DSCN3638, originally uploaded by mamajeeper.
How cute are these?!?! I noticed this shop a while back and was totally amazed at the tiny art she paints on the nails. But this set takes the cake….er….watermelon.
You MUST check out her shop for more fun designs.
http://dragonflynailz.etsy.com
I’m happy to introduce my newest product Mint Thank Yous!!
3 types to chose from, currently listed in my shop as a 26 piece combo set.
Interested? Use code BCB Blog at check out and get the set for $9 instead of the $11 listing price!
Here is the first of the elaborating follow up posts I promised. If you missed the original post you can read it here.
The most important thing in selling is what you are selling. Your product!
I mean you can have great photos, list regularly, great prices and promote your butt of but if you are selling chocolate covered rabbit poop, it ain’t gonna sale. If you are making the same, exact thing as 285 billion other sellers, you aren’t going to sell as much because you have more competition.
Do you have a usable product?
What do you mean by usable product? By useful product, I mean things that serve a purpose. Practical items. As the USA is in a recession, and the majority of buyers and sellers on Etsy are from the US, and have less and less disposable income, and become more prone to save than spend, it will start effecting companies that sell non-essential items.
Like if you sell art or photography, especially if your price points are in the high-end range, I’m sure you have already seen sales start to taper off, try putting your art onto items people can use, and you can offer at a lower price point, coasters, hair ponies, totes, shirts, cards, those types of things.
Not to say that all people who sell non-essentials will not have great sales stats, but the more useful or unique the product, the easier it is to market and sale….
It also helps if you sell a disposable product, one in which the customer will use your product for it’s intended purpose and then need to come back to you to replace that product. Things such as soap. You don’t buy a bar of soap and keep it forever and never need another bar of soap. It gets used and must be replaced by another bar of soap.
Do you have a unique product? Can they find the same thing everywhere else? Are you one of 15,469,034 zillion jewelry makers? If so, you know what I mean. Jewelry is probably the most competitive handmade market out there, so you really have to do something to give yourself an edge over the competition.
Do you have a style? Do you only work with sterling silver and Swarovski crystals? Do you offer clip earrings? (an often ignored market) Do you work with gold vs silver? Do you use only the finest, most expensive beads and findings, or do you specialize in quality made affordable jewelry?
What makes your product unique or better than those they could buy elsewhere? Do you do something special? Are your cards hand cut by you rather than precut store bought blanks? Are the envelopes handmade? Is that fabric used to make that purse brand name? or vintage? Why would the buyer not just go to wal-mart and buy the same thing cheaper? Why would they not go to one of the other 50 shops on Etsy that sell the same thing you do? Why would they not just go to their local craft show and buy from their instead of you?
Continually improve your product. So you make an awesome product that sells like hot cakes. But what happens when your target market all own your hot seller? Sales drop if you haven’t improved upon it or added to it in some way. Never think you ‘got it’ always look for ways to improve all of your products. There is ALWAYS room for improvement in every aspect of your business. The market is constantly changing and business and products should constantly be changing to meet those needs. That is what makes a successful business.
So, what makes your products special?
Wanna know what it is??? shhhhhhhhhhhh…….don’t tell anybody else……….the secret is………..
……….there is no secret!
I find a lot of people on the Etsy forums asking “why aren’t I making sales?” There is no “secret” to selling and being a successful small business. It’s just know-how and hard work.
Well, part of the reason might be the economy, but there are things you can do to increase your current sales stats.
I plan on making a list in this post, then follow up posts will elaborate on specifics.
Usable product - in a recession this is key to making sales.
Unique Product - Can they find the same thing everywhere else? If so, what makes yous unique or better than those they could buy elsewhere?
Photos - Good, clear, crisp photos. Use all 5 photos.
Descriptions - Give details, measurements, sizes and use lots of adjectives.
Tagging Properly - Use all the tags you are allowed and use them properly.
Sections - Use themt to make your store easier to navigate
Branding - Logo, shop banner and avatar that match the feel of your shop?
Pricing - Not too high, Not too low. Are you using a formula?
