Tutorial and Shop Critique Form

Etsy has created & made available a shop critique form. I thought this was particularly cool, seeing as now we can easily evaluate each others shops, (at least, in English!).

Here's the link: https://blog.etsy.com/en/files/2014/04/Etsy_AdvancedShopCritiquePage_EN_Online_Form-1.pdf

Also, Francesca created a LOVELY earring wire tutorial that I thought was pretty swanky. You can check that out here: http://www.bsueboutiques.com/pi_handmade_ear_wires_francesca_watson1.shtml

Enjoy!

How To Boost Your Search Engine Optimization on Etsy! (SEO)

http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2013/4-ways-to-improve-your-seo/?campaign_label=etsy_success&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=etsy_success_052813_5871075908_0&utm_medium=email&email_sent=1369856521&euid=_x7Z3Y6geqxH_oGb2BZZ-F9xILzy

COMING SOON TO MY ETSY SHOP:

http://zenithjade.etsy.com/

A Day of Jewelry Selling on Etsy, Alzheimers, Jilly's Bead Posse, ++!

A neat infographic on selling jewelry on Etsy! (Here's the original post with additional information: http://www.beadinggem.com/2012/03/day-of-jewelry-selling-on-etsy.html).

I thought this was too cool not to share! *grins*

Also, a neat article from the same source on a jewelry-making world traveler:

Esfera Jewelry - A Traveling Jewelry Store

I've been busy making new things today! Some of it I'm donating to Jilly's Bead Posse, (a dedicated group of artisans working to raise funds++ for researching Alzheimer's). I made 36 pairs of earrings for the cause, (I forgot to take pictures, but you can view some of them on Jilly's Bead Posse by searching for my name!), and now I'm making some polymer clay pendants, a waterfall pendant or two, and some other stuff!*laughs* It's keeping me pretty busy!

And a random photo from my Etsy shop:

http://zenithjade.etsy.com/

Firefox + EtsyHacks = Etsy Lurve

I really hope that I can truly delve into the wonders of EtsyHacks and how to use it one of these days.

For those of you who are already familiar with Firefox and GreaseMonkey, AND have an Etsy Shop... then EtsyHacks are really, truly, just what the doctor ordered. ehax.etsy.com has created some lovely hacks to make your selling++ experiences easier and more fun. He's got: copy listing hacks, forum hacks, receipt hacks, convo hacks... I think you get the idea.

I promise- one of these days, I'll post a tutorial for newbies on how to get started. ;)
(If you know of a newbie faq already in existence, please let me know! I'll post it!).

<3,
Andrea

**Valuable Links not found via Etsy - Updated 6-11-08

from loosewirestudio, (via this Etsy forum post):

Here's the updated list of links that are used by many Etsians, but cannot be found (or not easily) on Etsy.

Full list always maintained here:
http://loosewirestudio.blogspot.com/2005/06/etsy-helpful-links-not-found-via-etsy.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks to all of you who contributed to the original list. Have more? I'll add them and keep it running. :)

-----LINK LIST ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://etsywiki.com/ Accumulated wisdom from seasoned sellers.
http://etsytreasurydemo.blogspot.com/ Treasury tutorial.
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_west.php Test Treasury.
http://www.etsy.com/poster_sketch.php Prepare a treasury.
http://www.etsy.com/tag_fractal.php Tag Fractal Etsy Search. Cool!
http://team.etsy.com/downloads.html The old Resources page, which has the postcards.
http://fix.etsy.com/ Where to go if Etsy is down.

http://www.majaba.org/heartomatic.php See hearts and views in one place. By Juln.etsy.com.
http://bestysearch.com/ Lots of other ways to search Etsy.

https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_ship-now Secret Paypal shipping link.
http://etsy.ppcalc.com/ Fees calculators.
http://checkout.google.com/ Alternate payment option.
http://www.propay.com/?refid=ETSYOLCM Propay discount link. Alternate payment and means to take credit cards at fairs.

http://www.usps.com/tools/calculatepostage
http://www.geocities.com/vlhester/index.html TheBeadingTree's international rate chart.
http://www.shelfmasters.com/InternationalRateChart.aspx International Postage rate chart. (Has not been updated.)

