Many of your potential customers will find your shop through an Etsy search query. This means that when someone is looking for an item, it is key that your photo on that search page pops right out so buyers are tempted to click on your item first. Photos are your #1 sales tool, and the first photo a potential client encounters makes or breaks your views and your sales. Your photos should be bright, in focus, and cropped accurately. They need to be the very BEST photos that you can take. (I can’t stress enough how IMPORTANT it is to have good photos!!)

Start off by asking yourself honestly: Do my product photos look like the product photos that are featured on Etsy’s front page? If not, then you need to work on improving your photos. Don’t feel bad—you should have seen my photos when I first started on Etsy! We can always improve our photos.

What You Need For Good Photos

Camera. Your camera need not be expensive, but it should be in good working condition and snap reasonably good photos. Since photos are so important, try to invest in as good of a camera as you can afford (meaning, if all you can afford is $30 for a camera, then do your homework and buy the best $30 camera you can find). People who sell jewelry and small items need a camera with a “macro” setting for good close-ups.

Lighting. Avoid using your flash. Flash creates glare and shadows, which are not good for showing off your item.

The best lighting is natural light or sunlight. Shooting outdoors means you don’t need to use your flash, and colors are more true. Do not shoot in full sunlight, however, as it can be too harsh and glaring and can cause shadows. Shoot on a bright but overcast day (to avoid shadows), or shoot on a sunny day, but in full shade.

If you are shooting small items indoors, a light box is a great way to take bright and clear photos. You do not need an expensive light box to take good pictures; in fact, you can make one yourself for next to nothing. There are a quite a few tutorials on making an inexpensive light box—I recommend this one, but you can also use Google to find a good how-to.

You can also try this technique for shooting. It doesn’t require a light box and looks like a pretty great set-up:

If you are shooting large items indoors, do not use your indoor (incandescent) house lamps and lights. They lack the full color spectrum, causing your photos to have a golden or orangey glow—not a good look. You can purchase some “photography daylight bulbs” (online at Amazon.com for a reasonable price) that have the full color spectrum and will light your items well. You also want to diffuse the light with photography screens (also easy to purchase on line at Amazon.com) so that there is no harsh glare or shadows (the same reason you don’t shoot in full sun).

Cropping. Photos work best on Etsy when they are cropped square (1000×1000 pixels). This helps you control how the photo looks when Etsy automatically crops the photo in gallery and thumbnail view. Avoid borders, halos, and watermarks as these are all things Etsy doesn’t like.

Show Us Everything. Buyers can’t hold your items, so they count on your pictures to show them everything they need to know to make a purchase. You should show all angles of the item, and be sure to always use all five photo slots in each listing.

Photo Editing. Photo editing can really kick up your photos up a notch. When photos come out less bright or colorful than you would have liked, you can easily fix that in post-processing. You can use software programs like Photoshop (which is around $600+) or Gimp (which is free). You can also use online editing tools, like Picnik.com or Picasa. Picnik and Picasa are a great alternative to expensive editing software. You can adjust levels, contrast, brightness and color levels—which is generally enough to make your picture look tremendously more bright and shop-ready!

FotoFuze is another great free online photo editing and enhancing tool for Etsy Sellers.

Links To Articles And Tutorials That Will Help With Photography

Etsy has just released a fabulous two-part video workshop on Photography that I highly recommend.

Achieving clarity and crispness in your photos

How to style your photos (props)

Photographing for success

How to make your photos pop with histograms and levels

Using ev and white balance to make your photos true to life

Product Photography

Clothing Photography Tips

DIY Lightbox

Before and After With Photoshop

PHOTO CREDITS: Image {Leave Nothing Behind Earring Prototype – Crafting365/167} courtesy of Creative Commons License via BlockPartyPress photostream – flickr.com.

About the author: Sandie Russo is a 3+ year Etsy veteran with 2 shops, KnitzyBlonde.etsy.com and ZaftigDelights.etsy.com, and is the Captain of the Sellers Assisting Sellers Etsy Team and the SASsy Critique Forum.

To recap: Etsy changed its default search to “relevancy.” Essentially, titles carry more weight in searches than tags, with the beginning of the titles carrying the most weight. This means that your titles need to contain accurate descriptive words, with the most important words—which tell us what your item is—at the beginning of the title (using the first two to three words).

Etsy also now gives more weight in searches for exact two- and three-word combos. In order to stand out in relevancy searches, it is critical to use these two- and three-word combos in your titles describe your items. Equally important to relevancy, however, is to also use those same keyword combos in tags.

Unfortunately, this presents a problem, commonly known as Etsy’s tag “stuffing” rule. If you’ve been around Etsy for any length of time, you know it’s not OK to tag “stuff.” What is tag stuffing? It is using multiple unrelated words like “beach ocean turquoise” in a single tag. Tags were originally intended to be a single word, except for specific two-word phrases like “sterling silver.”

