bizarreness of strangers

hi! I’m new here, joined a couple months back, but I admit I have been lagging in really digging in and revamping my store, which was salvaged from the ruins of that other site which shall remain nameless despite its cloven feet.
But I just have to say that so far I have only had 3 or 4 customers just off the old transferred listings, 2 of them canceled, and other than the one I brought here from said other site, the ones I found here have been off-the-wall bizarre.
I’m sure it’s not a site-wide thing. I’m sure it’s just me and my quasi-dysfunctional relationship with Murphy’s Law (is that good or bad? quasi… hmmm….)
Just this evening someone contacted me about this chair, which I nearly gave up on & sent to auction, after pulling it out of consignment of another shop whose owner turned out to be strange and manipulative. Gee, now that I say all of this, maybe there’s some kind of karmic crud that spilled down between the cushions of this particular chair at some point. You folks know what I’m talkin about right? did you ever have that one item that just seemed to attract all of the worst luck strangeness in the business? that one white elephant that trips you when you’re not looking every time? the unexpected fly-paper type of oddity-breeding no-sale stock that just hangs around forever just for the odd ducks to flock over to your little corner? does anyone want a peanut?
(just checking, good you’re still awake)
So this guy e-mails me, wants to know if I will reduce the price by nearly half- about 45% off. So like I said, bad feelings attached, long time no sale, history, headin to auction to rid myself of this albatross anyhow. Of course I said, sure that price would be acceptable, and to please let me know the most comfortable way to proceed and where to ship.
He e-mails me back wanting to know about shipping options and cost. I send him all the possible options, including the least expensive, the most convenient, as well as combined options that save cost if he wants to buy multiple pieces. He’s not that far away- only a couple hours, which is superb when dealing furniture! So here I think I’m golden, it’s in the bag, but of course I’m sayin to myself no whammy no whammy no whammy….
So you know there’s a whammy in this story somewhere, right?
Dang, I think I gave too much away just there…. he e-mails back and says he doesn’t understand the price since he shipped a 60-inch TV to Texas for $35. (yes, this is the bizarre part, it just started, where are you going? you don’t need popcorn, it’s too short for that it’s a miniseries, sit back down it’s finally getting good…)
So this threw me for a loop. I didn’t want to make him feel dumb for comparing a wingchair to a television, or a shipment between PA-MD to one from MD-TX, and with the nearly-half price reduction in the back of my mind. So I politely suggested that maybe that had to do with another seller, or if not I wasn’t sure what the connection was since I don’t sell TVs, and it’s obviously quite different from a wingchair, but that I had given him the best and most economical rates possible, explaining why and how, but that if he wanted to ship it the same way as his television he’s more than welcome to, but to keep in mind that his shipping company will charge much more than what I quoted him.
I put all of this slightly in a joking and friendly light, figuring I was being personable while using the humor to get to the point lightly but quickly. That makes sense, doesn’t it? Like for example, if you’re selling a vase & I say, how much is it to ship a goose?
and then to be kind you ignore my stupid faux pa about ignoring the fact that you actually sell pottery, figuring there’s some crock-pot connection in there somewhere, and you say well that depends on whether or not your goose is cooked! no seriously, the feathers must add a couple lbs, and fedex just increased the rates. You realize a cooked goose has no head or guts or feet, but then you have the water displacement of the broth, and anyhow you’d be much more financially secure sticking to a bouillabaisse. And we still don’t know if the delivery address is residential or commercial. Of course you follow all of this up with a nice little well-punctuated smiley  :)
so everyone knows you’re making light of the situation.
I don’t know, it made sense to me. I mean, I didn’t actually bring up dead foul with him- that’s just an example- but to joke with a smiley  :)  At least this is a more light-hearted way to approach a strange response to a shipping quote without seeming overbearing and correcting someone in a demeaning manner, and it tends to reinforce your surprise and good faith nature at their question after having given them so many great pricing incentives already. Are you with me rubber chicks?
I’ve done very well with this approach in the past. But this chair… oh excuse me, I mean ‘this time’ the guy got all bent out of shape. See I thought I was more or less commiserating with him by agreeing that 35 bucks was so extremely cheap and such a great price, so I congratulated him on his shipment, of course assuming that he must have some kind of corporate sponsorship account with a massive discount to be able to ship something 5-feet long across 3/4 of the country for 300 bucks less than UPS’s list price. I mean after all, that IS super duper fantastic. What does that have to do with delivering a wingchair from PA to MD? I kept thinking. Silly shipper, Trix are for kids!
And then I got to the meat of it- I used my own 27 inch TV as an example and used the UPS rate calculator to see what in fact the rates are from MD to TX, and I quoted it back to him- not to challenge him in any way, but rather to say, wow, do you realize how much you saved? that’s really amazing! Good for you! Rock on! Twilight forever! or whatever the kids say these days… I really meant it that way, but you can imagine by now that’s not how it went down.
So he e-mails me back this one-paragraph note about how he just could not fathom how I could bring this up and ‘question his honesty’. When did I question his honesty? I assumed what he told me was right, and out of sheer shock (and my knowledge of the shipping industry) showed him the enormity of his unwitting frugality. Maybe that sounds snarky here, but in context I was genuinely excited for him and diplomatic about it, and plus I figured it would reinforce what he should have expected the rates to be. I mean, who can argue with copy & paste from the website of the same shipping company he’s quoting for his TV? and using my own smaller TV as an example? I don’t think that speaks to dishonesty. I was on his side. To get a 3-day shipment from east coast to Texas of a huge piece of fragile electronics for 35 bucks? Heck, I was routin for him!! go bears! that’s probably the wrong state, but I’m not much of a sports fan as you may have guessed.
so now what?! I rationalize. I apologize for offending him, first, but then I explain that I was actually being supportive of his fine and extraordinary luck, so much so that I had to actually show him how much luck, approximately $300 worth of fantasy-island-landing delivery luck. A 27 inch TV from Baltimore to Houston quotes for 3-day service at around $370 (ground service was $163). he says he got it for 35 bucks tops at a UPS counter. What do you say to that? I’m not going to bark back at him that’s bull. So I figure instead, tell him Rock the Price narly!!
After clarifying this to him comes the next rationalization- that maybe he’s actually feeling guilty. It got so weird I stopped believing he ever had any interest in the chair to begin with. Maybe this person is looking for frames of reference. In context of my experience with that chair, that notion fits quite comfy. Why not call a spade a spade?
I think he knew about the shipping of the TV, but I wasn’t going to say anything about that. But since he brought it up, it seems like he’s trying to convince himself of his own honesty. Why would that be? Probably because he knows at least subconsciously the UPS store undercharged him by 300 bucks, and maybe instead of shopping for old ratty wingchairs at midnight on a Monday, he should take the reason he can’t sleep back to the UPS store tomorrow and let them know he feels terrible for not saying anything when they took his 300-dollar shipment for 35 bucks, and to please rehire that poor freshman, if not for his/her job skills (or lack thereof), not for his/her [questionable] future in higher education, but as a showing of solidarity for all that is just and right in this fly-by-overnight-parcel world! yeah! rock on! who’s tearin’ up about now? i know i am…
So that’s how crazy this biz makes me, and if you actually got to the bottom of this thing, I applaud you. Now in the words of Ms. Ullman, Go home! Go home! Go home! oh wait, you probably are home…
well then… just go to bed. and stop hoggin’ the bouillabaisse.