http://www.thumbalizr.com/ Cross platform means to screen shots.
http://tinyurl.com/ Make long links short.
http://tools.oratory.com/altcodes.html How to make those little characters.
http://www.onlineconversion.com/ Conversions.
http://picnik.com/ Pic site.
http://webresizer.com/
http://www.primopdf.com/ Convert any document to a PDF!
http://chris-parry.blogspot.com/search/label/Pricing
http://etsyforeveryone.typepad.com/my_weblog/graphics/index.html How to make your own banner. And lots more!

http://www.weloveetsy.com/shops We love etsy shops directory.
mini blogs:
http://etsymini.blogspot.com/
http://etsyminisupplies.blogspot.com/

Gift Certificate knowledge:
http://www.consumersunion.org/pub/core_financial_services/003889.html Consumer's Union
http://www.rimmkaufman.com/content/brannlawgiftcertchart.pdf PDF document chart
http://www.naag.org/ag/full_ag_table.php You can also check out your attorney general's website

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also, FAQs, non-offical Etsy style (my cheat sheet):
http://loosewirestudio.blogspot.com/2005/02/faqs.html


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And I thought that *my* list of Etsy links was pretty good! LOL! =*^.^*= Thanks loosewirestudio!

Random Fun-

It all started with the question, "Who has the BIGGEST jewelry shop on Etsy?" (read that forum thread here)...

In that thread, quirke links to a wonderful page on Etsy.com that lists all sellers by the number of items in their stores. (The most is currently 2385!). Click here to see the shops with the most items on Etsy! =^.^;=

More neat things from the 'net, (and Etsy, of course)!

A snippet from Digital DIY, "Digital Marketing for Small Business":
"I Can Do That Myself" Syndrome

Over and over in the Etsy forums and in other places I hear artists and crafter complaining about incidents where people make rude comments about their arts and crafts and tell them,” I could make that myself, why should I pay you for it?” The artists and crafters defend themselves, like they should, saying that they have expertise and skills and use finer materials than most people would have access to. So why do artists and crafters then say “I can do that myself” when it comes to marketing and promotion?

Click HERE to read the full-length article. It's worth it! =*^.^*=
***************************

If you're looking for daily cool bits to drool over, you can head on over to "Daily Candy". According to the website, Daily Candy is, "a free daily e-mail newsletter and website, is the insider’s guide to what’s hot, new, and undiscovered — from fashion and style to gadgets and travel. As useful as it is entertaining, it’s like getting an e-mail from your clever, unpredictable, and totally in-the-know best friend. The one who knows about secret beauty treatments, must-have jeans, hot new restaurants — and always shares the scoop."

Take a look- I bet you'll find something you can't live without!
***************************

Two worth-while reads about RME/RMX on the Etsy Forums...
How do I sign up for RME payment acceptance?
AskTripp from (Revolution) MoneyExchange
***************************

Random fun on the Etsy Forums:
Come Play Isketch with Me!
***************************

Come and give RobWhite (Etsy Admin) your two cents about "Feedback and non-paying buyers" here.
***************************

You can also help RevolvingDork (Etsy Admin) about why "Shop Policies (are) being cleared out -- Help us with more info!"
***************************

I dare say that's enough linkage for one night! =*^.^*=
<3!

Several AWESOME Etsy Forum Posts-

Here's a simple way to figure out when an item for sale on Etsy is worth flagging, (by ScotiaMade); how Etsy crops pictures, (by sarahkinchelow); what to do when you've been flagged by accident (?!?), (by 1OnceUponARoom); and a brief question about how RME (revolution money exchange) works, (by lusterbunny).

Since I'm a compulsive lurker & clicker, through these posts I've found two shops that I think are just FABULOUS. =*^.^*= You should totally take a look at 1OnceUponARoom's Shop... here's a mini :::


And lusterbunny's shop mini:

Is this REALLY how you want people to see you?

TotusMel made a wonderful post- not only in the Etsy forums, but in her blog as well. I would HIGHLY recommend reading her blog post in particular. Then, you can also just check out her fabulous blog & Etsy shop!

Reminder: "Use your grown-up words, please!"

"Your Top 3 Ideas for Etsy" by Rokali

Rokali says:
This is a thread for listing your top 3 ideas. What do you most want? We'll use your input to help us prioritize development.

You can have two lists if you like: one for selling, one for buying.

Please keep your post to just a simple list. We can start other threads to discuss specific ideas.

So, here are my ideas. Please follow this format to help us collate everything on our end.

