10 Quick Tips to Improve Your Etsy Shop!

1. Make a schedule and allow yourself some flexibility. As a creative person, this completely goes against everything in my body! A schedule is as non creative as it gets, but it’s critical to develop this skill. Here’s an example of a daily schedule and a monthly schedule:

Daily:
Monday = shop update
Sunday = working on your craft or art
Tuesday = Blogging and Social Networking

Hourly:
6:54 am – relist items that have sold over night or renew items…this is critical to jump start your day and stay fresh on searches within Etsy.
7 am – update blog, post blog in the forums on Etsy
7:30 – comment on five other blogs you found interesting. Target blogs of shops that sell items to a similar audience or area of interest that overlaps what you’re selling.
10 am – ship items
1:56 pm – relist 2 items

2. Blog. Free blog accounts can be set up at sites like LiveJournal and Blogpot. Personally I’m a fan of Blogspot because of its ease of use for both bloggers and visitors. It’s fairly easy for anybody to access and comment. Best of all its FREE.

3. Network!!! Social Networking is huge! If your main route of selling is online then it’s critical to catch up to the online trend of social networking! Places to promote your shop: Facebook (set up a page for your shop!), Twitter (tweet about your daily events, shop updates, blog updates), Flickr (upload and share photos of your latest projects!), Yahoo groups (target groups interested in your skill/craft or groups that represent the audience your selling to).


4. Renew your listings!!! This is critical and if rated in terms of importance it should be #1 on your to do list. Etsy is designed in such a way that your primary avenues for exposure are on the front page. At any point viewers across the globe are viewing the items scrolling across Etsy’s front page. How can people find you if you’re not putting your items up for renewal??? Think of it this way…Etsy is designed like a virtual slot machine. I put in my quarter (.20 cent listing fee) and I may or may not get a jackpot! However, this slot machine is special, it’s pretty and captivating, there are no annoying bells and whistles. It keeps its viewers captivated and hypnotized with visual jewels scrolling across its screen. This slot machine is also special because the odds are in your favor! It almost always pays out with a visitor to your shop which is always a potential sale! The bottom line is that you have to bring your shop to the buyers. Entice them to visit your shop! So sit down and think about how much you’re willing to pay for advertising. Then take that budget and apply it to renewing your items. For example $30.00 a month buys you about 6 renewals a day. Invest a little here and it will take you far.

5. Spend some time in the forums on Etsy, even if it’s just 10 minutes a day. This serves a few purposes: it keeps you aware of what’s happening in the community, trends, sales, debates. My favorite sections are the “Business Topics” and “Techniques and Materials.” Please remember that what you post in the forums, as well as what you post in our yahoo group, is a direct reflection of your business.


6. Take a nice sunny Saturday to revisit your photos! Bright, clear, well lit photos are what will sell your item. I try to keep a white, bright background and use a simple poster board and a sunny spot in my living room to take my photos. My camera is not fancy and neither are my photography skills! Here are some articles from the Storque that will get you going:
http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/light-box/
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/how-to-brighten-your-photos-with-paperama-2900/
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/etsy-holiday-how-to-4-photographing-your-items-413/

7. Join a team or several teams! Teams are a great way to develop your business. Utah Etsy is designed for local artists and crafters to come together, share, network, and support one another, and we like to sprinkle in a bit of fun and philanthropy. Other teams are designed to reach a specific audience or meet a social goal such as helping animals or promoting green living. You can be a member of as many teams as you like, just remember that you’ll get out of it what you put into it. Find teams that will help your business grow.

8. Add new items to your shop! This is a top one. Keep your shop fresh with new items. Repeat buyers have the potential of making up a significant portion of your sales. Adding new items encompasses giving yourself time to create. It’s a fine line between spending too much time working on your business versus creating your product. Unless you have the ability to employ a marketing team and office manager I’m afraid you’ll have to tackle this one on your own. For me, I try to set aside specific days and times of the day to create new items. For example, evenings and naptimes provide me a window to either create or market. I have to choose and find that balance, 50/50 is my goal but not necessarily my reality.


9. Review your listing descriptions. Are they clear, free of errors (they sneak in there all of the time!). Do they mention features and benefits of your items. Are the dimensions detailed out in both inches and cm for both US and Intl. buyers? Are you clear on your shipping time frame?