Written by Dan Elman
http://leapingoutofwater.blogspot.com/
http://www.kitsch-n-kaboodle.com
http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/Kitsch_n_Kaboodle
http://kitschnkaboodle.photoshop.com

The Latest BUZZzzzzz

WOW! My Hand Picked List on Bonanza made the Front Page! YIPPEE!

 

(((((Happy Dance)))))

 

here it is:

Collectors Paradise

http://www.bonanza.com/hand_picked_lists/62603

 

Congrats to all of the Great Sellers who carry Fabulous Finds!

 

Using The Batch Editor on Bonanza to Change HTML

I have been a member on Bonanza.com (formerly Bonanzle.com) for almost a year now.  I like it more all the time, especially when I discover how to do something that makes things easier!

When I had an eBay store, I named it Indizona's Variety Mall and this storefront is in my template that I use on eBay for all of my listings.

When I came to Bonanza, I needed to have an avatar and a banner for my new booth.  I wanted to use this same storefront, but could not make it work because you can't see it well enough when it is small enough to fit in the space for the banner or the avatar.  Therefore, I had to come up with something new.  

Seeing how that I have a booth on Bonanza instead of a store, Variety Mall didn't seem to fit any more.  I decided to just simply name it "Indizona's Booth".  After making my avatar and booth banner, I set out to get a listing template made.  I made my graphics and then paid VirtualDesigns on Bonanza to put it together for me.  

 



I felt the need to tie the banner and avatar together into this welcome badge in my listings.

