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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Mar 26, 2014 18:07:55 GMT
Yup, we in the States don't do metrics! Although I will say that one can easily convert grams and centimeters using google. The simpler the better. And Marilyn is right--people want their stuff NOW. On Etsy I always ship within one business day of payment…people love quick ship and most are willing to pay for the difference!
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Post by zed on Mar 27, 2014 8:58:45 GMT
That's probably it more than anything Cathy, they'd rather pay 30 times the price than wait a week.
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Mar 27, 2014 13:46:23 GMT
Zed, I think it's a little of this and a little of that--which all combines to make selling your handmade goods a complex process. Do you have enough variety, or TOO much variety? Are your prices reasonable, but not TOO reasonable? What are your shipping charges and how fast do you ship?
In the case of selling via Etsy, it has become more difficult to analyze your sales, in my opinion. As an example, while they show you view statistics now, they no longer show what has sold recently, which was a key indicator for me of where some of the trends were going. As a seller of vintage accessories and collectibles, I like to know not only what has sold recently, but at what prices. That information is missing on Etsy.
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Post by zed on Mar 28, 2014 9:43:29 GMT
I think I'm just not offering anything people can't get elsewhere. Why by from the UK when you can get it in the US, and UK buyers have World of Wool/Sara's texture crafts and probably have a varied fibre stash.
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Post by Pandagirl on Mar 28, 2014 15:19:49 GMT
I think Etsy is overwhelming. Unless you know exactly what or who you are looking for, you could spend a lifetime going through items trying to find what you want. Obviously, they aren't helping sellers find buyers or offering services to help sellers study their markets and ways to improve sales.
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Post by MTRuth on Mar 28, 2014 15:30:55 GMT
Yes - it seems it is much easier to find embellishment fibers etc. than it used to be. It seems everyone is selling them these days. I'm sure most people in the US are going to buy from the US instead of the UK just because of all the factors we've discussed.
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Post by Leonor (of Eleanor Shadow) on Mar 28, 2014 18:34:23 GMT
One thing I envy about the US: its size! You have a lot more "domestic" variety than we could possibly hope for here in the UK
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Mar 28, 2014 20:40:26 GMT
:DWe may have a lot of "domestic variety," but you have all the cool sheep breeds!
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Mar 28, 2014 20:46:49 GMT
Marilyn, Other than Etsy sending little email tips from time to time, they don't do much in the way of helping to build loyalty with their sellers. For buyers, it is NOT easy to search. There are approximately 25 million items for sale on Etsy every day, and it IS difficult to find what you want. Their search engine is not very good. I have learned to bookmark my favorite sellers (usually silk, trims, etc.) because otherwise I would never find them again. Etsy started out small and friendly, and I am sorry to say that I don't like the way things have evolved with them. Okay, no more Etsy-bashing for me!
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Post by Shepherdess on Mar 28, 2014 21:14:11 GMT
it is hard to find things. sellers seem to throw unrelated word onto there listing so you are looking for jewelry blanks and you get finished peices and then something completely unrelated like a blanket. Any one have any etsy search tips?
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Post by Pandagirl on Mar 28, 2014 21:31:04 GMT
I get a daily email from etsy with featured products. You rarely see the item in the email unless you go through 20 plus pages. I think Cathy's suggestion to bookmark is a good one. I just can't sit and page through thousands of items. They all start looking alike. Does anyone use Pinterest?
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Mar 29, 2014 17:02:05 GMT
I started using Pinterest a few years ago, but I found myself spending way too much time looking at stuff. I still have a few "boards" there but rarely take the time to view others because it's addictive! Same reason I don't do Facebook, LinkdIN, etc…that and the loss of privacy. I realize there are many who feel these sites aid their small businesses. Perhaps at some point I will get hooked by necessity!
Wondering what others think about social media. Part of your marketing plan, Marilyn?
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Post by Pandagirl on Mar 29, 2014 18:25:07 GMT
At some point I'll touch on social media here and there. It's another vast subject. I do Facebook and have linked in from when I worked, but selling on social media is a whole other study. I'll have to find some experts to tap.
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Post by Shepherdess on Mar 29, 2014 21:02:35 GMT
I don't know what to do with linked in. I am on it and have links to people and have some endorsements but after that I don't know what I am supposed to do.
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Post by Pandagirl on Mar 29, 2014 21:11:10 GMT
Linked In is great for networking or looking for a job. Mostly people endorse each other for skills and your profile can be viewed by potential clients or employers. My husband used it a lot to research possible clients. I'm not sure how valuable it would be for an art community. There are also a lot of organizations you can link into. That may be where the value would be for a small business person. It all has to do with how much time you're willing to put into learning and trying it out. Sometimes linked in will suggest certain organizations based on my experience.
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