Shop Announcement - Is it short so your products can be seen?
Policies - Are your shop policies listed? Have you covered all the bases so the customer doesn’t have to ask?
Shipping - If you ship to other countries, are they listed in each listing?
Price Points - Do you offer different price points in your shop for people with more or less money to spend?
List/renew often - daily at the very least, but the more often, the better.
Stand out - go the extra mile, build repeat customers with nice packaging, fast shipping, handwritten thank you, freebies, discounts for future purchases, whatever you want to make your customers enjoy their buying experience and want to come back to you again.
Attitude - NEVER be rude, condescending, whiny or ugly in any public forum (related to crafting or not), email, convo or anywhere your potential customers could see and be turned off from buying from you. Be professional at all times, in any avenue that your business name is attached to.
Read - everything you can on and off Etsy to learn how to plan, set up, run and market a small business. (this blog is a great place to start!)
Promoting & Networking - Are you promting your shop? Not just on Etsy but outside venues as well? Buying ad space on other sites/blogs? Other websites? Have a flickr account? a MySpace page? IndiePublic? Photobucket? Posts on other, not craft related forums? Your own blog? In Person? Plugboards? Stumbleupon? Project Wonderful? Sending out promos for others to pass out? Are you on any street teams?
In short, there is a ton of time, effort and work beyond creating and listing your products. It is the internet, you are competing with MILLIONS upon MILLIONS of other shops online as well as B&M shops for every sale. You have to stand out from the crowd and draw customers in and give them a reason to buy from YOU.
Check back often as I go into detail and feel free to leave a comment and add something I might have missed.
Good luck!
There just aren’t words to describe this artist! Unique, amazing, stunning come to mind, but don’t seem to do her work justice….You HAVE to check her out! Although she does amazing work with pencils she also has some great stuff on her website with beads and nails you simply MUST see!
What is your name?
jennifer maestre
What are your shop/site links?
http://www.jennifermaestre.com
http://jenmaestre.etsy.com
http://www.mobilia-gallery.com/artists/jmaestre/
What types of crafts do you make?
I make sculptures and jewelry out of pencils.
How did you get into making pencil jewelry?
Well, I have been making pencil sculptures for a few years now, and was trying to think of a little something I could sell when I had open studios, because the pencil sculptures are rather pricey, not the type of thing someone buys on impulse. I had commission to make a teapot with a handle out of pencils; I laminated and carved some pencils to make the handle. The effect was so pretty, I thought I’d try some jewelry using laminated pencils.
What is your favorite thing about making pencil jewelry?
The work seems to be finished at lightening speed compared to my sculptures. And, it is fun, like making little puzzles.
What is your least favorite thing about it?
Epoxy disasters, and not being able to keep up with orders, sometimes.
What is your favorite thing currently in your shop? (link) Why?
Not easy to answer, but- http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10057854
because the colors are so vivid and there are lots of layers showing.
What makes your products special?
They are unusual, I’ve never seen anything quite like them. I’ve seen pencil art and jewelry, but not using these techniques.
Where do you create?
I have a studio in an old junior high school in Maynard MA. the school was closed, and turned into an artist’s building. There are about 70 artists, it is a great community.
What inspires you?
Nature, Ernst Haeckel, previous work, painters, sculptors. Egyptian art. Lots of things!
What do you like to do besides crafting?
Read, and watch project runway. Dance!
Walk us through your typical day.
Drink coffee while I check my emails, off to the studio- I have lots of different projects going all at once, so I never am quite sure where the muse will take me. I always have something to do, though.
The worst job I’ve ever had was….
Working at a frame-making shop, painting wood slats.
What is your favorite Etsy shop(s)?
Not so easy to pick! But, I love reform.etsy.com
What would you do if you won 10 million dollars?
Spend it on the Arts, somehow.
What talent do you wish you had?
I wish I was a great singer.
What’s your favorite:
food? Homemade salsa
number? 5
color? leaf green
book? Sheltering Sky
My advice for someone wanting to start a business-
Do something you really love to do, and have faith in your work. Also- try to keep on top of your paperwork- that includes answering emails.
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