I have been thinking on my name, Indizona's Booth, for some time now and comparing it to my name I was using on eBay, Indizona's Variety Mall.  Knowing that I can't make my storefront image work, I still don't want to use the word "mall" in my name.  So, I decided to change the name from Indizona's Booth to Indizona Variety.  Changing the booth banner was easy.  One click, one upload, done.  But, changing my welcome badge in my listing template to this one was not going to be an easy task.  I was looking at having to edit every listing, one at a time to make the change and then I thought to check out the batch editor to see if I could use it to get it done.

 

I have known that Bonanza has a batch editor, but I had only used it a few times to do simple things like put items in reserve, make them active again, add item traits and insurance to the shipping.  Now I needed a way to replace the HTML for my welcome badge to change all of my listings at once instead of one at a time.  So I went to the batch editor to see if it was possible.  I discovered that I can replace the HTML in my listings too!! WooHoo!!!

First, I opened 2 browser windows to work from.  One window had the batch editor open and the other window had the edit items page open.  From my edit items page, I chose the first listing and clicked edit and brought up the HTML editor.  The screen shot shows my new image because I have already made the change.  I will now explain how.

Click on the image button at the top of the editing box.  I circled it in the screen shot for you.      

A little box pops up as seen in the next screen shot.  Copy the web address for the image that you need to change from the source line in the box.  I circled the source line for you.

On the batch editor page, click on Text Editing from the list of options on the left.  Click the circle where it says "Replace this text in selected items' descriptions" and paste the web address that you copied in the top box.  Next, get the web address for your new image that you are going to put in place of the old image and paste it in the next box where it says "With this text:".  If you are using Photobucket to host your images, it gives you several options for linking to the image.  You need the one that says it is a direct link.

After you have selected the listings that you are going to change, click the submit button.  I did one first to be sure that I did it correctly and that it would work.  When I saw that it worked, I did the rest of my listings.

I then used the top box, "Add text to end of items' descriptions" to put the HTML code in for my Facebook and Twitter buttons that I added to the end of all of my listings.

Do you want to change the font in all of your listings at once?  Get the HTML for it and use the batch editor.  Change the color of the font?  Get the HTML and use the batch editor.  From your edit item window, highlight a word or two and click the source button.

After you click the view/edit source button, pointed out for you in the screen shot just above, it will bring up the source editor for you and the words that you highlighted will be highlighted, along with the HTML code for the font and the font color and the font size.  The HTML for the font is written like this: FONT-FAMILY: Freehand591 BT  and the HTML for the font color looks like this: 
COLOR: rgb(238,204,101).   The font size is written like this: FONT-SIZE: 14pt and so on.  See the next screen shots.

When changing the font you simply replace the name of the font you don't want with the name of the font you do want.  In my illustration, the font name is Freehand591 BT and that is the only thing you need to replace with say, Times New Roman.  Leave the FONT-FAMILY:  alone and just change the name of the font.  In order to change the color, you change the rgb and what's in the parenthesis and leave the command,COLOR: alone.  To get the code for your new color, change the color in your item editor and bring up the source editor to see the code for your new color.

So, if your font is Arial and you want it to be Verdana, you would put FONT-FAMILY: Arial in the "Replace this text" box in the batch editor and put FONT-FAMILY: Verdana in the "with this text" box in the batch editor.  Choose the listings that need to be changed and click submit.

I am so glad to know that when I need to change one piece of my template I can just find the HTML for that which I need to change and put in the HTML to replace the old with. It makes things so much easier and I can choose to make the changes in every listing, or only ones I have checked. How cool is that?  I am also glad that Bonanza makes it easy so that I don't have to know a whole lot about HTML in order to find what I need to replace.  I hope that you will find it as easy to work with.

Please be sure to visit me at Indizona Variety.

written by Indizona.

View the Original Article here:

http://indizona.blogspot.com/2011/01/using-batch-editor-on-bonanza-to-change.html

My Bonanza Booth:

http://www.bonanza.com/booths/Indizona
Here’s my Facebook fan page:
http://www.facebook.com/Indizona.Fanpage
Here’s my Twitter:
http://api.twitter.com/IndizonaVariety