-------------------------------------

*Selling*

1. Shop stats for sellers (with a full referrer list)
2. A revamped Showcase system to help sellers promote (this would include stats on how promotions are working out)
3. A real Teams section, allowing for more free-form and topical groups to form inside Etsy

*Buying*

1. Organize your favorites
2. Show off purchases in a "Collection"
3. More seamless checkout experience
*************************************

Want to make a difference in the way Etsy works? This is your bonafide chance to chime in with your suggestions, and to be heard. =*^.^*=

Click here to add your thoughts to this forum thread on Etsy!
(Thread started April 15th, 2008)

All About Etsy!

Etsy // About
Etsy // Bannerator
Etsy // Chat
Etsy // Do's & Don'ts
Etsy // Events
Etsy // FAQ
Etsy // Links
Etsy // Home
Etsy // Moo.com
Etsy // Resources
Etsy // Site Maintenance
Etsy // Teams Home
Etsy // The Labs
Etsy // The Storque
Etsy // wiki

Besty (Etsy.com) off-site search
Etsy for Everyone!
Unofficial Etsy News Site
All Things Handmade : The MiniBlog
Etsy on Wikipedia.org
Buried Treasury
Little Book of Etsy (LBOE)

Why Don't I Have Any Sales?

Written by PussDaddy. The original post, (+44 pages of comments!), can be found here.

"
I see this question all the time, and if it is not written in those exact words, then I see it alluded to in many other ways.

I see people blaming mistagging, the search engine, whether or not they can get a treasury, or make the front page, pricing, vintage and supplies, the buyer to seller ratio, whether or not Etsy advertises, the way method of payment is laid out, and on and on and on.

I see people fretting over whether or not someone has copied them, used a rice krispie box to make a purse, whose stuff is really art and whose isn't, are they breaking copyright laws, how that persons' items are tagged, whether or not it even belongs here, is this persons' items hand sewn or machine sewn, do they sell for a hobby or to make a living, do they have help and if so is it ok, what country are they from, why is the other persons items priced so low or high, why does the other person even sell that kind of stuff and who would want it and who is buying it, why doesn't admin reprimand, castigate, or even cast out these law breakers or change the rules to fit their theory of how things should be done?

We have people convo'ing each other or other people telling them their item is mistagged, not allowed, not handmade, doesn't belong here, is distasteful, doesn't belong on Etsy, and they are going to flag them and run them out of town.

I see newbies come in here to ask for help, or ask why THEIR stuff isn't selling, and its' a whole new story then. They are rudely told "your post is in the wrong place, move it!" or "stop whining!" , and that whining thing strikes me as being hilarious, by the way, in retrospect as I see the same people doing it in here day after day, if not about one thing then another. Heck, even this post I made could be considered a whine.

Then I go to the time machine2, and I pick out a random item to buy, and that person will have 85, 139, 357, 575, or even over a 1000 feedback and I say to myself "wow, people DO sell here. And I look at their username and I see that I have never seen or heard of this person before, never seen them in the forum, and when I do mention it to them, some of them don't even know there IS a forum. They spend most of their time dedicating it to making stuff, listing it, taking care of their customers, and minding their own shop and their own business. They have plenty of sales and a following.

From this I can only conclude that the forum can make or break sales. Whether by causing you not have enough time to do anything but complain, point fingers and mind other peoples' business for them which causes you to neglect your own shop because you are so wrapped up in tagging and flagging and minding other peoples' business that you neglect your own and there is no time for anything else, the in-fighting that results because of all this, or maybe even the fact that someone just doesn't like you or anything that you have to say.

So that is why I do not sell yet, but still contribute to the forum. You learn a lot in here, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I feel I have learned quite a lot in here-not everything there is to know, mind you, but still quite a bit.

I feel I have picked up many pointers along the way about what to do and not what to do. I have learned how my time and effort may well better be spent, where to direct my time, energy and effort, and how and where I choose to do it may be to my benefit. What to worry about and what not to waste time and effort on. And how the forum can make and break you in general, because just as how people don't always like what I have to say or contribute, the sword slices both ways and I do not think people are really aware of that.

In the long run, I am pretty convinced it would be to my benefit to use another email address and make another username, and sell under that name, and keep this username for talking in the forum. I am still on the fence on that aspect. Start from scratch, if you will, just list my stuff, go about my business, and handle things as they come up one thing at a time.

