I came across this absolutely fabulous new tool that can be a total life saver for any Etsy seller. What is it you ask? What does it do? Where can I get one of my own? Well, hold on, and I'll tell you!

What is it?
- Craft Weasel

What does it do?
- Tag finder helps you choose the best set of tags for your items. Enter one or more tags and Craft Weasel will search Etsy for items with those tags, then generate graphs and suggest related tags that might be suitable for your items!

Where do I one?
- http://craftweasel.com/TagToolQuery.do

Best of luck, I hope someone else finds it as useful as I do!

Are you having trouble choosing those perfect tags or writing a captivating, informational titles? Well, really, who isn't!

I'm in the process of redoing my tags and titles, so that I can basically get the most bang for my buck. I've been reading through articles and websites and compiling relevant info to use. I figured there was probably others out there with my same dilema so I figured I would share the info I've found!

Etsy Storque Articles:
- http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/guidelines-tips-tagging-on-etsy-281/
- http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/seller-workshop-recap-tags-titles-descriptions-and-most-rele-4090/

Free Tag Suggestion Search Engine:
- http://craftweasel.com/TagToolQuery.do
- This free search tool allows you to enter a tag or 2 and it will build a list of suggestions of tags based on the tags other people are using for similiar items!

These 2 were the some of the best pieces of information I've come across so far as I find more, I'll be adding new info!

Good luck!

Well up in here in good ole Saskatchewan, Canada in the winter, the temperature can drop below minus 40 C, which basically means there is no well in hell, I'm going outside to take pictures. So a good indoor light setup is essential! I've been playing around with my lightbox now that it's setup properly and I got to thinking about how much I hate white backgrounds (mostly because I don't do them particularly well)!

So I've been wandering around for the last month or so, collecting backgrounds for my photographs. Here are some of the items I came up with:

First and foremost, the basic staple of jewelry photography, a jewelry display bust. If you don't have a *guinea pig* to help you photograph what your jewelry will look like on a real person, these are the next best thing. They're aren't that expensive either, I bought mine for around $20.

Other backgrounds ideas:

• Ceramic tiles (not the shiny ones, they'll leave a glare in the photo
• Small sheet of brushed steel
• Rusty iron (think farm implements)
• Small pile of mulch (could be messy)
• A roof shingle
• etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.....

There are literally thousands upon thousands of different background display ideas. You just need to keep your eyes open for anything that seems unique or different. Even if it doesn't look good at the time, it doesn't hurt to bring it home and try it!

Too many people these days are listing their products with very little or no description. If your selling your products online, your customers won't be able to touch the item, all they have is hopefully a great picture and great description.

Unfortunately, too many sellers are just listing the basics, i.e. color, size, scent (bath & body), etc. Their basically just reiterating what is obviously in the picture.

What happens next? Well the customer maybe takes a quick peek and keeps going, in the world of online selling, your competing with hundreds of thousands of different sellers, you only have a few moments to capture a potential customer's attention and keep it.

The key is to keep their attention with captivating photos with detailed close-ups (you want the customer to be able visualize the product as if it was sitting right in front of them). Second, you want a detailed description that explains who, what, where, when, and why (especially why).

You want a description that draws people in! You need to make sure that they know how fabulous your item is and why they NEED to buy it!

I was in the Etsy forums the other day and I came across this post by Sparklerama (sparklerama.etsy.com) and she compiled one of the most detailed lists I've ever come across. The list isn't an absolute 'need to have every point' in your description but its definitely a great starting point.

20 Questions Your Buyers Are Asking:

1. What IS it? (It may be totally obvious to you what the item is, but it might not be so obvious to your customer).

2. What color is it? (The color on your computer monitor may not be the same as mine).

3. How big is it? (As a buyer I don't want to guess if that painting will fit over my fireplace or if those earrings are going to hang past my shoulders).