After some thought, however, Etsy decided to alter its tagging policies to now allow for “relevant 2 or 3 word phrases” in tags, which is necessary for better relevancy. This new policy allows you to use the same two- or three-word keyword combos that you’ve used in your titles, in your tags. You can read more about Etsy’s policy change here.

Be warned: Etsy is still against tag “stuffing.” While it is still not OK to use “beach ocean turquoise” or “red blue green” as a tag, you can use some two- and three-word phrases that would have previously not been acceptable under the old rules. Just be sure that your word combos makes sense in relation to the item you are tagging, and that the keywords comprise a phrase (not unrelated words).

As an example, if you are selling a painting of a sunset on the ocean, and you have the words “Ocean Sunset” in the title, you can also have the words “Ocean Sunset” as a single tag in your tags. Previously, “Ocean Sunset” would have not been allowed in a single tag.

Hopefully this helps to clarify some of the new changes, and you’ll all be titling and tagging your way to the top of the relevancy searches.

PHOTO CREDITS: Image {Tags} courtesy of Creative Commons License via MrWoodnz photostream – flickr.com.

About the author: Sandie Russo is a 3+ year Etsy veteran with 2 shops, KnitzyBlonde.etsy.com and ZaftigDelights.etsy.com, and is the Captain of the Sellers Assisting Sellers Etsy Team and the SASsy Critique Forum.

Handmade Spark has grown by leaps and bounds in the last year, and more and more sellers are taking to the streets with their tales of triumph, glory, and crafty fame. Our average for daily visitors has tripled in the last 12 months, thanks to the excellent Mini-sites and Products of our Handmade Spark members. Plus, we just crossed the 1000 member mark in our Handmade Spark Directory. What great reasons to celebrate!

You may have noticed that our website is sporting a new look. We’ve been working hard on Handmade Spark, polishing the site to provide more of what you love, and features to make DIY life easier for all of our members.

Breezy New Home Page
Our new homepage features more Directory Listings and big, beautiful pictures so you can easily navigate to specific categories and product pages. Plus, our most recent blog posts can be found on the top of the homepage in the slider. Sweet!

Easy Mini-site Preview
Our navigation bar at the top of the page has changed. Now you can enter your Etsy ID for an instant preview of what your Handmade Spark Directory Listing and Mini-site with Product Pages will look like. Whether you use the nav bar form or go to our Preview page, now you can “try on” a Handmade Spark membership without committing before you’re ready.

Custom Order Announcement
A lot of people were sad when Alchemy went away – us included – so we wanted to make it easier for Handmade Spark members to promote their willingness to create custom items for their customers. First step? Tell people you’re available!

To activate the Custom Orders announcement on your Mini-site and Product Pages, log in to your paid Handmade Spark account and click “Edit Mini-site.” Check the button that says “I do custom orders” and the announcement will appear on your Mini-site underneath the Contact Me button.

Effortless Handmade Pride
We’ve made our Handmade Spark badges even simpler to share, with quick copy & paste code that lets you drop a Handmade Spark badge on your website, blog, social sites, and more with simple HTML code snippets in various sizes. Now it’s even easier to share your Handmade Spark successes.

Don’t have a Handmade Spark membership yet? For just $6 a month you get your own Directory Listing, Mini-site with Product Pages, all designed to spread the word about your items and help you create your own Etsy seller empire.

We often dream in search mashups here at Handmade Spark, wondering what strange confluence of events could bring about a glorious happenstance of all our top search terms. In the last few weeks the top search terms that directed happy visitors to Handmade Spark have been quite varied!

I imagine Buzz Lightyear paging through US Weekly to discover the oh, so fashionable wedding of country music’s “royal couple” only to jump in the air (several hundered feet, because he does have a jet pack, you know) and declare, “That does it! I’m gonna make them a barn quilt…with an infinite symbol!” Oh, Buzz Lightyear. Does your quilting generosity know no bounds?

So here it is, our most popular search terms for June 2011:

