Neapolitan Richness – Handmade Gift Box Set | $12 | ecovintagevegan

With the holidays approaching, I have been brainstorming ways to easily sell gift certificates to my Etsy shop. Many methods I have come across involve selling a gift certificate in your shop (and paying an Etsy sellers fee), having the customer put a unique gift certificate code in the message to the seller when using the gift certificate (and paying another Etsy sellers fee) and then sending a revised invoice for the amount the customer still owes and waiting for payment. This not only takes a lot of time, but also requires that you pay 2 Etsy seller fees (one for the gift certificate and one for the actual item the gift certificate is being used for).

Instead, try adding a PayPal Gift Certificate Button to your Facebook Fan Page. PayPal will do all of the work for you including designing the Gift Certificate, mailing it to the customer and managing the gift certificate balances.

Steps for Selling Gift Certificates for your Etsy Shop through your Facebook Fan Page:

1. Log into your PayPal account and click the “Merchant Services” tab near the top of the screen.

2. Towards the center of the page you will see a section that says “Create Buttons” and underneath that a link that says “Gift Certificate.” Click the “Gift Certificate” link.

3. PayPal will then give you step-by-step instructions on how to set up your gift certificate. Here is a helpful hint: You can customize your gift certificates to have your Etsy banner or logo on them to give them a more personal touch. Under the “Gift Certificate Style” section there is an option to “Add URL for logo image.” To do this, go to your Etsy shop and view your public shop. Right-click on your banner and select “View Image.” The web address of this next page is what you want to add as you URL Logo Image in PayPal.

4. When you are done adding in all of your information, click the “create button” button at the bottom of the page. This will lead you to the link you will import into your Facebook Fan Page.

5. Go to your Facebook Fan page and on the administrative side under “Applications” click “Browse More.”

6. Search for “Static FBML” and click the first option that comes up.

7. On the left-hand side click “Add to My Page.”

8. Follow the directions Facebook gives you from here. You can name the tab anything you like. I have named mine “Gift Certificates.” Enter the code you got from PayPal on this page as well as any text you want to include that your customers will see.

That’s all there is to it! Now you can easily sell gift certificates to your Etsy shop online.

I hope you found this useful!

If you liked this Etsy selling tip please comment and share with your friends!

~Michele Gallagher

See also:  Using Gift Certificates or Coupons for your Handmade Business

Reclaimed Vintage 1912 Book Art Journal | $14 | Firebirdhouse

Here are the lessons I learned from my latest craft fair, plus some tips I can give to others doing craft and street fairs this Fall:

Be professional at all times.

One woman who bought a pair of earrings asked me if I do home parties. I became a deer in headlights as 100 things ran through my mind. I ended up telling her that I had never done a home party before but I would be happy to set something up for her if she was interested and I gave her my card. She did not look pleased and just walked away. Maybe not the most professional answer, but an honest one. *Note to self: come up with some concrete policies for doing home parties*

Be prepared.

Had my booth not been set up in front of a hardware store I’m not sure what I would have done when my jewelry displays started falling over. I would have had to have my husband run out to find some wood while I stood at an empty table waiting for him. I know it can be a pain, but set up a mock booth at your home or in your yard before attending your first fair with new displays. This will give you a better feel for precautions that might need to take place (like bolting down your displays or better securing your tent) and give you a chance to view your display from all angles and make some final changes without the pressure of trying to set up your booth with customers walking around. It’s better to take care of it when you actually have the time and not the day of the fair.

Know your policies and stick to them.

I told myself going into the fair that I would not be discounting my jewelry (as people often try to get a bargain at fairs). Most people actually did not try to negotiate but then there was this one woman who was persistent. She bought a pair of earrings earlier in the day and came back to say that she was leaving the fair and that she regretted not buying more earrings. She asked me what my best price was on the earrings and I told her that I was not negotiating today. “Really?” she asked. “Even if I buy 5 more pairs?” My head started to spin, she happened to come by at a slow part of the day and I thought to myself how this sale would really help me out, so I said OK. We went back and forth on the price and finally ended up settling on a discount. She bought the earrings, and as the day went on and my booth got busy again I started to regret going back on my no discount policy. Those earrings ended up being my best seller for the day and I think I could have sold them all for full price to someone else had I stood my ground.

