Sales?

[The Craftaholic]

do any new sellers have as much of a hard time getting sales?
I had an etsy shop before that did alright, but I changed my shop name. So here I am starting from scratch, with not a single sale!
Anyone have advice?

[Victoria Baker]

I've seen Heartsy and signed up for the emails but I'm yet to hear from anyone who's actually participated. If you have would love to hear about your experiences!

[Kathy]

I haven't had many sales either.  I started my new shop right before Christmas and have only sold about 5 or 6 things with no repeat customers.  My shop says I've sold more than that because before my jewelry shop, I sold some fabric, but that was years ago.  I'm reading Handmadeology and this morning there was a suggestion to open a Facebook page for your store so I'm going to work on that.  I have the page all set up and did that awhile ago but now need to add some information and pictures of my jewelry.

 

Also the article said to give a little gift to every customer........you need them first!

 

It takes a lot of dedication and constant work to get people to find you.  

[Kathy]

Crochetgal,  I looked at your Etsy store.........do you make all those wood soap dishes?  They're really really nice and you sell them in such large quantities.  Can I ask why you do that?  Do you have better luck selling that way?  Selling supplies is another way to go. 

 

Maybe, Craftaholic, you could sell some paper crafting supplies........punch out things, whatever they're called, paper, eyelets, all the things a paper crafter needs.  

 

I'm thinking about selling some of my beads so I can go buy more!   Just some questions and ideas.

[Crochetgal]

Yes, we make every one of our soap dishes in our wood shop, along with many other items.

They sell quite well in large quantities because that's what my market is looking for. A good quality dish that can be included in a package with soaps as a gift basket.

I sell them individually as well because some people have asked for singles but my market is for the volume customer.

[Kathy]

I've added Craftbird to my Twitter account.

 

My account is:  pinsneedlesgems

 

I'd like to follow everyone if you could post your Twitter name.  Thanks.

[Faye Goode of BaubleBinBeads]

I'm thrilled with my move to Etsy. I have been opened for 9 days and have 16 sales.

 

I've really been careful to read the relevancy suggestions and though I have 1400 items to list in the BaubleBinBeads shop on Etsy I am taking my time with each and everyone of them to ensure the titles, tags (all 13 of them), and descriptions are totally relevant to the 80 or 90 items I have already listed.

 

Some items have been listed for less than an hour when they have sold. I even shipped one to Ireland yesterday.

 

I also attempt to search only for jewelry designers in my circle as those are the only in-house customers who are likely to buy from me. They buy from me and I promote their work on my Facebook or Twitter pages along with a tiny gift of supplies to thank them for supporting me. 

 

Things have definitely changed at Etsy from two and a half years ago when I opened a jewelry shop as a raw rookie who could barely find her way on the internet beyond my email account. Interestingly enough it is what I learned during two years of being a seller on two other venues that have prepared me to return reborn as a beading supply shop.

 

I know that that I could never succeed with handmade goods unless people were breaking down my door because they NEEDED what I was selling. As the economy nears recession once again and people have fewer and fewer disposable income dollars to play with you'd better hope that your product is relevant too.

 

So... to wrap this up... I think an understanding of RELEVANCY is an absolute must if any of us are to survive as the economy weakens further.

Faye (BaubleBinBeads at Etsy)

[Victoria Baker]

1,400 items is an awful lot of listings! $280 dollars worth in fact, I've heard that the larger your shop becomes the more difficult it is to manage but the pay off is that it attracts more buyers would you say thats true?

[Faye Goode of BaubleBinBeads]

Hi Victoria... I'm into day 43 with about 650 listings in and 75 sales. Almost all sales have been from other Etsy sellers. My shop is not syndicated unfortunately so does not get into the Google search stream much, if ever. I am wracking my brain trying to figure out how to get syndicated but have heard in the forums it takes months... sometimes years... sometimes never.

 

I would have to agree that the more listings a shop has the more likely it is to be found by the buying public. I learned during my years selling real estate that you really have to spend money to make money. I'll be spending that $280 over and over again throughout the listing cycle. Between the sales at Etsy plus the sales on two other venues, where it costs a lot less to operate and where both shops are well established and visible, I am doing quite well. 

Faye (BaubleBinBeads at Etsy)

[Jacqueline Gikow]

I also changed my shop name - about nine months ago (hmm, shouldn't I be giving birth by now?) and I've had four sales. I sell jewelry which is a saturated category on etsy, but I've got a lot of work up and I promote a lot. It doesn't seem to help though. I just started to participate in Search Ads for $5 a week and I'll see what that does or doesn't do. I've started doing craft shows and approaching retail stores. I'm determined to make it, but I'm not sure the online thing is going to work. I'm not quitting though.

 

My shop name is ChelseaRainbow. Take a look.

[Victoria Baker]

Thanks Faye, I've been trying to bulk up the items in my shop but its proving to be quite difficult. I was hoping that I might be able to have a well stocked shop in time for the Christmas season but ah heres hoping!

[Jacqueline Roberge]

Your not alone.  I have one shop that sells more that another shop of mine.  It really seems that it takes about three years to get your shop to move.

[Holly Johnson]

I have been on etsy since august and i have only made 9 sales,  2 of them were to my aunt who bought from my shop.  I have had showcases, and I get views but no sales.  HELP!!!!

 www.etsy.com/shop/sassybrassjewelry