infinity and beyond ring
how to make a barn quilt
brooch bouquet
miranda lambert bouquet
to infinity and beyond ring
miranda lambert brooch bouquet
glass plate flowers
peacock feather tattoo
felt flower tutorial
fabric flowers
how to make a wire ring
fabric flower
4th of july subway art printable
how to make Fabric flowers
satin and birch
how to make wire rings
Duck Band wedding rings for men
wire ring
how to make a jewelry tree
4th of july subway art
cowboy cupcake toppers
brooch bridal bouquet
perry the platypus inaction figure
glass totems yard art
How to make a Barn Quilt?
flower pillow tutorial
fourth of july subway art
ferric nitrate
wall butterflies
how to paint a barn quilt
polymer clay techniques
how to make a button necklace
how to make button earrings
here comes the bride flag
jewelry description words
cowgirl cupcake toppers
gluten free peanut butter cookies
duck band ring
nuno felting
duck band wedding rings
butterfly craft ideas
How to make Barn quilts
nuno felt
minnie mouse birthday invitations
cowboy cupcakes
hot pink and zebra baby shower decorations
peacock painting
impasto painting
six hats exercise
black swan costume
3d butterfly wall art
MAKING A BARN QUILT
here comes the bride pennant
advertising with project wonderful on etsy
bird themed party
john deere cupcake liners
glass plate garden flowers
houndstooth quilt pattern free
bathtub couch
4th of july headbands
bowling cupcake toppers
infinity & beyond ring
miranda lambert wedding bouquet
angry birds birthday party
peace sign cupcake toppers
how to make glass plate flowers
crochet hat
minnie mouse cupcake wrappers
wrap skirt tutorial
Felting lessons
montana swarovski cluster bracelet
handmade ipad case
sesame street cupcake toppers
owl cupcake wrappers
ladybug cupcake liners
graduation cupcake toppers
paper butterfly
etsy seo
air force cupcakes
infinity ring now and forever
rainbow giraffe print
airplane cupcake toppers
luau invitations
butterfly art
star wars clip art
victorian anime girl
crochet baby hammock
repurposed clothing
earthy wedding rings
upcycled jewelry
jewelry holder
giraffe cupcake liners
fabric flower tutorial
giraffe painting
yard art glass flowers
MoxyFoxDesign@Gmail.com
how to make a ring display
pollys yard art
crochet owl hat pattern
fishbone braid
EMPIRE WAIST TUTU DRESS
homemade earrings
bouquet jewelry
peace sign cupcakes
glass flower yard art
navy blue fascinator
crochet bear hat pattern
fathers day subway art
anime fairies
moulin rouge costumes
paper lamp
bird cage silhouette
vintage school maps
bowling cupcakes
3d butterfly wall decor
primitive birdhouses
soccer cupcakes
paper earrings
copper jewelry
brooch bouquet miranda lambert
circle templates
recycled garden art
schmetsy
contemporary paintings aqua
flower tutorial
diy business card holder
Paris collage
glass totem
painted wine glasses
how to make a plushie
navy fascinator
star wars swimming party gifts
Miranda Lambert’s Brooch Bouquet
recycled yard art
tub couch
hydrangea and peony wedding bouquet
funky yard art
encouraging words
etsy marketing
steampunk jewelry
super mario crochet
inspiring art
handmade spark blog
baby hammock crochet pattern
Victorian labels
barbie cupcakes
crochet baby hammock pattern
diy ring display
steampunk cosplay
brooch bouquets
4th of july headband
barn quilt patterns
3d wall butterflies
handmade pottery
every saint has a past every sinner has a future
perry the platypus toy
pillow tutorial
make barn quilt
how to paint barn quilts
indian fabric
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mickey mouse cupcake wrappers
infinity promise ring
painting barn quilts
How to make a copper ring
pinkalicious cupcake toppers
handmade rings
watch gears
mermaid painting
letter art
glass plate yard art
fabric flowers tutorial
quiet book
lightning mcqueen cupcake toppers
library card invitations
etsy alchemy alternative
perry the inaction figure
doll clipart
clipart star wars
amigurumi star
rustic wedding rings
how to use craftopolis
blue brooch bouquet
barn quilts
grandpa subway art
making barn quilts
volleyball cupcake toppers
descriptive words for jewelry
www.handmadespark.com
yard art
bubble shorts pattern
bachelorette cupcakes
facebook jewelry
bear hat crochet pattern
polymer clay tutorial
handmade leather journals
wedding subway art
How to make glass plate garden flowers
six thinking hats exercises
colorado state animal
nutella souffle
cowgirl cupcake picks
impasto art
colorful earrings
zebra baby shower
rustic wedding bands
zebra paintings
butterfly wall art
bed crown
sage green cupcake liners
ritzy rose
owl cupcake liners
construction cupcake wrappers
etsy tags
duck band rings
peacock paintings
Vintage Hand Mirror
free crochet flower patterns
laminated cotton tablecloth
circle template
softball cupcake toppers
chainmail cross
etsy font
yard totems
how to make a bathtub couch
fiesta cupcake liners
handmade wire rings
free crochet baby hammock pattern
fantasy fairies
abstract art
burlesque corset
making fabric flowers
retro school supplies
gluten free peanut butter cookie recipe
monster truck cupcake toppers
bachelorette cupcake toppers
super mario bros cupcake toppers
father’s day subway art
old mexico
rolling pin rack
4th of july water bottle labels
polymer clay pendants
renaissance braids
love is patient love is kind
Barn Quilt Patterns To Paint
Crochet Elephant Hat
glass plate flowers for garden
now and forever infinity ring
handmade