Know your stuff.

One potential customer at the fair came up and asked me to prove that my crystals were authentic Swarovski crystals because she had never seen the designs I had anywhere else before and because my jewelry wasn’t stamped with the official Swarovski logo. I explained to her the difference between Swarovski jewelry and jewelry made from Swarovski Crystallized Elements. I gave her a website where she could get more information on these types of stones and told her that I only buy from reputable dealers. It turned out that this customer didn’t realize my jewelry was handmade and hadn’t heard of Crystallized Elements before. She thanked me for my explanation and bought a pair of earrings.

Have fun.

Even if sales are slow. No one wants to come over and shop at a booth while the person who is running it stands there was a puss on their face. Smile, relax, enjoy the day. If things are slow, reorganize your table to give it a fresh look. Greet customers and start a conversation with them. Even if you don’t have sales immediately people may like your demeanor and take your business card for future purchases.

Do you have any tips to add to my list? Please share them in the comments below.

~Michele Gallagher

What is your name?

Rachel Winard

What is your Etsy shop name and link?

Soapwalla Kitchen

What type of items do you make?

Luxurious face and body products made with organic vegan and food-grade ingredients, never harsh chemicals or synthetic preservatives.

Who is your target market?

Eco-conscious twenty- and thirty-somethings, new moms, women 40-55 who want alternatives to age-reversing chemical and surgical procedures.

What are some of the hardest things about selling on Etsy? (i.e getting traffic to your shop, finding time to create and list, getting your pictures just right, etc.)

Hands down, getting traffic to the shop. I found it took a solid month of researching and trying out various tags and descriptions to capture my items on virtual paper and to appear in directed search queries.

What do you do to get people to your shop? Do you advertise? What type of marketing do you do?

I just purchased my first advertisement spot on Cool Mom Picks. Otherwise, all my traffic has been via word of mouth and from blog reviews.

Is this your full time job? Would you like It to be?

Yes, this is my full time job. I am also a violinist, but I spend about 80 hours a week on Soapwalla Kitchen.

Do you sell anywhere outside of Etsy?

Yes, I sell personally to clients and I sell at the (Makers) Market in Brooklyn.

What inspires you?

Nature. People who persevere against all odds. Love. Flowers. Talking to clients and knowing that my products make their lives easier. I constantly push myself to create the highest quality products I can, while leaving the smallest ecological footprint possible. I want Soapwalla’s products to be enjoyed by everyone – including those with even the most sensitive skin.

What advice would you give to new crafters on Etsy?

Two things: (1) find one or two successful Etsy sellers who are in a similar field, then study, study, study their sites – their photography, descriptions of items, tags, profile page, appearance, everything. (2) Become affiliated with an Etsy Team that is complimentary to your art form/craft. I found great friends and such supportive people through Etsyveg, VeganEtsy and CreateAbility Teams. The site didn’t seem so overwhelming, and I was able to bounce ideas off of Etsy veterans.

What do you do when you get in a rut? (i.e not inspired to create new items and/or when or shop sales slow down, what do you do to pick them back up again)?

I have lists of goals, ranging from very short-term (this week) to long-term (5 years from now). When I start feeling down (which happens on a weekly basis!) I look through the lists and see what small thing I can do today to help me get one step closer to my ultimate goal. I also seek out friends and family who are experts at pep talks, and get a little reminder that what I do is important and that success isn’t linear.

I HIGHLY recommend putting together a personal cheerleading team and having them on stand-by. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had severe self-doubts, and wanted to throw in the towel and get a “real job.” But my incredible friends and family always step in and tell me that what I’m doing is important, of value, and that I can do this! It’s saved me more times than I can count.
What would you say the most satisfying thing about being an Etsy seller is?

Seeing all the incredible talent and creativity in the world, on a daily basis. I am continually inspired by fellow sellers’ – and buyers’ – stories, interests, hidden talents. It’s just amazing.

What is your name?

Louise Verity

What is your Etsy shop name and link?

Wall Envy Art http://wallenvyart.Etsy.com

What type of items do you make?

