 'em a bit... for example, I'd find a way to fit "bridal clutch" and "bridal purse" in. I'd remove "for sale"... everything on Etsy is for sale. I don't think many people will search for that phrase here, and it's probably not worth including it for Google searches, either... especially since Google only takes the first few tags.

3. Photographs. I can see that you're trying to take your photographs in natural light, which is great, but your photographs are still a bit too dark (IMHO). I once read a great tip: Include something white in your photographs so that you can use it to adjust the colour balance/brightness in a photo editing program. I decided to go with a white background, but a little piece of white paper at the edge of the photo (so you can crop it out at the end) would work just as well. For example, look at how this bright photo grabs your attention:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/79220613/vintage-70s-ivory-and-tan-floral

I'd also leave your shop name off the photographs, since having it there will probably make them less likely to get to the FP.

4. Shop sections. You may want to consider arranging your shop differently so you can fit more SEO phrases into your section titles. For example, you could arrange your items by type/occasion ("formal clutches", "bridal purses", "leather purses", "vegan purses", etc.). People can always search your shop for items in a specific colour by using the search bar at the top of the page.

That's pretty much it! Your shop is wonderful; you have a great selection, and your item descriptions are really good. Of course, all of this advice is just my non-expert opinion, but I hope I've said at least one helpful thing. :)

I hope you enjoy great success here; good luck!

[Former_Member]

I love all the advice!
Thank you so much, I am loving the photography tip, I will definitely have to do that! I also never thought about the SEO phrases when it came to shop sections, there is lots to change and I appreciate you taking the time to help me and my shop. I will definitely have to send you a convo once I finish the revamp of my shop and have you check it out!

[pillowsophi]

You're very welcome! Please do send me a convo when you've finished revamping your shop... I'd love to see how it turns out! :)

[Former_Member]

Hi, Marie,

Thanks for offering help! I think I need an advice about tags and titles. Etsy search seems to be working for me (based on shop stats) but every time people look at my titles and tags (in my both shops) they say it's not what an average buyer would enter in search. It seems to be my common problem - I don't know how an average shopper thinks. So if you see anything wrong with my tags and titles, please, let me know. Or if there's anything else that you can say about my shop, hit me with it. :) I'll appreciate any critique. :)

Thanks,
Olga