here comes the bride flags
how to make barn quilt
baby boy shorts pattern
antique hand mirrors
how to make copper rings
how to make a ring with wire
batman cupcake liners
zebra painting
make your own clay
romper tutorial
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
ceramic lions
happily ever after starts here sign
yarn bowl
paper mache bird
library card invitation
purple ammolite
Sile floral knit blankets
minnie mouse candy buffet
miranda lambert bridal bouquet
jewelry bouquet
father’s day
free crochet flower pattern
ribbon embroidery wall hangings
football cocoon
and they lived happily ever after
fancy old english
i carry your heart with me jewelry
abstract giraffe
rhinestone brooch bouquet
initial rings for women
wine cork jewelry
handmade ipad cases
bridal brooch bouquet
softball cupcakes
meredith dillman
let it be bracelet
crochet baby hammock pattern free
houndstooth quilt
teal and purple wedding
floating nightstand shelf
costume jewelry bouquet
flowers made out of plates
animal clip art
drawstring bag tutorial
Handles bride
niveau de remplissage
minnie mouse cupcake liners
Crochet sock monkey hat and diaper cover pattern
bridal shower cupcake toppers
8 bit block
minnie mouse water bottle labels
etsy titles
infinity and beyong ring
pig soap dispenser
Sailboat cupcakes
3d wall decor
how to make lamp shades
tractor tire playground
Gaspeite earrings
ladybug cupcakes
http/www.etsy.com/shop/trueselfstudio
kusudama
pink orchid bridal bouquet
cubicle crafts
handmade fabric flowers
instamatic hawkeye
egyptian scarab beetle
vintage cat illustration
shabby chic collage
baseball themed baby shower
faux fur photography prop
purple and teal wedding invitations
make your own jewelry holder
baby hammock pattern
gossip girl butterfly wall art
lego cupcake wrappers
primitive bird houses
monogrammed throw pillows
diy magazine holder
newborn hat
kumihimo bracelet
crochet tutorial
insect art
clutch sewing tutorial
super bulky handspun yarn
cupcake paintings
giraffe paintings
six thinking hats exercise
3d paper art
how to make a wire jewelry tree
vintage classroom map
perry the platypus
mexican designs
knit cowl
vintage brooch bouquet
fairy
hooded cocoon crochet pattern free
colorado state bird
etsy marketing plan
flower pillow
jewelry tree
copper wire ring
zebra baby shower decorations
modern paintings
carissa rose
how do i make a barn quilt
rubber jewelry
apple wedding invitations
modern art paintings
sesame street cupcake wrappers
handmade jewelry displays
butterfly craft
bubble shorts tutorial
angry birds party
felt jewelry
bridal fascinators
DIAPER COVER TUTORIAL
handmade felt flowers tutorial
words to describe jewelry
map necklace
robot Cupcake Toppers
ivory organza hair flower
marketing titles
fourth of july subway art printable
handmade cards
Bird themed parties
ceramic berry bowl
sewing flowers
zebra cupcake toppers
to infinity and beyond bracelet
seo etsy
owl illustration
hawaiian invitations
peony bridal bouquet
sea turtle cupcakes
crochet elephant hat pattern free
cheese grater earring holder
jewelry bouquets
anna maria horner volumes
circus dress
free crochet pattern for baby hammock
pink and orange cupcake liners
tractor cupcake toppers
how to make perry the platypus
yard art glass totems
cherry blossom tree painting
dragonfly silhouette
silver fascinator
watermelon wreath
houndstooth quilt pattern
pink and black zebra baby shower decorations
felted poppies
cute owl coloring pages
pottery chalice and paten
peony wedding bouquet
how to paint an owl
melissa lambert wedding
garden plate flowers
amber elizabeth graff
diy business card display
4th of july pillowcase dress
steampunk wedding
vintage hand mirrors
seashell boutonniere
silver cone earring findings
how to make a fabric flower
garden flowers made from plates
old school rose tattoo flash
luggage tag sewing pattern
make your own jewelry tree
handmade desk
dinosaur cupcakes
Southwest Art
Luna moth necklace
recycling clothes
nook simple touch sleeve
free baby hammock crochet pattern
Pleasure Chest Pal
newborn teddy bear hat pattern
lego cupcake wrapper
deer antler wedding bands
wall art butterflies
fathers day coupons
recycled glass jewelry
colour island soap
wild turkey bar mirror
cork letter
abstract flowers paintings
brie baking dish
Crochet Cloche hat
3d paper butterfly
wool flower pins
perry disney
greek ceramic beads
mason jars and tea light candles
fourth of July pillowcase dress
garden glass totems
barbie cupcake toppers
make a button necklace
sign shapes
skeleton key with vines
aluminum iphone 4 case
toaster covers
distressed wedding bands
diy magazine rack
western cross
needle felted dogs
pink and black minnie mouse party
miranda lambert’s wedding bouquet
YKK zipper
quilled earrings
Zebra baby shower theme
sock monkey diaper cover
happy birthday frame
navy blue cupcake liners
cupcake themed birthday party
angry birds cupcakes
greg spalenka
rock picture frame
hand built pottery
herb drying rack
butterfly girls room
monkey cupcake liners
gwyneth paltrow necklace
I love you to the moon and back wall hanging
preppy iphone 4 cases
family name blocks
Handmade Spark.
koala couple
Custom Bus Scroll
Bride and groom owls
golden stag beetle
wallet size photo album brag book
vintage hemp bag
red brooch bouquet
felt dreads
steampunk spider
vintage sex
miranda lamberts brooch bouquet
crochet flower pattern
wedding shower cupcake toppers
batman crochet hat
glass garden totems

