Friday, July 27, 2012

Why would you split up your etsy shop?

I swear, every day there's a new thread in the etsy forums by a shop owner trying to decide whether to open a second shop. Ninety-nine times out of 100, I think it's an awful idea.

I mean, I just blogged about how the best way to promote your shop is to have more items for sale... when you split up your shop, you're diluting your efforts exponentially. Why do you think Target is so successful? Because people run in for a box of detergent, and right there in front is a fabulous new dress they never imagined needing today. But they buy it! That's what you're missing out on, the serendipity, the combining.

I've even seen people suggest that you post links to your other shop from the listings in your first one... what a mess. Those links should be around to show people around to things you think they might be interested in. If you start a second shop, you're basically assuming that they're not interested in your new product line. So what's the point?

And don't get me started on the etsy functionality headaches... customers at your second shop won't be able to see the feedback you've earned from your first one. When you post in teams, people can't see that you have multiple shops. Customers can't combine shipping on orders from multiple shops... that's a barrier that can DEFINITELY cost you sales.

I think people try to split off shops for all the wrong reasons... they want a new banner, or they want a different color scheme in their new products and don't want the backgrounds to clash. Puh-lease. 90% of your shop sales come from the search anyway, customers don't get to etsy through your shop unless they're your friends, and they care even less about your color scheme.

The whole point of etsy is that shoppers buy from people. There is only one you. Don't try to be a conglomerate, be yourself. Keep your shop as your shop and have it reflect all the dimensions of your wonderful personality. That's what people love about buying handmade.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

More public domain patterns in the scrapbook paper generator

So last month I posted about my new scrapbook paper generator and I've gotten some nice things said about it in teams & pinterest, I'm really happy with it. I was inspired to add some more patterns this week - these are really fun to make! If you like designing patterns and want to get involved, shoot me a comment, I can take any 300 pixel seamless png file and add it to the repository for people to color to their heart's content.

Anyway on to the patterns! Like everything else, these are released into the public domain and very easy to recolor using the website.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

My big list of etsy free shipping codes

This week I added a new feature to our big huge list of coupons so you can view just the etsy shops offering free shipping! It can be tough for shops to publicize sales like this but it can really save you some funds on the bigger items, and anymore with post office prices going up even little stuff like jewelry can end up at half price if you don't have to pay shipping!

Here are some shops I found from the new page:

Silver Believe in Love Aqua Blue Chalcedony Crystal Bead Necklace Pendant Wire Wrap Handmade JewelryFeatured July 18th, 2012
Welcome Wednesday! The newest Etsy shops' items from $1-$50.

Silver Believe in Love Aqua Blue Chalcedony Crystal Bead Necklace Pendant Wire Wrap Handmade Jewelry
by LuvAlisa

Coupon code: FREESHIP1 Free shipping




Desktop Organizer, Record Letter Holder, Upcycled Vinyl Desk Organizer, One CompartmentFeatured July 16th, 2012
July 16th! Items from $16-$16.99.

Desktop Organizer, Record Letter Holder, Upcycled Vinyl Desk Organizer, One Compartment
by HausofAriella

Coupon code: thankyou Free shipping




Fancy Schmancy - Baby's First Formal Wear 18 mo. Onesie93rd place July 18th, 2012
Welcome Wednesday! The newest Etsy shops' items from $1-$50.

Fancy Schmancy - Baby's First Formal Wear 18 mo. Onesie
by PressedLEAFgoods

Coupon code: SHIP4FREE Free shipping




CIJ Sale 25% Off Tie Dye Crocheted Fabric Headband56th place July 16th, 2012
July 16th! Items from $16-$16.99.

CIJ Sale 25% Off Tie Dye Crocheted Fabric Headband
by yokieb

Coupon code: E52582 Free shipping




For a ton more, check out our coupon page: etsycontest.com/coupons.php

And speaking of coupons, we're now tweeting one coupon per day on the @etsycontest twitter so if you like sales, pay attention to that one too.

