Thursday, October 30

3 Fixes for the low views on Etsy

3 Fixes for the low views on Etsy


low views: Defined by me!
Last year at this time on Etsy I could relist/renew an item and receive 20-30 views easy before that item got buried. These days I am averaging 5-10. I am also noticing a drop in my views on my bigger items (furniture). The over all views to my shop have decreased also.



As you already know there is a problem getting your items seen on etsy these days. With the batch loading system and the the increase in the number of shops.. it makes it difficult to get views. The scenario goes like this... you list/renew on item and another shop batch loads 30 items right after yours... your item then gets sent to the 3rd page... not a good place to be for views.

Here are some interesting stats taken form anEtsy Storqe Article. Notice the number of items listed.. these stats are for September 08.
  • $7.93 million of goods sold — a 5% increase over August.
  • That represents 544,157 items sold, a 5.3% increase from August's stats.
  • 911,191 new items were listed, up from 869,000 items last month, a 4.9% increase.
  • 96,473, new members joined the Etsy community, including 18,001 new sellers. Both of these rates of new sellers and new buyers are essentially flat from last month.
  • 344,000,000 page views were recorded on the site, a slight increase from August.
Every minute 21 items are listed on Etsy

You will also the encouraging part to all these stats, which is the sales numbers, and the MILLIONS of page views.
Every minute about 11 items are sold on Etsy


Here are November’s key numbers, each of which represent the highest total ever:

  • $10.8 million of goods were sold — a 28% increase over October.
  • That represents 719,145 items sold, a 24.5% increase from October's stats.
  • 1,143,942 new items were listed, up from 976,234 items last month, a 17.1% increase.
  • 135,165 new members joined the Etsy community, including 22,744 new sellers.
  • 410,634,499 page views were recorded on the site, a 14.5% increase from October.

3 DIY Fixes
sorry these are not quick fixes... and yes you have to do these yourself


Fix number 1>> Pictures

Sorry if this sounds harsh, but it has to be said. If your pictures suck, your views are going to be low. Being serious about selling online requires stand out amazing pictures. Take a look around Etsy.. look in the treasuries ....even venture away from etsy and you will find that pictures are the key to selling online.

Take a look at these Etsy Storqe Articles about improving your pictures:

Achieving Clarity and Crispness in Your Photos


How to Style Your Photos

Photographing for Success


Photograph Your Way to The Top!


Make Your Photos Pop with Histograms and Levels


Bright Light, Big Color

These are some powerful articles so if you are serious about improving your pictures take the time to read and implement the strategies.


Timothy Adam Designs flash back

Here is a link to the first pendant i sold on etsy
Modern Rectangle Pendant


Here is my newest item.. just listed yesterday.
Mod Christmas Tree



Fix Number 2>> Tagging

Along with pictures tagging has been a hot topic on Etsy. Having AWESOME picture is almost secondary to properly tagging your items. If you don't have proper tags your items won't even show up in the searches.

There are 14 spots Etsy provides for tags and there is no reason you should not be using every single one of them.


I like to use Google Keyword Tool to help generate tags.

here are some Great Arcticles from the Storqe on tagging

Tagging for Success


Tagging on Etsy
This one is awesome!

All about Tagging (Your Shop: 101 series)


Listing Process Augmented

Tagging Tips for Sellers: Kids, Baby, and Maternity


Vegan Tagging: A How-To for Sellers




Quick tip from redpanda: Maximize your shop title... HERE



Fix Number 3>> Marketing on and off Etsy

135,000 new etsy members in November is crazy.

Let's chat about on Etsy marketing for your shop. Everyone wants to figure out ways to market their shop off Etsy, but let's face it shop owners are buyers too. I am a buyer.. I love to support handmade and the Etsy community. The best way to promote on Etsy is though the forums. Using the forums to promote will in turn bleed into the other features over time. Treasuries are another amazing on Etsy promo tool... and these lead to the ever popular front page!!!!


On Etsy Promo
Forum Talk: section by section

quick forum tip:::::
I do a quick scan of the first 5 threads.... I like to jump on a thread that is young with less than 10 comments.. this keeps your post on the first page and your avatar and post will be visible every time the thread is open. This can be applied to every section of the forums. Now i don't stop there.... i will keep posting in the threads if i have more to add. I also participate in threads that have been around if i feel it is still alive and kicking!

