Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

The number one thing to tell yourself when you are creating imagery for your site, whether it's an etsy shop or your website is PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES. There's many reasons why an online shop has an advantage over a brick and mortar, but one of the major disadvantages is the inability for your future customers to touch, feel, hold, pet, taste, smell your products. The only thing they have to go on is your photos. Taking etsy as an example - have you ever seen items on etsy and thought to yourself "that is hideous and I would never buy or wear that", but it's still getting a lot of publicity and it's made it to the front page (FP)? Well... I guarantee it's because the shop owner has great pictures. No matter what the item, somebody out there will like it and the web cannot deny fantastic pictures.

When I first opened my shop I thought it was imperative to make sure that people could see what they were physically buying as well as what it looked like in its finished form. So I created a split view image. I quickly learned that I couldn't use that image as my first image that people saw. It was a no no, because it wasn't eye catching. It wasn't a wow and there was no way those pictures would make the front page.

Once I realized that the first page didn't have to show the entire item or the utilitarian features of it, I focused on creating wow moments. What made people say "that's gorgeous" or "that picture is great and the lighting and colors really work"? I was more likely to get included in treasuries and noticed by the etsy staff and that's exactly what happened. I have been featured in 2 etsy articles, 1 local newpaper article, countless treasuries and blogs and I have been on the front page several times.

Bear in mind these ideas do not apply just to Etsy. They apply to any website or online marketing initiative that is trying to sell a tangible product whether it's wearable, decorative, art, food etc. You could be selling the most delicious chocolate fudge ever made on Earth, but online shoppers can't taste and smell it, so if it doesn't look appealing they won't buy it!

How does your fudge look?

Are your pictures "front page" worthy?

____________________________________________

Stay tuned - One of my next entries will be about staging...



Do you need help with your shop or web marketing initiatives? Contact me.

What's Your Shop Model?

Have you had an etsy shop a while? If so, has your model changed over time? If you have a new shop, are you still trying to figure it all out?

When I opened my shop, Whimsidoodle.etsy.com, I was petrified, but I also thought I knew what my model was. I had just left my full time job to be home with my then 4 month old. My husband, a teacher couldn't handle it all on his own, so I knew I had to do something to contribute. While I figured out how I was going to still do marketing from home, I decided to open an Etsy shop AND I had no idea what I was going to put in it!

I knew I wanted to feature some items from other New England Artisans and make sure that Etsy worthy items that didn't have creators that had the time or resources to put them on Etsy made it there. I've done well with this (Jess' onesie cards, Josh's birdhouse), but I knew I also wanted to create something. So I thought and thought and I remembered my origami and all of the wooden items I could paint.

I painted like a mad woman and I folded even madder. I started putting together color combinations for the origami and naming sets. I set out for a light provider and there I went. My first pictures (stay tuned for another post showing progressions of these) I thought were good, but indeed, they weren't what would get me to the FP (front page of etsy). I soon learned that it really, truly is about asking yourself "is this picture FP quality".

So I thought about it and what made sense at the time was to have less items that cost more. I was a new mom and I didn't have a lot of time, so it made the most sense to have a bunch of strands of 50 origami lights in my shop for $56, but over time I realized this was not the best model for me. When I did sell a strand of 50 lights, which wasn't very often at all. I was overwhelmed. It took me 3 or 4 days to get them all folded, packaged up and out the door. I realized over time, that it made more sense for me to have more strands of 10($14), 15 ($19), and 20 ($24) in my shop. They cost less, but give the same great look, so people could have these wonderful lights for a fraction of the price and I could get them done in 1 day and ship them out on the second. It made me feel less guilty that I was taking too long for my customers and I could get them folded while I spent time with my husband in the evenings. AND I get more sales more often, but it's still not too much for me to handle. IT'S JUST RIGHT.

What's your model?