Rhinestone Earrings by Zaftig Delights

Some women are practically superheros, and today’s featured member is definitely a member of that group. In between running two very successful Etsy shops (Knitzy Blonde and Zaftig Delights ) and “riding herd” on her teenage grandson, Sandie Russo also manages the SASsy Critique Team, an impressive Etsy team if we’ve ever seen one.

SASsy Critique Team is a dream for new Etsy sellers that need help figuring out the next steps. Here’s how it works: Etsy members request a mentor to look over their site and assist them to figure out concrete problems they can work on that will help them drive sales or improve their items. Her group of mentors and commentators work tirelessly to help Etsy members by providing critiques that help them push their shop to the next level. And despite this crazy schedule, Sandie generously sat down to talk with us last week about the top four things that Etsy shop owners can do to get found and drive sales.

Sandie Russo’s Top 4 Etsy Shop Checklist

1. Photos

The images in an Etsy shop are the first opportunity you have to make a good impression, and it’s one of the things that is the hardest to get right, according to Sandie, who shot fashion photos professionally with her husband. “Even I struggled to get my item photography exactly right in the first year or so, and I’m a pro!” Sandie exclaimed.

Good photos are well lit, in focus, uncluttered by distractions in the background, find props or settings that appropriately display the items…and that’s just scratching the surface of all the ways you can tweak your photos to drive more sales.

For more info on creating great product photos, check out this recent post on product photography.

2. SEO

Focusing on SEO in your product descriptions and titles is the next in Sandie’s top 4 list. She’s critiqued hundreds of shops since taking over leadership of  SASsy Critique Team, so she knows better than most the value of fine-tuning the language describing your items to help those dream customers find your shop.

Sandie particularly recommends focusing on the title of the photographs, making sure that you are describing the item, not just providing the title you’ve given the piece. “People often name their photos – particularly photos of artwork – something artsy.” For instance, if you titled a creative oil painting of your dog ‘Ellis the Blues Hound’ it wouldn’t help people who are looking for oil paintings of a blue dog find your work.

For more help polishing your SEO, check out this post on prefecting titles and descriptions.

3. Promotion

Getting the word out can be hard, particularly if tooting your own horn is something you’re a bit uncomfortable with. But according to Sandie, getting online and finding your audience is key to driving sales. She recommends several social sites for Etsy owners, including Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, and Squidoo. She also recommends Kaboodle, a social site that is similar to StumbleUpon, but for shopping! What a perfect Estsy seller match!

Not sure how these different tools work? Check out our recent post on social media tools for Etsy sellers.

4. Inventory

Every interview should have a surprise, right? This one is no exception. Sandie gave us the inside scoop with her last tip, really opening our eyes to how much hard work it is to be a successful Etsy seller. “The truth is, four or five items in your Etsy shop isn’t enough to be an Etsy superstar,” explains Sandie. “You really need a certain amount of inventory to cross the threshold into a professional Etsy shop.”

So how much is enough?

“Once my Etsy shop crossed that one hundred item threshold things really took off.” Sandie’s dedication and patience in building up her work is something that she recommends that every Etsy seller strive for in order to be successful.

No wonder this Etsy seller stuff is such hard work!

Sandie also had two words of advice, literally! “I always tell new shop owners, especially the ones that have been open for less than 6 months, you have to remember the two P’s: persistence and patience.”

You can find SASsy Critique Team on Etsy and on their own piece of the Internet at EtsyMentors.Blogspot.com.  And don’t forget to check out Sandie’s shops – she’s an expert if there ever was one!

KnitzyBlonde.etsy.com

ZaftigDelights.etsy.com

So what makes a great product photo?

Image Quality

Is your product shot in focus? Is the resolution in the photo high enough that the image is not pixlated? Here’s an example of a good product photo gone bad.