10. Stay focused! If you look at some of the top sellers on Etsy and within our Utah Etsy team, you’ll notice that their shops have a sense of cohesiveness. If you have another craft you want to explore, consider whether or not the item will fit in your existing shop or if it would do better in a separate shop with its own cohesive theme.

So take some time to review your business this holiday weekend and see if any of these tips can be applied to your shop!

UtahEtsy Handmade Harvest 2008 Final Donation Results!

Congratulations to the UtahEtsy team for its first ever, and extremely successful, Handmade Harvest 2008! Every little bit helped make this such a success! The final donation came in at $406, with over ½ of that amount coming from UtahEtsy Team members DizzlePop and PrettyBabyBowtique! Thanks to all for embracing this event and reminding us of the spirit of Thanksgiving!

The Behive Bazaar!

Be sure to visit this seasons Beehive Bazaar! Not only is it put together by a fabulous crafty trio, but this seasons event is featuring several Utah Etsy Team Members!!! Visit TheBeehiveBazaar.com for more information and for upcoming shows!

The Spotted Zebra Boutique

For more information go to The Spotted Zebra Boutique

Handmade Harvest! Holiday Shopping With Heart!

UtahEtsy is so happy to have so many shops participate in our Handmade Harvest 2008! Check out these great buys below! Not only are you shopping handmade, but your also helping your local community's needs!

The Orange Plum: Is donating 5% of it sales from now until Nov. 24th to Road Home Shelter!

7 Reasons why our headbands are the BEST:

*VELCRO®: On the underside so they won't slip off your head!

*RIBBON: No headaches with these headbands!

*WASHABLE: They are durable!

*QUALITY: They have hidden stitching!

*2 IN 1: 2"-3" ones can be worn Thick or Thin!

*VERSATILE: They can be worn with anything! Including sunglasses!

*AFFORDABLE: Awesome Prices!

***Each headband is shipped with a helpful tips/tricks sheet!***

Luminous Mom: will donate 20% of my sales proceeds on all holiday products to the cause!

Two Adorable, Little button Christmas tree ornaments! They are 100% hand sewn out of eco-spun felt which is made of post consumer recycled plastic bottles! I then hand sew buttons to the ornaments, and strong metal rings for hanging from the tree. The two ornaments pictures are the very ornaments you will be receiving, so no wait time for production!The listing is for BOTH ornaments so you are getting two for the price of one!



Joy to the world, a multi-purpose stocking! This stocking ROCKS because it can not only be used as the others, but the two mini stockings hand sewn to the front are open topped, so you can use them to hold pens (perfect for use at a desk!), small gifts, or my personal favorite- Candy canes! View available colors here.. stocking/letters/mini stockings can be done in any color combo you wish!

Gumball Grenade Illustrations: 20% of all sales running Oct. 24th-Nov24th are being donated to Utah's Road Home Shelter in participation with Utah Etsy's Handmade Harvest 2008! Visit her shop to view more illustrations that are very baby and nursery friendly!

DizzlePoP: Snappy Handcrafted Accessories! *.*HANDMADE HARVEST 2008!*.*As a UtahEtsy Team member, I am donating 20% of all sales to Utah's "Road Home" Shelter, now through November 24th.

This is the Squeeze! Hot, Cold, Room Temp, you name it -- these sweet fabric beverage sleeves will keep your hands cool and your beverage hot (or the other way around).

This lovie blanket features:~ beautiful brown with light blue dots cotton fabric on one side~ light blue dotted minky fabric on the other side~ three sides of ribbon tags for the baby's tactile interest (two sides pictured until I take new pictures!)~ a fabric tab with velcro closure to hold a binky or to secure the blanket to a stroller or car seat!Easy to bring along or send to daycare, thanks to their compact size, yet with full-size loving thanks to the ultra-soft and comforting minky fabric.More of these cuties coming soon, in pinks, too.

Handmade Harvest 2008 Participating - More Wonderful Local Buys!

Pretty Baby Bowtique is having a wonderful promotion in support of Utah Etsy's Handmade Harvest 2008!

"Your place to find beautiful hair accessories, for your little one."