Please don't spam the threads with your sales... it is very counterproductive to your business... For alternative ideas for marketing check out this thread on etsy HERE



Site Help

I don't really post in this section as a original poster.. I do like to help answer questions that others may have.

Business Topics

This is a great resource section.... there is a ton of useful info to soak in. I post here more often than any other section. I will post articles that I have written that will help the community. Asking questions and making the thread interactive is key to keeping the thread alive.

Critiques

This can be a powerful section. When I am creating a new product i like to run it across the etsy community. I will also ask opinions about my blog. Once again making the thread interactive is very important.


Techniques & Materials

I think i have only posted here one time....but it is another great resource.

Teams & Events

Again i have only posted here a handful of times.

Ideas

same

Bugs

again

Promotions

Now this is the place for your straight up promotions.. I post here often... I will start threads and participate in the also.

Thread examples I use and participate in:

Post your newest item

Show me....

Lowest viewed item

Most viewed item

Any blog thread

Sale threads

I'm buying threads

There are many more, but you get the idea.

Posting in the forums a key to expose your shop to other Etsy shops owners.. in turn this can result in some treasury spots and eventually a Front page spot.


Off Etsy Promo:


I am only going to hit a few key types of off Etsy marketing.. There are so many, so i will share the 3 that I use the most. At the end I show how put all three together along with on etsy promo to get 500 views to my shop in just over 1 hour.

Blogging:

I have been blogging for a little over a year. My blog has played a very important role in the growth of my Etsy shop. With my blog I have grown an e-mail list through my monthly giveaway.. This list has grown to 1500 people.. Last spring I held a product test with the small list I had at the time, which was 250. Long story short.. I sold 15 of the product test necklaces in less than 2 hrs. E-mail lists are very powerful!

Having a blog also increases your presence on the web for FREE..

This is my main blog ( I have 5 others)

here is my newest project>>> blufuse

Your blog should include links to your Etsy shop. These link should be very visible so it is easy for your readers to navigate to your shop. The best method for acheving this is to use the Etsy mini that is provided by Etsy.. here is a how to video I created all about the Etsy mini.. CLICK HERE


Facebook:

I recently joined facebook, and I have found to be a very powerful marketing tool. I use my facebook for networking and marketing my business, but you have to tread lightly. Facebook is cracking down on accounts that are doing this.. make sure your main account is set up in your name and not your business. You can set up a group for your business.. where you can promote all you want.

How i use Facebook:

> I make everyone my friend.. If they friend me back cool, if not...it only took me a second. In all reality I am just trying to get people to see my work.

> Once your friend list grows invite them into your group...where you can post discussions, and pictures. You can also create events... with the group you can also send out e-mails to everyone in the group. This is a key part to my marketing plan.. right now I have 293 people in my groups.. that does not sound like a ton.. but these people seem to be weeded out, and are truly interested in my work.

Here is my timothy adam designs group... Click Here

Twitter:


Twitter is my big hitter right now.. it is very powerful.

Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length. wiki

I am running a Lunch Time Shoppers Series, which generates great traffic. The most popular post is the Top 10 Monday post.
Tune in every Monday at lunch time (12pm) for my top 10 Etsy picks. This list is generated from the top 10 monday thread forums on Etsy, which starts at 11 am sharp. This is part of my "Lunch Time Shoppers" series... you can find these posts from 11:30 am to 12.30 pm. Check out more details HERE



To view my recent article on using Twitter as a Marketing tool:: Click HERE




Putting every thing together
500 views to my shop
The other day I created two awesome necklaces..... I was getting ready to post them on Etsy, and thought to my self... these are not even going to get seen. Discouraged I listed them anyway. Being in the jewelry section around 5pm they were buried in seconds. One got 5 views and the other 3... then nothing.

Step by step:

1. Listed the items.

2. Posted a blog about the new products.

3. Posted in the Critiques sections on the Etsy forums. This item was a holiday items , and it was new, so i was asking for some opinions. This generated some great traffic to the holiday item and some spill over views to the second item and my entire shop. This technique involves the thread readers and keeps the thread alive.