Better Photography

Photography of your item is key to a sale. When browsing through booths on Bonanzle, I have noticed washout caused by flash and brownish photos due to too much red. I have been taking photos since I was a child and have been told I have a “good eye”. However, learning how to use a digital camera and getting the right shot for internet selling takes time and practice.
You should set up an area in your home specific for photographing your merchandise. Through trial and error I have found that a white poster board works very well. I can set up three items at a time, take one photo, and then cut & paste to save time.
If the item is light colored I use a dark colored background so it shows up better. Also, I have noticed that some people stage items around the item they are selling, this can actually be distracting or misleading. A nice clean photo that is crisp makes an item sell faster.
If you go to my booth, you can see I still have a problem with reflection. When I took a photo of my silverplate items, I wore a pink top. Wrong thing to do as it reflected into my photo. Good example of what not to do.
Also, you have to learn how your flash works. Many times I actually turn off the flash to prevent the washout.
Regarding the redish or yellowish tint to your photo is caused by too much color in the room reflecting back into the photo. That is why I suggest using the white poster board. However, you can use your digital camera editing program to adjust the contrast, brightness, and color to remove the unwanted tints.
A photo that is out of focus has to be retaken. Adjust the distance from the item you are photographing. My worse photos are of jewelry because I have not mastered the distance I should be at yet. Sometimes taking a group shot from a distant and then cropping the photo actually works better for me.
Just remember the old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” and enjoy selling on Bonanzle.

My Bonanzle Booth:

http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/SuzqsShop

My Etsy Shop:

http://www.Suzq48.etsy.com

My Twitter:

www.twitter.com/Suzq48

 

Discouraged

Ok, first let me say this. It may seem funny to read what I'm posting when you see I have only one sale. BUT, just because I only have one sale here doesn't mean I haven't sold my art before.

Now, to the heart of this post! I see so many people posting about being discouraged, low views, lack of sales, etc. I'd like to step in and say to stop feeling so down! Step back for a moment. Take a deep breath. Let me tell you a little story about me and my photography.

I've always loved taking photographs, I NEVER thought I'd ever make any money from it. It was my passion, my ultimate favorite hobby. I dreamed of being some National Geographic type photographer, but since I am self taught, never imagined anyone other than family would ever hang one of my photos on a wall, much less give me money for them.

A few years ago, I just couldn't help myself-I just had to upgrade my point and shoot to a DSLR. We didn't have a lot of cash, so I made a scary promise to my husband. We buy the camera and I'll find a way to sell enough photographs to pay it back (it was bought on a 6 months no interest credit card). Now I had six months to figure out not only how to use the camera, but also to get good enough photos to sell-and how to sell them!

I remembered a website I saw that sold prints and calendars and stuff-a club we belonged to used them to make t-shirts. I went there, created an account, and uploaded some photos. I knew NOTHING about how to do it. It took me days to get them sized right. I found the forums there, and in those forums were a lot of great folks that helped me learn a lot about not only how to use that website, but to run my business. It took a while, but I made a few sales. I learned more, upgraded things and finally, I paid back the camera. And then I kept making sales! I actually was earning money on my photographs!! People were paying money for my art, and it was hanging on their walls!

Think it was some little, cozy place like Etsy? Think you have a lot of competiton here? It's much, much bigger. It doesn't matter where it is, but for instance, a search on that site for "sunset photograph" brings nearly 2,000 results.

What I am telling you is that if I can do this, you can too. Find your niche. Find what makes you different than the others in it. Play it up to your customers. Get your OWN site. Promote it. Market it. Learn what SEO is. Learn about running your business. Absorb knowledge shared freely like a sponge. Even if you don't agree with someone, read their opinion, there might be a little something you can take from it. Don't get stuck in a rut and stay there. Learn from each mistake. The single most important thing I learned from my past few years is this-it's your business, not "abc company's". Own it. Don't let anyone tell you you can't, and don't believe that you can't. Believe in yourself, your craft and your business. YOU CAN DO THIS.

Now go create! Go work on tags and descriptions and things Google likes! OWN YOUR BUSINESS!!

My Online Shop:

http://www.scenicnewyork.etsy.com

 

 