Ink and water colour illustrations on vintage book pages in eco-friendly handmade frames. Each one is individually inked and framed by hand. I use off-cuts of picture frame moulding from my brother’s workshop, which keeps everything good value and reduces the environmental impact.

Who is your target market?

I try to make sure there is something for everyone in my shop, although I know that Etsy’s main market is female. I did very well in February by listing designs for guys – it’s sometimes hard to buy Valentine’s presents for men! Some designs are romantic, some a little bit geeky. Some of them have a little French twist, and I have lots of new ideas to add!

What are some of the hardest things about selling on Etsy?

I have found photography to be one of the hardest thinks to get right in my shop. I am always trying to improve my pictures. It’s so important to have a consistent and professional look, and this can be hard to achieve on your own. I would love to be able to have pictures professionally taken. There is a tonne of advice available on Etsy to help out though, and it’s just a case of ‘keep trying!’ Photos are key to branding, so I really want to get it perfect.

What do you do to get people to your shop? Do you advertise? What type of marketing do you do?

My main method of marketing at the moment is Twitter, and I am just getting in to Facebook. I haven’t started advertising yet, but I do plan to soon. I’m just working on my banners. I have also been involved in the indiehandmade.com April market which is fun!

Is this your full time job? Would you like it to be? I have a full-time day job, and don’t plan on giving up in the immediate future. I love selling on Etsy, but at the moment it is a side project. I really hope that one day it could

be my full time job. I’ve got lots of plans and ideas that I would love to put in place, and I really think it could be a big success. I think it’s really important to think commercially and focus on creating a product that people want. Obviously Etsy is all about art and creativity, which is crucial to the process, but there’s no point in trying to sell something that no one wants!

Do you sell anywhere outside of Etsy?

Being a UK based seller I also use Folksy.com, which has been pretty successful for me. I also have a few wholesale customers, and I’m looking to expand this aspect of my business in the future.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by all of the great artists I have found by being a part of this community. I met a good friend of mine though Etsy; Hayley of Ruby Wren Designs (http://rubyrecycled.Etsy.com) makes amazing hand cut greeting cards. She actually lives in my town and went to the same school as me, but we didn’t know each other until we met on Etsy. We even had the same art teacher! It didn’t take us long to realise that her cards would look amazing in my frames so we now have a collaborative project on sale in our shops.

What advice would you give to new crafters on Etsy?

The first piece of advice I would give it to get on with it! List items and get selling. You can revise and improve things all the time. Immerse yourself in the Etsy community and you will pick up loads of tips. You need to work on a commercial product and a brand, but this all comes a bit later. Also, I wouldn’t sell anything that wasn’t profitable for me. I know this is personal preference, and some people do it for the love of creating.

It’s really worthwhile doing everything you can to reduce the environmental impact of what you do. Not only is it a good thing to do, and a great selling point, you’ll also find it’s better value too. I only use recycled packaging, and all my pictures come gift wrapped in old road maps. My friends and family are always saving boxes and bubble wrap for me – that way I don’t have to charge my customers for packaging.

What do you do when you get in a rut?

I don’t get too worried by slow sales. I have years of experience working in retail so I am use to ups and downs in sales patterns. I use slow periods to think about new designs or approach new wholesale customers. It’s important to think about what holidays are on the horizon (Christmas, Valentine’s, Mother’s Day etc) and use the time in between to prepare for the next one. I haven’t run out of ideas yet – it’s difficult to find the time to get them all made at the moment. I have a notebook of ideas that I am working though, it grows faster than I can make up the designs!

What would you say the most satisfying thing about being an Etsy seller is?

The idea that literally hundreds of people have my work hanging on their wall is hugely satisfying to me. I would never have been able to achieve that without Etsy. They provide such a great service, and it’s a wonderful thing to be a part of.