4. Went over to Twitter, and posted about my new items. I also involved the readers of my channel in the post.. i asked them to provided some feedback.

Now here is the key to this one... the link I posted on Twitter was straight to my blog.. HERE. You will notice that the pictures are linked straight to my etsy shop and there are links in the body also. This generated some great traffic for my blog and also my Etsy shop.

I had over 20 readers respond in the first 30 mins and a few more are still trickling in. Granted I have over 2800 followers on Twitter, but like i said before this all takes time.



5. Facebook was next.
I posted a link on my wall to one of the items.... you don't want to get spammy on your personal wall. The most traffic comes from my group. I posted the same message as i did on twitter with a link to my blog.
___________________________________________________________

I hope this FREE info has helped you in some way... Don't forget to take your Etsy business seriously...what you put into it is what you get out.


In return if you have any tips or liked what you read please leave a comment here on the blog and on the etsy forums HERE.

Sign up for more INSIDER tips and tricks click HERE
Etsy modern jewelry Twitter metal project wonderful traffic tips


89 comments:

Homemade Zen said...

Great post! I would also add that if you belong to a etsy team, posting your new item on the team blog/chat will also help with views and sales too. Many people in the etsy team are willing to buy from each other.

Mary Richmond said...

this is really eye opening information. i have never had people sign up on an email list from my blog and probably should be doing that....i have a lot to chew on in this article--thanks!

Anonymous said...

All great tips...so many people think you have to walk the streets crying "etsy" to get sales. Not a single one of my sales has come from a friend or family member (granted I'm just getting started)...there are so many great buyers right here online!

jeweledrabbit said...

Great article. Thank you.

Your marketing plan is very specific, and gives me much food for thought.

cloudhopping said...

Great article, some great tips there thanks!

The Bunny Maker said...

I'm seeming to read you blog more and more - usually from your twitter links! you have loads of great info - i'm doing most of it already although several steps behing you but i'm heading in the same direction. Your posts make me realise that I AM doing the right things! Never underestimate how much self-promotion one has to do to make these online sales!

Unknown said...

I have to say you have some great information here and I'm very thankful for it. . . when time is a factor it's nice to get succint info that I feel "I can do that" and go with it. Thanks again!

Anonymous said...

As a new etsy supply store. Thank you thank you!!!! I now have a direction to go with promoting my store.I am off to check out facebook!

Marcie
http://macksupplies.etsy.com

Sara at Soap Rehab said...

Very Helpful!!! Thank you!

TheEye said...

fantastic blog Timothy.

Anonymous said...

Wow timothy.... I'm speechless! You are my new god.

Seriously, thanks for this well written article. I was so happy to see you posted it in the forums as well as on twitter. I got the twitter update right away but I'm browsing with my phone and can't click the links on twitter like I can on etsy.

Unknown said...

It's so true what they say. More time is spent marketing your product then making it!

I go to the forums now and then but it has gotten quite whiny and I used to be that whiner!
Until I concentrated my energy elsewhere.

Thanks for this post!

Glenda said...

I always make it a point to read your posts in the forum and to check out your twitter links. I have used several of your tips over the past month and it has definately led to more views and hearts. Always looking forward to your words of wisdom!

Annabelle said...

Thank you for such an insightful post. It's great to get new marketing ideas and you always seem to have them!

allisa jacobs said...

Thank you so much for sharing this post & great advice. This was very helpful & eye-opening (confirming some of my own theories about my recent low views....)I love things in list form...now I'm off to go check each one.

Thanks a million :)

Additionsstyle said...

I recently started reading your blog and have really learned a lot! Thanks for all the great info, and I look forward to all your new posts.

SleightGirl said...

Great info! Thanks!!!

Friskey Creations said...

Great tips! Nice food for thought.

Anonymous said...

I LOVE you Tim! thank you very much :)

Anonymous said...

Great info, as always. Now I need to get off my duff and get to work on implementing some of these.

Anonymous said...

My goodness, I am exhausted just reading all this! But, seriously, you have a great marketing plan. Thanks for sharing it.

ThreadBeaur said...

Wow! What a great post. I know that I need to take a serious look at my pictures. I have updated once, but I feel that they are lacking the punch they need to be competitive. Right now I take pictures outside to get good light, but winter is coming and the days are so short that by the time I get home from work daylight is less than optimal. Thanks for all the tips.

