Search results (tags) for: "your shop 101"

Wednesday Workshop Wrap-Up: Gift Certificates in Your Shop

2009-12-16T14:00:00-05:00

This article was originally published on December 17, 2007 and updated on September 8, 2008. We've updated the content to be current as of December 16, 2009 for the current holiday shopping season. Etsy does not offer site-wide gift cards, but individual sellers may provide gift certificate listings that shoppers can use in that store only. Check out Holiday How-To: Offering Services for more great tips on providing those special extra touches for your holiday shoppers.

As we quickly approach shipping cut-offs to deliver gift purchases in time for the holidays, some last-minute shoppers may appreciate the convenience of a gift certificate from your Etsy shop. We have some guidelines and tips for sellers who wish to offer gift certificates.

First and foremost, you must research and abide by any applicable local laws governing gift certificates.* This is clearly stated in the DOs & DON'Ts of Etsy, as detailed below:

Gift certificates are governed by local laws; it is the seller's responsibility to determine if they are in compliance. If you list a gift certificate on Etsy, you are responsible for this compliance.
You must include this sentence in the item listing: "This Gift Certificate is valid only in my Etsy shop, and it is only redeemable here."

If you are a seller in the USA, you may be interested in The Consumer's Union for a brief overview gift certificate laws. (This website and this article are for informative purposes only, and should not be considered legal advice.) Please refer to the laws of your state and/or country for more accurate, detailed and up-to-date information. You may wish to consult an attorney for specific questions.

When you list your gift certificate on Etsy, be sure you follow all of Etsy's rules for item listings. Here are some specific things to keep in mind:

Your listing must be for a set price; this should be the full value of the gift certificate.
Your listing must be an actual, tangible item for purchase. This could be a traditional, formal paper certificate, notecard, Moo card or something the recipient might want to hang onto a little longer, like a sticker, coaster, patch or badge. A digital file, like a .pdf, may also be acceptable.
Your listing description should be accurate and detailed. Provide all the details and terms for using the gift certificate so shoppers know exactly what they are purchasing (see below).
Be clear in your description that this gift certificate is only redeemable in the Etsy shop from which is it purchased.

Be sure to include pertinent information on your physical gift certificate and in your item listing, even if it seems obvious to you:

the name of your shop
your shop's unique web address on Etsy (for example: username.etsy.com)
the words "gift certificate"
the value of the gift certificate
a unique secret code, which the redeemer of the gift certificate will be instructed to type into the Message to Seller section when checking out (do not include this in your item listing!)
clear instructions on how to redeem the gift certificate (for example: "Go to my Etsy shop, and select the items you would like to buy with this fine gift certificate. Click the green Checkout button. In the Message to Seller section, please type in the code. I will send you a Convo to confirm your order. Thanks!")

Be organized and keep track of the code of every gift certificate that is purchased and redeemed in your shop. When the gift certificate is redeemed, you may need to send a revised PayPal invoice to the buyer if there is a remaining balance that needs to be paid on the sale.

A final point of consideration for Etsy sellers who offer gift certificates is the associated Etsy fees. Two separate transactions occur with Etsy shop gift certificates: one when the gift certificate is purchased by the gift-giver, and one when the gift certificate is redeemed by the recipient. Applicable listing and transaction fees will be reflected on your Etsy bill for both of these transactions.

Find more how-to's about selling in our Seller Handbook.

*The fine print from SarahSays, our lawyer: This information is for educational and informational purposes only. The content should not be construed as legal advice. The author and Etsy, Inc. disclaim all responsibility for any and all losses, damages, or causes of action that may arise or be connected with the use of these materials. Please consult a licensed attorney in your area with specific legal questions or concerns.

P.S. A great big thank you goes out to thankyouenjoy for taking such detailed notes when we had a Virtual Labs workshop on this topic.

Fabulous Packaging and Wrapping With rikrak

2009-11-03T10:30:00-05:00

Have you missed the first half of our series of holiday workshops for sellers? Don't worry, there are many workshops left to help you get your shop in shape this season. (View the entire schedule here.) Last week's workshop was hosted by Etsy seller, rikrak, our resident branding-with-packaging specialist! I've put together some great references from her workshop here, but make sure you read the thorough notes she's provided on her own blog, the rikrak studio.

Packaging How-To Videos:

Etsy Holiday How-To #1: Packaging

Etsy Holiday How-To #2: Packaging

Etsy Holiday How-To #3: Creating Labels and Hang-Tags

Furoshiki Gift Wrapping

Packaging Blog Tutorials:

Holiday How-To's: Sellers, Wrap It Up With Gift Wrap!

Team EcoEtsy Tip of the Week: That's a Wrap

Team Eco-Etsy: Make Your Own Waterproof Shipping Envelope

Furoshiki Fabric Wrap Techniques

Funky Felter's Blog: All About Labels for Handmade Items

Craftster Tutorial: Making Personalized Labels

Team Canada: Making a Cereal Box into a Beautiful Mailer

Packaging Downloads:

Envelope Pattern

Flying Floating Mailing Labels by the Small Object

Free Printable Mailing Labels by Creature Comforts

Free Printable Labels and Gift Cards by oh smile

Sweet Mailing Labs by Elephantom Knits

For more packaging tips and tricks, don't forget to read all of rikrak's workshop notes here. Happy packaging!

More Packaging Tips | Holiday Tips for Sellers | Holiday Workshop Schedule

Seller How-To: Tag-o-rama With Descriptive Keywords

2009-10-05T14:00:00-05:00

Tagging is an essential part of the listing (and selling!) process. Many shoppers are using keywords to search for the exact type of items you make, and you want your work to show up in these search results! The key component in this search-and-rescue mission are your items' tags.

Tags are keywords sellers attach to their items during the item listing process. After selecting the first tag, which determines the category for your item, sellers can attach up to 13 keywords or tags. These tags are used to help surface items in search, and they currently determine which subcategories your item falls under.

After you choose the category and subcategories, you then can choose words that accurately describe your item. Etsy Admin often suggest using style, color, textures and motifs as tags for your items, so with the help of some of my colleagues (and sellers) I've come up with the following lists to help you if you get stuck.

Want a few more tips? Come on by the Virtual Labs for a workshop on Tagging, Titles and Descriptions on Oct. 15, 2009 at 4 p.m. ET.

Style 1980s (or any decade) adorable African Americana angelic antique art deco art nouveau Asian autumn avant-garde bizarre black tie bohemian boho chic bold burlesque business casual cheerful chic circus classic classy clever cocktail colorful complex contemporary country cute cyber dark deconstructed delicate DIY dramatic earthy eccentric edgy Edwardian elegant ethnic European everyday fall fantasy feminine flapper folk folk art formal formal French funky funny futuristic gag geek geekery gladiator glam goddess goth gothic gothic lolita grotesque harvest hippie hipster horror humorous Indian indie industrial Japanese kawaii librarian lolita luxurious manly masculine mermaid Mexican midcentury Middle Eastern mod modern modest modish mystical natural nautical nerd noir nostalgic old world organic oriental Paris peasant pirate playful polished prairie preppy pretty Primitive punk quirky refined Renaissance Renaissance Fair (Ren Faire) retro rockabilly Roman romantic rustic sailor secretary seductive shabby chic simple sophisticated southwest sporty spring steampunk summer sustainable tasteful traditional trendy ugly urban Victorian vintage waldorf weird western whimsical winter witty woodland zany	Texture airy bright bumpy buttery coarse cool cozy cuddly delicate downy embossed feathery fluffy frilly frizzy furry fuzzy glittery grainy hammered hard iridescent light luminescent luminous matte metallic opaque patina plush pointy polished prickly puffy rough ruffled sculptured shaggy sharp sheer shimmery shiny silky slick smooth soft sparkly stamped translucent transparent velvety waxy woolly	Size baggy big bulky chunky curvy deep delicate dense extra small fitted frail gigantic heavy huge large lightweight little long loose massive medium miniature oversized petite plump plus size shallow shapely short small snug streamlined substantial tailored tall thick thin tight tiny voluminous voluptuous wide	Motifs and Patterns argyle Asian asymmetrical brocade Celtic checked checkered complex damask dotted Egyptian fleur de lis floral geometric gingham Gothic hearts paisley plaid polka dot scalloped stars striped swirls symmetrical tartan tweed woodland	Specific Colors charcoal chartreuse chocolate brown cobalt blue coral pink cornflower blue cream crimson cyan emerald green fuschia gold hot pink indigo ivory kelly green lemon yellow lime magenta mauve navy blue nude olive green periwinkle robins egg blue royal blue sapphire silver sky blue slate grey taupe teal turquoise

Feel free to add other keywords that fit in these lists in the comments below!

Guidelines & Tips: Tagging on Etsy | The Seller Handbook

Etsy Success for Beginner Sellers

2009-10-01T13:15:00-05:00

Welcome to selling on Etsy! When you're getting started, it feels like there are so many things to do for your new shop. You'll also want to check out the Seller Handbook — it contains links to lots of great articles to help you sell. Other posts to get you started include Welcome to Your Online Presence and A Beginner's Guide to Starting a Shop on Etsy. Consider this article the quick-start guide, with the most important things to consider for getting your shop in top shape!

Your Name

Having a great, memorable name is one of the more important things you can do to brand your shop and encourage sales. Having a shop name that people remember will encourage them to find you again! You want it to be easy to pronounce, easy to spell, interesting, and it should speak to your style or what your shop is about. Shorter tends to be better than longer. Avoid common words like "designs" or "creations," as well as number strings and consonant strings that don't sound like a word in your name — these make your exact shop name hard to remember. Avoid generic-sounding names; something unique, different, or unusual will be more memorable. As Danielle says in this post, "Make sure it's 'Google-able!' Sure the name 'FriedChicken' might be memorable, but if you go to Google and search 'Fried Chicken,' your shop will be a needle in a greasy (yet delicious) haystack!" Do some research on the Internet to make sure that another company doesn't already have the same name.

What shop names have drawn you in? What about these names interested you? Think about this in your brainstorming for the perfect name.

Your shop name and your Etsy username are one and the same. While you can't change your shop name on Etsy, if you don't like the name you have, you can start a new shop. Simply register for the new shop, and then put a link to your new shop in the Shop Announcement, item listings, banner and Profile of your old shop, and then list your items in your new shop. Here are some more tips on shop names.

Shop Setup

The Shop Setup Help Guide will give you step-by-step instructions for getting started.

Banner: If your shop was in the physical world, your banner would be the sign above the front door. Choose something that looks professional and that will give shoppers a sense of the mood or feel of your shop and makes them interested to scroll down to see more! Here are instructions for creating your own banner. If you have nice product photos, you can use these in your banner if you like. If you're not a great graphic designer, you can save time and frustration by buying a ready-made or custom banner from an Etsy seller.

Photo by rikrak

Avatar: If you plan to use the community spaces such as the Forums, Chat, Virtual Labs, or The Storque, a well-lit, well-cropped 75 by 75 pixel photo of your most interesting item can make a great avatar. It's the equivalent of wearing your pieces when you go out, and it advertises your shop while you are interacting with others. The other sellers and Admin (Etsy staff) in these spaces have the power to feature your items in Treasuries, on their own blogs, and around other spaces on Etsy, so show 'em what you've got!

Avatars by: spiderbite, beadsinthebelfry, greeniemarie, shrimpsaladcircus, studioelan, tissage, magicjelly, ThePaperAddict

Shipping: Set up Shipping Profiles in Your Etsy > Shipping Options to save time while listing. Ship internationally — international orders comprise a big chunk of the market on Etsy! Here is a good Forum thread for U.S. sellers on how to set up international shipping. More shipping and packaging how-to's can be found here.

Shop Policies and Profile: Fill them out! Policies define the rules for your shop and can answer buyer questions. The Profile page personalizes you; Etsy shoppers love that they buy directly from the artist, so tell them about yourself and your craft to get them interested in your work. Having these sections filled out will help build trust for your buyer, especially if you are a new seller and don't have feedback yet. Here are some tips for your Shop Policies and Profile Page.

Item Photography

Item photography is perhaps the most important aspect of your shop. On Etsy, you have one main photo and you may upload four additional photos. Use them all! Here are some tips below and explore these posts for further, in-depth suggestions.

Lighting: Use natural lighting. Either morning or early evening light works best. Avoid direct sunlight and harsh mid-day lighting. Inside, near a window, or outside (but not in direct sunlight) both work well. If the lighting is still a bit dark, increase the EV balance on your camera menu. This increases the "whiteness" in the photo. Avoid using the flash. If the photos look washed out, turn away from the sunlight.

Photos by ecosilver, moop, locallibrary

Backgrounds: Shoot against a background that will complement your item. Think about color: What color background will create the mood that you are going for? If you're going for a sophisticated look, perhaps your dark brown item will look great against a pale brown background — think tone-on-tone, but make sure that your item stands out and is not swallowed by the background. Funky? Maybe try a color that is opposite on the color wheel, so a pale orange for your blue item. Modern items might look great with neutral colors, while natural and bohemian looks might look great next to natural materials such as plants, stones, etc. Maybe you'll have a collection of backgrounds with your color palette, and you can choose the best one for each item. Simple white backgrounds can be great for just about any type of item as well, and this will put the focus on your item.

For smaller items like jewelry, try placing these on props such as papers, old books, and tabletops. You may have a variety of materials in your home that will work well.

Photos by msbelle, SeaUnicorn, stamp

For larger items, look around the inside and outside of your home for good locations. Think interesting architecture, beautiful natural settings, walls with interesting textures, or even plain white walls. Is there a location nearby that would look great — perhaps a church, library, or abandoned building that would capture the mood of your items?

Photos by NHWoodCreations, sarahseven, arlenewatson

Consider including a photo that shows the item being used. This will give the potential customer important information, such as what the item is and how big it is. It will also allow them to envision the item on themselves or in their home.

Photos by CombustionGlassworks, MiaBeads, woodtec

Close-ups: Use the macro mode (flower icon) on your camera when shooting close-ups of jewelry and other small objects. This creates a sharp outline of your item. If the photo is blurry, try adjusting the zoom, or getting closer to or farther from your subject.

Angles: Most people start out taking product photos in the same way: They take the photo directly above, say, a piece of jewelry, and surround it with white space. You can make your photos more dynamic by taking the shot from a variety of angles and distances, and then choosing the one that best complements your item. Take a look in the Gift Guides to see how sellers have created interesting shots by using angles.

Photos by ZerbenaBoutique, firewoodfurniture, kjoo

Cropping: Photos that crop in interesting places create movement in the photo. It may allow you to get closer to the item for a detail shot. If your item is symmetrical, do we need to see the entire thing to understand it? Or would cropping off 1/3 of the item let us see more detail and look more interesting?

Avoid crops that are too "tight." This is where just a bit of the top and bottom of the item are cut off — it looks squashed! Take the photo from a bit farther away if this is the case. Even better, turn 3D objects like handbags a bit to the side for a more forgiving crop. Try taking 2D objects like notecards diagonally — this makes the photo more interesting, and will almost always make for a nice crop.

Etsy will automatically crop your photos for the thumbnails when you upload them. Consider while you are taking your pictures that vertical shots will crop mostly from the top, and a bit from the sides, and vice versa for horizontal shots.

Photos by shoofly, makalewakan, atelierBB

Grouping: Try arranging small items such as pouches, soaps, notecards, and cookies into a group shot. This can make the photo look rich and beautiful. Be sure to specify in the listing how many the customer will receive with their order.

Photos by SucculentsGalore, palomasnest, SunshineandRavioli

What is it?: If at all possible, show what the item is in the gallery (first) photo. If it's not possible, put what it is in the first few words of the title so that it is not cropped out when the customer is browsing in "gallery" (large photo) mode.

Additional photos: Your potential customer can't touch your item or try it on. Show them everything they want to know in the photos!

Show size by showing the item next to an object that everyone knows the size of. Human hands, flowers and objects that it would "belong" next to (such as a decor object on a bookshelf next to vintage books or some foreign money spilling out of a pouch) are great. Avoid unattractive items like paperclips and pennies unless they make sense. What does it feel like? Show the texture of your yarn or baked goods with a macro shot. What flavor or scent is it? Some blueberries and vanilla beans next to your blueberry-vanilla soap will look gorgeous and convey to your customer what it smells like.

