Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Finding Success on Etsy

By no way am I the expert on mega sales and views on my humble little store but I have gone from virtually 0 sales to a steady flow of site traffic and a few sales that I am so thankful for. I can't guarantee you the same results if you try my methods but I can tell you that I have made a lot of great friends and contacts and I have learned valuable information along the way.
The number one thing that helped me was putting myself out there and introducing myself to fellow etsians that I admired. I favorited their shops, read their profiles, and started conversing with them about their etsy experiences. You will probably find 99% of these interactions will be awesome , helpful and ongoing relationships but there will occasionally be the 1% that leaves you feeling not so warm and gooey inside.
After you have favorited some artisans start making treasuries! They are a lot of fun to create, they showcase your favorite etsians talent, and they show another side of your creativity but most importantly they are a form of networking with other artists. If you have ever been picked for a treasury you know how thankful and honored you feel to be selected and in time someone may return the favor to you!
The one thing that I should have done in my first month but didn't do for one year was to read the seller handbook. Had I have done this back then I could have turned my store around sooner. If you are looking for ways to improve anything about your store and you haven't checked this out too please do! Looking for ways to improve your photos? There is an entire section. How about marketing and advertising? Of course that is there too. What about shipping tips, revamping your site, customer service 101? Basically everything you need to know about selling on Etsy is presented in the handbook so take advantage of this valuable tool!
After you have the basics nailed down start getting your presence out there more. Start a facebook page for your business and link back to your store often and invite all your friends. Also leave a link on your store page and invite customers. Mail out a newsletter and offer customers something fun for signing up. I use Mailchimp because it is free up to 500 email addresses and is easy to navigate. Many etsians also have a blog and they link their addresses on all their sites! On my blog and facebook I often feature my favorite designers and than they bring in fans too!
Miscellaneous tips include renewing items every few days, especially if you are not listing new items every day. Make sure that you are using all of your tags and that they are coming up in searches!!Of course I give beaucoup credit to blog Tools Are For Women Too!, as far as I know it is the only one of its kind and is so valuable in connecting wonderful designers and showcasing talent! In an earlier post I mentioned Micromentor and the help that they give for free!! The site matches you with a business mentor that guides you in the entrepreneur process and is tailored specifically to your needs!
I will keep looking for unique ways to grow your stores and if I find anything I will definitely share the info with you. On that note I have been praying for God's guidance in my business and help and I can say that I believe this has helped. With all these things combined and jumping backwards three times...just kidding;) Hopefully this helps in some small way and I wish all of you huge success in your businesses and your lives!!!
xoxo-Brooke

5 comments:

  1. Thanks for all the helpful advice!!!

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  2. Great advice, Brooke! Thank You!

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  3. Hi Brooke,

    I just published another post to remind everyone of all the great giveaways, including yours. Looks like you are gaining followers. I love it! Thank you for mentioning me in your post.

    Rory

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  4. I am one of your newest followers... Your jewelery is sooo pretty!

    Blessings,
    ~Lynn

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  5. Thank you, this is very inspiring.
    I am glad I found you (I came from Rory's Blog)

    Your work is so delicate and beautiful, I hope your day is full of creativity and peace.
    Griselda

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