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Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mortpes
The trick is what you have to sell. Sometimes it does not totally involve the product vs other issues. For example, I wanted to purchase a truck hitch cargo carrier. These are heavy and bulky and are difficult to find in some areas. I ordered from ebay so that it was delivered to the work site. Price was competitive. Often I need a product but cannot find it locally. I will try ebay as well as other sites. Perhaps the trick is the selling of products in a new way, large bulky items easily shipped yet not really fit in todays small cars, unusual items or unique items, or really good deals.
Etsy is a bit different from ebay. It's craftsy stuff, or sometimes vintage (although lots of the vintage stuff is fake vintage).
I always heard that you can have the best shop around, with the best products around, but if your shop is located in some back alley somewhere, where nobody can find you? Doesn't matter- gotta get yourself out there on that Main Street, where people can see you! (In other words...market market market yourself!)
Just wondering if anyone on here is an Etsy seller? either part time or full time.
I have had a shop since last spring and to date now has resulted in only 2 sales.
The only exposure I seem to get to my shop is through the "google keyword ads" feature that Etsy has. It's a little bit extra but supposedly you get more traffic to your shop than you would otherwise.
I hope this is not another place where its all about popularity, Facebook friends, all that crap. I figure that is a niche site to attract serious buyers who don't have the Wal-Mart mentality... All I see is way too many looky-loos. I would think now is a time that sales start picking up.
Please don't tell me it's all about the down economy. Unless you live under a rock, you know !!!
I'm more an ebay guy than etsy but the few times I have looked on etsy for items I've found everything to be extremely overpriced so you may want to take a look at your price point.
The other thing I wanted to say is if your planning on just passively sitting back and having people flock to your store to buy stuff your not gonna have much success. you really need to promote your store on social media, maybe spend some money on google adwords, write blogs and redirect to your etsy store, etc. Just sitting back waiting isn't gonna lead to success.
Also, you say is it all about popularity and facebook. No its not all about having friends and family buy stuff thats a very limited audience, it is however ALL ABOUT, getting your name store and products out there for people to see on twitter, instagram, pinterest, facebook, etc.
I have a friend with an etsy shop. She does pretty well with it. She has a related blog where she mostly posts business advice or craft advice related to what she's selling. Once in a great while she will mention her etsy shop. She also has giveaways on her blog where people have to mention her blog on Facebook in order to enter. She posts on related forums and will sometimes mention her blog there, but never her etsy store. Then people go to her blog and eventually read about the etsy store.
I would say that if you are getting looks but not sales, then either your prices are too high or your product is not good or unique enough for people to buy it.
I would say that if you are getting looks but not sales, then either your prices are too high or your product is not good or unique enough for people to buy it.
I doubt that, etsy is a marketplace for people's arts and crafts. So the looks she's getting are probably from people looking for ideas and inspiration.
Sometimes I will be working on a project and I'll do a google image search for ideas, and etsy links will pop up. I look at them but it doesn't mean I'll ever buy, I'm just comparing them to my own work.
anything I have purchased from Etsy was a direct result of following a link from a special interest blog of some sort where the item was shown or included as part of an article. Find blogs that feature articles related to what you are selling and contact the authors about being included in future write-ups.
Location: Los Angeles>Little Rock>Houston>Little Rock
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Yeah, the only time I have bought something on Etsy was when the Pioneer Woman blogged about it. Try to get some popular bloggers to write about your items.
Adding to maggie2101's thought, one thing I've thought about is sending out free stuff to popular people who will give a shout out about it in return. Could be famous people, semi-famous or just people who have a lot of contacts.
Give free things to people who have social jobs where they are in contact with a lot of people and they can be your advertisement.
I've thought about sending mine to Bethenny Frankel, she is all about small business start-up.
Adding to maggie2101's thought, one thing I've thought about is sending out free stuff to popular people who will give a shout out about it in return. Could be famous people, semi-famous or just people who have a lot of contacts.
Give free things to people who have social jobs where they are in contact with a lot of people and they can be your advertisement.
I've thought about sending mine to Bethenny Frankel, she is all about small business start-up.
really good suggestion here. i wouldn't even aim for famous as in movie star famous, id find bloggers with a good following and hit htem up. they are more likely to give you a shoutout than sending something to a celeb. great idea though and point being you have to market your shop and drive traffic, sounds like op was hoping people would just search come and buy
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