Your descriptions may have some great ideas about what you might show in your additional photos. If you say in your listing that your scarf also makes a great belt, then show a picture of that to drive the point home!

Photos by karenssoaps, dolittledesign, OnTheRound

Upselling: Would the item be perfect with another item in your shop? Show two necklaces worn together to encourage your buyer to get them both! Would your art prints look great in a grouping of three? Show the customer a photo of that to get her excited! Even better if you offer a small incentive such as free shipping for additional items. Just make sure to be clear about what exactly is for sale with this listing.

Editing: Use a photo editing program to touch up your photos if necessary. Gimp is a free download that you'll love if you know how to use Photoshop, Picasa is a great all-around free program for mid-level skills, and an online photo editor like Piknic is perfect if you're not particularly computer savvy. If the photo is too dark, increase the brightness *and* the contrast. You can do this using "curves" in Gimp.

Getting Exposure

Categories: One of the best hidden gems for getting more exposure for your items is placing them in the correct Category. If your items will fit into more than one Category (for example, Knitting and Accessories), try putting some in one and some in another for maximum exposure. Once you have chosen your Category, choose from the related tags and/or look in the Category Browser to see what subcategories are available. Add any that accurately describe your item exactly as written into your tags, and your item will appear in all of them. Do the same with any sub-subcategories beneath the subcategories that you've chosen.

Tags: Tags, along with titles, are your search terms. Using keywords that buyers will search for will help put your item in front of them! Here is an article with a list of types of tags to help you brainstorm.

List Regularly: Right now, the default for Search and Categories on Etsy is reverse chronological order — newest on the top. If you have several items to list, try to space the listings out a bit. Here's a super-secret hack that a seller figured out if you want to make your listings go live later: create your listings, and go to page 5 of the listing process. Copy the URL from the address bar, and email it to yourself. You can then return to this later and click "FINISH." Test it first to be sure you are doing it right before prepping a bunch of listings!

Renewing: Renewing normally refers to reactivating a listing that has expired. Some sellers figured out that they got more hearts, views, and sales on days when they listed an item. When they did not have an item to list that day, they renewed an item. Renewing will move your item higher in the Category Browser and search results, and it costs the same amount as creating a new listing. We recommend that you only use this method if it is effective for you. (Learn more about how renewing works technically on Etsy.) Before using renewing as a technique for gaining exposure, first get your shop into tip-top shape and have "enough" items in your shop to promote!

Showcases: The Showcase is Etsy's advertising program. The Main Showcase is linked from the homepage of Etsy, and there are Showcases for each Category, the Gift Guides, and The Storque. Additionally, there are regularly specialized Showcases throughout the year. As with renewing, you will want to get your shop into great shape by using the tips in this article before you purchase a Showcase spot for maximum benefit. Having good item photos, descriptive listings, and enough items to make the promotion worth it are most important.

Getting Featured: Your item may be featured in several places around Etsy: in Treasuries, which are chosen by Etsy members, and on the homepage, Gift Guides, Etsy Finds emails, and The Storque (Etsy's blog). The key to getting featured in all of these locations is having great item photos, using tags well, and being an active member of the community. Additionally, you may look at the merchandising articles each month to learn about upcoming themes and holidays that will be promoted. Use this information to help you tag your listings, or as a reminder of upcoming events for which you may want to create items. If you are featured in the Gift Guides, and you are able to make more of the item, you may increase the quantity of your listing so that your item stays in the Guide when it sells!

Your Items and Product Assortment

Creating a cohesive shop: Create a great assortment of products that work together. Think about the types of items that are sold together at retail stores. Some examples are: a women's fashion shop, a baby shop, a crochet shop, a home goods shop, a bath and body shop. This is not to say that you should *never* have items that don't at first seem to go together in your shop — there are a few sellers out there who are making this work because their aesthetic binds all their items together. The point is to be intentional about what you are selling.

Think of every item listing in your shop as an ad for all of your other items. Every time a customer finds one of your items, now they have access to the rest of your shop. Will that customer who is looking for a baby shower gift who you've brought in with your knitted baby hat want to stay to browse in your shop? If your other items are more baby clothes, accessories, toys or children's art, she most likely will. If she has to sift though your dish towels and nature photographs, she may lose interest, no matter how lovely they may be! Consider focusing on what you find most interesting or what's most popular in your shop. You may set up another shop for your other interests, but be aware that it is a lot of time and effort to try to market two shops. You may be better off focusing on one shop.

Having a cohesive shop will make it memorable! If I see a fabulous, feminine vintage-style necklace in a shop full of jewelry of a wide variety of different styles — everything from fun 'n' funky to sophisticated — I will probably not remember the particular shop. Conversely, if that same necklace is surrounded by jewelry in a similar style with an appealing color palette (and photographed in a similar way), it is much more likely to stick in my mind.

You may be worried that this will limit your creativity. Au contraire! you might find that this frees your creativity. It is very enjoyable to create a look and style that is uniquely "you" and to share your vision with the customer. Your style can (and probably will) change over time...but at a given moment, try to have a style that can be summed up in a few words. As you bring your unique style to your product photos and descriptions, your shop itself will become a work of art. Try it!

Photos by theblackapple, paradisehilldesigns, ruffeoheartslilsnoty

What to sell, and how to stand out from the crowd: There are so many wonderful shops on Etsy, that many newbies wonder how they can make an impact. Here are some tips for making your shop shine:

What to do in crowded markets: If you notice that there are lots of others sellers with items similar to yours, say, children's hair bows, you may try creating the items in a different and surprising material, or creating a new style of hair bow to stand out. You may stand out with fabulous photos, a great shop assortment, and lots of items for your buyers to choose from.
Find a niche: Better yet, find an undeserved niche to establish yourself in. Look around in the Categories and subcategories for inspiration...are there any where you might make a mark? For example, if you can make great gifts for men, you will find a market that is hungry for new sellers!
Create a new product, or find a new way of making something that's been around for a while. Some great examples are neawear, who became Etsy-famous with her "Wall Wear," a modern art incarnation of cross-stitch samplers, and girlsavage, who reinvented taxidermy as "Feltidermy" — stuffed animal creatures on trophy boards.

Relisting: Successful sellers use the "relisting" technique to create a profitable business. If you sell an item and can make the same item again, you can "relist" it by using the link at the top of the sold item page. This copies your listing and costs the same as a new listing. You will save time since you do not have to make, photograph, and create a description for your item before selling it again. Try to make items that you will be able to make again. If you prefer to only make one-of-a-kind items, be sure to price them accordingly (read: more expensively).

Pricing: Check out this series of articles for help with pricing. Most Etsy sellers who are new to retailing set their prices too low. Many find that they sell more when they raise their prices! Your price gives your customer a hint of the quality of your item, so make sure you are selling at a fair price! Ask for the price that your time and skills are worth. You will want to consider your material costs, fees and other costs associated with selling, and time spent making items, creating listings, and communicating with customers. You may consider using a combination of pricing equations and then comparing these prices with what the items would sell for in a boutique, or how successful sellers are pricing similar items.

Other Tips

Set up your shop stats: go to Web Analytics in Your Etsy. You will also want to set up Site Search to see what search terms shoppers are using to find your items on Etsy. See #2 on this article for instructions.
Enter your items into Google Base so they appear in the Google Shopping results. It only takes about 20 minutes!
Optimize your Etsy shop for Google.

Helpful Links

Etsy Hacks: This site provides time-saving tools that give you special functions for your Etsy shop, such as the ability to copy one of your current listings, or the ability to upload up to five photos at once while you are listing.

Craftcult: View your hearts in an easy-to-see list format. Also, see when you have been featured in the Gift Guides, The Storque, and on the homepage.

What are your top tips? We'd love to hear them in the comments of this article! ...But there are so many comments now, it's slowing down the page load. So please join the discussion in this Forum thread.

Seller Workshop Recap: Tags, Titles, Descriptions and Most Relevant Search

2009-06-02T11:30:00-05:00

Thanks to everyone who came to our May 28, 2009 Virtual Lab on Tags, Titles, Descriptions and Materials and the new Most Relevant option in Etsy's Search. We had some great questions come up, and we wanted to make sure we shared the answers with those who couldn't make the workshop. Here's a quick Q&A.

Q: How long should my item titles be?
A: We suggest three to seven words. The most important words in your title should be first, as the first 18 characters of your title are going to be seen in Gallery View in Etsy Search, and the first few words will be the ones displayed on external search engine results (see this Seller How-To: Optimizing Your Etsy Shop for Search Engines). If your item titles are too short they will not grab a buyer's attention, and if they are too long they will distract buyers, so balance is key. It's great to be creative in your titles for your branding, but we recommend beginning titles with the specifics. Try to think like a buyer and use words that your customers would use when searching. Generic-sounding titles don't attract potential buyers as well as specific titles, so don't be afraid to be specific! You'll improve your targeting and attract more buyers in the market for your items.

Q: How important is the order of your item's tags?
A: Your first tag is your item's top-level category. If you are interested in promoting your item in a Subcategory Showcase, your next tag should match that Subcategory. We suggest tagging in order of importance, and in general for each of the item fields (Tags, Titles, Descriptions, Materials), go with the most important information first. Note: Major changes to tagging guidelines or the listing process will be communicated in advance. Our current tagging guidelines still apply.

Q: Should I use all 14 tags?
A: Yes! It is important to use 14 relevant tags that properly describe your item. See this article on tagging for lots of tips!

Q: Should I be tagging a striped item with "stripes," "striped" and "stripe"?
A: No. Using the root word "stripe" is enough, and our search function will pick up these variations. No need to use multiple variations of a word.

Q: What about "floral" and "flowers"?
A: Yes. Those words are different enough to be used as two different tags.

Q: How much of your item's description shows up in a Google search result?
A: The first 160 characters of your item description appear in Google search results, so be sure to include the most important information first! Be as specific as possible and use words that you think your customers would use. Item dimensions and measurements are important pieces of information for buyers but can go lower down in your description. Lots of great information on search engine optimization can be found in this article.

Q: I sell soy candles. Should I be adding "soy" to my item titles, tags and descriptions?
A: Yes. The fact that your candles are made of soy is an important selling point. Include this information in the title, description and as a tag, as it is relevant information.

Q: I've heard that if I use only a few tags my items will show up higher in search results sorted by Most Relevant.
A: The best strategy for placement in search results sorted by Most Relevant is to describe your items accurately and thoroughly, using words your customers would use. It's important to follow our guidelines for tagging and to keep your tags relevant (and to use them all!). Improvements to relevancy on Etsy are being rolled out regularly and frequently, with the goal of matching well tagged, thoroughly described items with the often very specific searches shoppers are performing.

Remember, if a shopper is searching for "emerald green earrings" and you've only tagged your item "jewelry," for example, your item won't be found in that shopper's search results. When you describe your item thoroughly and accurately with specifics and details, you give your item more opportunities to be found by buyers looking for your items. Items not described well are simply not seen by the right people. Also, note that optimizing a listing for a single search term you have in mind will actually limit your visibility — you won't appear in as many searches as you might otherwise. The more tags you can use the better.

See this article for more tips on optimizing your listings for search results sorted by Most Relevant.

Q: What percentage of searches on Etsy are currently using the Most Relevant option?
A: A very small percentage of searches on Etsy (less than 1 percent) are currently being sorted by Most Relevant. The Most Relevant search option is not the default search option. It is a feature in active development and updates are being rolled out regularly and frequently behind the scenes, just as with other search engines. Searches sorted by Most Relevant are leading to purchases at a higher rate than searches sorted by Most Recently Listed, and we're actively monitoring the performance of the Most Relevant search option — as well as your feedback — to make it even better.

Q: How important are Materials in search results sorted by Most Relevant?
A: Materials are a factor in search results sorted by Most Relevant, but not an important one. Item tags, titles and descriptions, in that order, are the most important item fields in search results sorted by Most Relevant. However, don't forget that Materials is an option in the Advanced Search.

Q: Why is item listing date a consideration in search results sorted by Most Relevant?
A: It's true, an item's listing date is also a factor in determining relevancy, though not the most important one. We've found shoppers value fresh results for their favorite searches. This is common among other search engines — you'll find Google often returns relevant and current (recently updated) results.

Q: If I put "free shipping" at the beginning of my title, will that hurt me?
A: It can. Remember that in Gallery view, Etsy shoppers can only see the first 18 characters of your title, and you have a better chance of making a sale when you attract shoppers that are searching for specific things. People do perform searches for "free shipping," but they usually qualify those searches with something specific. We recommend doing the same: include "free shipping" in your title if you like, but start with something more specific.

Q: Does using your Etsy Team tag hurt your item's performance in search results sorted by Most Relevant?
A: Team tags are relevant for Team-related searches. Using one or two Team tags will not hurt your chances of being found in search results sorted by Most Relevant.

Q: Is the price of an item a factor in relevancy?
A: No. Price is not a factor in search results sorted by Most Relevant.

Q: How would you tag something that can be made in any color scheme?
A: Use "custom" or "personalized" as a tag.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Seller Workshop Virtual Lab! Please keep an eye on the Virtual Labs schedule to find out about upcoming Seller Workshops. (EDITOR'S NOTE: The previously noted discussion about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on June 15 has been postponed.)

Related Articles:

Quit Your Day Job: 5 Tips from 50 Who've Done It (and Counting!)

2009-06-01T14:34:00-05:00

Over the past several months we have shared the stories of over 50 sellers who have been able to quit their day jobs due to their selling success on Etsy. We're far from finished and are thrilled at the response we've seen with this growing series. We've scoured past articles to find out just what it is all of these successful sellers seem to have in common. We've compiled a list of the most frequently given advice below, as well as other similarities we've noticed from other sellers who have been able to make Etsy their full-time gig.

Top selling tips and traits from Quit Your Day Job features:

Sellers making their living full-time often stress the importance of taking great product photographs. You don't need to hire a professional photographer or be one yourself in order to take great shots, and can find some great photography tips here.
Successful sellers know how to stay visible on and off Etsy. They recommend listing new items frequently and renewing best selling and popular items if you don't have new products to list each day. These sellers develop relationships with bloggers that write to their target audiences outside of Etsy, and suggest talking about your business in a professional way as much as you can in the real world.
Another common trait among full-time sellers is their expert level of customer service. They feel excellent, quick, and friendly communication is vital to the success of their businesses. These sellers take great care in the packaging and branding of their products and will do what it takes to make their customers happy. Excellent customer service has been one of the keys in these sellers gaining repeat customers — who in turn tell their friends where to shop.
Time and time again we see full-time sellers explaining how they treat their Etsy shops like a full-time business. These sellers take the time to get their business licenses, set up expense accounts, and have learned how to manage their time accordingly. While many of these sellers tell tales of 12 hour work days, they attest to never feeling more fulfilled.
Finally, the most common trait we've gathered from our 50 featured Quit Your Day Job sellers is the fact that they absolutely love the freedom of being their own bosses and working under their own schedules, but the one thing they miss the most about having a day job is the social interaction with their friends and co-workers.

For additional selling tips and more advice for a successful Etsy shop, please have a look at our Seller Handbook. We'd love to hear your tips for selling success on Etsy; please share them in the comments section below.

If you've quit your day job and want to be featured in this series, you can get in touch by sending a convo to marymary with information about your story.

Your Shop 101: Hitting the Sweet Spot with Etsy's Most Relevant Search

2009-05-21T13:33:00-05:00

What's the ultimate goal of the Most Relevant option in Etsy's Search? To get shoppers more quickly to the exact items they want. But how does Etsy get them there? The answer is bound up in our site's collaboration with you, our sellers. We need sellers to create listings that accurately and fully represent their items. The goal, really, is to arrive at that magical moment — that sweet spot — when shoppers find the items they love and sellers do the happy dance!