Better Photography

These are all great tips for photography. I do a lot of photos of Rosaries, which are a great deal like jewelry to photograph. I have tried several different types of lighting, backgrounds and settings on the camera. I recently got a new digital camera. I am still learning it, but have found some interesting things to do with it that have helped.
My additional tips:
1. Learn your camera. Even if you can’t access the on-line instructions, play with it. Take photos in different lighting, different backgrounds and different settings. You may take a lot of photos, but it is worth it. I have seen a lot of very bad jewelry photos. I have seen a lot of very bad rosary photos (those are all mine)!
2. Lighting. Very important, but you may be able to work with what you have. All the digital cameras I have had allow you to choose your lighting settings… fluorescent, incandescent, etc. However, after playing with all of my settings, I found leaving it on the incandescent (or it’s original settings) worked best because I could adjust in photo software.
3. Background or backdrop. I recently purchased several pieces of different colors of satin fabric. After trying photos with various pieces on various colors, white STILL works best. I still have difficulty with photographing white, but I have a royal blue piece that helps a little. Gold and silver tones are also difficult, as sometimes what works for the color of beads does not work with the color of the metal.
4. Flash. With jewelry-type items, I have found setting the camera to flash ALL THE TIME is better than allowing it to decide which is better (the auto setting). It is VERY difficult to fix lighting issues with jewelry-type items. They either become too bright or you can never get the color proper.
Some colors almost never photograph true to color. Purple is a big issue. I try to just make sure if I cannot get the color accurate or close to accurate that I list that in a listing. I also try to get several different photos. Most of my listings here and on other sites have multiple photos. Y’all are more than welcome to check out some of my photos of my rosaries. If you go to the item’s page, you can see how I list several photos for better “look see’s”.
Another tip for photos of jewelry-type items. Make use of your Macro setting. Some cameras will use it automatically. Mine does. I just learned that recently. Macro allows you to take really close up photos.
Tips for taking photos without a flash (sometimes it’s necessary) USE A TRIPOD! I don’t always do this and they come out blurry. I have one item with an additional photo (pink miracle bead cat rosary) that was taken without a flash. I have it listed as the photo is for color reference only, as miracle beads (also known as fiber optic beads) give a halo effect when a photo is taken.
I use Corel Paint Shop Pro, and it allows you to brighten photos, as well as adjust the color balance. It helps with lighting, as sometimes lighting can change the color of metal. I rarely adjust the gold-tones with the color balancing because it washes out the gold.
When worse comes to worse, I paste a photo in Word and adjust the contrast and brightness with the picture toolbar. Then, I copy and paste into Paint and save as a “.jpg”. It’s a last resort I don’t do often.
Hope this helps for all you jewelry-type photo takers. If anyone needs any additional help, contact me and I’ll try to help.
One thing I have noticed here with photos is the lack of using the editor in Bonanzle to adjust the cropping. Seeing only a partial photo is annoying. My suggestion to all those who have photos that are only partially there because the photo is too big, go in to the editor and adjust the cropping.
Another tip…
I noticed I do when I took another photo tonight. I use it when I take photos of enameled pieces or items in plastic sheets or glossy finishes.
If you have a problem with glare or shiny spots…
_~ Try to take the photo at an angle. _~
When the flash hits a glossy or enameled finish head-on, it usually creates a shiny spot or “white spot”. I’m sure all those selling sports cards in the plastic protective sheets know what I am talking about. You may have to take the photo several times to make sure you get a “good” shot.
A tip I learned a long while back with any photography… ALWAYS TAKE MORE THAN ONE PHOTO!
I ALWAYS take more than one shot just in case. I hate to have to go back and set everything up again.
Several shots will help if…
1. one is blurry
2. one cuts off something you didn’t realize while taking the photo, one glares
3. one’s too dark
4. one’s too bright
Take your shots…
1. with the flash
2. without the flash
3. from several angles
4. with different backdrops – change colors to enhance colors without washing them out (here’s a tip I learned… just because a white porcelain item is trimmed in gold does not mean it will photograph well on a gold backdrop. I found the gold backdrop is rather distracting and washes out the trim)
It may seem time consuming to take so many photos, but you will be much happier with your photos in the end.
From so many photos, you will learn…
1. how your camera works with the lighting
2. how specific items photograph
3. what angle works best
4. how to make adjustments for certain colors
5. how certain metals photograph
If photographing jewelry-type items, keep this in mind…
once you find a spot – lighting, backdrops, etc. – that works well and produces great photos for your items, ALWAYS start off photographing in that spot. But, don’t limit yourself. There will always be that one piece that doesn’t work and you have to find out the best way to photograph it.
If I think of anything else that may help the jewelry-type photographers, I’ll let y’all know!
Have fun with your photos & God bless!
Sacred Heart Blessings Handmade Catholic Rosaries & Chaplets
Sacred Heart Rosaries
St Francis Paws4Critters Rosaries
~ Hand-crafted by Robyn, Hand-guided by God ~
My Online Shop: http://www.sacredheartblessings.com
My Bonanzle Booths: www.bonanzle.com/booths/sacredheartrosaries
www.bonanzle.com/booths/paws4critters
My Blog:
http://sacredheartblessingsrosaries.blogspot.com

Shipping Tips

I printed my label for a 2 bulky ounce item in a 5 by 7 inch bubble wrap envelope through Paypal. Dropped it off at the post office and got it back the next day with a label saying that the price paid for shipping had to be shown on 1st class mail (I had paid for 1st class parcel). After going through 2 different phone services with USPS they admitted I had paid the correct amount, but put the blame on Paypal and said that they wouldn’t issue a refund because it had gone through Paypal. Fortunately, a very nice man with Paypal did. He also informed me that the post office online or in person will never refund a Paypal shipping fee if it has been scanned into the system and then returned.

