New To Etsy

       I wanted to help all those shops that are new to Etsy. Or have had their shop open for a while and are just looking for some tips. I will use pictures from my store and others that I have seen. First off I'd like to share about Shop Stats. This is how I keep track of what is being viewed a favorited the most, what's popular. I did not find this out till almost a year after my store being open so it's a very helpful tool to have a round. You can find it if you have your mouse over the words "Your Shop:Shop Name" Then a list will pop up and click on Shop Status. Now that you know what that is the next thing you need to figure out is how to work pictures so that they look appealing.

 PHOTOGRAPHY

There is a fine line from using flash and using no flash. I'm pretty sure you guys can tell What one has a flash on and what one doesn't. Now the one on the left looks a lot nicer but, it still doesn't have that WOW factor to it. The first thing a customer sees is the photo, then the title.

There is also a difference between editing your photos and leaving them with a dark photo. Both photos aren't very appealing to the eyes, making your customer skip the item and move on the next item on the page.  

This next photo is about having the
right lighting for your photos. Make
sure the lighting you have is mainly
sunlight, it shows your item in full
motion and looks great. If you saw the photo on the left then the photo on the right. Which photo would you gravitate too?

Card Holder

These photos were all mine so now I'll show you some more photos of others that I have found from my favorite shops. The tip is to have a simple background, if you have accessories or anything besides clothing. The best background you can have is white. It's simple and your eye goes straight to the item.

Baby hat

Now I'm not saying that you have to have all white background, just look at mine. I have also found some photos that might help you if you don't want to do a white background. Remember the picture is normally the first thing that a buyer looks at. It's like window shopping so to say. If you do chose to use something besides a white background, take into consideration the colors,patterns, and of course the lighting. You don't want to have a background that doesn't look good against your item.
Here's a great example of using a colored/patterned background. The picture on the right I can use for so many different examples but I wanted to show you how to use a patterned background correctly.

Flower Blanket

Also take into consideration the angle of your item, sometimes buyers want to see this item not straight on. Give them more to look at, make them feel like they're picking it up and moving it, without them having to pick it up and move it. The item on the right is perfect example of using angle to help a buyer see what they might not be able to see if they looked at it straight on.

Selling clothes is also huge on Etsy, right after jewelry. Selling clothes can be tricky because, everyone is a different size. So if you are going to be selling clothes make sure you offer different sizes, and you tell them what is available for them. Most buyers that are looking for clothing want to know what it would look like on them, or on their child. With clothing it can get a little difficult to photograph, but once you have to right props, model and lighting you will have no problem taking photos of your clothing.The picture below is great example of props and model. You can really see what the item looks like on a child and, it brings out the colors on the tutu.

Tutu

Baby onesie

If you're someone like me you don't have the room, or money having props can get pretty tricky and hard. Don't think that your clothing has to have props like the one that I just showed you. You can have a simple background and it can still get the point across.The photo to the left is a great example of a simple background. All they had to do is find some wood flooring and lay the baby there and take a few pictures. If you're someone like me you still want to make your pictures special by using some props but don't want to go and pay for them. You can use props that you find around the house. Most of the time you'll find something that you can use as a prop.


                                TITLING
The next thing your buyer will be looking for is a title. These are often simple but descriptive. Make sure your title will let your buyer know what they are looking into before clicking on the item.

First we will look at the item on the left, this item is from my store. When you look at this item what goes through your head should be the main focus on the title. You wouldn't want to title this item "Skirt for Girls". That doesn't tell your buyer anything. What size is this? Is it custom made? Can I get this in a different color? If this was a made to order skirt a better title would be "Grey Flower Twirl Skirt for Girls Made to Order, Sizes 12months to 10/12". That is all your title really needs, you can put the rest of the details in the description, which we will be talking about later. I'll show you some items that I found that have good titles and tell you what you need to know before clicking on the item. The item below this sentence has a great title

Blanket

and tells you everything you need to know about the item. This item is titled:

Personalized Minky Baby Blanket - Dino Dudes and Teal Minky Dot

This tells you that you can chose the name on the blanket and it tells you the pattern and the color. For the rest of the details all you have to do is click on it.

Sewing pattern

The next item the the left also has a great title and gets right to the point of things.

Baby Girl Sewing Pattern - The Hannah Design - Ruffle Top, Bloomer and Fabric Flower Pattern

Tells you that this is a sewing pattern that is pretty important especially if you just want a dress for your little one and you don't want to make it.

I will show you guys one more title example just in case titles aren't exactly in your head yet.

Light switch

Dora the Explorer on Purple Double Toggle Light Switch Cover Plate

Again this title is simple but tells you what you need to know. It's Dora, it's the color purple, and it's for those light switches that have two side by side.