Although that sweet spot feels magical, there are a lot of algorithms and number crunching going on behind the scenes. Etsy's Most Relevant Search is a living feature in active development, and it will evolve over time as we monitor its performance and make improvements to the listing process. However, as a seller, you can follow these golden rules when listing your items:

"ANY 3-Letter Word in ASL Your Choice" By MoonlightAura

Tags: Tags, also known as "keywords," are the most important part of your listing! Sellers can use up to 14 tags right now; use as many as you can to accurately describe your item. Use the most important words in the tags, even if they are in your title. Remember, the first tag determines the category your item. Look at that category's subcategories and include the relevant one as one of your tags as well. Please see this how-to for thorough tagging guidelines.

Titles: Titles can be a catchy and creative way to lure in a shopper, but keep in mind that titles should also be descriptive. Think about it from the computer's point of view: a computer is not going to understand something titled "Welcome to My World," even if that is a really awesome title for your self-portrait art photograph. "Self-Portrait Art Photograph - Welcome to My World" may not be quite as catchy, but our computer friend crunching the algorithm will know how to translate that for relevant searches.

Also, consider if from the point of view of a shopper who is scanning a search results page in Gallery view: when you put your descriptive title first, those words quickly communicate what your item actually is to the shopper. Then when they click through to your listing page, they'll see the rest of the title and get hooked by your clever branding.

Super long and unnaturally written titles don't work well for Most Relevant, and they are unappealing to shoppers. A good, accurate, buyer-friendly title can help your relevancy; a super-long title, jam-packed with keywords — or, conversely, a short title with no descriptive information — will hurt it. Aim for the "sweet spot" in the middle here. Make sure to put very important search words, such as what the item is, in the title. For more tips on Titles, see this how-to.

Descriptions: Thorough and meaty descriptions will boost your relevancy. Having inadequate descriptions for your items will bring down your relevancy. Think about what keywords your ideal buyer would be using in her searches, and try to weave that into the story you're telling.

For example, "This handmade lamp would fit into a chic, modern home or office decor — perfect for contemporary design collectors. When designing this lamp, I was inspired by mid-century interiors and decor, so my piece has a bit of a retro furniture style. Its glossy finish and vivid green make this lamp a statement piece for your living room or workplace. I made this ceramic lamp by hand with a special glaze and fit it with standard hardware. It measures 16 inches high and 6 inches wide. Lamp shade is not included." This is just an example to illustrate that considering your target market when writing your descriptions will lead to proper relevancy.

ElizabethOcean's paper doll description includes the words "Bike Messenger, Rockabilly, Steampunk, Rollerderby, Goth Lolita"...because you can't fit all that in a title!

Extra tip: If you've made the item, use the active (not passive) voice. For example, "I made this item using reclaimed silver." Passive voice works better for vintage items: "This item was made with reclaimed silver."

While you want your descriptions to be thorough, you don't want them to be intimidatingly long blocks of text. Many online shoppers simply scan text. Daniellexo, the Etsy Admin who runs the Etsy Success email list, suggests breaking out your description text into easy to read paragraphs. She notes that you can use bullet points to call out important info, like dimensions, customizations or alternate sizing. For more tips on Descriptions, see these how-tos.

Extra tip: Following the instruction is this how-to will also be good for your search results in Google and other search engines. Learn more about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Etsy here.

I found this Haute Potato Bag by SasakiCreations by searching Materials for "potato sack."

Materials: Fill this section out accurately with all of the materials that are used in your item. Think in terms of supplies (for example: chain, fabric) and content (for example: metal, copper, cotton). Most Relevant takes Materials into account as well as Tags, Titles and Descriptions; however, Materials are weighted lower than these others. Also, remember that shoppers can choose to search by Materials in the Advanced Search page.

Recency: An item's listing date is also an important factor in determining relevancy, as we've found shoppers value fresh results for their favorite searches. Sellers should experiment with what time of day and which days of the week work best for their types of items. Consider things like time zones and climates around the world. What time of day do you think your customers are on the hunt? Use the Craftcult site (craftcult.org), and scan the times that your items and shop get hearted. What times are bringing the best results?

To reiterate, Most Relevant will be an evolving site feature, and this is normal for search algorithms around the Web. Thank you, sellers, for taking the time to make your listings the best they can be. We know this is a time-consuming process, but we hope that the results will benefit both you and your buyers and create that magic moment. We want you doing the happy dance!

Please join Etsy Admin Daniellexo and Sean11 for a Tags, Titles, Materials and Descriptions discussion in the Virtual Labs on Thursday, May 28, 2009 at 3 p.m. ET. Please bring any questions you have.

Inside A Mother-Daughter Shop: The Story of a Mouse and her Chic

2009-04-30T10:15:00-05:00

When Carmen Marti bought a new sewing machine and gave her 25 year old Singer to her daughter Jamie Halleckson, little did she know what it would lead to. Carmen has sewn since the age of five, when her grandma and mom taught her to sew Barbie clothes. As a single mom, Carmen stitched up many outfits and toys for her only child, Jamie. She had always hoped that one day Jamie would show an interest in sharing her passion. Well, along came Etsy and the 25 year old Singer sprang to life. Jamie and Carmen have been stitching up kitchen and household delights ever since.

They run their Etsy business from two locations, 120 miles apart. Jamie lives in a suburb of St. Paul and Carmen lives in northern Minnesota. The name City Chic Country Mouse is an accurate characterization for the personalities and lifestyles of these two women. Carmen uses her expertise in pattern making, design and sewing, while Jamie has her hands full with marketing, photography, listing, shipping, accounting, and now blogging, too! She is currently a student in the online blogging course offered by Holly from decor8.

Buttons by SLGdesigns

Jamie adores this print from Shanon of SLGdesigns. It hangs in her sewing room and is also the wallpaper on her laptop downloaded from Kindred. Jamie contacted Shanon about the possibility of doing a photoshoot at her home. Shanon kindly agreed and came over to take photos of the mother-daughter team in action. How wonderful to meet a local Etsy artist!

One of the influential factors in starting an Etsy shop was the discovery of a unique store in NE, Minneapolis called Crafty Planet. Jamie and Carmen fell in love with the unique fabrics and atmosphere of this eclectic shop. The owners, Trish Hoskins, along with Rebecca Yaker (known for her sock monkey apparel) are in the process of writing a book, 101 One Yard Wonders, which will be out in October 2009. Jamie and Carmen will have two of their patterns included!

Photo by SLGdesigns

These two women work together when determining which fabric combinations work well for each of their designs. Jamie is now learning the secrets to sewing that her mom has always longed to teach her. The logistics can at times create challenges for the duo, such as when a customer requests a specific fabric, and that fabric just happens to be at Jamie's house, or when the item to be listed has just been completed and is ready to be photographed is at Carmen's. These ladies do get together for what they call "marathon sewing sessions" once or twice a month. It is here that you see how well this mother-daughter team works together.

In order to accomplish as much as possible during a marathon, they plan easy meals that can be eaten all weekend long, such as soups, salads or slow cooker recipes, and stock up on dog treats for their fur babies. They say that their best ideas come out of these marathons. It's obvious watching this mother-daughter team that the two are closely in sync and have a mutual respect for each other's ideas.

Little Chicks by Whisker Graphics

Once the name for the business had been decided upon, a banner, avatar and business cards were needed. The ladies saw this chick from Whisker Graphics and immediately knew this was the style they wanted. Whitney worked with them to develop a cohesive look for their entire shop, including a shop banner, blog header, business cards, and packaging.

In addition, this mom and daughter team has ventured into the wholesale market. After receiving several inquiries, Jamie decided to put together a brochure that could be sent to potential wholesale purchasers. The very first wholesale order came from a shop the ladies often purchase their fabric from, fabricpalooza, for her lovely new shop in North Carolina.

When starting their Etsy business Jamie and Carmen had no idea where it would lead. They have discovered a wealth of information and expertise in the Etsy community, and they have formed many new friendships while building their business. They always knew they wanted to have some sort of business together, but they had no idea how fulfilling and fun this "little" Etsy business would be!

More Mother-Daughter Stories | Classic Gifts for Mom

Guidelines & Tips: Tagging on Etsy

2009-03-25T14:20:00-05:00

Tags are keywords sellers attach to their items in the item listing process. When searching for the perfect handmade or vintage item or supply on Etsy, a shopper will browse Categories, or more often, use Search to find their items. Since tags are keywords for Search, and they are also used to organize items in Categories and Subcategories, it's important to understand how to tag your items correctly and effectively so that buyers can find them!

The step-by-step guide below will give you 13 ideas for good tags to help buyers find your item and help it get featured. If you are having a hard time thinking of tags, look in your title and description for keywords.

Please see special rules and help for Art, Bags and Purses, Bath and Beauty, and Clothing at the bottom.

TAGGING SUGGESTIONS AND IDEAS

For your first tag, choose a main Category from the drop-down.

If the item is handmade or hand-altered by you, your first tag can be any category but vintage.
- Don't use the tag commercial.
- Handmade crafting supplies? Your first tag can be supplies or another appropriate handmade category.

If you're not sure, go to the Categories page, and see if your item is a Subcategory of any Category. Or, do a search for like items and see what Category most of the items are listed in. Eg. Does an apron go in Accessories or Clothing? Doing a quick check will help you find apron listed under the Accessories Category here.

If your item fits in two categories (eg. Children and Clothing), you may pick which one you use for your top category tag. Try to decide where might a shopper look first.

Only select vintage if the item is 20 years or older. See more on vintage items here.

Now you will choose your remaining 13 tags.

The order of them does not matter. Related tags will pop up as you add tags, remember these are only suggestions that *might* apply to your item. You may choose any that accurately describe your item.
You may also create your own tags based on what will be most accurate for your item. Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself:

1. What is it?

Tip: Don't pick any words that are related, but not what it is. Eg. Don't tag bracelets with "earrings".

Tip: If the word describes what something is, don't use that unless your item *is* that. Eg. Don't tag a tote bag with "clutch", even though you can clutch it in your hand. Don't tag anything but a dress with dress. Eg. Don't tag cookies with "tea" or "coffee", even though you can eat them with these drinks.

2. What is it specifically? What type?

Eg. Hoop (for earrings), v-neck (for sweaters), long sleeve (shirt).

3. Who is it for?

Tip: You may pick as many correct ones as you want. Eg. women, men, baby, children, boy, girl, adult, pets, dog, cat.

4. What is the main material?

Tip: Add the major material to your tags, if it is something you think a buyer might search for to find your item. Add minor materials or component materials to the "materials" box on page 1. Eg. leather, cotton, canvas, felt, metal, 14K gold, sterling silver, glass. If there are two words to describe a material, use them both, as separate tags. Eg. cotton, canvas. metal, 14K gold. mahogany, wood. merino, wool.

5. What is the main color?

Tip: Buyers are not likely to look for minor colors in your piece, so stick to the main color(s) or important color combos! Eg. white, black, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple.

6. What method or technique did you use to make it? Only relevant for some items.

Eg. hammered (for metal jewelry), burned (for woodworking), appliqued, embroidered.

7. Where will the item be used? Only relevant for some items.

Eg. kitchen, hair, office, beach, garden, car, nursery.

8. What size is it?

Eg. small, extra large, 7mm, 18in, 8x10.

9. What style is it?

Eg. goth, victorian, hippie, punk, impressionist, post-modern, feminine, sophisticated, southwestern.

Eg. sweet, spicy, salty (for bath and beauty and food items).

10. Imagery or motifs that are on the item.

Eg. owl, landscape, nature, Marilyn Monroe.

11. Are there synonyms?

Tip: Use these if the word means exactly the same thing as the tag you already used, it is accurate for your item, and you think it will be an important search term that buyers will look for. Eg. Infant for young babies, handbag for purses and clutches, toddler for children 18 months - 3 years, drink for coffee, trousers for pants.

12. Mature content items must have the tag "mature".

Mature content is defined as: sexual activity or content, profane language or graphic violence. Artful representations of the nude human figure do not need the tag "mature".

13. Don't tag with potential uses for the item.

Eg. Don't use "stocking stuffer" or "gift" as tags. Do not tag a messenger bag with "backpack", even though you can wear it on your back. Don't tag a blank book with "poetry".

14. Don't put multiple words in one tag box, unless they are a phrase.

Eg. Do tag with "sterling silver". Don't tag with "silver earrings", these should be two different tags.

Helpful Tips

Feeling stuck? Look to your item description for keywords to use as tags.

Check out this list of colors to inspire using more than just a simple "blue" tag. What about "Cornflower Blue", instead?

Use a second browser window to navigate through the Categories and Subcategories that pertain to your item. This way you can be sure to include tags for all the Subcategories that relate to your item.

If you sell similar items in your shop, it is helpful to create a listing template on your desktop with your most commonly used tags. This way you can quickly pick and choose which ones are appropriate and just copy and paste them into place.

Using Google's Keyword Tool or Yahoo's Keyword Selector Tool will help you generate a list of the most popular related search words and phrases. This involves a good amount of time and research, but can be a valuable tool to help create a list of the most commonly searched for words to use as tags.

You do not have to duplicate words found in a compound tag. Eg. "sterling silver" does not also have to appear as "sterling, silver".

Common Definitions of Tags by Category

Art: All 2D artwork is either an original or reproduction, but not both.

Original: for original 2D artwork only.

Reproduction: for copies or reproductions of your original 2D artwork.

Bags and Purses:

Only tag your bag or purse with the correct terms (as defined below) so buyers can find what they are looking for. Almost all items should only be tagged with one of these.

Backpack: primarily meant to be worn on the back. With rare exception, has two straps that are worn over both shoulders at the same time. Messenger bags and tote bags are not backpacks.

Clutch: small (sometimes medium sized), usually flat bag primarily meant to be carried in the hand. Usually does not have straps. Wallets and simple zip-top cotton pouches are not clutches.

Diaper Bag: a large bag with multiple interior and/or exterior pockets. Main purpose is to be used to carry diapers and baby items. A messenger bag or backpack is not a diaper bag. A tote with no pockets is not a diaper bag.

Laptop Bag or Sleeve: A padded bag designed to snugly fit and protect a laptop.

Messenger Bag: A medium to large sized bag with one wide, long strap that is long enough to wear crossing the chest, over one shoulder, to waist.

Pouch: a small to medium sized bag, usually with a zipper. Not worn as a woman's handbag or "carrying bag"- usually holds items within a larger bag.

Purse: a women's bag with 1 or 2 straps or handles, worn over one shoulder, or carried in the hand.

Tote: Bag with two long straps, that is meant to be worn over the shoulder.

Wallet: Primary function is to hold money and credit cards. Not worn as a handbag or carrying bag — it goes inside another bag. A simple pouch with no inner dividers is not a wallet.

Wristlet: A bag with a looped strap that is wide enough to wear on the wrist.

Bath and Beauty:

Body Wash: liquid, gel, or other non-solid body wash. Solid soap is not body wash.

Fragrance: perfume, cologne, eau de toilette. Not scented lotions or soaps. Use the tag scented instead.

Oil: for products in oil form. For products containing oil, list the name of the oil as a tag, but do not use the tag oil by itself. Eg. jojoba oil.

Vegan: contains no animal products, or products directly produced by animals, even if the animals are not harmed. No honey, no milk, etc. See this how-to on tagging vegan items.

Clothing:

Dress: means an actual dress, not formal wear.

Plus Size: size 16 (USA) or larger.

Sweater: an actual sweater, not scarves or other things made of sweater material. The name for sweater material is knit, or knitted or sweater knit or "crocheted." Not a sweatshirt.

If you notice a seller misusing tags, you may report it to flagged@etsy.com.

If you would like to share any of your own tagging tips, or have questions about how to tag your items, please ask in the forums. Check out our other tagging how-tos for more help.

Seller Handbook | Shop Makeover Series

Shop Makeover: Welcome to Your Online Presence

2009-01-22T14:00:00-05:00

Sellers, you may want to print out this Shop Makeover post and subtly plant it on the desk of your friend or family member who needs a nudge into the 21st-century and all that the web has to offer for independent artists and designers. Or, maybe it's you that has thought about taking the plunge to start selling online, but is still standing on the shore... well, have no fear...

This is a Shop Makeover for the crafter or artist who has, as of yet, only delved into the real, "offline" world of selling their art, craft, or vintage wares. This makeover is meant to transform the physical "brick and mortar" seller into a lovely online indiepreneurial swan!

