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Story by
Community,
matt
Published on May 18, 2009 in Etsy News |
Photo by |
We are pleased to announce the trial run of the Etsy Community Council.
In order to better serve the entire Etsy community, we are forming a council of community members on Etsy with whom we will meet directly. This council will help us test new products and features, report on the the state of the marketplace and generally just let us know how things on Etsy are for them. At the same time, we will make ourselves available to them to answer questions about Etsy — past, present and future. Our hope is to expand on those things we learn via our forums, virtual labs, usability sessions, customer support emails, and social media by engaging in still more direct, two-way conversation. This is the first trial run; after evaluating the program, we may adapt or build upon it or try something more effective.
We’ll start with organizing the artist-focused segment of the council. Once we complete the Shopper Survey, we intend to also organize the shopper-focused segment. In time, we imagine these two segments meeting together for certain types of discussions, but we need to crawl before we can run.
Here’s our proposal:
- The artist-focused segment will be comprised of 25 Etsy sellers selected mostly at random from those who apply. By "mostly" we mean to say that we want to create a balance with levels of engagement and experience with Etsy, geographic location, type of product being sold, etc. For example, if we randomly select 25 Alaskan jewelers, we would want to replace some of them with others who may represent a different viewpoint.
- Membership will rotate every three months so that many sellers can have a chance to participate, and so that Etsy can hear a variety of voices. Every three months we will pick again from all whom have applied at any time in the past. You will not need to reapply each month.
- During this period, we will hold three or more scheduled meetings in Etsy’s Virtual Labs; we anticipate asking participants questions via short surveys; and we are likely to suggest other impromptu conversations or product tests as well.
- Those who participate will be rewarded with Etsy merchandise, special recognition in non-commerce areas of the site, and the knowledge that they are helping make Etsy a better place for all.
- Sellers who participate in the Etsy Community Council will be no more or no less likely to appear in the curated areas of Etsy.
We are excited to participate directly with you, and we look forward to improving our communication and engagement with the Etsy artist community.
The application process is now closed for this round. Thanks to all who applied.
We will announce the first Etsy Community Council members by June 5th, 2009.
(update 5/19/09: We have removed the last name, home address, zipcode, and phone number fields from the application, opting instead for just first name, city, state, and country. To those who have already applied, your home address and phone information has not and will not be shared with anyone. Initially we requested this information so we could send thank you notes and packages to the participants. We still intend to do this, so we may be asking for your mailing address separately and at a later date. However since it is not essential to the application processs it has been removed.)
P.S.
We will also be notifying sellers through our other communication channels besides this Storque post.
| Tags | communication, Community, council, data, feedback, input, research, sellers, selling, surveys |
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184 comments Login to add your own!
LaveMeSoapCo
TheBrassHussy
I would love to help out, but can't attend the Virtual Lab meetings.
I do think this is a great idea to get feedback before implementing changes.
VintageEye
diaspora
Awesome idea! Thanks for encouraging interaction with the community!
amyhatch
I love this idea! I think that members have so much to learn from eachother that would make their businesses more productive, thank you!
foxpots
lilworkerb
OhFaro
FairyBubbles
Great idea:)
What a wonderful way to get input from sellers/shops in different parts of the World and US.
Love it...
HarrietsHaven
Ooooh....sounds like fun! Count me in! If I get selected, that is!
cozycottagecreations
Fabulous! I love how you guys are always thinking of ways to make the Etsy experience better and better for everyone. I can't wait to see more!
MNHPhotography
prettydreamer
What a wonderful idea! Thank you for making etsy even better!
MetalheartDesign
pholk
WhiteFlagDesigns
BlueNostalgia
allthingswhite
3squares
yay! been anxious to see this ever since the last chatt. i'm off to apply...
eclipse
"community members on Etsy with whom we will meet directly"
By 'directly', do you mean in person? So only people living near Etsy HQ will comprise this council?
quirke
anda
No, directly via the Virtual Labs and maybe an occasional conference call.
