Entries Tagged 'Business Stuff' ↓

I have opened a new supply shop on Artfire called A Bead Sea!

I’ve decided to put my gemstone knowledge to good use, so I am offering primarily earthy gemstones beads – lots of jaspers including beautiful dragon blood jasper and aqua terra jasper. I also have a few of my destash items available for sale, like my extra sterling silver kidney ear wires.

Come check it out!

ArtFire just rolled out its “Collections” feature (similar to Etsy’s Treasury), so I created my first ArtFire Collection today. Enjoy!

I’m reposting this article I wrote for Sellers Assisting Sellers a year ago. New advice coming soon, I promise!

After product photos, product descriptions are the most important element in successful online selling. Because your customers cannot see and feel your items in person, you need to provide that experience in your description. Your description can be what turns a browser into a buyer. You might not be the next Nobel Laureate in literature, but with a little time and practice, you can write great product descriptions.

Write your description as if your buyer were blind.
When you write your description, pretend that your customer cannot see your gorgeous photos. Describe the shape, size, color, luster, feel, etc. of your item. Don’t leave anything out. Think about what information you would want to know if you were shopping. Always include what materials your product is made of. Remember that most people aren’t going to take the time to write and ask you about something you’ve omitted; they’re much more likely to just move on to the next shop.

When possible, include a little information about your process.
Etsy is all about handmade. Unless you are selling commercial supplies or vintage, you should be able to provide a sentence or two about your process. People love to know a little bit about what went into making the piece they are buying. Don’t leave someone wondering if you made that gorgeous silver pendant, or just bought it and put it on a chain.

Include measurements in Imperial and metric.
Etsy is an international site. Most of the world uses the metric system, but many Americans are unfamiliar with metric measurements, so include both. 1 inch equals 2.54cm exactly.

Avoid abbreviations and technical terms.
There may be terms that you use every day in your business that your buyer is unfamiliar with. Sometimes you can use this as an opportunity to educate your buyer, but if you define every technical term you use, your description will become long and will most likely turn buyers off. Also, be careful about using abbreviations that are not universally known. An example I often see on Etsy is “convo.” New Etsy users are not generally familiar with this term, so I recommend saying, “Please contact me,” instead of, “Please convo me.”

Add a little of your personality to your descriptions.
For me, this is the most challenging part of writing descriptions. If you can do this well, it will draw people to your shop. If you do this poorly, you can lose sales. Make sure the tone of your writing matches the type of item you are selling. For example, if you are selling fun, colorful, whimiscal costume jewelry, go ahead and write something cute, fun, and whimsical in your description. If you are selling a $10,000 emerald necklace, a different approach is needed.

Make sure your customer isn’t surprised.
When your customer receives an order from you, there should be no surprises. Be extremely clear in your listing what your buyer will receive. Your buyer should know the color, size, shape, quantity, etc. before ordering. If you are selling an item with a flaw, however small, be sure to disclose that.

Get a second pair of eyes for proofreading.
It can be difficult to find your own mistakes. Have someone else read your description to check for spelling and grammatical errors or omissions. I also find Firefox’s spell check feature to be extremely helpful. (For those of you unfamilar with Firefox, it is a web browser that includes a built-in spell check. Firefox will underline incorrectly spelled words in red for you.)

I hope you will be able to use some of these ideas to improve your listings on Etsy. If you have further advice about writing descriptions, please post in the comments below. I’d love to hear your ideas!

I’ve been completely inundated with requests for Etsy shop critiques recently, so I’ve decided to repost this article that I wrote for Sellers Assisting Sellers a year ago. I plan to write another advice article soon, based on the questions I am most frequently asked. Enjoy!
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In the three years I’ve been an Etsy shop owner, I’ve been asked to do a number of shop critiques, and on many occasions, I’ve asked the requester to do a little homework before I spend my time and energy giving a thorough critique. Why? Because I’m a big meanie? Well, perhaps I am, but I also want to help get your shop in the best possible shape. These steps will help you get ready for your critique:

1. A little light reading
I ask that everyone who approaches me for a critique read all of Etsy’s FAQs, Do’s and Dont’s, and Terms of Use first. I know that it seems like a daunting task, but it is all written in very simple, straightforward language, and it won’t take as long as you think. It’s well worth the time. It’s probably not possible to memorize everything in there, but at least you’ll have a familiarity with what is included in Etsy’s policies and guidelines.

2. Fill in all of your shop sections
Make sure that you have a banner and an avatar, a shop announcement, a profile, a shop policies page, shop sections, a message to buyer, and at least a few listings. It’s difficult to evaluate a shop that isn’t complete.

3. A tiny bit more reading
After setting up shop, check out the EtsyWiki for advice to shop owners. There’s a ton of great advice on photos, pricing, and on successful selling.

4. Make improvements to your shop based on what you’ve read
This step might seem obvious, but be sure to use what you’ve learned. You’ll find that improving your shop is a constant iterative process. There’s always more to learn, and there are always ways to improve.

Now that you’ve completed these four steps, you’re ready for a detailed shop critique. Contact the Etsy Mentor of your choice, and we’ll be happy to give you pointers based on our own experiences.

When I tell people I work from home, the response is invariably, “Must be nice.” Well, yes and no…

The biggest advantage to working from home is the lack of a commute. My last job involved a 45-minute commute, which meant that 1 1/2 hours of my day were taken up just sitting in my car. Not very fun or productive! The second biggest plus to me is being able to work in my pajamas. I love being able to wear comfy sweats all day!

The biggest drawback to working from home is that I don’t have peers/coworkers. You’d be surprised how much you miss having co-workers, even that person who wears too much perfume, and that person who talks your ear off day after day. Sometimes I think I’m going to lose my voice from lack of use… I really don’t talk to my cats as much as my friends might think!

Another difficulty in working from home is balancing your time. You have to be good at scheduling your work time; you don’t have anyone else telling you when things need to get done, so you really need to be disciplined and self-motivated. It can also be difficult at times not to be distracted by housework and other family obligations while you’re at home during the day. You have to keep yourself on track despite other things that need to be done. You also need to try to make time that isn’t for working, which can be difficult when you live and work in the same space.

All in all, however, working from home is a positive thing for me. I get to spend more time with my cats; I don’t waste time and gas commuting; and I can give myself a flexible schedule when I’m sick. Must be nice? Well, yeah, it kinda is…