So I took the new re-labeled and repackaged envelope back to the post office with the ruined one and asked them why they had returned it. It seems that if it is under 3 ounces they can’t tell by the Paypal shipping label whether it is going 1st class mail or 1st class parcel and unless the price is shown it will be returned if it fits the 1st class parcel criteria. So a lesson learned – if you are shipping a 1st class parcel envelope under 3 ounces print the amount paid on the shipping label. By the way, if you forget to print the postage paid on the label it can simply be handwritten under the NO SURCHARGE and it will be processed that way.

My Booth: http://www.bonanza.com/booths/katzcar

 

Photography Tips

I just ‘discovered’ something that might help others. I saw a few mentions of it in a search but here is my slant on it.
I have been using my camera for ALL photos for quite some time now. I sold many vinyl LP’s and tons of CD’s that way. But, the photos were always a little skewed one way or the other due to parallax errors. I decided once to try scanning in a book. What a difference! Not only was it straight but the colors were much better, too. And SHARP. So, now I am changing my listings to use scanned photos wherever possible. It just looks a whole more professional. Yeah, it’s kind of time consuming, but I think the overall results are just much better. I scan them in to a folder that I call Scanned Online Items, and I can use the same images in other venues, as well. Unfortunately I could not have used this method for my vinyl LP’s as they were just too big. Years ago there was software to knit two scans together but I haven’t seen it in a long time.
I hope this helps someone else.
My Booth:   http://www.bonanza.com/booths/PC_Bob

Some Secrets of My Success

Since I consider myself a successful Etsy seller, I'm taking the opportunity of my 2nd Etsyversary to share some thoughts. While I know everyone finds their own path and my experience won't reflect everyone's experiences, I hope you find this interesting or even helpful.

When I started making jewelry based on molecule shapes, I expected it to be a hobby. I was planning to work freelance writing jobs for a living and sell jewelry to produce some retirement savings. Yet within a year the jewelry became my full-time job that pays the bills. The freelance writing I do is extra.

I believe much of my success comes from having an unusual offering. At first, I thought my jewelry would appeal to a very small niche. I was uneasy about joining Etsy because I thought people interested in my stuff would not find me here. I was wrong. First, my work appeals to a wider audience than I suspected, and, second, people found my stuff through searches and - more importantly - through other people. Despite my expectations to the contrary, having such a narrow focus in my work has been a benefit.

I'm a generalist and I love making all sorts of things, like textiles, sculptures, and paper goods. But in my Etsy store, I've largely remained focused on just the jewelry. Every once in a while I'll throw something else in, but I think having a focused inventory looks professional.

Since this is my job, there are things I love to make that don't make money, so I can't offer them in my shop. I don't like that this is true, that I need to pay attention to profit margins. But it is necessary, especially since my extra time has been dwindling.

I love what I do. I have even found ways to enjoy the more business-sided aspects. It's important to have passion about your work when you work for yourself. I work long days [disclaimer: I still need to figure out work-life balance!], but often it doesn't feel like all I do is work when my hobby and my work are one and the same.

Every day I am thankful to have stumbled upon this way to make a living. I'm also very appreciative of Etsy and the Etsy community. Through Etsy forums I've learned the importance of great customer service and how to sell in person. I also appreciate the camaraderie in the Forums and in the street teams.

Thank you all, and good luck in all of your Etsy ventures!

My Etsy Shop:
http://www.molecularmuse.etsy.com

My Newsletter:
http://www.madewithmolecules.com/list.html

My Blog:
http://www.madewithmolecules.com/blog/

 

 

Advice on Building a Strong Business

I have been on Etsy for 6 months now and just celebrated my 500th sale. I have achieved this in part due to the awesome advice I have found on the forums, and feel that it is my turn to share 10 points that have made a difference in my shop.

1) Treat your shop as a business.
If you treat your shop as a hobby, you will get a hobby's worth of results. Be dedicated to creating new products, filling out your shop, taking excellent pictures, knowing how to work with the Etsy system, and promoting in as many ways as your are able. Search the internet for business topics, read the forums, learn as much as you can. It is not as simple as creating something and listing it.

2) Know your target market.
Knowing your target market and providing a product that they WANT is the foundation for a successful shop. You can make beautiful things, but let's face it, if you targeting the wrong people, or if your beautiful things do not fulfill a need or want in your market you are not going to sell anything.