Monday, July 16, 2012

The #1 way to promote your etsy shop

Last week I caused a bit of controvery by shutting down the "promotion" threads in the etsy contest team. You know... the threads with titles like "Show me your flowers!" and "Post new listings here!" and "July items that are BLUE!". It felt to me like we had almost two teams going on within our team, passing unnoticed like ships in the night... we had people who discussed interesting ideas in unique topics and got to know each other, and we had people who ignored all that, came in for five seconds to post their new listings, and then move on to their next team. Hit and run. So I ran a test, not just in our team but in other promotion teams. I found their "post new items" thread and posted a simple question: Who is reading this? And guess what I was answered with? A bunch of posts of people's new listings. Never a reply to the question. Nobody read my post, and nobody was going to see those new items that everyone was blindly and carelessly posting.

Here's what I told my team... when you post in those threads you feel like you're doing something to promote your shop. Hey, it's called a "promotion" thread right? It's promoting! You log ten minutes and think "I did ten minutes of work to help my shop". But the effect is zero, because nobody's paying attention to those threads... like you, everyone is posting and then running off into the next room, it's like a giant echo chamber.

You think you're reaching out and touching your audience? The reality is, you're only touching yourself. We might as well call it etsy-baiting.

So what's the BEST way to promote your items? Ready? Here's the secret...

GET OFF THE INTERNET AND MAKE SOMETHING.

Seriously. Every time you post up another new item in your shop, your shop becomes more legitimate, more active, and you have another thing that some buyer might run across. You want to sell that green zipper pouch? Make a blue one! You'll now have something to grab the attention of someone searching for blue, and they'll see your green pouch when they check out the rest of your shop because they're SO impressed with the blue one they made.

Buyers are constantly searching for random things you might never think of... every color, every theme, every weird little item. The more different things you have up, the more likely they are to run across your shop in their searches. And that is your target audience: people searching etsy for something to buy. Not other shop owners who spam teams. Not people who add you to their circle if you circle them in return. Not the echo chamber.

What are they searching for today? Maybe something purple, maybe something with mermaids, maybe a a necklace with purple flowers, you never know. But they won't buy it from you if they don't see it. And if they do find it from you, they very well might check out the rest of your shop.

I've been blogging for years and I always tell people that the best thing you can do to promote a blog or website is to post often and for a long time. You can read up on search engine strategies until you're blue in the face, but the bottom line is that search engines are looking for content that's just plain good and not trying to fool them. When they crawl a website they're asking two huge questions that can't be easily faked: 1) how much content is on there? 2) how long has it been around? 3) has it been updated recently?

Same story with an etsy shop. How many items do you have, and when was the most recent one posted? If your answers are "a lot of items, and the newest went up today!" then your shop is going to do a million times better than someone who has eight items but spent four hours today etsy-baiting in promotion threads (they might even go blind)!

So people, stop posting in teams, stop annoying me on twitter with your repeatitive boring tweets about the same new item over and over again. Stop blogging, if your heart's not in it. Get back to creating! Make something, post it up, see if it sells... isn't that what got you into etsy in the first place? Quit trying to outsmart the system and just be good, and your shop will do so much better.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Featured artist: heartfeltbymsmegas and her adorable felt plushie creations

heartfeltbymsmegas had some fabulous things in the recent Welcome Wednesday contests for new shops... I just adore this theme, where every week we only feature shops that have opened in the last few months on Etsy. Megan's shop opened in April and her little felt creations just did wonderfully, so I wanted to ask her some questions.

Happy Hedgehog and Apple Embroidery Hoop Brown Flower Fabric Wall ArtHappy Hedgehog and Apple Embroidery Hoop Brown Flower Fabric Wall Art
by heartfeltbymsmegas




Tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Megan, and I’m a 22 year-old college student and future ESL teacher. My love of languages combined with my British heritage has given me a passion for different cultures. Dresses, cake in any form, and all things cutesie, geeky and retro are my obsessions. And I have a secret aspiration to be a baker or wedding planner. I have been creating art as long as I can remember, and all of my interests really inspire my creations.