(...We're joking with that crack about the swan.) As most successful artists and crafters would agree, you need to do what is best for you, and there is no one right approach for everyone. Many choose to sell through boutiques, galleries, trade shows, craft fairs, and other venues in addition to selling online. An online presence is just another option, with its own perks and drawbacks.

So, why get online?

Online Storefronts Have Low Overhead:
Get online and stake your claim on some sweet 'n' cheap web real estate! The low cost associated with an online presence is pretty hard to beat. A perfect starting point for online marketing is your own web address, or url. (This will act as your home base to which you can direct all your marketing efforts. Ideally, it will be someplace where people can buy your work, but at the very least, consider a photo sharing or portfolio hosting site.) If you have the ability or the resources, you can build your own website, or you could join a site that hosts independents shops, which is very affordable. Of course, we recommend Etsy (we work here!), but many options are available with varying features and costs. (You can get all the details on opening an Etsy shop here.) cobblerscabin points out that there are "no major expenses in starting online as there are in craft fairs such as tents, entrance fees, displays, etc. You don't have to transport all your items and do set ups and take downs." But remember, even if you only wish to present your crafts or artwork to brick and mortar stores or galleries within your city, an online address can be just the professional calling card you need show off your latest work — especially as more and more people are using the internet as a research tool prior to reaching out and making an initial contact.

Which brings us to our next point...

Peer Pressure (Get Online — Everybody's Doing It):
The digital era is here and now and it's only going to be made obsolete by something even crazier! Possibly... but seriously folks, online shopping is so very common these days. According to Nielson's January 2008 study (and that's a year ago, already), "More than 85 percent of the world’s online population has used the Internet to make a purchase—increasing the market for online shopping by 40 percent in the past two years—according to the latest Nielsen Global Online Survey on Internet shopping habits. Globally, more than half of Internet users have made at least one purchase online in the past month, according to Nielsen." During this economic crisis, people are still shopping online, even if it has slowed apace with offline shopping. Even shoppers that might primarily buy from you in a shop or craft fair might want to find you later. MamaVSoap underscores the benefit of having a web presence, "As a buyer, I have a problem when I purchase a small item at a craft fair and then can never find the seller again."

Pervasive Time and Space:
You can reach an audience of potential customers beyond borders and make connections to people in foreign countries. This opens your shop up to different time zones, and, even more close to home, you can "extend your hours" by having an online presence. gufobardo, who is based in Sardinia, likes that her shop is open 24/7. The internet never sleeps! We've witnessed this right here at Etsy, as it has grown into more and more of a global marketplace. The internet also doesn't have bad weather! HendersonPipes has been disappointed by craft fair turn outs,"Paying a large table fee and then having Michigan weather dump a bunch of snow, keeping people home, is a huge downer." That said, being "placeless" online can be challenging — where do you hang your sign for all to see? You'll need to put yourself in front of "virtual foot traffic" where online shoppers will find links to your items. Many sellers do this by purchasing ads, joining group marketplaces where they know shoppers will be searching for products with keywords or "tags", and by generating buzz through print and blog coverage. Another challenge? "It's difficult to stop 'working' on your Etsy shop. It's so much fun, it's hard to say 'I'm done for the day,'" says littleTstudio.

No Face Time:
This is one aspect of selling online that feels very different for the real-life-entrenched, and for some folks, the lack of face-to-face interaction with customers is a bonus. Selling online works particularly well for shy people or people that have a hard time acting as a "salesperson live and in person" as thedreamygiraffe put it, and hey, also people who like to stay in their "jammies" all day, as FashionCandy says. Parents who want to be with their children can work from home, as BululuStudio noted. But for some people, selling online feels, well, isolating and too "computery." In other words, if you thrive off of your embodied presence, it may take some time to figure out how to translate that through a keyboard. Direct emails or the Etsy email system (called "Conversations" or "convos") are a fairly intimate way of communicating with customers, and it's up to you to find your own professional/friendly tone. Online language may be chirpier and come in quick spurts (especially for Twitterers), whereas some forum-regulars prefer on-going text-based discussions, while some folks like the interactivity of the Chatrooms and the real-time, webcam-enabled Virtual Labs. Bloggers will tell you that sharing their lives and creative processes through their blogs can garner them quite a following. So in a way, you get to document your life and have your face-time on your own terms (on your good hair days). All kidding aside, it's an art form in itself to be able to express your personality and your vision largely through text and photos (perhaps short videos too). There is the flip side of face-time: you'll need to get close to your postal carrier! As sugarlotusdesigns pointed out, she's still trying to figure out the "complexities of postal rates!"

Get the Tech (the Hard and Software of Selling Online):
We know a couple of people who seem to have this electric charge running through their bodies that makes computers just randomly start whirring and hiccuping until they're kaput. So if this is you, you need to do something about that (take tai-chi classes?), because there's no denying that you're going to need some electronic equipment if you want to sell online. Once that's taken care of, the required gadgetry is pretty straightforward. You'll need a digital camera. You'll need a fairly speedy internet connection. You'll need a computer with enough juice to store photos and run Photoshop and a word-processing program (though you can use Picnik and Google Docs which are free browser-based applications). And you'll need to enjoy these things! It takes time and passion to shoot photos that conjure the artistry of your pieces. You have to be able to sign in and check on your online presence often. Just because you aren't physically there, doesn't mean you don't have to be virtually "there" and checking to see if you got messages or sales.

It can be daunting, true, but launching your online presence can be a very fruitful endeavor if you stick with it. One of the most amazing things about Etsy is the community of sellers who will share advice and how-tos. We will welcome you!

What do YOU tell your friend or loved one who views selling online with trepidation, but has the potential to start an Etsy shop that would blow everyone away? Comment below! For more, see also this forum thread where sellers quoted in this post shared their experiences.

And if you're participating in the Shop Makeover Series, post a link to your before and after shots! Check out the Etsy Shop Makeover Flickr pool here.

Seller Handbook | Shop Makeover Series

Seller How-To: Fostering Repeat Business

2008-12-18T11:15:00-05:00

I ran some very scientific and fancy tests here at the Etsy Labs and I found out a few things about customer loyalty.

It costs a whole lot more (or some might say, a heck of a lot more) to gain a new buyer than to retain your current buyers.
When those buyers come back, they spend more! This is because when they do come back, they trust you a little more and are willing to spend a little more.
Return customers are also more likely to chat up your shop to friends. So here are some things to think about to help you build a great group of loyal customers.

Create new “episodes”. I’m sure you’ve been a loyal follower of a sitcom or drama. Why is that? You felt “connected” to these characters and plot developments, right? How can you get your customers to tune in?

Be consistent! Give your customers something to tune into every week. A new design weekly, perhaps?
How about updates on your life as an artist? Put these in your shop announcement. Short, sweet, statements that keep your customers connected and wondering what you might be up to next week.
Weekly blog posts on certain subjects, etc. Tuesday Etsy Picks, Wednesday How-To’s, Thursday’s Free Print of the day. Make sure you link back to your Etsy shop often!
Be a little eccentric. Adding a little bit of intrigue always helps! Don't be afraid to be yourself.

Before the sale

There are a few things you can do, even before you've made a sale to your new loyal customers, to ensure they'll be satisfied.

Make sure you have great policies in order but don’t over promise!
Pay attention to all the little details - keep your item photos and listings as accurate as possible.

Wow Your New Customer

Make it personal right away! Just after a sale be sure to:

Let your buyer know the item has shipped and provide a tracking number if possible.
Ask them to let you know when the receive the item, and to leave feedback if they are happy!
Let them know if they have any “questions” (never use negative terms like “problems” or “issues”) that you are happy to answer them.

Turn That Package into a Gift

Packaging! Make sure that package is wrapped up properly. You want that item to arrive un-jostled!
Make it fun to open. A simple ribbon can turn that purchase into a personal gift for the buyer.
Include a handwritten note. Be sincere and as personal as possible. What do you know about the buyer? At least comment on their location if you have nothing else to go on.
Make sure they know how special they are to you (and they are!)

Stay Connected with your Fans

Think of your core group of customers as your fan base. Here are some things you can do to make sure you stay connected:

Feedback! (Personal feedback, look for clues in your buyers profile, note to seller, or other communications.)
Ask your buyers to sign up for your mailing list and send out questionnaires.
Follow up convo.
A “shout out" on your blog or twitter for special sales or return customers.
Customer appreciation specials (buy 6 soaps this year and your 7th soap is free!).
Chances are, those who have signed up for your mailing lists are past customers. Send out specials that only those who have signed up will know about.
Ask your customers for their help getting the word out! And reward those who do.
Going on vacation? Let them know with a mailing list blast, blog post, shop announcement and Etsy’s vacation mode.
Unveiling a new line? Let your past buyers in on the secret first!
Keep a file with those customers who are on your mailing list along with city. That way if you are doing a show near them you can send out an email!

There you have it: my tips to keeping buyers 'tuned in' to your Etsy channel. So, sellers, how do you keep your buyers coming back and choosing handmade? I'd love to hear it in the comments below!

Don't forget to check out the Seller Handbook - all our how-tos about running your Etsy business!

Shop Makeover Series: Pimp Your Shop for 2009

2008-11-21T14:34:00-05:00

This installment of the Etsy Shop Makeover Series brings you to an important step: now that your shop is fit for public consumption, you gotta spread the word! Daniellexo gives you some tips on social networking and grassroots marketing. (Note: This post was originally published on January 28, 2008, but we've updated and revamped it for the coming year!)

I started on Etsy with blurry pictures and no idea how to run a successful shop. It took a year to make it to the now extinct Top Sellers list, but I did it. I spent roughly 10 hours a day learning about photography, d.i.y. marketing, the right time to list and renew and the other ins and outs of a successful Etsy shop. My first boost of sales came when I was mentioned in a rather popular blog. How did this happen? Not by accident. It took a lot of work. Read on to hear my formula for pimping your shop and getting sales.

Social Networking

Above: NeaWear tastefully "pimps" her shop on Facebook

Sure, you can spend a $1,000 on a tiny, tiny magazine ad. But, unfortunately, you can't click a magazine ad. I'm not saying they aren't good for building a brand, but it takes a lot of work to get a shopper from a magazine to their computer and then to your Etsy shop. I would work on your online presence instead if you are just starting out.

Where to start? First make sure your shop is focused. You need a target market; if you have a shop that's all over the map it will much harder to find your customers. Stick to a demographic, ie. teenage girls, new mothers or hipsters. Of course you can welcome all buyers, but it's easier to market with someone specific in mind.

Now what? Surf around and get familiar with the sites I link to in the rest of this article. Which ones look like the most fun to you? Sign up for those and test them out! When signing up, I suggest using your Etsy username and keeping all your accounts cohesive. You'll be easier to find that way. Now have a look at how much time you have per week. If you have a few extra hours a week, then focus on one or two social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter and Myspace.

Now don't get overwhelmed. Check out these sites and see which ones look the best for your market. It's better to have a few accounts on these sites and stake your own little area of the site instead of spreading yourself too thin. You want to build up your online presence with these tools. Make your accounts attractive to people browsing. The trick is to keep it fun, for you and your followers! Don't just post photos of your products that people can already find in your Etsy shop. Make sure you show them a bit about the maker behind the curtain; describe your process, your studio, your favorites, etc. Talk up your Etsy buddies too — share the love!

Social Networking Sites:
Facebook
Myspace
Virb
Twitter

Social Shopping & Bookmarking

Above: TomokoTahara socially shops on ThisNext, mixing her items with other great finds!

Sharing your picks with others through accounts on social shopping and bookmarking sites can be a great way to promote buying handmade. Make sure you mix promoting your own work with other great finds! Link to your accounts on your blog and in your shop profile.

Social Shopping Sites:

ThisNext
Stylehive
Stylefeeder
Kaboodle
Wishpot
Zebo

Social Bookmarking Sites:
Digg
Squidoo
StumbleUpon
Wists
Magnolia
del.icio.us

Photo Sharing

Above: mLee uses Flickr like a photo journal. I love how her Flickr account is organized into sets.

Flickr is a great site for telling your story through photos. Buyers can start to connect with the maker this way. Showing your family life, process, studios, pets, and more can remind your buyers and friends that there is a real artist behind the work in your Etsy shop! This gives your work an intrinsic value and authenticity you just can't get with a mass produced item!

Blogging

Above: the {NewNew} Team all works together to maintain their well read blog. If you don't have time to regularly update your own blog, sharing the workload by creating a Team blog is a great idea!

A blog is an online journal that your readers can subscribe to in order to learn more about your work, process and life. I would recommend Blogger.com to get started. It's pretty easy to set up. Just like the social networking sites, you want to make your blog interesting and fun. Show your readers a bit about your life, your process, things you've purchased, places you've been, etc. Join the Etsy blog ring once you get going! I started a shopping blog, Gold School. I still have about 50 readers a day. I show them items I like that are reasonably priced (90% Etsy items by the way). I also have a link in my blog to my Etsy shop. That way, my faithful readers might think, "Wow. I like this gal's taste! I wonder what she makes?"

Above: PearsonMaron's Twitter always makes me smile!

Don't have time for blogging? How about micro-blogging? Twitter.com asks one question: 'What are you doing?' Answers must be under 140 characters in length and can be sent via mobile texting, instant message, or the web. You can follow your contacts and gather followers. It's fun and addicting! Make sure you aren't just blogging about your work though — like usual, keep it interesting and fun! (Like PearsonMaron's tweets above!)

More sites to check out:

Niche Networking:
Ravelry (knit & crochet)
Designs To Love
DeviantArt (fine art)
Craftster.org (crafting)
DIYscene (D.I.Y. & alternative crafting)
BurdaStyle (sewing)

Skill Sharing:
Instructibles
Thingiverse

Video:
YouTube
Vimeo
Blip

Now get down a little routine.
Perhaps when you wake up you take a few pictures and upload them to Flickr. Then you blog about your strange dreams. Then you add a new item to Etsy and send it to all your social shopping sites. (Tip: Send your favorites to these social shopping and bookmarking sites too! If it's obvious you are just trying to pimp yourself people won't come back to see what else you've added.) Before bed work on your Myspace, perhaps.

From here you'll start collecting like minded social shoppers and perhaps you've bumped into a few blogs you like. Good! Bookmark those. You're going to need them. Find a day to yourself. Lock yourself up with some coffee and get motivated. Today you're going to get into a blog! It's cold-calling time.

I'm not going to list any blogs here for fear of 1,000 Etsy sellers contacting the same ones over and over. The trick is to find the blogs your potential shoppers read. Keep your target market in mind. Start with the smaller ones to build up your confidence. Find the bloggers email and really inspect it. What do they value most in the items they feature? How can you pitch your items in a way that would interest them and their readers? Make each email personal and specific to the blog you are writing to. Bloggers can smell a mass email a mile away. And it's not a nice smell. Oh, one more thing: don't just send them a link to your shop. Find the BEST item in your shop (and make sure its a nice clear photograph). Include a little something interesting about this item, how you made it, or about yourself. Make it easy for the blogger if they did choose to blog about your work. Send out as many of these are you can. If you don't get a response or only get one or two do not take it personally. Shopping bloggers get tons of unsolicited items sent to them. Start collecting another set of blogs to write to and have another stab at it.

Here's a sample letter:

Dear Gold School Creator,

I've been reading your blog for a few weeks now and I really love your finds (especially the weiner dog special last week!). They are all really fresh (and cheap)!

I'm writing because I think my work would interest your readers. Here's a link to my most popular item. I started making these when I broke my leg last summer and was immobile. I was so bored watching soaps all day so I decided to start embroidering these Soap Star Hankies.

Thanks for your blog and for supporting independant artist like me!

Happy Holidays,

Sally the Soap Star Hanky Maker

Keep these emails short, sweet, personalized and fun.

Getting Seen on Etsy

Above: ThePeachTree makes some gorgeous Front Page worthy Treasuries. And when these happen to land on the Front Page of Etsy, a link to her shop (just above the items) also gets a little bit of Front Page action!