"AS A MEMBER OF THE UTAH ETSY TEAM, I AM HAPPY TO DONATE 20% OF ALL PROCEEDS FROM MY SHOP TO THE UTAH"S ROAD HOME SHELTER. RUNNING Nov 1st - Nov 24th IN PARTICIPATION WITH UTAH ETSY"S HANDMADE HARVEST 2008!"

"All my flowers and bows are attached to no slip clips so they will stay put in even the finest hair. All ribbon is heat cut and sealed to prevent fraying.

"AT PRETTY BABY BOWTIQUE, THERE ARE NO EXTRA SHIPPING CHARGES FOR ADDITIONAL ITEMS. ENJOY!In stock items will be shipped within 48hrs of receiving payment, but are usually shipped within 24hrs of receiving payment. "

A little about Pretty Baby Bowtique: "My name is Summer. I am a stay at home mom. I have two wonderful kids. I have a beautiful little girl. I love to dress her up and put pretty pretties(what she calls hair clips) in her hair. I really enjoy making them and decided I would like to share them with all of you."

Tom & Lucy's Art Shoppe

Tom & Lucy's Art Shoppe is a upscale handmade boutique in the Lehi/American Fork area. We've lined up over 50 vendors with items ranging from Home Decor, Baby Products, Jewelry, Christmas, Vinyl, Children's Toys, Twilight, Treats and more. It's coming up on Friday, November 21, 9:30-7:00 & Saturday 22, 9:30-5:00.

Also right now, we're hosting a giveaway on our blog that's got TWILIGHT fever, as the movie is opening the same day. So head on over to the blog to enter in for some fun items to take to the movie.

Thanks, and hope to see you at the Art Shoppe!
www.tomandlucysartshoppe.blogspot.com

Utah Etsy's Handmade Harvest 2008!!!

The Utah Etsy team has put together a promotion to make your holiday dollar do double duty! First, here are some reasons people buy handmade:



Buy Handmade Video from Etsy on Vimeo.

Second, when you shop from the shops listed below you'll be making your holiday dollar stretch and reach out to Utah's Road Home Shelter! Click on any of the shop links below to find wonderful handmade items that share this season's spirit of giving thanks.

Bramble And Vine: Beautiful handcrafted items with a touch of nostalgia make heartfelt gifts or treasures for your own shelf! Be sure to visit BrambleandVine.etsy.com for more nostalgic items such as those listed below!

"This set of twelve 2.5 inch round gift tags is a little bit prim and a tiny bit proper all together in a pretty countdown of the gifts from "my true love" in the classic Christmas carol. Surrounding the colorful numbers are are snippets from a vintage 1800s book, naturally and artificially aged and distressed. The base of the tags is black, while the reverse has a blank creamy circle ready for your sentiments or greetings, all distressed to perfection. Extra long black hemp twine ties make it easy to attach the tags to your packages, jars, wreaths or baked goods! These tags are equally charming as paper Christmas ornaments, tie-on tags to keep track of beverages at a Holiday party, or place tags!"

This little spiral-bound book is approximately 4 inches square. It is comprised of 34 sheets (68 pages) of blank white cardstock. The covers feature a story from a vintage 1920s article called “Old Fashioned Telegraphs” with the accompanying illustration (firing of signal guns) on the front and a bit of text proclaiming that “There are many people living who can remember when there were no telegraphs such as we have them now.” The back cover describes “telegraphing by fire” including smoke signals. The covers have natural distressing and aging and have been additionally distressed with ink on the edges.This book is great for history enthusiasts, teachers, students, and nostalgics. The blank pages make it an ideal notebook, journal, scrapbook album or drawing book.

BonnysBeadedThings: 5% of all my sales for the month of November will go to the Handmade Harvest 2008 Charity Promotion. This charity will benefit Salt Lake City's Road Home Shelter. FREE GIFT WITH EVERY PURCHASE!! You can find more of her eye catching, stylish jewelry in her shop.

MagpieandCake: 20% of proceeds from all Children's Wipeable Artist Smocks/Aprons sold between Oct. 25th - Nov 24th are being donated to Utah's Road Home Shelter in participation with Utah Etsy's Handmade Harvest 2008! !

Throughout the month we'll be showing even more goodies from our Handmade Harvest participants! Until then you can link here to find even more participating shops and items: Handmade Harvest