Anonymous said...

Awesome information. Thanks so much for sharing with others. I plan on using some of these tips on my quest to fill the void of losing the pets gift guides.

BeadedTail said...

Great post filled with helpful information! Thank you for sharing!

SarahKelley said...

This is an awesome post! thanks for all the links and I love your new project!

woolies said...

awesome. Thanks.

earthexpressions said...

Great tips Tim, thank you!

Laura said...

Thanks for sharing, Tim. Your advice is very appreciated, and very valuable! Kudos!

needle and nest said...

Awesome post Timothy! I'm going to bookmark it so I can use it to improve my shop this weekend.

Unknown said...

Great marketing tools...I'm listing new items tomorrow and I'm going to follow your plan, I'll let you know how awesome it works! Thanks for the advice!

A Thyme To Bee Comforted said...

As usual great post!! Very informative!! I have been using some of your info already and it has been helping!! =)

kristi said...

Thanks so much for taking the time to do this...now I just need to find the time to follow through!

Just Yesterday Scrapbooks said...

Thanks for your fresh views on marketing! Although I already do much of what you wrote about in this post, you gave me some new insights, and in the process gained a new blog reader :) Could you tell me where to get the coding for the simple "name/email" signup box you have on your blog? I cannot find one that small and simple anywhere, and it is exactly what I am looking for.

Azra Momin said...

Tim, you are an amazing artist, and an amazing businessman. That's an incredible combination! Thank you for taking the time to share your insights.

Could you someday write an article on how to organize the time for all this? Do you have a schedule? When do you make your art? I'm asking because I am very new to making a business out of my work, but I hardly get time to paint, let alone network. (I do have a small baby, and admittedly, I am more focussed on her than on anything else, but there are many mommies out there with more!)

How you organize your creating/networking time would be very helpful to know.

Thank you again!

Kardkreations said...

Very informative! Thanks for sharing! Now how do I print this? ;)

A Little Of A Lot said...

Thankyou so much for writing this. Lots of awesome info.

madder root said...

Thanks for the great article. Now to find the time to try everything out.

MyRecordPurse said...

Thanks Tim, Extremely informative.

Me, You and Magoo said...

found your blog through your forum post and I must admit I haven't seen your shop before, but I really like the stuff you make.
I am already doing most of the things you mention, blogging, flickr, email list etc etc. Some months are better than others, but October has been my worst month on etsy for over a year. It's hard not to get disheartened, but your article has given me hope as I now know low views aren't just happening to me.
I haven't tried Twitter, so I will check it out.
Thanks again for this blog post :)

Melanie - Everything Etsy said...

Another great post! Thanks for the advice, i'll be putting this into practice.

Jana Šamalík said...

these are great! thanks so much for sharing!!! I have just started so I find it all very very useful!

kaboogie said...

Tim, You're a credit to the entire handmade community, and so incredibly helpful to us all! I will be using as many of your great suggestions as possible! Thanks so much!

Anonymous said...

Thanks Tim!

Contrariwise said...

I normally do everything you do, but I still don't get that many hits. But you do have a huge following for your blog, which undoubtedly helps a lot.

For example, I've found that posting in the forums gets you some hits. But people are so busy promoting their own items, that they don't bother clicking on anyone else's posts.

artistico said...

you are my mentor .. i like everything you said
thnks again
artistico shop

Anonymous said...

thanks so much for being a wealth of knowledge. If my work and life ever slow down I will learn to use the computer better. (blog,my space, face book and flickr) I have accounts just have not taken the time to make them useful.

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for all the great advice, I'm learning a lot from you! :-)

Carol B said...

I worship the ground you walk on!

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for sharing all of your tips!

Anonymous said...

This is such a great post! I have so many other windows open with your linked articles to read right now it's not even funny ^_^. Thanks!

Beth Singleton said...

Great tips! I think I need to work on a few things! Thanks for all the useful infomation.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for taking the time to share...I need some guidance.

New England Quilter said...

You are awesome for writing such a helpful post!! Thank you :)
Amy
http://newenglandquilter.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

there are so many things i can do to drive more business to my shop, thank you for sharing!