What is your name? Kimberlee Brady Cantwell

What is your Etsy shop name and link? Gracefully Girly http://www.etsy.com/shop/GracefullyGirly and my website is http://www.gracefullygirly.com

What type of items do you make? I started out by making items for my baby girl and after requests from friends, I branched out into selling the kinds of things I made for her. I’ve done crib bedding and nursery sets, lamps, night lights, feather-flower wreaths, wall decor. For my daughter’s first birthday I made her a tutu and birthday party hat… and that began a tutu explosion for me. Tiaras, floral hair clips, and headbands matching the

tutus have been a huge hit too.  I’ve been selling them as a set with fairy wings and matching hair accessories. They are popular in the boutiques where I sell them in my hometown and people seek me out for custom orders. Another popular item outside of Etsy is my mother-daughter bracelets. Because of the CPSIA laws and my expanding interests I am reducing the baby items and have expanded into wedding jewelry and floral hair accessories. I have also been prompted to do cards from the friends who have received gifts for them or their daughters. My friends and family have been super supportive and encouraging and are what has motivated me to start a business and expand as I have.

Who is your target market? It used to be just moms and people buying gifts for the little ones in their lives. I have recently branched out into women’s jewelry and hair accessories and some cards so I would say my target market is people looking for accessories for special occasions: babies, birthdays and bridal. I’m expanding into making more accessories for parties, birthday, baby and bridal showers.

What are some of the hardest things about selling on Etsy? Having a toddler as my number one priority makes it difficult to spend the kind of time required to make a shop successful. I feel pulled in so many directions between making/creating, photographing, editing and listing… I have a hard time focusing on each important aspect and in addition have spent many an hour reading about how to create a successful business. I’d definitely say it’s the lack of time that’s my biggest hurdle. With more of it I feel I could find new and creative ways to get more folks to my shop (marketing myself and my wares) and I’d love to spend a LOT more time crafting.

What do you do to get people to your shop? I haven’t spent much time marketing, which is something I know I need to do more of. I did a really focused FB ad and didn’t get anything from it. I did a giveaway on a blog and had no new traffic from that either. It had a small following so I think if I do that again I will not give away something unless there’s a bigger potential

payoff. I’ve spent a little time looking into Posh Boutique Shops, Mod Momma, PoshLittle. I haven’t put any energy in so I can’t expect anything to come of it. It’s that darn lack of time thing again! A lack of money to advertise has something to do with it too! I’ve started to renew my items a littl more often on Etsy in the hopes it will get me seen. I have had 5 things featured in treasuries (love the etsy love) and once was on the front page, which definitely got my views higher. Love that. Sadly, it was not long lasting though. My idea is that someone can’t buy from me if they don’t see my products in the first place so I am working on marketing a little more.

Is this your full time job? Would you like it to be? My toddler is my full time job. No, actually I quit my FT teaching job when I had her and went back for 2 weeks after 2 years off. It only took 2 weeks back at work to decide that I wanted to focus on my crafting business to stay at home with her. I had just started the business and wanted to try to make it work as the family’s extra income. Little did I know just how much time would be required!

Do you sell anywhere outside of Etsy? Yes. I sell on consignment in 2 boutiques in my home town. I have also hosted 2 home parties that were fantastic, fun, profitable. I have set up a booth at 2 craft fairs and only broke even on one and lost money at the other. I’m not sure that’s where I want to focus my energies.

What inspires you? Having a daughter inspired me beyond belief. My creative energies were unleashed as soon as I found out we were having a girl. I haven’t been super girly but that energy came to the surface and I have had a blast creating pretty girly things. My style is simple elegance with a relaxed attitude so the super over-the-top girly things are m of the fantasy and it is so fun to explore that side of me and let the inner princess emerge. It is so much fun playing princess and dress up with my daughter and our little neighbor friends. We have tea parties and blow bubbles and dance and parade around happily. That’s inspiration!

What advice would you give to new crafters on Etsy? Create for yourself, not for what you think the buyers want because those things will have no “soul.” Try not to expect Etsy to be the only place to sell/ market your items unless you have the really popular stuff that’s on Etsy at the moment. Keep an eye on the trends but don’t be a slave to them. Love what you do, but spend time on the organizational things like good record keeping and marketing too, even if you’re like me and don’t love those parts.

What do you do when you get in a rut? I have been in a HUGE rut lately. I have been grappling with the CPSIA laws and looming taxes (see spending time on record keeping above!) so I have not been crafting much and it’s tough on my creative energy. I’ve been having a hard time deciding whether to focus on one age group instead of making things for girls of all ages. My heart hasn’t been in it as much and I miss that. Spending time with family NOT working or thinking about it on Easter weekend really helped get myself back on track. I felt energized and refueled and ready to get back to it.