10 Things To Do BEFORE You Open An Etsy Shop

Are you thinking about opening an Etsy Shop? Before I opened my shop I had tons of anxiety about it. I stressed over the possibility of screwing up the shipping, getting my pricing right, the possibility of an unhappy customer and so on. It seemed so frightening to actually "open" my shop for business. I spent 2 months getting it ready, and lessening my learning curve. At a certain point you just have to take the plunge and learn as you go.

Here's 10 things you should do BEFORE you open though!

1) Make sure the username you choose for etsy is the name you would want for your shop. You can’t change it later if you want to use the same email address.

2) Try to have at least 10-15 items in your shop before you “open”. Potential customers want to see a store. (Especially when to the right of the page they will see 0 sales and 0 feedback - there's nothing to yet prove you're reputable).

3) Make sure you fill in your profile and your policies. Research other successful stores to see what they say. (This is even more crucial due to above mentioned lack of proof that you're reputable just yet).

4) Offer at least 3 shipping prices. I do US, UK and Canada – However, I have never sent to the UK or Canada. I have however, sent to Australia many times and have been starting to add it to my items and getting quotes for it each time I send something to get an idea on prices. Etsy shoppers are all over the world and your shop is automatically a global one when it's on Etsy. Take your items to the post office (in final packaging) and ask them to quote them.

5) PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES - it's all about the pictures on Etsy. Pictures of your products are the ONLY connection buyers have to it. They can't touch it, or see it in person. Plus, the better the pictures, the more likely you are to get lots of Etsy publicity. Everytime you take a picture ask yourself, "Would this ever make it to the front page?"

6) FORUMS! Spend time in the forums. When I first started on Etsy I spent A LOT of time in the forums. You will get to know the site, the other sellers and your learning curve will lessen.

7) Join a team - Teams are a great way to meet other shop owners whether it's a local team and you go to meet ups, or if it's a team based upon a commonality like being an Etsy Mom or a Felter and more than likely those teams are only virtual. Teams run promotions, they have craft fairs off line, they put their team name in tags to help promote each other, they do team treasuries and more.

8) Use ALL 14 tags for each item listing. These key words are the only way they can find you if they are searching (plus your description), but these words are key. Use colors, gender, descriptors, adjectives, holidays, occasions etc.

9) Do some competitive analysis. Check out who else is listing items like yours. Who are your competitors within Etsy? Don't feel you have to price based on the other items, but know who's out there. The key to pricing is that you're making money after overhead and fees! Someone else may be selling a similar item for dollars less - more power to them, but do what's best for your shop.

10) HAVE FUN! Try not to get too overwhelmed. If you do - take a break and come back later.

If you need any help with your shop or would like a critique once you're open contact me.

What's This All About?

Critique My Shop is a resource for tips, guidelines, and best practices for your online business.

I am Jennifer M Payson, a marketer, who happens to also be a work-at-home mom. In 2007, when I decided to leave my full time events and marketing position to work from home and have more time with my daughter, I realized I also wanted something else to subsidize some of the other things in the house. I started my Etsy shop, Whimsidoodle. I certainly don't compete with some of the Etsy power sellers (stay tuned - we will be interviewing some of these folks and getting their favorite tips), however, I have set up my shop and learned over time a model that works for me. I couldn't handle that much more business than I am currently getting with my current set up. If sales were to pick up dramatically I would have to change things (and would I? yes, but currently it works).

So what's a better way to marry my trade (marketing) with something I know a lot about? For the past two years many friends with Etsy shops have come to me asking for critiques of their shops. I scour their shop and look at different things they could be doing to increase business, better aesthetics and more, but I also look at an entire branding package. How does everything you present work together?

Whether you have an online shop or not, anything that you are presenting online sends a message. Your website, facebook, shops (etsy, ebay etc), flickr, linked in, twitter, etc etc etc all send a message. What are yours saying?

This blog will features tips and tricks regularly. I am also now offering a service to critique your shop, website, facebook - overall marketing. Learn more about this service...