Good Product Shot

Bad Product Shot

PHOTO CREDITS: Image {Butterscotch Earings} courtesy of Creative Commons License via Sleeping cat beads photostream – flickr.com

Background

Is the area around your product cluttered and busy, or is it clean and simple? The star of your photo should be your product, so you want to make sure that the objects or patterns surrounding the item aren’t distracting from the main attraction.

This video is a great intro to a simple backdrop for product shots. You can also search YouTube for other instructional videos on the best methods for creating great backgrounds for your Etsy item photos.

Does it have soft, bright lighting that enables your viewers to see the detail of your work? There are lots of great tutorials on how to make a DIY lightbox for your product shots. Here’s a recent post from Handmade Spark on how to create great lighting for products in your kitchen using tin foil, some velum paper, and a piece of cardboard.

Editing

No matter how great a photo is, professional photographers edit, edit, edit. The tiny little specs, the smudges or dust, the slightly dark or low contrast images…all of these things add up to a less than ideal product shot. But you can fix those photos with great online photo editing tools that bring your images from “so-so” to “wow!” in the blink of an eye!

Here are some of our favorite online photo editing tools. And they’re all free!

Picnic

Pixlr

Aviary

Yes…if they can find you.

So what’s the best way to get found? There’s a lot of confusing talk about search engine optimization (SEO) to be found online, but when it comes down to it, the best way to help people find you is to be very specific with your language. In the case of an Etsy seller, that means polishing your titles and descriptions till they shine brighter than any glitter human hands can make! (For a quick SEO 101 for Etsy sellers, check out this post.)

By way of illustration, take a look at these two hypothetical product descriptions for the image below. Which one do you think uses the most descriptive language?

PHOTO CREDITS: Image {blue birds} courtesy of Creative Commons Copyright via lindsay.dee.bunny photostream – flickr.com

Experiment A:

Product Title: Blue Bird Cards
Printed blue bird cards with “believe” copy. Flower background.
$4 each. Combined shipping and handling available for multiple orders.

Experiment B:

Product Title: Screen-printed Blue Bird Inspiration Cards with Heart Wings and “Believe” Message – 40# Eco-friendly Cardstock with Acid Free Envelope

These charming blue bird cards will “wing” their way into the hearts of your friends and family. The bird, message, and flower patterns were all hand-drawn by the artist and are carefully screenprinted in small batches.

Each one-of-a-kind card is assembled using eco-friendly 40# cardstock with 50% post-recycled content and includes its own acid free navy envelope that has been color matched to compliment the card to perfection. Each card and envelope set comes carefully wrapped in a velum envelope for protection.

Only $4 per card, and I will combine multiple orders to reduce shipping costs.

If you were looking for the most specific language, then you probably picked Experiment B. It’s easy to see the difference when you’re looking at a direct comparison, but creating descriptions and titles with great SEO language can be quite tricky when you’re staring at your own blank product titles and descriptions. Hopefully this exercise has given you some ideas.

A Handmade Spark membership provides a great marketing platform for your Etsy shop, creating a virtual megaphone that gets the word out about what you’re making, but you have to get the right words out! The best way to do that is with detailed titles and descriptions that help your dream customers find you and fall in love.

Take a look at your titles now and think about how you can make them even more detailed and explicit than they already are. Getting the hang of great SEO language that really makes your items pop is a trick that takes time, but with patience and persistence, you’ll be well on your way!

…at least, I think that’s how the story goes.

You probably know that you need to use social tools to promote your Etsy items, but if you’re anything like us, it can be kind of intimidating to jump into the social deep end if you’re not familiar with how these tools work and why you’d need them. Here’s our primer on the top 3 social tools for Etsy shop owners and how they can help you increase your customer base.

Intro to Social Tools for Etsy Sellers

StumbleUpon

What does it do?

According to StumbleUpon’s website: “StumbleUpon is an Internet community that allows its users to discover and rate Web pages, photos, and videos. It is a personalized recommendation engine which uses peer and social-networking principles.” When you “stumble” a page you are throwing your recommendation into a virtual pot, saying “I like these things, and I liked this thing.” Then other people who share your interests can find the things you loved too.

Why is it a good fit for Etsy sellers?

StumbleUpon is a great fit for Handmade Spark members (and other Etsy sellers) because provides a way for you to share your Mini-site and product pages with a huge community of people who are all interested in finding more things they love that are in the category of interests they’ve selected. Sharing your site into StumbleUpon is sort of like throwing your business card into a raffle jar – it’s not for you to find again, it’s for other people to find you. Because StumbleUpon presents pages to users using sorting algorithms that provides surprise websites that are like the other things you like, you may never see your page, but other people will. If people like your page, they’ll give it a Thumbs Up, which will make the page more likely to show up in other StumbleUpon recommendations.