Precious Purple Piggy OrnamentFeatured June 13th, 2012
Welcome Wednesday! The newest Etsy shops' items from $1-$50.

Precious Purple Piggy Ornament
by heartfeltbymsmegas




What got you started?
My first stab at crafts that I recall was making a pair of notebook paper sandals when I was 3. I traced my foot, cut them out, colored them rainbow, and taped the straps on. Ever since then I’ve been incessantly creating, drawing, painting, and crafting.

I began making plushies when my cousin’s friend gave her a little plush felt egg that she’d bought online. I thought it was so cute and cool. That was when I realized that I could make all of the cute characters I drew!

Nerd Girl Felt Phone Case34th place May 23rd, 2012
Welcome Wednesday! The newest Etsy shops' items from $1-$50.

Nerd Girl Felt Phone Case
by heartfeltbymsmegas




What brought you to etsy?
This past January, I had to unexpectedly take a semester off of college, and I had no idea what to do with all of my extra time. I only worked a few part-time hours each week and didn’t have much to do to stave off boredom. That’s when my plushie-making started again, and I had all these plushies lying around. So, I created an account on Etsy and had NO idea what I was getting myself into! Running a shop is a ton more work than it appears. I am absolutely loving growing my shop and learning how to run it well.

Ninja Felt PlushFeatured May 14th, 2012
May 14th! Items from $14-$14.99.

Ninja Felt Plush
by heartfeltbymsmegas




Bought anything cool off etsy lately?
I have so much respect for committed Etsy sellers. So many fantastic shops are out there, and I’m always favoriting more items than I can buy! Recently, I spotted a pair of super cute dinosaur earrings from Mad Aristocrat, which has the most adorable polymer clay jewelry. I was going to buy them, but then my boyfriend surprised me with them as a gift! I might just have to show him some more of my favorite things!

José the Cactus Felt PlushJosé the Cactus Felt Plush
by heartfeltbymsmegas


Thursday, July 12, 2012

Etsy's Astro & Neutrino Team

I joined a new team recently: Astro & Neutrino. As someone who is in awe of the universe, I'm excited about it. And the overall tone is a lot calmer and more scientific than some of the geek teams I've seen around etsy. I mean don't get me wrong, it's geeky, but with an emphasis on gazing out at the world.

Anyway here are some things I've already found through the team to love, if you're on etsy and wish you were in space, come say hello to us.

Some inspirational spacey items from team members:

Vintage map and starry night bunting. Home decor. Bookshelf accent.Vintage map and starry night bunting. Home decor. Bookshelf accent.
by moonandlion




25% off in July - GOD PARTICLE art print, place-manner-time poster series, 18x24, graphic, space, wall art, giclee25% off in July - GOD PARTICLE art print, place-manner-time poster series, 18x24, graphic, space, wall art, giclee
by SQ1111




Galaxy Circle Scarf Magellanic Cloud NebulaGalaxy Circle Scarf Magellanic Cloud Nebula
by Shadowplaynyc




Pisces constellation pendantPisces constellation pendant
by jacquelinefouche




2424"x36" Custom Space Art Nebula Painting Commission
by ArtbyAlizey






Friday, June 29, 2012

Featured artist: Caliopescaprice fine beaded jewelry

Browsing over our top 50 repeat winners lately I spotted a shop with really unique jewelry items... Caliopescaprice, which just opened at the end of March. Everything was so colorful, and so beautifully photographed, I had to blog about her and ask some questions!

Necklace polymer clay Green, green game necklace, polymer clay necklace, green beads necklace72nd place May 26th, 2012
May 26th! Items from $26-$26.99.