I know this is longwinded, and I do apologize. I also know I am a pain in the butt in here a lot. But I just wanted to say my time here is not wasted, even though I am just a "buyer" and lots of people don't even think I have the right to chime in on many topics.
You do learn a lot in here, by reading, and also trying to contribute. I am however, going to try to cut down on my time in the forum and direct my attention elsewhere to things that will be more to my benefit, and I am sure that will make many very happy. I just wanted to throw out some food for though. Thanks, and have a nice day.
"

Etsy Advice!!!

Ok, I found this smattering of FABULOUS Etsy advice from another Etsyian, ChristineRenee. I'm copying it & pasting it here, but you should totally hop on over to her blog and say "hello!" (And maybe "Thanks!" too. =*^.^*=). Here's a direct link to the original blog post. *grins*

I got a message from someone on Etsy today, asking me for some advice about how to promote her shop. I was surprised to be asked, because I certainly don’t consider myself to be an expert. But the more I thought about it I realized that I HAVE learned a lot over the last 2 years on Etsy.

Here is what I told her:
1) The most obvious thing is to list on a regular basis. At least one thing per day if you can. The way the categories are set up and the searches work you’ll be viewed by more people if you have recently listed items.

2) If you don’t have enough stuff to list something new every day then renew a listing that has been up for a while. It will cost you another 20¢ to do it, but that item will show up as if you just listed it and you’ll get the same benefits of having a newly listed item.

3) Diversify the stuff that you make so that you can list in more categories. The more your stuff is spread out across Etsy the better chance someone is going to find you.

4) Be part of the Etsy community. Post in the forums, visit the chat rooms, put together a treasury. Most sellers are buyers too, so make sure they know who you are (in a positive way).

5) Offer really great service so you’ll get repeat customers and they will recommend you to others. Also, they’ll mention how awesome you are in your feedback and that will result in more sales in the long run.

6) Promote yourself outside of Etsy. If you can afford it, take out some ads. But be very careful about where you spend your money. For me the top three crafty magazines are Adorn, Craft and Readymade. (So far I’ve only been in ReadyMade, but I’m hoping to advertise in the other two soon.) Also, carry business cards with you at all times so you’ll be prepared if someone asks you about your work. If possible, carry examples of your work with you. Leave flyers all over town in places where potential buyers shop and hang out.

7) Participate in the Sampler: http://www.homeofthesampler.com/ !! This may be the only truly valuable piece of advice. The way the sampler works is this: You send in samples of your work. Make it something small and inexpensive, but representative of what you do. Then all the samples that are sent in get divided into packages and sent out to other contributers and people who pay to get one.

All of that is great for getting your name out there, but what is REALLY amazing is there is a Media Only option. For $25 you can get your some of you samples sent to people in the media. Marie, the woman behind the Sampler, has tons of connections in the media. Basically, it’s like working with a crafty PR agency. And the more regular samples you send in the more samples she’ll send to the media for you. It is absolutely worth the $25.

8) Have a blog and try to get mentioned on other people’s blogs. It all comes up in google searches and you can lead people to your shop. (Plus it’s fun.)

9) Be part of the crafty community in general. Participate in the forums on sites like Craftster.org and GetCrafty.com. And try to get involved locally if there are any groups that get together in your town. Or start one. Also, participate in local craft shows. A lot of people who don’t buy from you at the show will visit your shop online if you hand out cards, and will buy from you later.

10) Join a street team (or two or three). This is something I have been meaning to do but haven’t yet…

Saving a listing to post later, a tutorial. by: littleputbooks

Finally, another fabulous Etsy tutorial- this time by littleputbooks! =*^.^*= This walkthrough tutorial is wonderfully simple, and easy to do. If you were wondering how to start & stop in listing all that cool new handmade stuff for Christmas, this is for you! WOO!

Click here for the tutorial!

The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread!

EtsyTools.com is run by two *anonymous* Etsyians who wanted to give back to the Etsy community. It provides updated STATS (graphs & numbers) on a variety of cool stuff like:

Sales per HOUR
Listings versus sales per hour &
Top Sellers

You can also visit their BLOG or FAQ.

Have I mentioned that this is the best thing since sliced bread?
This REALLY ROCKS!
Whomever these Etsyians are, I'd like to say THANK YOU!
Let me know who to send cookies to. =~.^=

Like We Need More Tips!