What kind of traffic will you see?

StumbleUpon traffic is a bit random – you’ll see a large collection of Stumblers from many walks of life and interests, but it’s a great way to get lots of exposure to people you wouldn’t ordinarily be exposed to. It only takes a few seconds to stumble your pages, so it’s well worth the investment.

StumbleUpon FAQ

Facebook

What does it do?

Well, there’s an entire movie on the subject, but for those of you who…yeah, I honestly can’t fathom a reader who doesn’t know what Facebook is. But here goes: Facebook is an online social network that enables users to create a profile, find and connect to friends, upload pictures, play games…all for free. According to Social Media Today over 40% of the population in the US has a Facebook account – and that was over a year ago. You can follow what is happening with your friends and share what is happening with you, using pictures, video, links, and more.

Why is it a good fit for Etsy sellers?

In addition to the basic social aspect of the network which lets you share your interests and connect with friends, you can also create pages for your business and advertise using Facebook’s hyper-specific tool that lets you target specific demographics with very niche interests. You can friend other people or pages that share your interests, and market yourself to like-minded Facebook members. Just be considerate and remember your off-line social skills – bombing the Facebooks with a flurry of links will make people un-friend you faster than a the blink of an eye.

What kind of traffic will you see?

Your Facebook traffic will probably be people who saw your items on your wall and liked them, or people who are looking for other sellers to share ideas and challenges with. Because Facebook hosts galleries and other ways for you to share photos of your work, it’s a great way to really help people become familiar with what you do and why you love it.

Facebook FAQ

Twitter

What does it do?

Twitter is a social networking and microblogging service utilizing instant messaging, SMS or a web interface. You send texts, usually referred to as Tweets, which are 140 characters or less. You can expand the audience of your message by including hashtags in your tweets (for instance, #Etsysellers) which are used by the Twitter community to follow trending topics.

Why is it a good fit for Etsy sellers?

You can quickly share thoughts, ideas, links, and more with other Twitter community members without having to write a whole blog post or email. In fact you can’t write much – only 140 characters allowed. You can find other Twitterers to follow who share your interests, and maybe they’ll follow you back! Great for getting news you care about, updates from people who share your interests, and broadcasting your thoughts and experiences on the fly.

What kind of traffic will you see?

Twitter is often called the instant messaging service for the internet. With over 3o million tweets a day, Twitter is full of content, so the best way to find your audience is to be very specific with your messages and your use of hashtags. Get involved in the Etsy sellers Twitter community by following people you respect, and follow their lead – you’ll learn a ton. Then start adding to the conversation by engaging your fellow Twitterers with questions and updates that you all care about.

Twitter’s FAQ

But what if I’m just starting out?

If you’re brand new to the Etsy sellers world, then a Handmade Spark subscription is a great way to maximize your online presence while you’re still figuring out all this social media stuff. You’ll get a Mini-site, product pages, and listing in our directory – a pretty sweet deal for just $6 a month!

Then the first thing you’ll want to focus on is making your shop sparkle and shine. (How? Check out Sold Out! Anatomy of a Great Etsy Shop for tips on making your shop stand out from the pack.)

And don’t put off socializing on the Interwebs too long – you won’t find a better marketing tool that for the price, and it’s fun to meet people who love the same things you love!

1. Optimize all text for search engines to find you easily.

One of the best things you can do to help your dream customers find you is to polish your item titles and descriptions and your About Me blurb until they perfectly describe all the great things that make your shop unique. Because search engines rely heavily on cues from the words you choose to describe your shop (in addition to a couple other technical back-end things that we take care of for you when you’re a member of Handmade Spark), perfecting the way you describe your shop and your items is the number one thing you can do to get more eyes to “walk in the door.”

Not sure you understand all this SEO jargon? Not to worry – you’re in the majority! And we’ve all been there. That’s why we wrote this easy guide for Handmade Spark members that gives you the skinny on search engines and what you really need to know.

2. Focus on picture quality.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a really great picture is worth at least 1001. We’ve all looked at pictures and thought, “Is the bead itself blurry, or is this picture out of focus?” When you’re setting up your shop for the first time it’s tempting to dump any ole’ picture up there – I mean hey, it’s better than nothing right? Our answer might surprise you: yes, it IS better than nothing. That said, it’s only a first step. If you’re wondering why your items aren’t flying off the virtual shelves, it’s time to take a hard look at your photography and make sure that your products shown to their best advantage.

Great product photography is well lit, in focus, carefully framed so that the item can be clearly seen in its entirety, or shot close to show detail. There are tons of great resources out there for budding product photographers, from building a super cheap white box to getting the most out of your phone’s camera. Here are a couple of our photography tutorials and tips from the Handmade Spark blog.