Necklace polymer clay Green, green game necklace, polymer clay necklace, green beads necklace
by caliopescaprice




Tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Sara, I am a 26 years old spanish girl. Nowadays I live in Utrecht, Holland, making a master's program about physical oceanography and meteorology. I live here with my couple that sometimes, helps me with the jewelry, in a very small apartment. It is so small that I had to choose between use polymer clay or beads for jewelry making!!. I am here since 2011, and I like it too much, very different than my own home, I thing is a nice experience.

Pink white earrings, sweet tubular long peyote pieces.Featured June 6th, 2012
Welcome Wednesday! The newest Etsy shops' items from $1-$50.

Pink white earrings, sweet tubular long peyote pieces.
by caliopescaprice




What got started making handmade items?
4 years ago, I guess, I was helping to get money for a student trip. Usually for it you make parties, sell t-shirts, food and handmade items. While I was looking for handmade items to do, I found a website talking about beaded items, how to do it, the materials you need. I thing I fell in love since the first moment. And I started to learn how to do them with internet. 4 years later I am still in love with it. Two years ago I started to work with polymer clay too for a short time, then for personal reasons I had to stop making jewelry till this year.

Necklace beaded two faced,  long necklace,  two faced pendant, round peyote pendantFeatured May 23rd, 2012
Welcome Wednesday! The newest Etsy shops' items from $1-$50.

Necklace beaded two faced, long necklace, two faced pendant, round peyote pendant
by caliopescaprice




What got you to open your shop on etsy?
In Vigo, my city, I used to sold items to the people I know, family, friends... But here in Holland, I lost my circle, then I began to accumulate a lot of pieces. I decide to try etsy as a way to sell the things I made, but to be honest, it is no working pretty well.

Blue and brown beaded bracelet, blue squares bracelet, blue and brown beads bracelet15th place May 16th, 2012
Welcome Wednesday! The newest Etsy shops' items from $1-$50.

Blue and brown beaded bracelet, blue squares bracelet, blue and brown beads bracelet
by caliopescaprice




Any other links to yourself on other websites you'd like to share with us?
I would like to share with you my blog: www.caliopescaprice.blogspot.com a place where I share with you the things I made as well as the tutorials I used for them or tips about how to do them.

Green red necklace, beaded beads, striped ballsGreen red necklace, beaded beads, striped balls
by Caliopescaprice


Tuesday, June 26, 2012

My etsy pet peeve of the day: all the jpeg shop banners

It's no secret that the average etsian is more likely to be a good photographer than a computer expert, and that's okay. We're all good at what we're good at. But something has been bugging the CRUD out of me lately: jpeg shop banners that should NOT be jpeg.

The jpeg file format was optimized for compressing photographs... images taken of real life, where colors merge and shades change and backgrounds blur. For product photos, it's super.

But lots of etsians don't use photos in their shop banners, they want a professional clean "website" look. The banners have digitally created text, smooth lines, perfect gradients... stuff that doesn't occur in nature, just publishing. And that's okay! If you use the right file format.

When jpeg compression sees a perfectly straight line with contrasting colors on either side, it doesn't think the cleanliness is all that important. It approximates the colors on either side of the line... that's why you get jpeg "artifacts", or the little blurry dots and squares on the edges of an otherwise clean field of color.

They can be subtle... but they always look like crap.



So what format should you use?

If your banner consists of very few colors, like text on a plain background, gif will make for an accurate representation without using a whole lot of kilobytes. The fast-loading image will make people happy.

If your banner has lots of colors, but consists of mostly digital components like text, gradients, lines and shapes drawn in your graphics program, .png may work the best. While the file sizes can be slightly larger, .png is a lossless algorithm so your lines will stay crisp. Play with it a bit, see what it does to your file size.


by Louis Brandy


If your banner is a mix of photos, textures, and digital components, .jpeg still might be the best choice but be sure to check the compression settings when you save the file. If your quality is lower than 95 or so, you could end up with a cheap looking banner.