Ask yourself a few questions and gear your descriptions, or even your products to speak to your market. BEING a member of your target market helps tremendously with putting yourself in their mindset.
-Why would my market be interested in my products?
-What aspects of my product would be the biggest selling point?
-Where does my target market hang out on the internet? (What is the best place to join in the community and quietly promote)

3) Search your key search on Etsy every day (or multiple times a day).
A large percentage of people are going to find you simply by searching on Etsy. It is important that you show up in this search, that you show up early, and that you show up often.
-Think of all the possible search words that you think of someone might type in to find your item and tag your items accordingly.
-Create new items or renew items frequently so that you remain present in the searches. The more times you show up, the more chances you have of someone falling in love with your products. If you drop down too far, it is time to renew, or list a new item.
-Get to know your competition through this search. Analyze their style, how prolific they are, how frequently they list, their success, etc. Use this information to make your shop stand out next to them.

4) Make the most of your tags.
Use ALL of them. Tag colors, your shop name, key selling points (free shipping, eco friendly, etc.), important materials (sterling silver, cashmere, etc.) and descriptive words (soft, shiny, classy, funky, retro, etc), common misspellings, and alternate phrasing.
-Look at your competition's listings for ideas on other tags that you could be using.

Your buyers find you through these tags, as do treasury makers. Treasuries help bring more exposure to you, thus increasing your views, and hopefully sales.

5) Visually stand out from the crowd.
Make your items stand out from your competition. This is about branding. You want your buyers to see your items in the search and know that it is yours.
-Have a unique style that shows up in your photographs. This may be the style of your products themselves, or simply the way you photograph them.

6) Continually improve your photography.
Your photographs will make or break you. Your customers can't hold your items, so the photographs need to be clear, informative, and visually stunning all at once.
-Read tutorials online, and in the forums to improve your shots.
-Use natural light, or a light box.
-Tweek your shots in photo editing software to make them the best they can be.
-Take LOTS of pictures of each item at many different angles. Choose only the best 5 to keep.
-Search around Etsy for another seller who's product photographs you admire. Emulate their style and adapt it to fit your items and your shop. DO NOT copy their style exactly. You want to stand out. Use their style as inspiration on how to pose items, or how something looks best.
-Use all 5 picture slots that Etsy gives you.
-Select 1 shot that is artsy, alluring, and visually stunning that will draw your customers in. Make them want to click on it to get a better look and to see more of that stunning piece. Make this your first shot.
-Give at least 1 shot of the full item. You may loose a sale if your customer has to piece together all your shots to figure out what the whole thing looks like.
-Show important details such as the clasp, patterning, etc.
-Have a shot showing your item in scale. It is difficult to tell in a picture how big, or small an item is. Dimensions in your description are important, but it is difficult to visualize dimensions. Show a necklace or purse on a model, your stuffed toy in a person's hand, or your artwork on the wall next to a piece of furniture.

7) List more
You can't sell it if it isn't in your shop.
-Creating and listing more means more choice for your customers.
-More listings spaced out have your shop show up more frequently in the searches, bringing more people to your shop.
-More variety means more choice for your customers. The more items you have, the more likely someone is to fall in love with a piece and take it home.
-Shops that are filled out have a more professional appearance, like you are running a business rather than a hobby.

As you list more, use your shop sections, so that your buyers can easily find everything in your shop.

8) Diversify your product line
Variety is the spice of life. Additional product lines allow you to list in multiple categories, which allows you to draw people to your shop from multiple searches. If your products are complimentary, it encourages people to find something in your shop they didn't realize they wanted when they typed in the original search. Consistently look at your products and ask yourself:
-Is there a complementary line of products I can also sell?
-Can I make this product in more sizes or colors or patterns?
-Can I offer more products in different price ranges?

9) Make a high quality product
If your customers are delighted with your products they will come back for more and refer more people to your shop. This is free advertising, and the more people they send your way, the fewer you have to find yourself.
-Pay attention to details
-Use materials you are proud of

10) Provide excellent customer service
Each customer that you take care of well and comes back, is one customer you don't have to find.
-Treat your customers as you would like to be treated.
-Check your email and convos at least once a day, if not more often
-Be professional, polite, and kind.
-Ship quickly
-Maintain communication. If something is taking a while, keep them updated. Let your customers know when their items have been shipped.