Here are a few ways to pimp your shop on Etsy:

Make a treasury. I know it's not always easy getting a treasury, but try anyway. Set a timer for the next time a batch of them are about to expire and POUNCE! Keep your favorite items bookmarked and try to create a visually pleasing mix of goods. If you make a great treasury people will be interested in what you are doing in your own shop!
Renew. If you have the budget to renew once or twice a day (or more if you have lots of items in your shop) then I would really suggest it. It keeps you fresh in your category and puts it above other items that were listed before it on Etsy. Try different time of the day as well — I used to wake up in the middle of the night to renew!
(edit 1/30/09- Please note that relisting or renewing will place it above previously listed items on the site, but does not guarantee that it will show up on the front page ticker or in Time Machine 1 or Time Machine 2)
Use your shop name as a tag in your item listings. That way if someone comes to the site and searches for you but mistakenly doesn't change the search drop-down menu to "seller" — your work will still pop up. Also use your shop name in your listings. The more the name of your shop is used on the internet, the more likely it is to come up in a web search.
Forums. Be helpful on the forums. Sure you can also post in the promotions section but you are more likely to be seen in Site Help giving some advice to a newbie. And make sure your avatar is interesting and clear so people will want to check out your shop!
Pitch an article to the Storque here. What are you the most passionate about? Can you write about your process? About your local craft scene? A review on a great sewing machine you just purchased? Let the Storque editors know why this would be a great article, who would be interested in it and why you should be the one to write it.
Comment on Storque articles that you really like. I'm not suggesting to comment on every article. Just those that really call to you. Leave a thoughtful comment and others will see your avatar and might just have a peek at your shop!
Attend Virtual Labs events. They are fun and informative (ok maybe I am a little biased). But they are a great place to connect with the Etsy community and get seen as an active member.
Join an Etsy Team. Of course, don't just join a Team to promote yourself. Join one to bond with other Etsy members and to help each other promote your work and Etsy together!

Troubleshooting

So you've done all this and aren't getting the kind of response you would like? Here are a few things you can do now:

Hire a photographer. This could even be someone who is technically savvy in your family that has a nice camera. Get them to take some pictures for you and give you some tips on working with your own digital camera.
Attend the Etsy Labs critiques and workshops. (Usually every Wednesday and Friday — see the Storque's Online Workshops featured column for times.) You can really pick up some great tips at the critiques and workshops.
Ask a seasoned shopper for advice. Don't be too shy or sensitive! Ask them for their most honest opinion.
Try something new! Keep your shop fresh and dip into another category. Perhaps you'll find a technique or craft you may like even more. Think about a niche or need that may not be met yet on Etsy.

Whew. I hope that helps you and your shop in 2009. If you have any further suggestions for marketing your shop, let everyone know by commenting below! For further questions about selling, check out The Etsy Seller Handbook and the Shop Makeover Series.

[October 5, 2009 UPDATE: We have to close comments here because there are so many, it's slowing down the load of the page!]

Etsy Holiday How-To #5: Shipping

2008-11-11T15:51:00-05:00

After giving you pointers on how to package, photograph and wrap items from your shop, we've finally reached our last Holiday How-To. In our last video, the Etsy Labs staff shows you how to get organized for the upcoming shipping frenzy. So sit back, chisel off another piece of Grandma's fruitcake and soak up our last tip for the holidays!

See more helpful how-tos about your indie biz in the Seller Handbook!

Envelopes in the Supplies Category | Packaging in the Supplies Category

Here are the previous articles in this series:

Etsy Holiday How-To #1: Packaging

Etsy Holiday How-To #2: Branding your Shipping Materials

Etsy Holiday How-To #3: Creating Labels and Hang-Tags

Etsy Holiday How-To #4: Photographing Your Items

[This video was originally published October 15, 2007. We're bringing it back for the '08 season!]

Etsy Holiday How-To #4: Photographing Your Items

2008-10-14T14:24:00-05:00

For our fourth how-to in this series, the Etsy Labs crew escapes the glare of the paparrazi just long enough to show you how to make your item photos look sharp and professional. From backdrops to cropping, learn how to make those JPEGS sparkle and shine!

And remember to stay tuned for our how-to next week!

Here are the previous ones in this series:

Etsy Holiday How-To #1: Packaging

Etsy Holiday How-To #2: Branding your Shipping Materials

Etsy Holiday How-To #3: Creating Labels and Hang-Tags

See more in the Seller Handbook!

[This video was originally published October 12, 2007. We're bringing it back for the '08 season!]

Etsy Holiday How-To #3: Creating Labels and Hang-Tags

2008-10-07T11:21:00-05:00

So, dear seller, you've just figured out how to wrap that 300 lb, giraffe-shaped menorah it took you 4 days to carve. Why not let your buyer know where it came from? Michelle from Etsy Labs gives you some creative techniques for labeling your loot in our third edition of the Holiday How-To series. Check out everyday materials you can use to make hang-tags and easy ways to put a little bling on your labels.

See more helpful how-tos about your indie biz in the Seller Handbook. Don't feel like making your own tags? Support your fellow crafters and get some from them! We'd also love to hear your crafty ideas for making hang-tags and labels in the comments below.

Handmade Hang Tags | Hang Tags in the Supplies Category

[This video was originally published October 12, 2007. We're bringing it back for the '08 season!]

Holiday How-To: Organizing for the Holidays (and Beyond)

2008-10-03T12:43:00-05:00

Managing time can feel like a nearly impossible hurdle. There are lots of books and resources on this topic — most sitting on well-intentioned and very busy readers' bookshelves waiting to be read. We recently had a few Virtual Labs sessions on the topic and we have summarized the highlights below.

Before you start, take some time to think about why time management is so challenging. You may think that it should be an easy concept to master, but it's important to understand why you're having difficulty managing your time in order to address those challenges. Most of us like to focus on the easy tasks so we can feel like we are crossing things off our to-do lists. You may find yourself doing the things that have been requested by others, time sensitive tasks and scheduled or planned activities. Phew! When that is all done, there is not much time for things like attending to your shop, fulfilling orders and all of the creating you want to do for the holidays.

So what to do? There are three key components to time management:

Plan – What do I need to do? When do I need to do it?
Manage – How do I set up a personal system to be most effective and efficient?
Organize – What do I need to do to focus my work and decrease time wasters?

Planning. Start the planning process by setting goals. Make a detailed list of actionable tasks necessary to accomplish that goal. Rank what you will do in the order you plan to achieve it. Below is an example of a goal to reach out to blogs, and the steps necessary to achieve it.

Estimate the time it will take to do each task, remembering to keep in mind all of the other commitments you have. I like to take a calendar and map out the time so I can visually see how long everything will take. Remember to be realistic!

In the planning stages, some other ideas that will help save you time in the long run include:

Pre-ordering Packaging Supplies – Including boxes, international custom forms, bubble wrap and gift wrapping. (Offering gift wrapping is a great service to offer to your buyers.)
Create a Mailing List of Your Customers – For all of those updates you plan to send during the holidays. (Only for those people who have opted in, of course.)
Plan Your Promotional Activities – Order your business cards, stickers, etc. ahead of time and outline other activities such as pitching to blogs or local press.

Manage. It is easy to get distracted during the day, particularly with phone calls, drop in visitors, emails and instant messaging potentially filling up a big portion of the day. Take some time to measure how much of your day you spend doing these activities and you may find there are some hours to take back.

Overall Tips:

Prioritize Your To-do Lists - Accomplish all of the high priority items on your list and fill in with the other tasks as you have time.
Focus on a Few Key Priorities – Decide up front what those are.
Attack the Important and Unpleasant Tasks Early – This will not only give you a big sense of accomplishment for the day, it will also be a huge relief!
Batch Processes – Think about answering emails every two hours, instead of every two minutes. This will save time and will keep you focused on the tasks at hand. You can also do this with instant messaging, making yourself available only at certain times of the day.
Block Time to Do Your Work, Ideally Without Interruptions - This is easier said than done, but if you can do more continuous work, you will get more done in less time.

Organize. There are 3 key areas where you might want to start organizing.

1. Record Keeping: Detailed and accurate record keeping is critical to track your costs, inventory, orders, supply purchase, tracking numbers and payments. You don’t need anything fancy for record keeping. Some options:

Pen & Paper: You can use a notebook, journal or bound general ledger.

Spreadsheets: We have an inventory spreadsheet you can download for free. There are also Etsy sellers that have a wide variety of spreadsheets to fit different needs, including JMMFinance, serena, simple solutions, Lldesign and lots of others.

Accounting Software: For large volumes or more detailed inventory tracking, you might want to consider accounting software packages like Quickbooks or Peachtree.

2. Organizing your computer and email: The ideas below work well for both your desktop and your email inbox.

Organized Desktop. A well organized desktop can help to alleviate many headaches during the holidays. Think about a filing system and what each file will be called. For instance, you might have a file for shipped orders, item descriptions and other components of your Etsy business.
Keep all Etsy-related files together.
Back up your work.
Create templates. Save time when it comes to frequently sent emails and answers to questions.

3. Organize your Space. Some people are fortunate to have a dedicated place in their home for their craft-related work and fulfillment supplies. If you don’t have a dedicated place, you still need to create a system using baskets, closets or whatever space you have. Regardless of your space, thinking about where you will keep your supplies, finished items and shipping supplies, as well as creating a system to utilize those supplies will help keep stress at bay. Mary Ink's work space is a great example of well-functioning, organized place to work. Rachelaustin and many of the other sellers in the Quit Your Day Job series also have great pictures of their organized work spaces that you can peruse for inspiration.

Tips You Can Try Today

1. Identify non-productive habits that absorb your time (and creates ways to limit them).

2. Create a plan and use it. Set goals and plan ahead by breaking down goals into smaller projects with deadlines.

3. Prioritize "to-do" lists every night for the next day.

4. Do the #1 priority task first and stick with it until it is done.

5. Use a calendar to help stay organized.

6. Block time on your calendar to create, or specific goals you are having difficulty accomplishing.

7. Keep specific lists.

8. Manage distractions and control interruptions (e.g. batch email).

9. Learn how to say no politely. (Don't take on more than you can do!)

10. Just do it!!! Even when you are feeling overwhelmed, starting on one piece of work is a great start.

If you have any ideas or input on how you stay organized, leave it in the comments below!

For more how-tos about selling, see the Seller Handbook.

Etsy Holiday How-To #2: Branding your Shipping Materials

2008-09-30T11:36:00-05:00

You know Dasher and Dancer... but do you know from which Etsy seller that fetching present came? In our second segment, Julie shows you how to brand your items by making clever and attractive shipping mailers and envelopes from recycled materials. Here is a PDF file with an envelope pattern.

Keep that coal out of your stocking and tune in to the rest of the series for more Etsy Labs Holiday How-tos on sprucing up your shop, shipping, photography and more!

See more helpful how-tos about your indie biz in the Seller Handbook.

[This video was originally published October 22, 2007. We're bringing it back for the '08 season!]

Tech Update: Vacation Mode for Sellers now live!

2008-09-23T15:30:00-05:00

We're thrilled to announce today that we've just launched two new helpful tools for Etsy sellers to manage their shops: Vacation Mode and Batch Deactivate. These features provide different solutions for sellers to quickly and temporarily "close" a shop or make certain items inactive when they will be away from Etsy for an extended time. Read on to learn all about how to use these new tools in your Etsy shop.

When in Vacation Mode, items in a seller's shop cannot be purchased. The seller's shop will appear empty, with a special vacation announcement. The seller's items can still be viewed via a direct item link (if they are linked from an outside blog for example), and can still be Hearted (added to favorites), but will not appear in site searches or the Category Browser. Buyers can sign up to be notified via email when the seller returns from Vacation Mode.

How it works:

Your personal Vacation Mode settings:

From "Your Etsy" click on "Vacation Mode" under Shop Setup.
The Vacation Mode page has prompts for a vacation announcement, Convo auto-response, and on/off switch.
Enter your desired announcement message and Convo auto-response about being on vacation.
Leave the on/off radio buttons set to "off" if you are just setting up the process at this point and click "Save."

Turning Vacation Mode on and off:

When you are ready to go on vacation, click on Vacation Mode from Your Etsy and set it to "on" and save.
Your shop will now be in Vacation Mode and will function differently:
- Your Shop Announcement has been replaced with your Vacation Announcement.
- Items no longer appear in your shop.
- Any Convos sent to you will get an auto-reply.
- On your Shop page, Potential buyers will see a field where they can opt into having Etsy notify them when the seller returns from vacation. Their email addresses will be kept private.
- On all of your listing pages, a banner appears across the top announcing that the shop is temporarily closed and the "Add to cart" button has been replaced with a greyed-out "on vacation" notice.
- Your items no longer appear in Gift Guides, searches, Category Browser, flash apps such as Pounce, Colors, Shop Local, or Geolocator.

Once you return and are ready to turn off Vacation Mode and reopen your shop, log in and select Vacation Mode from Your Etsy.
Set vacation mode to "Off" and click "Save."
Your shop is now back to normal and your vacation messages are saved for future use.
Any buyers who signed up for an email notification will be sent an email from you alerting them your items are again available for purchase and the email notification list will be reset for future use.

Batch Deactivate:

Along with the new Vacation Mode feature, we have added an additional feature for deactivating (sometimes called placing in "edit mode") and reactivating multiple items at once. With this batch activate/deactivate feature, you can temporarily remove some listings from your shop so that they cannot be seen or purchased. Deactivated listings are not visible to buyers in the seller's shop. Listings also become inactive when you edit them.

How it works:

Log in and go to Your Etsy to see a list of your items currently for sale; you will see a checkbox next to each item.
Select the items you wish to deactivate and at the bottom of the page, click the button to deactivate the selected items and click submit.
You will see a notice at the top of the page telling you the selected items are now inactive, with a link to the list of inactive items.
When you are ready to place your items for sale in your shop again, go to Your Etsy > Inactive Listings and click the check box next to the ones you want to reactivate; then hit the Activate button.

FAQs

Q. Why would I use Vacation Mode for my shop?
A. This would be a great tool for sellers going on an extended vacation or for other occasions when they will not be able to check in regularly on their shops.

Q. How do I put my shop on hold while I am sick or on vacation?
A. To put your shop in Vacation Mode, go to Your Etsy > Vacation Mode. Enter a brief message to replace your normal shop announcement while you are away. You can also write an auto-reply message for your Conversations that will be sent to anyone who sends you a Convo during that time. Your items will be removed from view in your public shop, but will still appear in Favorites.

When you're ready to go on vacation, set Vacation Mode to "On Vacation" and click the red "Save Changes" button.

Q. When should I use batch deactivate instead of Vacation Mode?
A. Sellers may prefer using this option when they only need to remove select items from their shop for a special event, but do not want to take the rest of the items from their shop out of the regular Etsy search. Using the Vacation Mode feature will automatically temporarily remove all listings from your shop.

Q. How do I return from Vacation Mode?
A. Go to Your Etsy > Vacation Mode and set Vacation Mode to "Off", then click the red "Save Changes" button.

Q. When I turn off Vacation Mode or reactivate my deactivated items, will they reappear in the Gift Guides if they were in a Guide before?
A. No, the items will not reappear in the Gift Guides once returning from Vacation Mode or deactivation.

Q. Can I still work on my shop while away and set to Vacation Mode?
A. No, while set on Vacation Mode, you will not be able to do the following: create a new listing, edit a listing, or renew a listing.

Q. What will my listings look like when I am in Vacation Mode?
A. When your shop is in Vacation Mode, your items will not appear in your shop. But if someone has bookmarked or Hearted (favorited) a listing or reaches it from a link on an outside source like a blog, they will still be able to view the listing page. We'll show a notice at the top that you are away. The green "Add to Cart" button will be grayed-out until you return from Vacation Mode.

While in Vacation Mode your items will not appear in search, Gift Guides or the other shopping tools (such as the Geolocator).

Q. Will Vacation Mode automatically turn off?
A. No, you will need to manually turn Vacation mode on and off, even if your shop announcement says you will be back on a certain date.

Q. I'm a buyer. What happens if I sign up to be notified when a seller returns?
A. When a seller is away, a form will appear on their shop homepage letting you sign up for email notification when they return. When the seller’s shop opens back up, we’ll send a short message to the email address on your account. The message will come from Etsy, and will only be sent once.

