many of us like to create in some form, right?! and wouldn't it be wonderful if we could bring in oodles of dollars for making what we love?! well, while i am not an expert in this matter, i DO have a few opinions and ideas on how to run a successful etsy shop... [side note: yes, my own shop is empty for now but it's for a very good reason... and it will be back up by spring]
1. show off your work....
flickr is a wonderful spot to display your work and let others see the goods you offer... while you cannot put prices on your stuff within flickr or have a link on your photo page to your shop , you CAN have that link in your profile... there are TONS of groups in flickr that you can join and this will help you get your goods seen by many others... groups range from specific crafts to illustrations to specific colors to general topics [including an etsy group]
of course, you also have your blog for advertising... before you even put items in your shop, you can show what you're offering... especially if you are going to sell one of those items [like a unique handmade skirt]... in fact, my big suggestion is making a specific date for adding a ton of goodies in your shop.... this will allow people to get their funds together and anticipate that date you will put it up... even if you have an etsy shop already up, you can do a "grand re-opening" and advertise a month in advance... everyone always enjoys going to a store on opening day and it's no different than online...
2. but, what if you don't get much feedback or hits on your blog or flickr photos?! how will people even see your advertisement?
3.find other spots to advertise...
melissa garrett has a special spot on her blog that supports entrepreneurs... her prices are so reasonable! the first 3 months are free and after that, it's only $5 for an additional 3 months... it's a good start to advertise and it won't break your piggy bank... [note: i am sure there are other blogs and sites that small fees to advertise]
4. for those who do illustrations and like to sell them, try out illustration friday...
5. for those who do crafts or other handmade goods, you can submit your work too!
there are many contests out there that you can enter... you can submit your work if it fits... whip up has info on their submission guidelines... they also have whiplash, which is a contest... while you cannot use it to sell your work, it is A GOOD WAY TO JUST GET PEOPLE TO SEE WHAT YOU CAN MAKE... [again, its all about getting your work out there for others to see]... there is also craftzine, which does reviews of work... you can even suggest your site...
6. have a variety of prices and items...
pricing is always tricky when it comes to selling your handmade work... often you don't get the amount you deserve and rarely do you get paid for your time... but of course, you ARE selling to customers and NOT to big magazine clients or agencies... these are people who want your goods for personal enjoyment and not for resale or for advertising... so it's good to have a variety of items with prices ranging from high to low... you can sell your big items quite pricey... and you can have lil doo-dads for small dollar amounts...
here's my theory: there are people who are tight on cash but would love to enjoy handmade work SOMEHOW... for instance, they like my work... while, they may not be able to enjoy a custom illustration, they could afford and enjoy a mini illustrated notebook... once they SEE how good my work is, they will WANT to save money to buy something more expensive later on... even for those NOT tight on cash, allowing them a chance to buy something small and inexpensive will give them a chance to review your work... they see how well crafted your item is, and they WILL come back...
7. be willing to adjust your prices for a period of time...
hint: sometimes if you start your shop with lower prices at first, it lures more people in... again, it gives people a chance to buy your work and review it [and rave about it]... you can slowly raise your prices and most people won't even complain... in fact, some may tell you "your work is worth WAY MORE than you charge!!!" and right there, it proves that people will be willing to pay the real price in time... but you have to give people a chance to know your stuff...
8. when you ship items from your etsy shop off to a customer, add on...
9. have a giveaway... 10. lastly, don't get too discouraged if you don't make many sales at first...
you can host your own giveaway or
contest, which will help you in a
number of ways... one, it brings people to your blog... it will give
them a chance to view your site and take a look into your shop... it
motivates people to check out your blog more frequently [especially to
see if they won]... and for that person who wins, not only will they
get a chance to review your work for FREE, they will [hopefully] rave
about the win and tell others..
note: please know that this post is NOT a 100% guarantee of 100% success in the etsy world... these are my opinions based off my experiences as a seller and as a buyer... i took the time to post this in hopes that some of this WOULD be of help :)