Weezawear
dbabcock
oldworldprimitives
ConcordSoap
What an awesome opportunity to have your voice heard! Love it!
MoonParade
Thank you for the unique opportunity to be part of this community. Just submitted my application.
somsstudiosupplies
ohginger
I've applied and I'm really looking forward to what the Etsy Community Council can do to support this really incredible crafting community!
adoreneko
Interesting. There are a lot of Etsy members with great ideas out here. Hope to see some positive changes. :-)
gretchenmist
ooh, this is great - something i would love to do down the track when i have more time :)
Jashme
ChelseaVanTol
Xenotees
breadandroses
laceandlinks
uknowuneedanother
definitely a step in the right direction. Will the supply and vintage sellers going to be participating? I ask because I saw no mention of these sellers.
TianaCHE
PipocaHandmade
Another great initiative...thanks for always trying to improve an already great environment!
mojospastyle
I just applied and I am very excited to be able to communicate what I need from Etsy to be successful as a seller in the long run. Thank you for always trying to improve and make Etsy the best it can be. :)
fluffnflowers
Interesting! I hope this is a good step in the right direction.
bytheway
Great idea - you will have many qualified individuals to pick from, I am sure :)
dragonhouseofyuen
baconsquarefarm
exciting awesome experience for those accepted~ great idea yea Etsy
chARiTyelise
anything that helps to build community is a good thing! thank you for this initiative; i am eager to see what comes of it, and happy to help if i can.
BlackStar
Cool! I'll have a look at the application.
Stops- your daughter is getting SO big SO fast!
terraworks
Count me in! Anything to help better our Etsy Community. Wonderful idea!
artsfarm
This is an idea whose time has come, thanks so much for doing this! I'm definitely up for it, and can't wait to see how this turns out :-)
Thanks so much; this will make the community in general feel a lot better, I think.
Morado
jenniferladd
merlinsbarkproducts
Great idea! I look forward to seeing all the great ideas that come out of this new venture.
esdesigns
glittercritter
roundabout
Thanks for asking for input - really a great way to get the community involved.
seedknits
SurrenderDorothy
Ebrown2503
Sounds like a super opportunity for the community to have a real voice. Looking forward to seeing all the good that will spring forth!
HibouCards
Cool idea, great initiative to let us have our voice heard, thanks!
thecraftykitten
archaicdesign
an excellent idea! great to see that the sellers have a hand in the growth of Etsy.
thebeadedlily
Awesome, awesome idea! Kudos to the whole team for embracing something so brilliant and innovative!
EJPcreations
FrucciDesign
Matt I'm happy to see this idea implemented so fast..the meetings with you on Friday are definitively refreshing and i must add fun too (even though I'll never get a tune title!)
I'm sure you'll collect tons of info that will serve us all
:)
mamapainter
Fabulous idea! I've actually thought about suggesting this very idea. It will be beneficial to many people, including ETSY itself.
excely
artbytrudy
Wow! Behind you 100% ! Today is the day to move forward with Etsy! Yea!
gertuine
Sounds like a good idea. Wish I could help out, but as others have said, currently don't have the time. Maybe sometime later I could pitch in during a rotation of the members.
Mostly, I wish I could help since I'm living in a place where there is some representation on Etsy, but not yet a lot. Of course, I also wish I had the time to do something about that on my own. I'd love to have Tara visit here (South Korea) so we could go make a video with some craftspeople here!
truLuxe
Well, I think this would be a fantastic opportunity to have my picture taken in a lab coat.... I know it might not actually come to that (OK, it won't) ... But I think I can make a good case for just having the picture taken. And that would make my mother happy, because she always wanted me to be a doctor.
SunshineandRavioli
A positive, forward-thinking plan that will benefit us all...just another reason I love this site!
worksofwhimsy
Increasing community input can only improve the site. Thanks for taking this step.
trcreations
Wendelynn
Yahoo! I applied. I can't wait to see what our community creates!
younghairlove
That has to be a great idea! hands up Etsy!!
commuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunity, yeah!