Q. As a seller, can I see which buyers have signed up to be notified when I return? Can I customize the message they get?
A. In order to respect shoppers' privacy, we do not allow sellers to see which buyers have signed up for notifications. When you return from Vacation Mode, we'll send them a note to let them know you are back. The short message will come from Etsy and is not customizable. If a buyer would like to get in touch with the seller, the buyer can still send the seller a Convo even if the shop is in Vacation Mode.

Q. Will putting my items in vacation mode change the expiration date on them?
A. No. Just like when your item is inactive, the expiration date stays the same.

Q. Can I use the Conversation auto-reply feature without putting my shop in Vacation Mode?
A. At this time, no; auto-reply is only available for shops in Vacation Mode.

Q. Do I have to use Vacation Mode, or can I just post a note in my shop and/or listings that I'm away like I did in the past?
A. Ultimately, it's up to you as a seller to decide which strategy is best for your shop. Posting a notice and keeping your items active while you're away for a short time might be a viable solution for some sellers. Others may decide that they do not want to risk delayed communication or order fulfillment for customers and choose to use Vacation Mode or Batch Edit Mode. It's up to you; we're happy to provide multiple solutions so sellers can choose the best solution to suit their needs.

Q. Can I use the Conversation auto-reply feature without putting my shop in Vacation Mode?
A. At this time, no; auto-reply is only available for shops in Vacation Mode.

Q. Do I have to use Vacation Mode, or can I just post a note in my shop and/or listings that I'm away like I did in the past?
A. Ultimately, it's up to you as a shop owner to decide which strategy is best for your shop. Posting a notice and keeping your items active while you're away for a short time might be a viable solution for some sellers. Others may decide that they do not want to risk delayed communication or order fulfillment for customers and choose to use Vacation Mode or Batch Deactivate. It's up to you; we're happy to provide multiple solutions so sellers can choose the best solution to suit their needs.

As always, we welcome your discussions, constructive feedback and suggestions for improvement with this new Vacation Mode feature. Please use this Forum thread for discussion. We'll close commenting here so that we can consolidate discussion in one place.

Hope you are as excited about this feature as we are!

Etsy Holiday How-To #1: Packaging

2008-09-23T12:13:00-05:00

What? Too soon to start thinking about the holidays, you say?

Not at all. It takes some time to get your Etsy shop ready for the holiday shopping season, so it's best to start now. We know this can be a daunting task.

So we'll be presenting a series of video how-tos to help you get your Etsy shop ready for the holiday season. In our first segment, Mary shows you how to recycle items from around your home to make original, appealing, and eco-friendly packaging. Tune in to the rest of the series for more how-tos on sprucing up your shop, shipping, photography and more!

Click here for a How-To on making your own boxes out of recycled paper.

See the The Etsy Seller Handbook: All Our How-Tos about Selling.

[This video was originally published October 9, 2007. We're bringing it back for the '08 season!]

Holiday How-To: Sagittariusgallery's Top 10 Tips for Newbie Sellers

2008-09-18T11:25:00-05:00

Attention Newbie Sellers!

If you don't know Sagittariusgallery, you should. Not only a painter and an experienced seller, she takes it upon herself to share informative Newbie Guides on the forums (and on the Storque too — see here for her past posts). We invited her to list her Top 10 Crucial Holiday Rush Tips for Newbie Sellers.

The holiday season can be a maddening, glorious time for veteran sellers and newbies alike. For sellers who call the 2008 Holiday Season their first, it can be especially confusing, exciting, and stressful, not knowing what to expect and how to prepare. As a natural "fact finder" (not to mention online sales veteran of six years and Etsy seller since January 2007), I'm constantly looking for ways to make things more manageable, and of course, obsessively categorizing my findings and presenting them in countless forum threads ;)

So, without further ado, I present to you a list of 10 ways to make your life a little bit sweeter as a seller this Holiday season.

P.S. If you have your own helpful holiday tips, please feel free to share them in the comments! We're all in this together :)

1. Just because you post it, doesn't necessarily mean they will come. It is true that there is a "holiday rush" — but even the most successful Etsy businesses had to start somewhere. They needed to learn the ins and outs. They needed to advertise. They needed to learn their demographic, know their target audience...they had to teach themselves the marketing savvy they needed for their businesses to flourish. You need to figure out who you are selling to, find them, and bring them to you. Which brings me to....

2. Utilize targeted outside advertisement. It is up to us to bring potential customers to our storefronts. For example, several artists came together under AndyMathis' The Artist Collective and split the cost of a co-op ad in American Art Collector Magazine – our demographic. Know who your audience is and devise a marketing plan. You are directly responsible for your own success: Don't leave it to chance by dropping links everywhere without a plan. (See here for more advertising how-tos.)

3. Diversify your price points. Etsy has new buyers and sellers signing up every single minute of every single day, so there is no shortage of patrons for what it is you are offering. However, if you only offer products at one price point, you could be cutting out a big chunk of a viable customer base. As an artist, my originals are at a higher price point. I began offering prints of my work to be able to offer my artwork to a wider range of patrons who might not be in the market for a pricey original. My sister, a jewelry artist, offers lower priced earrings and zipper pulls as an alternative to her more expensive pieces utilizing higher end gemstones and metals. (See here for more pricing how-tos.)

4. Set certain times of the day or days of the week aside for certain tasks. Organization is key! For example, I ship on Tuesdays and Fridays. You might want to set aside certain days to ship, certain times of the day to check your email and respond to convos, etc. If it becomes a part of your routine, it becomes easier to keep it all under control. Budget your time accordingly and you'll be less pressed for time and end up less stressed at the end of the day. We all know stress kills productivity! (This post from a WAHM deals with organizing your work day.)

5. Have your shop policies clearly outlined and in order. During a busy retail season, it is wise to keep all pertinent information about your shop at your customer's fingertips. You need to account for the all important impulse purchases. It's not going to be an impulse purchase if a buyer needs to convo you and ask a question. Think of all of the questions you might ask a seller, and answer them within your shop, be it in the shop policies, profile, or the descriptions themselves. What courier do you use to ship your packages? What is your return policy? Do you offer expedited shipping? Do you offer multiple item discounts? Will you offer gift wrapping services? Would you consider sending the package straight to the gift recipient? Do you insure your items during transit? What about tracking? (See here for more policy how-tos.) Ahh...that brings me to another important tip....

6. Try to utilize courier pick up. USPS, FedEX, UPS and DHL all offer online shipping services. Don't want to stand in long post office lines this holiday season? Got a working printer with ink just begging to be used? This is the way to go. All you need is a postal scale (I got mine for 15 bucks on discount – just search online and you'll find them!). You can even order shipping supplies for free for Priority shipments through the Postal Service. (Remember, these free supplies are for Priority shipments only!) It's also important to remember that international shipments will still need to go to the post office directly, but having currier pick up for domestic packages is truly a time saver. (See here for more shipping how-tos.) Speaking of international shipments....

7. Offer international shipping! Etsy is an international site. If you are from the United States and only offer domestic shipping you are cutting out a huge customer base. Shipping internationally is not as scary as you might think. I know that is a big reason people end up holding back. Forms, rules, regulations: it seems daunting, I know. However, it's nothing to shy away from. If you have a question about a country's rules, USPS has a nifty area of their site where you can read up on what is and isn't acceptable as well as how much it will cost you to ship to any destination you choose. Bookmark it and pull it up anytime you have a question.

You can also go to your local post office and ask for a big stack of customs forms so you can fill them out at home instead of in one of the long lines at the post office. It saves time. I will say that the postal service is least expensive shipping option by far for international shipments. The rule of thumb: If it is under 78 inches when you add length and girth (you get the girth by wrapping the measuring tape around the package width wise), then you can send it through the post office to any international destination. Of course, it's important to consult your local post office if you have any questions. They are usually more than willing to help you out!

8. Expect the unexpected. You never know what could happen. Say you advertise in the right spot, a blog picks you up, you get featured, or you end up creating the "it item" for the Holiday season. Are you ready? Start preparation as early as you can to ensure you have enough stock, just in case. This is not to say everyone's shops are going to blow up with orders, but yours could. Plan accordingly.

9. Have a "stop date" in mind for shipping *and* custom orders. Keep in mind many people will be ordering closer and closer to Christmas for a special someone and will expect their gifts in time for the holiday. It might be best to put in your shop announcement the cut off date. With international purchases, it's important to remember that unless you send it guaranteed for a certain date delivery or express, there is no way you can guarantee that a purchase will be there on time. Be up front with your customers about what you can and cannot guarantee to them. They will appreciate it.

10. Last but not least, enjoy the time of year! Don't allow yourself to get overstressed and overworked. Only you know what you can handle. If you have too many custom orders and you've got a convo from someone about one more? Politely let them know you're booked, but appreciate their interest, and ask if you can put them on a waiting list. It's not rude to be upfront (but polite, of course!) that you already have enough on your plate. When you're stressed, it shows in your work — and you want to be able to give each piece (and customer!) the attention they deserve! We do this, after all, because it's what we love to do — and stress can make you want to tear your hair out and make you start to forget why you love what you're doing. Nobody wants that. So sit down, have a cup of cocoa in some cozy pj's, create something awesome and remember how cool it is to be doing what you do!

Read more how-tos for sellers. And post YOUR suggestions for newbie sellers in the comments below!

Holiday How-To: Wholesale on Etsy

2008-09-17T12:03:00-05:00

Have you ever received an inquiry about wholesaling your work from a boutique owner and wondered how to respond? Also, what should you charge? And how do you handle the increased volume of this kind of order? So many questions spring to mind!

With the holidays around the corner, brick and mortar shops are looking to stock up on the perfect gifts! (And where better to start their search than Etsy?) Read on to find out more about wholesaling your work to shops and galleries. Have an experience to share or want to learn more? Leave it in the comments below or join us this Wednesday, September 17th, 2008 at 4pm Eastern in the Virtual Labs (our live online classroom!).

Why Wholesale?

Why should you wholesale your work when you can sell it for more online? There are a few reasons. First, consider the time it takes to photograph, list, promote, package and ship your own work. When you are sending a larger quantity of items to a wholesale account, they do this work for you. Secondly, wholesaling is an opportunity to create a consistent income from recurring wholesale orders. If you wholesale to multiple buyers, this can bring in a steady and large portion of your income.

Tip: Creating items in multiples, as is required for a lot of wholesale orders, can cut down on your labor time (per item) and cost of supplies (if you buy in bulk).

Minimums

The shop owner contacting you might ask you what your "minimum" is. If you've never heard this term, what they are referring to is the minimum order they need to place to receive your work at wholesale prices. They are looking for a dollar amount: for example, if they place an order of $200 or more, they have met your minimum. You should decide what your minimum for wholesale orders is going to be based on your costs. What amount makes the wholesale price worth this discount?

Pricing

Retailers interested in your items are looking to sell your items for double their price. This is called a keystone markup. Keep in mind that many interested retailers might assume your Etsy prices are already at their retail price. This means that when they ask you for your wholesale prices, they are usually interested in the price you have listed on Etsy, cut in half. Many sellers find this a bit of a quandary. When they've listed their items without taking this situation into account, they may find themselves severely undercut if they take 50% off their current prices to take advantage of a wholesaling opportunity. In this situation, you can either increase your Etsy prices or let your wholesale buyers know that your wholesale discount is less than 50%. Both have their own challenges: You need to weigh the pros and cons for both situations and figure out which will be most advantageous for your shop. If you are serious about selling your work in brick and mortar shops, I would suggest increasing your Etsy prices. It is always best to have the prices of your work consistent online and off. This will keep your wholesale buyers happy!

Tip: You can keystone your Etsy price + shipping! If a shopper buys your item from one of your wholesale accounts, they don't have to incur the shipping price. This is a little trick that can help raise your wholesale prices a touch.

For more info on this topic, check out Bethela's great article, Preparing for Wholesaling, from the Art of Pricing series.

Terms

Before you send information, such as your terms of agreement, I would make sure you are dealing with a "legit" buyer. You can ask them for their resale certificate, business license or state tax resellers permit. You should politely ask for more information about their business, not only to see if they are "legit," but to make sure your work will fit in with their customers. If they are local, go and meet the owners in person. If not, make sure you have a look at their website, photos, blogs, etc. Remember, this is your business and you set the rules. If something feels odd, investigate!

When a buyer comes to you wanting wholesale information, make sure you set your terms. We have talked about some of these conditions already, such as minimums. You may also want to set a separate minimum for reorders (i.e. $200 first time wholesale minimum, $100 reorder minimum).

Next, let them know what your shipping fees are for wholesale orders. Definitely include the price of tracking and insuring your packages.

You may also like to mention your return policy in your terms. Many artists will only return defective or damaged merchandise for a certain period, such as within 90 days. This is, of course, up to you.

Lastly, let the buyer know how to order from you. If they have found you via Etsy, let them know you can create a reserved, customized listing in your Etsy shop just for them. (Here's how!) It is perfectly acceptable to ask for complete payment up front! By creating a wholesale listing for them through Etsy, you have a transaction record and more resolution options should the agreement go sour.

Tip: Creating a listing through Etsy for your wholesale buyers can increase your feedback and also serve as a small advertising to other shops who are looking to buy wholesale from you!

Packaging

Packaging is just as important when sending out a wholesale order as it is with an Etsy order. Make sure you have tagged your items with your business name! This way your buyers (online and offline) will connect your work with your brand. Cute, thoughtful packaging will impress your wholesale buyers and their shoppers.

Hopefully, this has shed some light on the sometimes daunting topic of wholesaling! It can be an intimidating step for small business owners, but if you are prepared, this can take your business to the next level. You can find out more about wholesale and consignment in the following Storque articles:

The Art of Pricing: Preparing for Wholesaling | The Ins and Outs of Consignment | Let's Trade: Behind the Scenes at the National Stationery Trade Show

We'd love to hear your wholesaling tips in the comments below or live at our Holiday How-To workshop in the Virtual Labs this Wednesday, September 17th, 2008 at 4pm.

Rocking Holiday Craft Shows

2008-09-11T11:00:00-05:00

Dear Sellers,

Julieincharge and I are off to spread the word about Etsy at Renegade Chicago this weekend, so we have craft shows on the brain. Before we depart for Chicago, we want to help you, dear sellers, get ready for your Fall and Winter craft shows too! Read on and join us September 11th, 2008 at 4pm Eastern in the Virtual Labs for a live discussion on this topic.

First of all, if you haven't done a craft show before, talk to someone who has. The Forums are a great place to start. This 19 page forum post was chock full of great tips that I'm going to reference in this article!

Your Booth

There are many things to consider when planning out your booth set up. First let's touch on display.

littleputbooks says: Use height to fill your booth and attract attention.

I could not agree more! Use risers (how about the boxes you've packed your merchandise in, covered with the same cloth you use for your table?) to create different heights. If you have all your work lying on the table, only a few people can hover over your items at a time. Having different levels allows you to be seen from further away and by more people at once. One little trick? Use magnetic clips or hooks to attach to your tent's legs and hang packaged merchandise from them. I've also spruced up these metal legs with flat magnets with my business logo printed on them. Then people can easily grab your info on the way out — and a magnet is something they are less likely to just toss in the trash.

Now what about you? Does it matter how you put yourself on display? YES! Here are some tips from the Etsy Forums:

molecularmuse says: Oh, and... have an opening line/greeting. (I usually ask if the person wants a free molecule temporary tattoo...)

LittleBirdhouseStore says: Be happy regardless if you are selling or not. I just did a show this weekend and the lady across from me was not doing so well and you could tell it on her face. NO ONE went in her booth because she looked grumpy. So smile, smile, smile. Also know what you are selling, be able to answer questions. "I don't know" doesn't cut it when someone is asking about something you made.

ktracton says: When someone compliments your work, do NOT say "Thank you"! That is a conversation stopper right there. Say, "yes, these are great because...(insert reason here)". This keeps the conversation going and you may make the sale on issues they were initially unaware of.

countrywindows says: I use a director's chair if I do sit down. People can come up to you and talk to you eye to eye, because the chair sits up so high. A lot of people slump down in a lawn chair, and to me, a customer may think that you don't want to get up and [therefore] don't [want to] bother you; I can almost be standing up in a director's chair.