Zwei Baby said...

Thanks for great tips as always!!

LadyK said...

Terrific post, thank you very much.

Urban Picasso said...

thank you for those wonderful tips. i think it will work on my ebay too. Selling online is no joke.
http://stores.ebay.com/urban-picasso-art

Anonymous said...

Thank you for such useful information--especially the advice about on and off etsy promo. I very much appreciate it!

Marina said...

This post is extremely helpful to me as a new seller. Thank you so much!!! And I love your work!

Kimberland Designs said...

Thanks for your advice! I am definatley going to remember it next time Im adding things into my shop.

Amy Juneau for Word-iquette said...

Timothy - thanks for a great blog on increasing Etsy views. One more promotional tip to everyone who makes wearable art: Wear your work and carry your business cards that states your online, Etsy store address (if you aren't doing so already).

Clear Lake Creations said...

Timothy, I just attended a photoshop workshop today to get a better understand how to get better quality prints. I am so excited to get started on a new and improved shop because of you!

Julia Catherine said...

AMAZING as always!

My Art Garden said...

Great tips! Thanx for all your great ideas!

lizet frijters said...

I really liked this. I know that I don't get many views and make few sales. I will follow your advice and start working on it.

Anonymous said...

Wow. I just stumbled on your article here on Facebook, having come here after yet another disappointing check of the Etsy store to find that there are still no sales. We opened the store a month ago and yes, I know we were too late to get Christmas shoppers and yes, I know we're in a recession, but we've got some quality items for sale at quite reasonable prices. I'm going to point my business partner (also she's my sister) towards your article. I just have one question: when do you have time, given all the work you do on your Etsy store, to actually produce the product(s) you're selling? ;-)

Jenny Davis said...

Fantastic!!!! thankyou so much. I thought because I live so faraway in Australia my Etsy is not getting into the front pages as im uploading wrong times or something. I will try out your tips and see what happens.

www.jennysporch.etsy.com

Unknown said...

Some great information here! Thanks for taking the time to put all this together. Very helpful!

dunkdesigns.etsy.com

Unknown said...

Some great information here! Thanks for taking the time to put all this together. Very helpful!

dunkdesigns.etsy.com

Melissa said...

Thanks for the great information. I feel a little overwhelmed by it all, but I plan to look through your blog and tackle one thing at a time. Thanks!

Kii said...

Wow...this is really blogging masterpiece. Timothy, I love youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

Lana Manis said...

Thanks for all the time you put into telling others how to improve on etsy. I have considered Twitter, but didn't know much about it ~ I'll go check it out now.

Ashlihara said...

Thank you so much, I've followed some of your advice, and I'm stuck on something little...How do you add buttons to your blog?

K said...

Very wonderful article, implementing everything, hopefully it will help my switch plate shop get some more views!

Anonymous said...

Wow, You are amazing. Thank you so much for giving us so much info and explaining it so well. I have been with etsy 3 months and have already tried a few things you listed. I will keep trying different things. I am dying for sales.

Sophiadare said...

Thank you! I am so eager to market and just needed some tips and reassurance to keep pressing on!Will be following you on twitter!!

Lesley said...

Thanks for this great information-you are a hero!

Lesley said...

Thanks for this fantastic info-you are a hero!

allmadewithlove said...

you give as a right direction to success. It is so good to have someone as you are here. Now my head is up! Thanks, thanks, and many thanks.

prettypanda said...

You're amazing and brilliant! thank you so much for sharing this wonderful info with us!

marie clare said...

I know this blog post is old, but I have been reading you blog for the past few hours, and just wanted to say Thank You! for getting all this information out there. I am so glad I found your site!

Unknown said...

You've got my attention, sensei~ And, two birds with one stone by finding this post: great Etsy tips for me, and some likely Christmas gifts for my guy!

http://dianeelizabethck.wordpress.com

Amy said...

Awesomeawesome post! It's given me some more ideas on how to market my shop. :D Have you thought about writing for Handmade News? I actually think they need another writer for the Marketing department.

I do have one little thing that I had a hard time with. The colors on your blog, the font, the links... it makes it really hard for me to read. :(

Lisette said...

Wow, your information is awesome. