Lately, I’ve been hanging around the Critiques forum on Etsy and I’ve noticed a lot of sellers are going straight to Critiques without really making sure that they could have done everything they should have before asking for a critique.

Why is it important to make your done your part?

When someone is taking just a glance at your shop, all they’re going to see is the big stuff, if you’re missing a banner and your location; they’re going to come back and say you’re missing a banner and your location and move on.

If you’ve got your basics covered, it forces them to look deeper. Do you have a good description, what are your photos really like, are you using all the right tags, could your announcement be shorter/longer/better, etc.

So I put together a list of some of the major things you should make sure you have in place first;

1.) Do you have a banner? Is it well done?
- Your banner is the first thing a potential buyer sees, it should draw them in.

2.) Do you have your location noted?
- You should include your city and state or country – they are a number of cities with the same name in different states and different countries.

3.) Is your avatar relevant?
- You should consider using a photo of your work or a picture of you – to capture people’s attention especially in the forums.

4.) Are your descriptions complete?
- This thread is an invaluable resource concerning all of the things that could/should be included in your description:
- http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6093673&page=1

5.) Do you photos capture your wares as good as they possibly could?
- Check out the hundreds of tutorials on taking photographs, building light boxes, which light bulbs to use, understand the settings on your camera, understand basic photo editing, etc.
- Ask yourself, if you would buy the item just based on the photo?

6.) Are you using all 5 slots for your photographs?
- Capturing the item from every angle, showing it in use, displaying on someone, etc.

7.) Are you using the feature slots for your 3 favorite pieces?

8.) Are you using all of your tags? Are they all relevant? Are you spamming with any of your tags?

9.) Are you adding new items on a regular basis?

10.) Are you promoting yourself on/off of Etsy?
- The forums, Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, My Space, A blog, etc.
- Check out any of the threads on self promotion.

11.) Go in with an open mind!
- Every person has their own point of view, with a critique you'll be able to see through someone's eyes.

12.) Don't use Critiques as just another promotion venue!
- i.e. Look at this ware, what do you think?

This is just a short list of some of the things that need to be analyzed but it’s still a starting point. I wish everyone the best of luck in their Etsy endeavours!

Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned Etsian there is always room for improvement BUT where do you start? The wonderful people at Etsy Wiki put together a list of the top sellers on Etsy. Ok, great, now what?

1.) Find your category:
Top Sellers - Art
Top Sellers - Bags And Purses
Top Sellers - Clothing
Top Sellers - Dolls and Toys
Top Sellers - Glass
Top Sellers - Jewelry
Top Sellers - Pets
Top Sellers - Supplies
Top Sellers - Vintage

2.) Analyze them.

- Take a look at what they do and how they do it.
- Try to figure what they do right, what they do wrong.
- Pay attention to how they photograph, write their policies, descriptions, and shop announcements.
- You can convo them for tips (but don’t be surprised if they don’t respond)
- Type they’re user id’s in your favourite search engine, see where they’ve been featured, advertised, sales they’ve had, events they’ve attended, etc.
- See if they write a blog, find out what they’re doing with theirs.
- You can sign up for Google Alerts using various top sellers names.

3.) Don’t just copy them!

- Learn from them, use them as inspiration, they are the success stories of Etsy.
- Etsy isn’t about going with the flow, it’s about standing out.

4.) Implement Plan

- Don’t try to do it all at once, choose something new to try BUT try to do 1 thing at a time. Otherwise, yeah your views shot up but WHY? Is it a combo of all 5 new things you’ve tried or is just 1 of them and they rest are a waste of time!

All in all, I don’t really think there are any magical secrets of guaranteed success. Some doors open for the right people at the right time.

The best advice I can give is, when you say you’re going to do something, do it!

In the long run, your momentum will build and people will come back to your shop because they already know and trust you. The longer you are on Etsy, the bigger your shop becomes, the more often you list, the more often you are featured in treasuries, the more you land on the FP, etc - it all follows itself!

Ok, so I've been mulling over the idea of getting involved in local craft shows BUT honestly the idea of creating a great display scares me! I'm terrified that all I'm going to be to come up with is a flat white table with my jewelry strewn everywhere :(

So, I was searching on google for ideas when I came across the absolute best source for ideas with pictures (pictures being essential)! You know what it was - FLICKR! - if you type in

- craft show
- craft display
- craft fair
- art show
- art fair
- jewelry display
- etc

It brings up hundreds of pictures of craft shows and specific display ideas! It's fabulous!

Anyway, just thought I would share!

As I posted earlier, one of the big keys to success on Etsy is to promote yourself outside of Etsy. That means outside advertising, it doesn’t need to be expensive but you should have at least a basic plan and it should be well thought out.