One last tip for your booth: hide your junk!

hairflair says: Have your table covers go all the way to the floor, so you can use underneath for storage.

Want to see what other people are doing with their craft show booths? Check out this Flickr group, Show Me Your Booths. You can also look up the photos from previous year's shows to get some inspiration.

What to Pack

If you are doing an indoor craft show, first of all, thank your lucky stars! You're only going to need to pack a small percentage of the following:

Pens, markers
Paper (scrap and nice paper for signs)
Invoice book
Scissors
Labels and price tags
Tape (EVERY KIND YOU CAN THINK OF: double sided, duct, scotch, packaging. If they make it, bring it.)
Mini-first aid kit (band aids, pain relievers, eye drops, antacids, etc)
Tools (screwdriver, hammer, pliers, wire, zip ties, aka The Crafters Need to Have Supply!)
Weights and tarps for your tent (Tip: bring milk jugs and fill them with water to use as weights)
Apron or waist pouch for change
Plenty of change to put in your apron or waist pouch
Wet naps and hand sanitizer
Water and snacks

Here's my personal tip: Leave your dog at home. I brought mine once to an outdoor show and shoppers would come to my booth and start looking at my work until...they realized I had the cutest dog on earth sitting at the booth. And then they would forget about how much they wanted that bunny necklace and pet my dog instead! Rover can be a serious hindrance to your sales. (I would think a really cute baby would be the same way.) So if you have to bring your baby, child or pet, try to make them look less cute! Unless you sell clothing or accessories for these little creatures, in which case:

littlehanddesign says: I design children's clothes so I TAKE ORDERS! I bring a fabric sample book for ideas & a BIG photo album of past sets & I take orders, hand out tons of cards AND parade cute girls around with cards in my sets to mingle :)

Cash or Credit?

You are going to want to have lots of change on you, especially if you only take cash. Also, decide before you go if you are going to accept checks. It can be awkward to think about this while you have the customer and their checkbook right in front of you.

What about credit cards? Is this your first craft show? You might not want to invest in a credit card service this early. If you've done a few shows and know this is the right route for you, think about using a service through Paypal or Propay to accept credit cards.

AliciaBock says: At my last show 80% of my orders were paid for by credit card. I never had to make change.

Have another service you use to collect credit cards? Let us know in the comments below! This is a hot topic in the among craft show discussions.

Your Inventory

I found some really great tips in the previously mentioned Forum post about inventory. I'm telling you, your fellow crafters are the best resource there is!

madebycarashop says: Don't put WAY too many things on your table—it overwhelms. (I did that my first craft fair—people don't know where to look.)

yippihippi says: madebycara, this is also something I'm learning (don't put too many things on your table at once). I had some bottle cap magnets at a show in July, and people were crazy over them. So what did I do? Run home and make tons more, and filled up my magnet board for my August show. Not a single one sold. I think it was too crowded and there were too many choices. I also wonder if your items look a little more "exclusive" if you find the right balance of amount of product to display.

gentryart says: I sell my gourd art at a reenactment festival. Last year I had 3 or 4 gourds that I was working on, coiling on a pine needle rim. It takes about 30 un-interrupted minutes for a small one. Thank goodness I had helpers. Three different people stopped to watch and asked if they could buy the one I was working on—and later came back after visiting the rest of the show. It took me by surprise, I wasn't expecting to sell these. From now on I ALWAYS demonstrate.

bexcaliber says: Price everything and have lots of signs or information out and visible; people are shy [about] asking sometimes.

DawnLewisImagery says: The best tip I ever read was to have a draw card ... like a giant crocheted squid!!! Something that's not necessarily for sale, but is big and interesting to draw people to your booth. It's a great conversation starter! You know people will ask if it's for sale (even if they don't intend to buy it), which gives a great opportunity to say "No, but his baby brother is." :D

Drop The Hint

If you're doing a show after October 1st, I'd say it's safe to start dropping the Winter Holiday hints. For one show I bought a mini-Christmas tree and tied my earring cards with ribbon and hung them all over the tree like ornaments. Little wintery touches can remind your shoppers that even if this might not be the perfect item for them to purchase for themselves, that it might be just right for their friends or family! I would also think about some great packaging and display one of your wrapped up items. That way it's easy as pie to give an item from your booth as a gift!

If you want more tips and tricks for doing those Holiday Craft shows remember to come out to the Virtual Labs September 11th at 4pm Eastern! See you there!

Find More Craft Show Tips Here:

Penny-wise Product Pushing: Do a Craft Show without Breaking the Bank | How-to Get Ready for a Big Show with the New New Team | Find Your Local Holiday Craft Fair

Holiday How-To: Offering Services

2008-09-08T17:00:00-05:00

Sellers: it's never too early to start thinking about the holiday shopping rush! During the holiday season last year, the Etsy Support Team learned a lot about the issues that sellers face when offering services to Etsy buyers. This season, you may want to offer some promotions and additional services to your customers, and we want to help you be prepared. This article will describe how to provide some of these extras and stay within the DOs & DON'Ts of Etsy. Please follow the links for further information on each of these topics.

Gift Certificates

When selling gift certificates, be sure to create a tangible, physical item for the listing. This could be a traditional paper certificate, notecard or even a digital file that is delivered to the buyer.

More on selling gift certificates in your Etsy shop in this previous Storque article.

Shipping Upgrades

To let buyers know that you can upgrade shipping at their request, you can mention this in your shop announcement, profile or in item descriptions. A buyer can let you know if they need upgraded shipping, and you can then revise the listing or invoice to reflect the shipping changes.

Check out the full article about holiday shipping concerns for more info.

Selling Gift Wrap

All items must be available for purchase, but without requiring other purchases to be made. To offer gift wrapping, the paper needs to be listed as a supply that can be purchased with or without another item. You could write in the item description that if another item is purchased, it can be wrapped in the paper.

For further information on offering gift wrap to your customers, check out this article.

Sales and Other Add-ons in Your Shop

Rather than create a listing to let buyers know about a promotion or add-on, you can include this information in item descriptions, shop announcement, profile or even your banner. Additionally, you can adjust the price of your item in PayPal or make arrangements with the buyer to refund her after she purchases.

How to edit a PayPal invoice to accommodate a price change.

Do you have any questions on these topics or any other holiday rush bugbear and you're concerned about what you can and cannot offer in your shop? Please feel free to contact Etsy's Content Team at content@etsy.com. Happy holidays!

Holiday How-Tos: Online Marketing Tips

2008-09-03T11:40:00-05:00

Dear Sellers,

Now is the time to organize your Holiday marketing plan! Get out your calendars and start plotting your plan of attack. There's lots you prep work you can do right now so that you'll be organized and ready to go for the holidays. The following ideas should help you start thinking about your plan, but really these tips are just the tip of the wintery iceberg. Do you have some tips for your fellow sellers? Please post them in the comments below or join us this Thursday (September 4th, 2008) at 4:00 pm EDT in the Treehouse of the Virtual Labs for a discussion on this topic!

Newsletters

Newsletters are a great way to keep in touch with your customers this holiday season. The first thing you need to do is build your mailing list and choose how you are going to send your newsletters. You can create a Google Group or Yahoo Group for free and by inviting your customers to join these groups (a great place to do this is in your Message To Seller field in Your Etsy), you can build an easy mailing list that is simple to use. (Here's an article I found that can show you how to do this.) If you don't mind paying for a more versatile service try ConstantContact or VerticalResponse (or one of the many other newsletter programs). These will allow you to create HTML newsletters, get stats and creatively manage your contacts.

This does take a bit of work to set up, but once you have your mailing list established, you can easily contact your best customers and let them know of your new items for the holidays or a sale! Another great way to use this is to send out a newsletter a week before the last day they can order from your shop in order to get their package before Christmas to let them know the deadline is fast approaching!

Tip: Remember to ask your customers to opt-in to your mailing list! Emailing about a promo without permission is considered spamming.

Blogging

If you don't have a blog yet, now is the time to set one up! Like newsletters, blogging can keep you in touch with your customer base and let them know about your holiday specials, new designs, deadlines for holiday ordering and more. In addition, you can get your customers thinking about the holidays early by pointing out what you are doing to plan for winter. Blog about gifts you might be giving to friends and family, decorating how-tos, your favorite holiday recipes, etc.

Tip: Create a weekday series (for example: "Tuesday's Tips for Holiday Decorating"). This will keep you — and your readers — coming back to your blog!

Social Networking

In a previous article, Pimp My Shop, I wrote about the importance of social networking. Here are a couple of ideas for utilizing social networking sites over the holidays:

Offer an exclusive special or free gift with purchase to all your contacts on one social networking site. This will reward your contacts for following you and make them feel special!
Spend some time wishing your contacts a happy holiday season. Here's my suggestion: No flashy graphics! Just leave a personalized comment to those of your contacts who you are familiar with (ie. past customers, Etsy friends, bloggers). For example, "Dear DeeDee, Thank you for supporting me this year! I wish you all the best and hope it doesn't get too cold in Colorado this winter! Happy Holidays!"

Tip: Now is the time to add one or two more social networking or social shopping sites to your daily routine. Try Indiepublic or StyleFeeder (if you haven't already).

Advertising

Freshen up your advertising and start early! Put together a frosty photo-shoot and get some great crisp shots to use in your online advertising. Think snow, icicles and glitter! Get those holiday ads out right after Halloween, which means you should be lining up your favorite place to run online ads now. Don't know where to get started? Check out your Blog Roll. Many of your favorite blogs offer adspace, and if they don't they might start with you, just ask! Another great resources is a site called ProjectWonderful, where you can bid on adspace for as little as $0.25!

The holidays can be an exciting and fruitful time of year for sellers. Make sure you've done what you can to bring in new customers and connect with your previous customers. These tips should help you start to form your plan.

Need more inspiration for your holiday marketing plan? Remember to join us this Thursday (September 4th) at 4:00 pm EDT in the Treehouse of the Virtual Labs! This will be the first in a weekly discussion on organizing your shop for the holidays. Hope to see you there! And make sure to check back for more Holiday How-Tos!

Tech Update plus Customer Care Tip: Hello Policy!

2008-05-15T18:40:00-05:00

Dear Sellers,

We're all very excited to introduce the newest shop feature: The Shop Policy Page! Currently, most sellers post their shops' policies in either their shop announcement or profile, but we figured these areas can be better utilized for your bio or promotions and news about your shop; it's time to give policies a special home. We hope that adding a new feature like this will help the communications between buyers and sellers, making transactions smoother and easier. Now there's a clear place where buyers can look for extra purchase guidelines and info, and sellers can worry less about any important information going unnoticed.

There are now links to your Policy Page from your main Shop page, right in between the link to your Profile and Favorites. Also, a link to your Policies will be included in each listing in your shop. You can edit your Policy Page from the Your Etsy page.

We are not requiring that sellers enter information into their Policy Pages; we welcome users to post their policies wherever they like. But we encourage it! Here is an introduction to the Shop Policy Page as well as some tips on what to consider when creating or modifying your shop's policy.

The following sections are available on the Policy Page; if you do not enter information into the section, its heading will NOT appear on your shop's Policy Page:

1. Welcome
Here you can welcome buyers to your policies; feel free to talk a little about your shop and your handmade or vintage items and supplies. Keep in mind that this is a buyer's first impression of your customer service. A message to let users know about your philosophy and creative process would be a great thing to include in your Welcome section.

2. Payment
Use this space to notify buyers of your shop's accepted payment types and deadlines for submitting payment.

3. Shipping
This is where to explain how you ship your items and when, if you offer upgrades or other options and what to do if a buyer has special shipping requests.

4. Refunds and Exchanges
Let your buyers know whether or not you can accept returns or exchanges on some/any/all of your items and if they have a time frame for contacting you regarding a return. If you do not offer refunds for shipping errors (ie. getting lost or damaged in the mail), this is a good place to mention that.

5. Additional Information
Do you welcome wholesale and consignment inquiries or custom Alchemy orders? This is the place to let everyone know! If you have any other tidbits that didn't quite fit into the other sections, go ahead and add them here.

Working out the best policies for your shop and business can be an ongoing process, sometimes you just have to deal with a bit of trial and error. Take some time to consider the following when adding information to your Shop Policy sections, but remember, your policies are up to you (as long as you adhere to Etsy's site wide policies: TOU and Dos & Don'ts).

PAYMENT
* Do you have the "other" option available? If so, the Policy Page is a great place to elaborate on the "other" types of payment accepted and how you handle will be invoicing the buyer.
* Is payment required within a certain time period? 24 hours? Three days? 2012?
* Is it necessary that you add tax for buyers from a certain state? Consult your local laws or check with an accountant if you're not sure ;)
* What should a buyer do if they need to cancel a purchase from your shop?
* Does your shop accept wampum? If you have any payment methods that need explaining, here is your space to do so.
* Do you require a verified address at PayPal? Must the PayPal and Etsy "ship to" addresses match?

SHIPPING
* Do you use USPS? UPS? Carrier pigeon?
* Are shipping upgrades an option? How/when should a buyer notify you of needing extra shipping options? Is expedited shipping available?
* Do you include delivery confirmation or insurance? Can they be purchased if it is not factored into the shipping rate?
* How do you package your items? Do you use recycled packing materials? Let you buyers know what they can expect.
* Can local buyers schedule a pick up? Please refer to this Storque article regarding safety.
* Do you offer international shipping? Is the buyer responsible for customs fees?
* When do you ship your items? Monday/Wednesday? Every other day? The full moon?
* How long should a buyer wait for a custom or made-to-order item to ship?
* Will you ship to a "giftee's" address?
* Does the buyer need to consider the weather or climate when expecting a package from your shop? Some items may freeze or melt in extreme temperatures, it's a good idea to let your buyers know how you will account for this.

REFUNDS and EXCHANGES
* What items in your shop can be returned for a refund or exchange? Are there sanitary issues with accepting returns on your items (in the case of earrings, underpants, bath & body products, etc.)?
* How long does a buyer have to contact you regarding a refund or exchange?
* Under what conditions will you offer refunds? Wrong size? Damage in transit?
* Who is responsible for the shipping cost of returned items?
* Can custom orders (if offered) be returned?

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
* Does your shop have FAQs? What are they?
* What should a buyer do if there are options such as color choice or size?
* How should a buyer contact you? Convos? Ham radio?
* Do you offer discounts?
* Are you open to wholesale or bulk order requests? Consignment? Custom item inquiries? It's a good idea to let buyers know if these options are available and how to go about getting more information.
* Do you offer special gift wrapping or other gift services in your shop?
* Is your home pet friendly? Do items come from a non-smoking home? Do you craft outside where dandelions may end up in your art? If there are common allergens (like scents, nuts, animal products, etc.) you may want to use this space to notify your customers.
* Do you donate to charity? Buyers like to know this sorta thing about the shops where they spend their money. If you're crafting to save the phytoplankton, let the community know.

Remember, shop policy is just as unique as the handmade items in your shop, so Etsy admin can't decide what is best for you or your business. These are some guidelines to help you get started, so if you're not quite sure what will be ideal for you, perhaps consider asking some more seasoned sellers or find a local entrepreneur who can give you some tips. Don't worry, if you're not quite ready to lay down the law, filling out the Policy Page is optional but be sure to give some thought to your shop's policy before listing items for sale.

Please feel free to post your ideas, theories and beliefs about shop policies in the comments! Direct any questions to support@etsy.com. For sellers wishing to discuss their personal shop policies and best practices, please refer to this forum thread.

A Beginner's Guide to Starting a Shop on Etsy

2008-05-02T10:49:00-05:00

Want to get a shop started on Etsy? Don't know where to start? This guide will help you find the help you need to get your shop up and running!

What to Sell
First things first: you need items to sell! Make sure your items follow the Do's and Don'ts on what can be sold on Etsy before you get started. Need some inspiration? Check out this great article on Finding Your Etsy Niche by tortillagirl. Littleputbooks (one of our top sellers) has a great blog post about Making a Great Product.

