Are you kidding me???? Plllllease! Plus, great shop advice♥

Hello again, joyful greetings from my jewelry empire. We are bringing you yet another of my long rants and raves today. So let's get right down to the juicy center of it all, there's so much to rant about today, so little time!

First, are you serious?? You just walked in the door a minute ago and you already know everything? I walked in 10 years before you and I am still a work in progress. Know it all's need not apply here or on Etsy:( I will not reference the thread, I will not reference the thread, omg, stop me before I reference the thread!! But worse than that even? You want to offer critiques? About what? How to get laughed off the forum?? Oh crap, I feel I might reference the thread, where are my mentors to stop me??? :( Darn it, I don't think anyone will know what I'm ranting about unless I reference the threads! See, now you know there are 2 threads! One under Critiques and a closed one under Business! Oops, did it again:(

Can I call out on my own blog? Or do the Etsy police have a FBI division that can come in and close me down? Which reminds me, not so great comeback on Criminal Minds people. Okay, can I stay on topic? Gotta slow down w/that Adderall/antidepressant/coffee/frosted flakes addiction! LMAO

So here's my second rant... Unwanted Advice Sucks:( Why are you telling people what to do? If you don't want any sales that's fine. I try to give open minded helpful advice that lets people come around eventually to good business practices. But you cannot generalize everyone's selling experience. Not all sellers are underpricing their work because you overprice yours. Do yourself and all the other adults here a favor, k? Don't convo, don't email, don't visit me. We are all big people now and we will let you know if we need your help. You are the rude one and we have a right to slam the door in your face.

☺☺☺Now for some actual helpful shop/selling advice☺☺☺

Banner/Avatar

Keep the same one forever, make sure you like it. It's your shop brand and everything you use should reflect it. Keep packaging, biz cards, etc. in the same theme. People need consistency in shopping and want to be able to find you. If you want an avatar w/an item from your shop, pick a timeless one and add your shop name to it.

Shop Header

Welcome, nothing personal, no explanations for anything not being there, pics, etc. Street Teams you are on, giveaways, sales, can be listed here. Keep it 2 small paragraphs and under.

Listings

You must list at least 2 pages. More is great, but you have to have a min. of 2. Use all the sections you can and fill each one up. For example, if you only have a purse, a card, and 10 necklaces. Break it down into themes like Hello Kitty, Birthday, etc. If you have a lot of items it's easier to group under things like necklaces, bracelets... Relist or list once a day till you are established. It's cheap enough here so use that to your advantage.

*Please note, it is truly my personal belief that people do not like a shop that is full of a million different types of items. I would recommend that you make one type of fantastic item, (sewn, jewelry, soap, etc.), and work your a$$ off on that. Do whatever you are best at. If you need to make something different, open a different shop. You have to think of your shop as a brand and you need different brands for different things. Would you shop at a jewelry shop that had bread, purses, cards, and floral arrangements? No, because that's a department store! Small shops, even gift shops, are not so fragmented. IMHO♥

Listing Titles

Make up a great title for each piece and you can add what it is after it. Ex. Fall Feathers Altered Art Brooch

Listing Descriptions

Short and straight to the point. They want the stats, a title, and to picture it as their own. Most people don't want a story, but feel free to try this if it works for you. Definitely put in care of item in care of item in case there is a prob later. Do not explain all of your custom options, return policies, or other policies here. That's what shop policies are for. If you need to offer custom work, put a short paragraph in your shop header.
If you've ever looked at a listing that was almost 1/2 a page in description, you will know what I'm talking about. No one wants to read through all of that to get to what they really want to look at. How you made it and what are the dimensions.

Shop Pictures

Another HUGE thing you need to worry about. But no worries! Most buyers want clear pics showing all points of an item and it doesn't have to get fancy. No blurry, no shiny, no dark. Use a free program on the internet to crop and make to an Etsy size. I have some really crappy pics up now and I'm not ashamed to admit it!! LOL eBay is a lot easier to take pics for. I do have some beauties that are from my official site and for here.
No outside pics that compete w/items. No crazy backgrounds w/swirls that compete w/products. No neon, no black unless you have a very contrasting colored item. Get a good light source and you can do anything! Even white computer paper looks good when you take a good pic. Don't worry yourself silly w/all this pic crap you hear. If you sell the items w/the descriptions, words, and promotional tools, you just need pics that display your item clearly.

Shipping

Personal! Please figure out what's good for you and don't let anyone else tell you what to do. Do not offer a refund for overcharging. Set standard prices, stick w/them, and don't leave yourself paying for your own wrapping/packaging/time in the p.o. Never charge just what it costs to ship, everything costs more than just postage. Ship it pretty, fast, and at a reasonable cost that doesn't sound outrageous next to others on Etsy.

Pricing

Another super personal matter. First, before listing, look at your type of item in the lowest section of price. Work somewhere btwn. there and the highest depending on the time/quality/etc. of the item. Honestly, if you don't care about selling, out price your market. Yes, you're worth it, but this is the internet and the cold hard truth is even handmade buyers want something for nothing. Do what's best for you. I use the rule of 3. I mark up 3x what I spent on supplies. But I have great suppliers that aren't always available for everyone because I was a supplier. See, it's really a personal thing. Convo me if you want help w/this.

Feedback

OMG! Run to your shop right now and purchase something, sell a PIF, or do a trade w/someone for feedback. No one will buy from you w/out feedback unless you are a friend or family member.

Shop Policies

Great new section! (okay, it's new to me I'm dating myself!! LOL) This is the space for all your important info. you really want your customers to know. Here is where they will come to see this info. not in your listings. Put precise and to the point descriptions that outline your policies. Be super specific and stick to what's written here. You are in charge, make the rules. I'm guilty of being wishy washy w/my store policies. If you write down that you will cancel a sale after 24 hrs. you have to do it. If you say no refund on custom orders,sorry, you can't give a refund. Stick to your guns because people constantly push at you on the internet. It's way harder on here then in a B&M store. There is the anonymity of the internet and people feel more open to rudeness and being pushy. So if it's stated here that's the end of it. Refer meanies to your policy section☺

Your Profile

Make it like a resume. Of course you can add you're a WAHM, you live on a lake, etc. But really push the info. about your artist experience. No explanations for inadequate knowledge, it's your first day, etc. Only pos. info. that makes you get the job!

So how's that for some extremely unwanted advice?? LOL If you'd like to check out my thread where I offer you some advice but not harsh know it all critiques, please visit here:


http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6298841

I admit, I need to get off the coffee/pills/frosted flakes diet soon!! I'm so overworked:(

Lovingly lay out the lines...
T♥