4. What is it made from? (What materials and techniques are used?)

5. How do I care for it? (Can I wash and dry that wool sweater?)

6. Who should buy it? or Who should NOT buy it? (Is it appropriate for pregnant women? Children? Pets?)

7. What is it used for? (Is it decorative? Does it have a function? Both?)

8. What does it feel like? (Is that scarf soft to the touch? What's the texture like? Is that necklace very heavy?)

9. How does it work? (Does it slip over my head? Is there a clasp? Do I tie it around my waist?)

10. Why is this one better than the one in the next shop? (What special skills, materials, or ideas do you use that make your item the best?)

11. Do I get everything in the picture? (I see 12 items in your picture, do I get them all? Only one? Does that lovely bauble in the background come with it or is it just for display?)

12. Will it fit me? (When I shop in a brick and mortar shop I might try on 12 things and find only 1 that fits well. I am taking a BIG chance on buying clothes online. Please make it easier for me by offering extensive measurement and sizing information. Don't assume that your customer will know what you mean by "small" or "Large")

13. What if it doesn't fit? (Am I stuck with it? Will you exchange it? Who pays to ship it back?)

14. Is it ready to use? (Is that painting ready to hang? Do I need to frame it first?)

15. How does it arrive? (Is it gift wrapped? Is it ready to ship or is it made to order?)

16. Will I get the EXACT item in the photo? (Is it a stock photo or do I get the exact item?)

17. Is it gonna stink? (Does that vintage item have a funky, musty odor? Does the seller smoke while he creates that item?)

18. How do I know it's "vintage"? (What kind of research did you do to determine how old that item is? Is it marked? Is there a date on it? Are you experienced with vintage and antique items?)

19. What do those fancy terms mean? (Don't take for granted that your customer knows what a cabochon is or what giclee or gocco means.)

20. Can I live without this item? (Chances are your customer can easily live without your items. It's your job to SELL it to them. Let them know why owning this item is so wonderful. Are they gonna feel like a princess with that lovely bracelet? Is that platter not only functional, but makes a wonderful work of art? Is that item the perfect gift for hard to buy for people? Does the item evoke certain emotions? Tell us what's so great about it!)

Good luck with your descriptions!

So I have 2 years of Etsy selling experience and I was thinking of some of the mistakes I made in the beginning. I figured I should pass along some of the my "mistakes" in the hopes of helping others to avoid those mistakes.

1.) DON'T list your products on Etsy all at one time!

Why:

When your item is added to your Etsy shop, it ends up at the top of the search for a few minutes and then disappears into the search pages. Those first few minutes that your item is up there, it will be in the first few items the buyer sees. If you list a few times each day, different buyers will see your items at different times. Increasing your exposure and possiblity of selling.

2.) Always fill out your policies page!

Why:

If you have a problem with a buyer who disagrees with you about how something is supposed to be paid for, or how/when something is supposed to ship, you will need something to reference to show how and when that something is supposed to be done. Otherwise, you'll both be arguing over who is right without a good, standard solution. Especially when it comes to return policies.

3.) You can't just list your wares and sit back and wait for the sales to pour in, you need to do outside of Etsy promotion, here's a few suggestions:

a) Spend at least 1-2 hours in the forums about 6 days a week, reading and posting.

b) Started a blog and post almost every day.

c) Go to forums on other websites, google, yahoo, anywhere you can think of and post there making sure your store link is in your post (but don't just post to spam).

d) Get business cards and put them in all the packages you send to customers.

e) Start a flickr account.

f) Include in your packages to current customers, coupons offering discounts on future orders.

g) Make sure your store link is in every email you send.

h) Sign up for outside advertising (Project Wonderful, Google Ads, Facebook, etc)

i) Read other people's blogs and post messages on them, they will reply and notice your blog and sometimes post a link to yours.

j) Join an Etsy blog ring, so other people also find your blog

These are just a couple of things that I've thought about lately. I'll be adding more, as I think about it! I hope someone can use some of this to help themselves become more successful!