I hope that this helps you all in your shops and here's to each of you reaching 500 sales :D

My Online Shop:

http://twiceshearedsheep.etsy.com

My Twitter:
http://twitter.com/nairtseuqe

 

Newbies, Here's Why You're Not Selling Yet

When you're new to Etsy, you're desperate to make that first sale (I know I was!) and I remember that it seems to take forever. I know plenty of you think it's your store, your prices, Etsy customers etc, but here's one set of events that applies to every new seller. It's all about connections and connections take time. It could go a little something like this:
♥ Day 1 ♥
When you first open your store, nobody can find you. You may as well have opened on Pluto. You will not sell anything.
Connections - 0*
♥ Day 2 ♥
Then you list a product. It appears first in the Time Machine and puts your shop at the top of the Seller list. But it will quickly move down that list. If you're lucky a couple of people may stumble across you in these places. You probably still won't sell anything!
Connections - 4*
♥ Week 1 ♥
You list more products (hopefully over a period of days). More opportunities for different buyers/sellers to visit your store. Maybe some of them will 'heart' your store. If so, you'll appear in their favourites list.
Connections - 20*
♥ Week 2 ♥
You start making forum posts. Now you're building relationships with other buyers and sellers. Hopefully they're starting to visit you. As you build up these relationships, you'll find more and more people put you in their favourites lists. The more favourite lists you appear in, the more likely it is that people who visit another sellers store will wind up in yours.
Connections - 80*
♥ Week 3 ♥
Now you've built up a decent number of connections on Etsy. Maybe someone will pop you in a treasury (more connections), you're now hearting people (they check their hearts and bingo! more connetions), you're regularly posting in the forums (connections), and you're listing regularly (you guessed it - connections).
Connections - 300*
♥ Week 4 ♥
Finally all these connections and links to your store pay off. Someone buys something. Now your store also appears in the 'Sold' Time Machine and in 'feedback'. Plus the buyer will start talking about what he or she bought from you - so now you're also getting word of mouth outside of Etsy.
Connections - 1200*  You can see where this is heading. The connections build up exponentially, which explains why nothing happens for 4 weeks or 8 weeks or 12 weeks and then all of a sudden you're rushed off your feet! So if you're new, don't panic. Just build up as many connections (on and OFF Etsy) as you can. xxx scarlett

* number of connections example only and based on nothing more than my fertile imagination.

 

My Shop:
http://www.scarlettcat.etsy.com

My Blog:
http://scarlettcat.blogspot.com

My Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/people/scarlettcat

 

Treat Your Shop Like a Business part 1

TIPS:

1) Creating new products is key to your online selling success.

2) Try to have a full shop, take excellent photographs, and promote in as many ways as you can.

3) The internet has a wealth of information about business topics. Do a Search, and learn as much as you can.

4) When creating descriptions for your items, ask yourself...Why would people be interested in my products?
What aspects of my product would be the biggest selling point?

5) Social Networking:
Where does my target market hang out on the internet?
Where is the best place to join in the community and promote?

6) Make the most of your keywords. Use ALL of them. Think of all the possible search words that you think someone might type in to find your item and tag your items accordingly. Tag colors, your shop name, key selling points (free shipping, eco friendly, etc.), important materials (sterling silver, cashmere, etc.) and descriptive words (soft, shiny, classy, funky, retro, etc). Watch your spelling when tagging your items.

7) Create new items and renew items frequently so that you remain present in the searches. Don't get buried in the Searches. The more times you show up the more likely potential customers are to find your shop.

8) Shops that are filled out have a more professional appearance, like you are running a business rather than a hobby.

9) Don't list all of your items at once. More listings spaced out have your shop show up more frequently in the searches, bringing more people to your shop. And you are less likely to get buried in the listings.

10) More variety means more choice for your customers. The more items you have, the more likely someone is to fall in love with an item and take it home.

11) Utilize those categories. Title your shop sections well, so that your buyers can easily find everything in your shop.

12) Diversify your product line. Variety is the spice of life. Additional product lines allow you to list in multiple categories, which allows you to draw people to your shop from multiple searches. If your products are complimentary, it encourages people to find something in your shop they didn't realize they wanted when they typed in the original search. Consistently look at your products and ask yourself:
-Is there a complementary line of products I can also sell?
-Can I make this product in more sizes or colors or patterns?
-Can I offer more products in different price ranges?

13) Make a high quality product. If your customers are delighted with your products they will come back for more and refer more people to your shop. This is free advertising, and the more people they send your way, the fewer you have to find yourself.
-Pay attention to details
-Use high quality materials

14) Provide excellent customer service. Each customer that you take care of well and comes back, is one customer you don't have to find.
-Treat your customers as you would like to be treated.
-Check your email at least once a day, if not more often
-Be professional, polite, and kind.
-Ship quickly
-Maintain communication. If something is taking a while, keep them updated. Let your customers know when their items have been shipped.

It is not as simple as creating something and listing it.

I hope that this helps :)