VedaArtsFabrics
loopyboopy
This is fantastic news. Thanks so much for considering the voices or the community. I'm in!!
GreenMamba
<--- is overjoyed
Been away from the computer all day, but what a fantastic bit of news to be greeted with upon my return! Such a great idea - thanks Matt (and Maria, et al) for taking such a great step toward connecting with your membership.
samsstuff
Great idea! I like the idea of a shopper group as well & the idea of an exchange between both even better. Can't wait to see all the great ideas & thoughts the community has.
moonstr
Sacheen
JewelsofLuxury
mossyrockpottery
Very good idea... This is better than hiring an expensive consultant who has the experience of but one person with one perspective.
That70sShoppe
patspottery
4TheSparrowsNest
Wow!! I love this idea. Great job Etsy, looking forward to participating.
MayaBella
pinkdandyshop
retrovertigo
ArtyPam
mostlyart
OH! Pick me, pick me! I'm "mostly" ♥ Great idea, very innovative, and exciting too. Hope I see the application when it gets posted :)
zeropumpkin
vantiani
heartworksbylori
Greenerica
NHWoodscreations
Furiousdreams
This is a great idea and sounds refreshingly democratic-community participation. Count me in!
edmdesigns
What a fabulous concept. Really looking forward to the outcomes and hiope you will select me to particpiate. GO ETSY!!!!
zombuki
Ekioart
warmnfuzzies
Art2ArtColorado
Wonderful idea! I am very glad to hear about the rotation of people on this Council and look forward to hearing more.
Well done, Etsy!
stilettoheights
modflo
tannerglass
Love this idea.....and would love to participate, but don't see where I apply?
MomNMiaQuilts
esmeraldadesigns
classabags
girlscantell
it's really nice to see something like this finally put into place. i hope it goes well, it's a fantastic idea!
twigsandheather
I would love to be part of this process. Being part of this council would be wicked awesome.
melaniesOriginals
as good of an idea as this is I for see some "favoritism" happening even if not intentional and a lot of "complaining" threads about it going on as this new feature evolves. good luck
Leelinau
Sounds like a very interesting idea, can't wait to see how it all works out!
^__^
Karmacrochet
lovelygifts
BeckyJoyArtist
This sounds like a great idea. I would love to be a part of it.
uknowuneedanother
OKAY! I knew that there was something brewing in my brain. Are any representitives behind the $27,000,000 going to be included? I would like to see some input from this area. What are the goals of this investment? What are the investors hoping to see happen? How much behind the scenes say is allocated to this "entity"?
Tumus
babook
acageybee
Interesting! Wish I hadn't missed the application form, but I'll keep posted. Sounds like a great idea.
Krystyna81
ooh I hope that shop lists more of that delicious looking jam...
and oh yeah good idea!
boygirlparty
picklevalentine
Great idea to go directly to us, your customers.
Nordstrom has succeeded for years and continues to succeed because it listens to the people who are directly in contact with the customers. They then get or adapt to what the customers want.
cgstudio
I guess I dont understand how this information could be different from what is already offered in the forums-- particularly the Ideas forum.
beautifulbridget
SanDesign
cgstudio
I guess I dont understand how this information could be different from what is already offered in the forums-- particularly the Ideas forum.
---------------------
Agreed.
PhineasandLou
DragonRags
I agree with Uknowuneedanother. I would LOVE to see what the investors have to say.
I also want to see all sellers included, not just artists. Vintage and supplies have a presence here, too, so they should be included in this process.
This is a great idea!
vintagetakeout
crochetgal
I think this is a wonderful way to get some valuable input from the Etsy community. I love the idea of rotation of members as well, as this should help the group from getting 'stale'.
Great idea Etsy!
CutieDynamite
LOVE. The sellers input really needs to be implemented! Thanks Etsy!
LaCometaLab
kristensteinfineart
mannequinreject
I applied too, I can always request a day off for days where I need to be present in the virtual labs since I'm on call per diem.
erinkeys
What a great opportunity for us sellers! I have submitted and am anxiously awaiting!