What would you say the most satisfying thing about being an Etsy seller is? I really like feeling like a part of something that I have gotten by being part of the Etsy Mom’s team and being in the forums. It feels like a nice way to be part of an online network with people who have similar goals and experiences.

Thank you Kimberlee!

If you want your shop to be visible in the vast sea of handmade products, you have to be vocal. My main selling venue is Etsy and from visiting the forums I see that a lot of people are content with re-listing their items to get seen. While this does help, re-listing alone will not get you the sales/visibility you need to become successful on Etsy (or any other handmade selling venue for that matter).

The main form of advertising I use is Twitter (you can follow me: craftychick101).

I currently have around 8,600 followers and when I list a new item and tweet the link, my views often jump to 30+ in a matter of minutes. I make it a point to follow other Etsy sellers as well as people in my target market and they often follow back. Staying active on Twitter (responding to other people’s tweets, asking questions about other sellers shops, re-tweeting links or cool items/shops I find as well as promoting my own shop) has gotten me most of my Etsy sales.

The more visible you are, the more people will get to know you as a designer and recognize the work you do as your own. One of my greatest successes was when I was featured on the front page of Etsy, Many of my followers noticed and tweeted to me to let me know. It felt great that they recognized my product and made the connection that the item belonged to me.

My Twitter following has also helped me get a lot of advertising on blogs relevant to my Etsy shop. By contacting blog owners and asking them to feature my shop/items on their blog in exchange for some tweets with their blog link, I have been able to get myself featured in several great blogs and have made some great connections for the future with these people. The blog owners are happy with the results as well as their views/blog followers often sky rocket after I tweet their link a few times.

These are only a few examples of how to stay visible. I wish making quality, unique products was enough, but since it’s not, you might as well have fun with it!

8 Focus Vintage Camera Cards

Managing 3 Etsy shops keeps me pretty busy. Not only does it take time to photograph, list and then package my goods, I spend hours upon hours a week marketing my shops and trying to get my name out “there”. Like many other Etsy sellers, this is all on top of a full time job working for someone else. One of the most important tips I have for people who are marketing their handmade creations online is to focus their energy.

From spending time in the forums and chatting with other Etsy sellers, I can see that many people have the same problem I used to have, and that is where to focus their energy. Marketing your handmade products online can often make you feel like a dog chasing its tail. It’s an endless cycle of checking your email, responding to threads on forums, checking your email, tweeting out a link to a new product you have on Twitter, checking your email, listing a new product on Etsy or Artfire, checking your email. You get the point. A lot of this time and energy can be focused into creating and listing new items and finding more creative ways to get your items seen.

When you’re in a rut try some of these steps:

• Don’t waste your time replying to forum threads just to be seen. These responses add no value to the conversation and will often be overlooked my potential customers. Only respond when you have something interesting or of value to say. Don’t waste your time in threads where you can’t either a) learn something or b) teach something to someone else. When you are a valuable player in the forums, that’s when people will take the time to visit your shop and see what it is you sell.

• Check Craigslist. Creating an ad is free. List your item in your state and include pictures. Let people know they can contact you for more information.

• Look up relevant blogs. Is the blog owner willing to write a feature about you or your shop? You won’t know until you ask. This is a great way to get different people looking at your items. If they don’t want to do a feature, maybe they will sponsor a giveaway of one of your items for you. This will bring more traffic to their blog and will get potential buyers looking at your shop. Just make sure that the blog has a lot of followers and/or readers to make sure this venture is worthwhile for you too.

• Tweet, but don’t spend too much time on Twitter. Add new followers – find people who have similar interests and follow their followers. This will get new people looking at your shop as well. Tweet out new items you have in your shop with a link and tweet to a few people who are talking about things you can relate to. Then get off Twitter. {To follow me: @craftychick101}

• Most importantly, keep updating and improving your craft. Often we handmade sellers take so much of our time marketing our items, we can often forget to look for new and interesting ways to create. Look for inspiration in local stores, online, and around your house. It may be an interesting color combination you want to use, or even a new crafting technique. Just make sure you keep it new and interesting. This will keep people coming back to your shop and will make your marketing job a little easier!