A lot of people mention Flickr as a promo tool, and yes, it can be an effective one at that! HOWEVER, right in Flickr rules and regulations, it states that Flickr is not meant for commercial use! Meaning, if you’re a business and you want to use them, you have to follow their rules! What are their rules, you ask? Here they are right here and if you don’t play by their rules, your account will be deleted:

The rule of thumb is that you can have one link on your profile page to a commercial webpage.

You cannot have tags, descriptions, titles, or comments that indicate that an item is for sale or where to buy it.Having a watermark across the image that is a commercial URL will also cause accounts to get in trouble.In addition, if your account is predominantly commercially-oriented images, and gives the impression of being an online catalog, you may find the account deleted.Something else to keep in mind:

Joining Flickr groups is another great promotional tool BUT be careful and make sure to read group descriptions fully and only post in appropriate groups with relevant photos.
- Posting against the group rules can get your account in hot water.

Flickr is about passive marketing, meaning you can put up pictures of you, your work, your studio, any craft shows you attend, how you create, your personal photos, etc. It’s all about sharing yourself through your photos. It’s not about, ‘look at this, it’s for sale’!

All in all, follow the rules and you’ll have a fun, free way to promote your shop!

For the all the official rules and regulations, click here:

http://www.flickr.com/guidelines.gne

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!

You may or may not have heard of people screaming, “DON’T SHIP TO ITALY YOUR PACKAGE WILL NEVER MAKE IT!” and it got me to wondering, why? I spoke to a friend who worked with United Nations for several years and was stationed in Italy for 2 years. He basically said 2 things, a) a lot of their customs officers are corrupt and a lot of the packages are “confiscated” and b) Italy’s restrictions for packages that allowed are a mile long!

So I went off in search of Italy’s List of Restrictions and found a huge list. Here are just some of the major ones I found:

Albums of any kind (of photographs, postcards, postage stamps, etc.).

Articles of platinum or gold; jewelry; and other valuable articles unless sent as insured packages.

Artificial flowers and fruits and accessories for them.

Bells and other musical instruments and parts thereof.

Cartridge caps; cartridges.

Clocks and supplies for clocks.

Compound medicaments and medicines.

Coral mounted in any way.

Ether and chloroform.

Exposed photographic and cinematographic films.

Footwear of any kind.

Haberdashery and sewn articles of any kind, including trimmings and lace; handkerchiefs; scarves; shawls, needlework including stockings and gloves; bonnets, caps, and hats of any kind.

Hair and articles made of hair.

Leather goods.

Lighters and their parts, including lighter flints.

Live bees, leeches, and silkworms.

Nutmeg, vanilla; sea salt, rock salt; saffron.

Perfumery goods of all kinds (except soap).

Playing cards of any kind.

Postage stamps in sealed or unsealed letters.

Radioactive materials.

Ribbons for typewriters.

Live bees, leeches, and silkworms.

Parasites and predators of harmful insects.

Roasted or ground coffee and its substitutes; roasted chicory.

Saccharine and all products containing saccharine.

Salted, smoked or otherwise prepared meats; fats; and lard.

Tobacco.

Toys not made wholly of wood.

Treated skins and furs.

Weapons of any kind and spare parts for them.

Live plants and animals.

Arms and weapons.

Human remains.

So the next time, your thinking about shipping internationally, take some time and figure out what the restrictions are for exporting to the country. It will definitely save you time, money, and headaches in the long run!

I know lots of Etsians have wandered away from their shop and upon returning noticing a HUGE spike in their views but have no idea why? Well, there are few things you can check out right away to see if you've been featured somewhere.

1.) Craft Cult (formerly known an majaba) offers a free service where you type your username in and it will tell you if one of your items has been featured on the Etsy Front Page, Storque, or in a gift guide!

http://www.craftcult.com/etsyfeatured.php?userid=

2.) Craftopolis also offers a free service that allows you to search your username to ascertain whether you've been featured in any treasuries or gift guides!

http://craftopolis.com/index.php?com=th

3.) On Flickr, there is a Flickr group called Etsy Front Pagers and lists screen shots of all of the treasuries and the sellers featured on the Etsy home page.
- If you search your username in the search bar, it will bring up the front page that you were featured on.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28488923@N05/

4.) If you sign up for Google Alerts and add your shop name and username as alert terms, each time those terms are posted on a web page, you will receive an alert to your email letting you know, where it was posted.

http://www.google.com/alerts

5.) And the simplest way of all, search your shop name or username in any of the major search engines and see what pops up!

6.) http://socialmention.com/

Another great website, where you simply enter your shop name and VOILA, it will bring up all of the sites that your shop was mentioned on!

Just thought I would pass on some useful information!