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Entrepreneurship:  Etsy questions  |
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
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Hosanna
True Blue Farmgirl
466 Posts
Hosanna
Alton
Virginia
466 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 25 2012 : 1:01:30 PM
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I have an etsy shop where I sell vintage clothing and accessories as well as some home decor items. I have been really pleased with it, and while I don't consider myself a "success" story yet (for me sucess on Etsy = being able to make a living equevilant to a part time job) I have regular sales and the extra money in our budget is nice.
That being said, I do sometimes list tings and they don't sell for maybe even a whole year. $.60 to list something for an entire year is not a loss to me. It's pretty easy to afford $.60 per year. Now, if you have over 100 items like I do, it adds up, of course.
Usually if something doesn't sell within the first four months, I renew it, with new photos, new title, and new tags. If it doesn't sell after a few renewals, plus gets low views and little or no "hearts", I let it expire and store it until another time when maybe it is more sought after.
I usually sell all my items at a nice profit; but I have lost money on shipping internationally before. I don't know about handmade items; it depends on your cost for materials to make the item, time to make it, packaging, etc. etc.
www.happilyeverafterhosanna.blogspot.com
www.thewindofheaven.blogspot.com
www.CarolinaRoses.etsy.com
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jan49829
True Blue Farmgirl
2428 Posts
Janet
Winter Haven
Florida
USA
2428 Posts |
Posted - Feb 25 2012 : 6:18:27 PM
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Hosanna,very good advice. I am hoping to get some things on Etsy again this coming month. I have not listed anything in over a year, was very discouraged with only selling a few items. I will give it another try very soon. Thanks.
Janet
Farmgirl Sister #3340
http://hardatworkcrafts.blogspot.com
http://Jan49829.etsy.com
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fiberbug
Farmgirl at Heart
8 Posts
GA - Georgia
USA
8 Posts |
Posted - Feb 28 2012 : 12:42:00 PM
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Janet, I'm in the same boat as you. I had an Etsy shop, worked very hard at making and listing things, waited patiently for my sales to pick up (as everyone told me they would) and eventually got so discouraged I had to step away for a while and take a break. The only items I was able to sell with any regularity were graphic design services (shop banners, ads, business card designs, etc.), and in order to stay competitive, I had to set my prices far lower than I would have liked. Undercutting is a major problem, especially in the more saturated markets like graphics and jewelry.
After about a year off, I'm now working on some new things and planning on opening up a totally new shop. I may try Etsy again or I might just try one of the other similar sites. I especially like the looks of Zibbet, which offers (I believe) up to fifty listings free - and more if you are willing to pay a small yearly fee. I've heard very good things about it.
Fiber-crazy Future Farmer |
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goneriding
True Blue Farmgirl
1599 Posts
Winona
Central Oregon
USA
1599 Posts |
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goneriding
True Blue Farmgirl
1599 Posts
Winona
Central Oregon
USA
1599 Posts |
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Hosanna
True Blue Farmgirl
466 Posts
Hosanna
Alton
Virginia
466 Posts |
Posted - Feb 29 2012 : 08:10:05 AM
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The thing about Etsy is, you can't expect to sell much by listing and then just waiting. On a daily basis, I tweak my listings. I change the titles - which is the main way search engines fond your items. I change the tags - which is the main way the Etsy search finds you items for searchers. Study your shop stats, and look at where people are coming from when they find your shop; and what key words they're using to get there. Then use some of those key words in your item tags. Title and tagging are the #1 most important things. That, and a good photo that draws shoppers in.
I am a member of some teams, which helps. Make treasuries. Chat on the forums. Blog about your items. Do giveaways on other blogs. (Something I plan on doing soon.) Facebook your stuff. Try Twitter (something I have not tried yet.)Get business cards made and pass them out in your community. Figure out your target market, and then work it. Once I zeroed in on my target market, it really helped me as far as knowing what's "popular", current, and sought after.
I really treat my shop like a second job. I work it, hard. I also have over 100 items, and having more items gives you more hits in searches. Of course, having more items means more overhead; but as I started to approach 100 items, sales started happening left and right for me.
www.happilyeverafterhosanna.blogspot.com
www.thewindofheaven.blogspot.com
www.CarolinaRoses.etsy.com
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goneriding
True Blue Farmgirl
1599 Posts
Winona
Central Oregon
USA
1599 Posts |
Posted - Feb 29 2012 : 10:09:46 AM
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Thank you, Hosanna, I'll take your advice to heart!
I looked at the other sites and like them also. As long as it doesn't cost too much, I'm going to take a stab at whichever seems to suit me. I have a Twitter account, personal, with a small following so I tweet everything. Actually, I've picked up some followers! Need to make a FB page. There is my personal one but I've it so locked down, only my close friends and fam see it, so will work on that too.
Thank you again.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/wingriffin
http://lostadventuresintrucking.blogspot.com
http://lostadventuresincooking.blogspot.com
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MelodicRevival
Farmgirl in Training
21 Posts
Krystle
Pittsburgh
PA
USA
21 Posts |
Posted - Mar 01 2012 : 9:52:16 PM
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What Hosana says is very true. I don't pay a ton of attention to my shop, mainly because I travel to conventions as my main business. That said, I've done very well since I opened.
Tweaking tags and advertising is ultimately how you get anywhere with Etsy. There are tens of thousands of shops, so you have to really stand out.
I see you mentioned making a facebook, that's a good start. Making a business page will let you keep your page personal, but let you connect with new people. Tumblr can be another good resource if used correctly.
One thing I notice right off the bat is that you don't have your shop link in your signature. That is one of the easiest ways to advertise. People like me will click on any new Etsy link I see, to check out what they have.
~*~Believing in love, fluff and cuddling stuff~*~
Shop: http://manifesteddreams.etsy.com
Farmgirl Sister #3888 |
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Entrepreneurship: Etsy questions |
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Etsy questions