TrilliumArtisans
OverTheTop
Let's hope that all age demographics will be well represented.
vsimonds
Is this where buyers apply or will there be a separate application/Storque article for that? You may have said already--I apologize if so! :) It would be an honor for any of us to be included in such an interesting (and I'm sure *FUN*) process. Definitely on the "wish list"!
Vanessa
Yes, supplies and vintage sellers will be included.
Tara and Eric (who make videos) would love to go to S. Korea, but that would be so expensive unfortunately!
We currently have a Shopper survey open (for just a few more days!) http://www.etsy.com/storque/etsy-news...
This is the first step in getting to know our buyers better at this juncture. Please take the survey if you're a buyer and want to be involved. If/when we form a Shopper Community Council, you'll find out about it here on the blog.
dayslonggone
I would love to be a part of the council! I think this is a great idea!
littlemoandfriends
this really is a GREAT idea and i think it's great that you have rotations too!
Waterrose
What a wonderful step to take to include the ideas and views of so many other people. Thank you for implementing this!
BeaG
laralewis
VintageDress
ThePeachTree
KnitzyBlonde
Fabulous idea - I just applied for the Community Council! I would love to serve the Etsy community!!
Sandie
vaeda
ajn9848
Great idea, I have been interested in getting more involved. I would be happy to further serve the Etsy community.
ajn9848
Great idea,I have been interested in getting more involved. I would be happy to further serve the Etsy community.
Mymothersgarden
Oooh! This sounds great! I'm off to apply and hope to be a part of the Etsy Community Council someday!
amberdark
SweetPeaFabrications
dandelionland
SWANclothing
justlouisdesigns
dangerousmezzo
Great idea. I'll reserve my judgement until I see how well (or poorly) Etsy implements it.
LindaCaterpillar
clodaghmolloy
PrayableArtRosaries
just joined yesterday; love to see all the beauty you artisans bring to the world!
focus group a good idea. like the rotations bc it fosters varying points of view. ciao now!
foxandmoon
I'm intered in seeing how this will play out. I'm also interested in how these ideas will fuction and work in the etsy community.
alex31
MooBeeTees
It's great to see so many members of the Etsy community wanting to take an active part in how it works - I love accountability!!
art2theextreme
This is wonderful and such a great idea. Thank you for this opportunity.
Teaontheveranda
I'm very new to Etsy, having listed my first item last week and my second one today. Etsy seems to be the most popular art site and with intentions like those mentioned above-I can see why. As I get more experienced I would love to help also. Who thinks more outside of boxes than we artists?
PoshMommaStore
I have walked around all day saying "Too whit, too whoo". Thanks. :-D
signsofmylife
Enuwbe
This sounds like a wonderful way to become even more active on Etsy.
nightcloud
acting and interacting in this community council will certainly strengthen the whole Etsy globe -- positive snowball effect, letting all involved grow and support each other!
bazketmakr
kokicreations
Exciting idea! Etsy is kind of like a small vitual city already so having a community council is a natural step.
Looking forward to seeing how this turns out.
mwolfdesigns
I appreciate that Etsy strives to be an inclusive organization, recognizing that Etsians not only have talent, but something to offer in terms of leadership and business expertise.
studiolara316
What a wonderful idea!I am really excited to be a part of Etsy!This company really seems to care about their sellers unlike another site I had been a member of for over 3 years!
MaryBethsArt
Wonderful to get sellers involved with the etsy community... So Star Wars Like- the Jedi council!
animadesign
ThingsUnseen
TownCountryJewelry
Fantastic idea. Can't wait to read the results and see the improvements.
Swooziestuff
kareys
sweet100s
This sounds like a great idea for everyone, especially new sellers and buyers! Go etsy!
Jillie07
I would love to be part of this. I hope that I am chosen. Good luck to all! It would be great to give back to the community.
capitalcitycrafts
I think everyone will benefit from having input from the various points of view
budlyboys
its very nice idea>>>>>>
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