Coming up with a Name
Piddix has a great blog post on Picking Your Etsy Name. And our own MaryMary has a great Storque article on deciding on a shop name here. I have one more tip for you: Make sure it's "Google-able!" Sure the name "FriedChicken" might be memorable, but if you go to Google and search "Fried Chicken," your shop will be a needle in a greasy (yet delicious) haystack!

Banner and Avatar
Your banner and avatar can help you brand your shop, so try to make them beautiful! Here's a how-to on Making A Banner that I wrote a while back. If you are just getting started with photo editing you might want to try our magical Bannerator! You can do an Alchemy request for a custom banner. Or search "banner" on Etsy to find a talented seller to make you a banner!

Your avatar should be eye-catching and clear. (This is sometimes difficult because of the size of an avatar, so keep it simple!) Try showcasing your most beautifully photographed product!

Need more help? Try the Help guides here and here.

Your Profile
Buyers on Etsy want to know about who they are buying from. Make sure you tell them a bit about yourself in your profile, as connecting this way with a buyer will encourage them to support you and your craft, so don't be shy! SarasTextureCrafts has a detailed article on Crafting Your Profile Page, so read up! The profile is also a great place to share your shop policies (soon Etsy will have a separate spot for your policies). The EtsyWiki has a whole section devoted to shop policies.

Listing Your First Item
Listing an item is an easy four step process. This help guide will take you through each one. Here are some articles that can also help you with this process:

Photography
Photography is the most important part of your shop (in my opinion!). If you don't have crisp, clear and eye-catching photos, your sales will reflect this. The more professional and cohesive your photos look, the more confidence buyers will have in your shop. You may think you need a super-duper-top-of-the-line camera, but believe me, you don't. Images on the internet must be 72dpi (i.e. not top printable quality!), so even a $150 digital camera will be just perfect! Photography takes a lot of practice, time and research, but once you get it right you will see your shop really blossom! Here are some articles to get you started:

Your First Sale
Now what? First things first, celebrate. The first sale is so exciting! Now once you have calmed down, check out the transaction page and make sure your buyer has paid. Package up your item and get it ready to ship (a hand written thank you note is always good customer service!). Send your buyer a quick little convo (or conversation) thanking them for their purchase and letting them know when you are going to ship. Ship your item, tick off the checkbox by your sold item, leave your buyer feedback and you're done!

Promoting Your Shop
Once you have your shop set up with at least a page of items, now is the time to promote! Here's great article to start with: Pimp Your Shop for 2008. Don't forget to try some offline promotions, too! Here are some more links to help you get started:

Need More Help?
You're not exhausted yet? Well, OK! Here are some more great resources from the forums:

In addition, the Etsy Success Stories are always filled with inspirational tales and tips galore from prosperous sellers.

I hope this guide helps you get started! If you have questions or want advice make sure you join our Newbie Chats in the Virtual Labs (usually Tuesdays at 5:30pm EDT).

Experience sellers, leave our newbies some more words of wisdom in the comments below! What's your most important piece of advice?

Writing for an Online Audience: How-To

2008-02-25T15:53:00-05:00

Hi! My name is Deanna Roux, aka FancyFreeMe on Etsy. My last job was for a corporate communications department, in employee communications. I was assistant editor for an employee magazine and online publisher for an employee intranet. My experience granted me some valuable knowledge on the difference between writing for a print publication and an online audience. I have some helpful information to share that I think you can use for writing up shop listings and on your blog.

Let me begin by saying this – I’m not done learning. Times change, technology changes, and people's needs change. Things are always evolving and you have to keep up if you want to stand out.

With that said, here's where we were last I checked.

What’s in it for me?
People have little time and even less patience. Readers want to know “what’s in it for me?” in the first few seconds, otherwise they'll move on. Potential customers want to connect with you through your writing. Wow them with your art, but grab them with your voice first. And don’t wait until the end of your blog post to present a call to action (e.g. sign up, join, visit me, etc.).

[bowl by vesselsandwares]

Headlines and Titles

Shorter is better
- Susie’s Sassy Salsa NOT Sue Roberts Homemade Recipes Hot and Spicy Salsa - Hot

Words that pop
- Mohair Harry’s Skullcap NOT Black Hat With Hair-Like Fringe Around the Edge

Assign attributes
- Juicy Gemstone Choker NOT Watermelon Tourmaline, Ruby, Peridot, 14K Gold Filled 16” Necklace

Work a rhyme
- October 25, Blossoms Alive NOT My Garden is Still Blooming on October 25

KISS – Keep it Simple and Short
Yes, you need details, but don’t overwhelm the reader right to the nearest exit. Reserve space for sharing your personal views, techniques and inspirations. Go back and read what you wrote. Remove big words only used to impress and redundant information. Don’t drown your clever cut of meat with too much gravy.

[exemplary description by vesselsandwares]

Speed Bumps
It’s your job to slow the online eye. Give your reader something to stumble upon. Instead of using a large block of text, break it up. Use bullets to make a list easier to read. Use caps and/or boldface to make subtitles in your post pop. The use of whitespace will give the eye a break and it’ll make your blurb easier to read.

Write As If Your Audience Doesn’t Know Anything
You are the expert of what you create. You know the size, length, and dimensions. You know the materials and components. Your words should tell the story your photos can’t. Don’t make them search. A shopper wants to know if it’s sterling silver or plated; cotton or rayon; and porcelain or ceramic.

Things You Need

Word Processing Application: Type up your entries in Word or another application — it just helps to have an active spellchecker.
Camera: a digital camera is best for an easy snap and post.
Time: Don’t fake it — if you don’t have the time just put down the basics in a draft and fill it out later.

Things That Would Help

PFF (Proofreading Friend Forever): Have someone you trust take a peek for typos and general comprehension.
Photo Editor: Photoshop, Google’s free Picasa, or something like it — make your photos go from sloppy snapshots to pretty pics.

Ultimately, the challenge is not “writing.” The challenge is “taming the writer within.” So here’s your whip and here’s your chair. Now go tame!

So what do you think? Are you up for the challenge? Comment below with any tips you have to share!

For more information on writing for your shop, check out these helpful articles.

Shop Makeover Series: Hello Brand New World

2008-02-05T23:21:00-05:00

Over the course of January, we published the Shop Makeover series here on the Storque. We tailored it to helping Etsy sellers make tweaks, changes, and overall facelifts to their shops for the New Year. It was our hope that by offering advice on how to better the look and feel of one's business, that sellers would take a look at what changes could be made to their own shops to help boost their sales and overall brand. In addition, when we hold all of our shops to a higher standard, the overall look and feel of Etsy gets taken to a higher standard, which helps us all in the scheme of things!

The following are a handful of sellers who read, made changes, and posted their "before and after screenshots" for everyone to see:

MayaBella took tons of advice from the shop makeover series and gave her shop a total transformation. Check out pics of her shop front before the makeover:

...and the transformation of her shop after the makeover:

She redid her banner to incorporate the look and feel of her items. The red color of the banner also ties into many of her items' backgrounds.

Here is a subtle yet effective change from jakrandomart's shop before she started making over her shop:

And take a look at her shop now! You can see she made both banner and photo changes to give a more rich and inviting feel to her overall shop. Her avatar also matches her branding.

Another wonderful overall shop transformation comes from hippiehempstress; hippie not only drastically changed the look of her photos, but also took advantage of the wondrous Etsy bannerator to give her shop a brand new look and feel! Check out the photos from hippiehempstress' shop before she made changes:

...and just look at the improvements she made to her shop now:

Look at that! The focus issue is cleared up (macro lens setting perhaps?) and the backgrounds are much more styled and of a piece.

Two sellers took advantage of the advice from this "What's in a name" article and changed their shop names. feltsewwhimsical changed her name to CorkandCotton and MalibuBarbie112 changed her shop name to quintessentially; they both systematically kept the look and branding of their new shop names the same as their old ones to create less confusion during the transition. Both of these changes were smart choices in my opinion, way to go ladies!

pawandclawdesigns changed her shop's photos to more colorful shots after taking the advice from the "makeover you shop with color" article, and she also took advantage of Etsy's new bannerator mixed with some of her own design skills to get a fresh new banner design:

ShannonButler changed her shop banner and avatar to match each other, as well as the ordering of several of her photos to show off her items much better and create an enticing thumbnail shot for her shop viewers:

Congrats on the Make Overs! YOU LOOOK MAAARVELOUS! And this are just some examples of the hard work that many Etsy sellers undertook in January. If you took some of our shop makeover advice as well and are happy with the results, please share what you did and how it has helped in the comments below. Before and After screenshots are always encouraged and welcomed!

xoxo,

Etsy Labs

Shop Makeover Series: Makeover Your Listings with Color

2008-01-22T19:41:00-05:00

For her second post in her color theory series, jenlo262 has some recommendations and examples for sellers undertaking the Shop Makeover series. The following article covers color combinations and theory, as it applies to your listings.

Before you can make a sale, you will need to get buyers to look at your art. There’s no better way to entice the browsing customer to click on your image than by keeping it fresh, interesting, and colorful!

For the first image in your listing, I suggest worrying less about what and more about the wow. It’s not necessarily important to capture the whole complete image of your item as long as you get the basics of the item with some colorful artsy flair. How can color make your item pop? Follow these six tricks for a better image and see how these sellers made it work…

First things first — keep your colors true: Before you start arranging or choosing colors for your background, you will want to make sure you can keep your colors as bright as they can be by building a light box (see Lori's post here). A box will especially help when trying to keep your whites bright — making your item the center of attention. If you can’t build a light box (or your item is too big, keep it natural by using indirect sunlight. For two-dimensional items, scanners work great too if you have one available.

[crochet pattern by anapaulaoli, yarn by OneSheepHill, bracelet by FancyFreeMe ]
Contrast - balancing your lights and darks: Keep your item from blending into your background by using dark colored backgrounds for light items and light backgrounds for dark items. Or mix and match!

[earrings by KiwiTreeBotique, mug by misslo, apron by JoyfulAbode]
A splash of bright color: Keep your listing fresh by increasing your color intensity.

[soap by SudsMuffin, beads by tearose, cuff by NicoleLorentz]
Using your color compliments: Make your item pop by looking across your color wheel for a background color.
[buttons by frombelgiumwithlove, hairpins by thefunkyfelter, clay pendant by Dirtgirlpottery]
Using analogous colors: Invite your viewer into your listing with a lovely combination of similar colors.

[earrings by staroftheeast, face wall pocket by amandamoon, ceramic pendant by leapinglizards's shop]
An artsy background: Finally, give your listing a little artsy flair with an interesting, unusual, or incongruous background and have some fun!

[earrings by executeme, lariat necklace by 12linden, vintage book by whiteelephantvintage, Green Katamari pincushion by ReFabulous]

If you’re still not sure how to spruce up your listing, try just keeping it simple. The tiny little square that makes or breaks whether you get a shopper in your shop can only hold so much. A solid colored background with a quality photo will make a great lead-in to your wonderful works of art.

Comment below with links to your before and after screenshots from your Shop Makeover improvements! Which of the techniques described here helped you out?

Shop Makeover Series: Crafting a Profile Page

2008-01-21T19:08:00-05:00

SarasTextureCrafts writes a blog called etsyprofiles.blogspot.com where she highlights interesting Etsy profiles. So we thought it would be neat to integrate her post into the Shop Makeover Series. Document your progress and comment below!

Often overlooked a Seller’s Etsy profile page is a very important marketing tool and if well written could help improve your shop’s sales.

Taking the time to write a good profile page is a key opportunity as a Seller to reach out to your customers and entice them into your store by giving them a glimpse of the person behind the business and the items you are selling. Whilst Etsy advises that the basics of a good profile should “contain your personal shop policies regarding shipping, returns, accepted payment methods and custom orders in your item listings, shop announcement and/or public profile,” there is no hard or fast rule about how you should present it. There are ways in which you can strive to write a great profile page and maximise your opportunity to sell, while also providing crucial info.

Enlisting the help of fellow Etsians, I set out to explore some options that might be useful:

The first paragraph is key.
If you watch a film, you can usually tell within the first 10 minutes whether you want to keep on watching. Well, it’s that same thing with profile pages… your first paragraph is the key to keeping your customers reading. “It’s your quick-ticket to advertising your shop and yourself. Take advantage of this opportunity to GRAB the reader,” says Baggavond.etsy.com.

Get friends and family to read your first paragraph — does it spark interest? Raise positive questions? Or make them want to read more?

Follow this with a clearly defined layout.
Not all buyers have the time/want, or need to read your entire profile each time they visit. So as Heather from babyannequilts.etsy.com suggests, try “breaking up the information with titles. That way your buyer can skim down the page to look for the heading they're interested in, without reading through the whole thing to find the answers to their questions.” Heather’s profile page is a very good example of how to do this.

Next make your profile text easy to read.
It is important to be as clear and concise in your wording as possible… you want to keep their attention once you have got them past the first paragraph! It is also worth remembering that Etsy is a global market place, so English is not necessarily everyone’s first language.

And finally, write in a friendly and approachable manner, remembering to keep it professional.
Etsy has a real community spirit about it, which is very unlike other Internet selling forums, and this is one thing that buyers really enjoy! Like many Etsians, artsyclay.etsy.com says that she likes nothing more than “to feel like I've come to their cosy little shop, and am sitting down in front of the fireplace, having a hot cup of coffee or tea and visiting with them in a neighbourly way.” So don’t be afraid to write a bit about yourself, or your business. Do remember to keep a professional edge to your profile though… after all you are a business, whether you sell the extra bags you knit whilst sitting in front of your telly, or you are a full time operation! Buyers must feel that you take your products and business seriously. So striking a balance here is key.

All of this is great, but what do I include? Well, let’s have a look…

Firstly, tell me something about yourself.
Adding a short biography can give buyers so much information about you as an artist. Feel free to tell me a bit about your background, where you come from and how you started your business. Tell me about what inspires you and your craft passions. Jamy Hills, from BrassMonkeyDesigns.etsy.com, is a shining example of how you can use this information to grab a reader’s attention.

Secondly, tell me something about your business and your products.
Give your readers an idea of what you are setting out to achieve. What is your mission/why are you selling me this?

You could include:

Is your business a part-time venture, full-time or a charity?
What sort of products do you sell?
What is the idea behind your products?
What’s special about them?
How do you make them?

Take a look at Karina’s profile from KreatedbyKarina.etsy.com. She works very well at selling me her products in a professional and yet friendly way. Remember, although you want to be informative you do not want to scare your reader off at this point with a hard sell!

Add simple shop policies. Listing your policies clearly and simply will give your customer the confidence to buy from you. So remember to read them through when you have finished… Have you answered the majority of questions a customer will want to know?

Have you listed policies on accepted payments, shipping terms, aftercare and return details, custom or wholesale order information including manufacture times? Another top tip here, from BCharmer.etsy.com, is to add a sentence or two on the appreciation of feedback.

Then … Think again about your products.
Do you need to consider adding additional information? For example, if you sell clothing/footwear or jewellery it is worth adding your sizing details here, or if you sell bath and beauty products, add your disclaimer.

And Lastly! Remember that what reads as a great profile is entirely personal to the reader, so don’t worry about competing with your fellow sellers; write something that you feel comfortable with publishing and unique to you.

Lots to think about? Yes, I think so.

A well written profile page is something we should take our time over and use to try and capture the essence of what we are all about. Lori of heartworksbylori.etsy.com helps to explain, “there is a little piece of me infused in each of my creations and the recipient of it carries that with them. Handmade creations are personal and made with hands...and those hands do so with great energy and joy.” Your profile page is where you get to show that energy and joy to inspire potential buyers.

I hope that this article has helped you all in some way and I would like to thank each and every Etsian who has given me their tips and ideas… They have taught me a lot! Before I rush off now and work on my own profile page, as I’m sure you are just about to do too, I would like to leave you with a rather fun profile I found during my research — Lynne of skully.etsy.com...

Further Resources:
If you would like to explore a few more examples of profile pages working in action for sellers, then take a look at my blog http://etsyprofiles.blogspot.com, dedicated to the Etsy Profile Page.