Description

Descriptions are one of the most important things to your item. It tells the buyer even more about the item then what they can see and read in the title. This is the time for you to tell them everything else they need to know. How long it takes to get to their house, other colors available,sizes,texture,how it was made,other items similar to it in your store, and the list goes on. 

Little Ladybug Crayon Roll Tote Bag

I will show you my description on this item and then you can see how they work. You want to write your description as if the buyer can not see the photo. Next to it I'll show you the main things you should have in your description. Anything highlighted in yellow tells you that this is important if they couldn't see the photo. Anything highlighted in green tells you what the uses for this item is for. Anything highlighted in blue is good for your buyer to know prior to buying the item.

This little bag is so cute for your little girl to hold her crayons and coloring book. This tote bag is pink with little red ladybugs on it. The ladybug wings have little block polka dots on them. Then around the the ladybugs have little red hearts. 3 out 4 linings have the ladybugs the last one (on the inside) has a dark pink fabric. Great for going out and about, going to church or just for storing your crayons and coloring books. The straps are a black ribbon with white stitching.
*Measures 14" x 14" <--------- This tells you the size
*Holds up to 20 crayons <------- How many crayons
*If you would like your own crayon tote, please contact me
*Machine wash in cold. <------- It can be washed
*Crayons not included.
*Fabric placement may vary.
*This product ships within 1-3 days of placement. <------When it gets to the house
*If your buying from outside of the U.S please contact me so I can tell you your price.

*Made in a pet-free, smoke-free home <-----Good to know working enviorment
*My etsy store
http://www.etsy.com/shop/MendingLifeTogether?ref=seller_info
*If you like what you see,like me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/MendingLifeTogether/148092695273321 <-----They have a social website that I can check out

Warning: anyone using this product under the age of 3 should have adult supervision. May contain small parts. MLT is not responsible for any choking hazards. 

Now that you see how I do my listings we can look at a few from other stores and see how they use their listing description.

Bumble Bee Ribbon sculpture bow w/swarovski crystal

 This adorable bumble bee bow is made of yellow, black, white and apple green grosgrain ribbon.
It's perfect for infants, toddlers, and little girls, and is sure to compliment any outfit!
All ribbons are top quality and ends are heat sealed to prevent fraying.

This clip can be attached to:
A.- Partially lined single prong alligator clip,
B.- Fully lined double prong alligator clip,
C.- Pin back / Brooch
• Indicate your clip choice under “message to seller”. If no clip has been choose it will be attached to a fully lined double prong alligator clip.

Please allow up to 2 weeks for your item to be made and shipped.

Please supervise small children with hair accessories/small parts and remove before napping.

I take great pride in my work and you will receive top quality, boutique products from my shop.

Thank you for stopping by and check back often--new creations are always being made.

Let me know if you have any questions about this item or any of the other items I have listed!
Thank you.
Gisella's Designs 

Here's the last one for descriptions:

Storage Organizer Basket Fabric Bin - Red and Aqua Apple - Ready to Ship

 

Stay neat and organized with this lovely and functional storage bin! This bin is a must have for any room of your home.

~Perfect in your nursery for keeping toys, diapers and pacifiers organized.
~Ideal for storing magazines, DVDs, CDs or your remote controls in the Living room.
~In the bathroom for storing makeup, hair brushes and accessories.
~In your home office for pens, paper, folders or books.
~Perfect by your front door to keep track of your cell phone, keys and mail.
~Makes an excellent gift basket filled with goodies for a baby shower, house warming party or wedding gift.
More Organizer Bins available! Click here to view:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/thespottedbarn?section_id=6859003
The outside of this lovely bin has adorable multicolored apples on a light aqua background. The inside is perfectly coordinated with a red dot.

This storage bin measures 9" L x 6" W x 7" H (Please see last picture to help visualize size of bin.) There are layers of heavy interfacing to give this bin structure and shape. It is double stitched on stress points to ensure durability. This bin will be shipped to you in a large envelope, if needed a warm iron will take out any wrinkles. Pattern placement may vary slightly. 

TAGS

The next thing last thing to deal with listings it the tags. This is the reason why people are able to find your items.

Okay so now you know how to take pictures, add titles, and description but you still have one thing left and that's tagging your item. This is how people are going to find your item. We will use my messenger bag will be the example for tagging. When tagging think of if you were looking for an item like this what would you search for? You would search something like, Robots,Bag, Toddler, Children, Kids, Boys, Messenger, Blue Bag. You also might want to know if you can get it custom made, or if it's machine washable. If you are struggling with coming up with tags simply open up an etsy tab and search an item that is similar to yours and see what they use for their item.

My next blog post will be on how to organize your store and how many items is a good number for your store.