3. Leverage social media tools.

Taking advantage of social media tools like StumbleUpon, Facebook and Twitter are some of the best ways to get the word out about your Etsy shop. There are many people who feel that social tools can be a distraction from their true interest – crafting and making amazing items. That might be true, but remember, if you want to sell your items to people who aren’t your mom, then you’re going to have to let people know you are there. In the online world, social tools are the best way to broadcast your message without spending tons of money on advertising (that may or may not work anyways). Don’t feel like you have to join everything at once – take them one at a time and really figure out what makes these tools tick. Then your online marketing strategy will be both social and effective.

Not sure you really understand what all these tools do? Not a problem! Check out our post on the best social tools for Etsy sellers and what they can do for you. Still not sure you get it? Here are even more networking articles from the Handmade Spark blog to get you on your way to social maven status.

4. Find the perfect price point.

Figuring out the pricing sweet spot for your Etsy items can be quite a tricky process, but it’s an important piece of the puzzle and should not be ignored. If you price your items too high you may scare away customers who love your look but can’t afford to buy your items. If you price too low you may be “leaving money on the table” or creating the perception that your items aren’t valuable. There is a good price range for every product, but finding it can be tricky and often is simply a matter of experimentation and testing. Don’t be afraid to try out your items at several different price points to get a feel for the range that you can charge and what price gets the best response.

For more pricing help, check out this article from the Handmade Spark blog with a great collection of posts on the art of pricing.

Royal Canadian Correspondent – Laptop / Messenger Bag by Billie Bags

Most of you are artists and find these kinds of tasks daunting and outside of your comfort zone. We will try to make this as painless as possible, We promise. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is useless if you don’t know how to track your results. So let’s get started.

If you have an Etsy shop, to set up Google Analytics go to: Your Etsy/ShopSetup/Web Anayltics. It will take you through step by step to get your shop started. If you have your own website, Handmade Spark Mini-Site or blog go here and sign up they will give you direction.

*Open up your Google Analytics page in another window so you can click quickly back and forth as you read this.*

Ok, after you have been up and running for a while the first thing you want to analyze are your visitors and page views.  Visitors (i.e. one computer or person) is your most important number. Now most people get excited when they see “950 page views”. A page view occurs when one of the visitors clicks through your site. Example: Homepage, About Us, Contact Us. Sorry, don’t want to bum you out but if you have had 300 “Visits” and 900 “Page Views” that means each person averaged clicking through (3 pages) on your site. Page Views will also increase when a crawler or robot indexes your website.

Stay with us…after we have established your “Visits” we need to look at where they are coming from. How did they find your page? Look at “Traffic Overview” this will show you a chart with percentages of your traffic. An example of a chart follows:

Oh, color now we are talking! You want to look at each section of the chart and see where your traffic is coming from. Is it all one color? Time to diversity and make sure you are getting visitors from multiple sources. Click on “View Full Report” to see EXACTLY where your traffic is coming from. Our guess is that most of you will have Facebook as a number one referring source. Are there any blogs on your report referring people your way? How about search engines? Twitter? You can even drill it down and see which search engines are sending you hits.

Quick side note on referrals: not all sources are created equal. Spend your time searching out “high quality” links to your site. The Handmade Spark is a good source because of:

1. High Ranking in Search Engines

2. High Number of Reciprocal Links (i.e. lots of good people are sending us traffic with a link on their site and vice versa)

3. The Traffic is diversified (Twitter, Facebook, Search Engines, other Blogs, Etsy etc.)

4. High Quality Content that is updated frequently.

Ok, now back to the Dashboard. What else is Google Analytics telling you?

Bounce Rate shows how long someone stays on your site before they “bounce” or jump to another site. The longer they stay…the better chance at a sale. Reasons for bounce rates are endless but the top reason for a quick trip is content. Is your Etsy shop full? Does it lead the visitor to different areas of interest? Is the feel and look of your shop eye catching? Do your product shots draw people in? What about your blog? Are people taking the time to read the content? Do some pages have longer time than others? This means that readers are actually reading the content, or at least looking at the cool products shots!

You can also do a quick check of your Keywords and see what terms are driving traffic to Etsy shop or website. Make sure these words are in your content and meta-tags. You might be surprised how people are finding you. Work off of this information and really zero in on how and where your traffic is coming from. We’ve tried to keep the geek level to a minimum for this post.

Ok, you made it!

Today’s Take-Away Tasks:

1. Set up Google Analytics for your Etsy Shop or  Handmade Spark mini-site

2. Research your “Visitors”

3. Research your “Referring Sources.” Do you need more quality links feeding into your site?

4. “Bounce Rate.” What do you need to address to keep visitors on your site? Product Shots? Logo Design? Product Descriptions? Depth of shop? Blog content?

5. Share this post on Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, and more… and of course analyzing the results!