We work so hard on shop cohesion and lovely banners, it's a shame to think of losing quality because we pick the wrong option when we "save as". Don't be afraid to drift away from jpeg, even if it's the format you've known and loved for years. There's no such thing as the perfect tool for everything.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

my scrapbook paper generator

One day I wanted to print off some cute little bunting flags for another project and was having a heck of a time finding basic pattern images... we're talking stripes, chevrons, POLKA DOTS for heavens sake. So I started making my own. Then realized, since php has a nice simple colorizing filter built in, it'd be faster to write a program to set up my colors than it would to open each one individually. Then I realized, hey the rest of the world might like this too.

So that's how spacefem's scrapbook generator has been born.



It's pretty darn simple... you enter or click a color on the first page, it uses that color on all the patterns I've uploaded, and there are quite a few. Then if you like a pattern, you can click it for a bigger tiled version, or to see it in more colors.

Here's a nice Moroccan lattice quatrefoil that it came up with, I made the pattern myself and just liked the brown, but it's also available in other colors:



And here are ever-important chevrons, in blue... here they are in lots of colors.



So you get the idea. Whatever images you generate from the page are public domain, you can use them for whatever you darn well please. I felt like that was the nice thing to do. I can't believe some of the simple patterns that people are selling on etsy... I guess if you want to buy that stuff it's up to you! But I just needed something easy and customizable, and am happy to offer it out to the world. If you use it, or if you're into scrapbooking, I'd love some feedback and comments. And it's really easy for me to add new patterns, so if you want to contribute a tile or two let me know.

Friday, June 15, 2012

The week in coupons

Earlier this week we hit 500 coupons on our big huge list of etsy coupons which is pretty exciting, thanks to all of you with shops who are offering us some great deals! Here are some of the highest scoring items with discounts that I just love:

Dark pink jade and silver wire wrapped ring free shipping1st place June 15th, 2012
June 15th! Items from $15-$15.99.

Dark pink jade and silver wire wrapped ring free shipping
by Amayeli

Coupon code: facebook 15% off




Patriotic Rag Wreath6th place June 14th, 2012
Theme Thursday! Flag items from $1-$50.

Patriotic Rag Wreath
by ATPitman

Coupon code: TAKETEN 10% off




ON SALE Druzy Necklace, Freshwater Pearl Necklace by Amanda Lynne LUXE6th place June 10th, 2012
Swanky Sunday! Items from $100-$249.99.

ON SALE Druzy Necklace, Freshwater Pearl Necklace by Amanda Lynne LUXE
by amandalynneLUXE

Coupon code: SUMMER30 30% off




Handmade Morganite Black Tourmaline and rose quartz necklace31st place June 10th, 2012
Swanky Sunday! Items from $100-$249.99.

Handmade Morganite Black Tourmaline and rose quartz necklace
by pagancellarjewelry

Coupon code: ILOVEVINTAGE 25% off




RED BLUE YELLOW squares printed Wallet25th place June 9th, 2012
June 9th! Items from $9-$9.99.

RED BLUE YELLOW squares printed Wallet
by efratul

Coupon code: HOLIDAYS 20% off




Fresh Pizza Coaster Set98th place June 15th, 2012
June 15th! Items from $15-$15.99.

Fresh Pizza Coaster Set
by cecrafts

Coupon code: TEAM10 10% off




Amethyst, Pearl, Swarovski, Vermeil Statement Necklace Womens Gemstone OOAK65th place June 10th, 2012
Swanky Sunday! Items from $100-$249.99.

Amethyst, Pearl, Swarovski, Vermeil Statement Necklace Womens Gemstone OOAK
by loveactuallyjewelry

Coupon code: BigEtsyContest 10% off




Anniversary  Wedding Engagement Wind Chimes Custom Doves Snowflakes, a Wedding Chapel and Hearts90th place June 10th, 2012
Swanky Sunday! Items from $100-$249.99.

Anniversary Wedding Engagement Wind Chimes Custom Doves Snowflakes, a Wedding Chapel and Hearts
by LaurelArts

Coupon code: EC25 25% off