But I've got 'um, so I'm going to share 'um! =~.^=

The New & Improved Ultimate Newbie Guide - Revised July 2007
You have questions? This guide has the answers!

Saving a Listing to post for later!!!!!
A tutorial written by littleputbooks, and it ROCKS. Check it out!

I need some pointers please....

TrashedClothing asked for some shop and photography pointers. And boy, did she get some great ones! (Srsly!). =*^.^*=

Check out this forum thread if you'd like some help yourself, or if you'd like a very quick & easy refresher course. =*^.^*=

Pre-Christmas 'Pimp Your Store' checklist

meringueshop wrote this LOVELY checklist for Etsy Sellers. =*^.^*= You can find the original forum thread by clicking here, (along with other wonderful bits of advice from more sellers!).

We're only a few short months away from the busy pre-Christmas period, so now is the perfect time to take a good, hard look at your store and give it an extreme makeover.
I've listed a few things below but there are plenty more things to consider, like business plans etc. But this is a good start......

1. Appearance
How's your shop looking? Is it a little tired? Could you do with a new banner? Are your photos the best you could do? Is your Shop Announcement too long/short/dull?
You only get one opportunity to make a first impression, so if you think your store looks mediocre, imagine what the fresh eyes of a potential buyer are seeing.
2. Profile
How long since you wrote it? Have you written one? Are you using it to connect to your customer or simply to offer information?
3. Automated Message
Are you using this? It's a great way to give your new customer any general information that may be important to the sale. It's also an immediate 'thank you' to your customer.
4. Descriptions & Titles
How's the spelling? How well are they written? Whether they're wordy or concise, are they clear? This is your chance to really 'sell' your item, you should make the most of it. A great description is even more important if your photos are not brilliant or the piece doesn't display well in 2D.
5. Terms & Conditions of sale
Do you have these listed anywhere in your shop? A good place to put them is in your Profile. Giving this information to your customers leads to less confusion and hopefully less non-payers. Take a look at some successful shops for good examples.
6. Sections
Have you set up sections? These make it easier for customers to navigate your shop.
7. Location
Have you listed your country? This is an international site, remember. Your state intials are not obvious to those of us from other parts of the world. Your state and country help a lot. You could be losing potential buyers by omitting this simple piece of information. Details are important.
8. Shipping
Have you sorted out your shipping costs? Do you ship internationally? Do you have EVERYWHERE ELSE or individual countries and the shipping costs listed? If you are asking potential buyers to convo you for a shipping price, are you aware that many of your competitors already have their act together and offer that information in their listings? Unless it's a large/fragile item there really is no reason not to know the shipping prices, there are loads of threads about it as well as information on the net.

The idea is to make your shop as appealing as possible. You should also be making it easy for customer to purchase, the more complicated you make it for someone to buy from you, the less chance there is that you will get their business.

Remember to check out meringueshop's shop + you can thank her in the forum thread, if you're so inclined! *grins*

And a LOT of Etsy Stuff.

I just found a link to an older article about Etsy- you can read it here on 3pointD.com.

For Etsy sellers who ship internationally, RhinocerosRose commiserates in this forum post + she asks for & gets some wonderful advice from fellow Etsyians. If you're thinking about starting, (or venting), this is a good thread to hop into to. *grins*

Wondering where you can get your very own custom rubber stamps? I've wondered the same thing! littlenest asked that in this forum thread, and received some wonderful leads.

Here's a forum thread started by foundling where the woes of customs/duties tax is addressed. It also has some wonderful advice for those who ship internationally. (I'm one of them!).

An Etsy favorite, emckinstry asks, "Is Etsy Going to Support Popular Sellers in Expanding Their Businesses?" in a forum thread. It was started on June 27th, and guess what- it's already 13 pages long. Want a debate? Have a question about that? This is the forum thread to go to.

Lots and lots of Etsy News today! =*^.^*=

Ultimate guide to "Newbie" (or not so newbie) Questions

sagittariusgallery put together this GIGANTIC FAQ to help all Etsy users- it's very big, but well organized. =*^.^*=

It is a definite MUST read for Etsyians!

On another note, I have links to many places of Etsy interest under my "Awesome Links" header. The Etsy Wiki is linked there, as well as the Etsy Blog, and the Etsy FAQ. (I just realized I need to put in a link to the D&D's [do's & don'ts] in my list- it'll be there shortly!). There are also many other cool sites & blogs of interest. *grins*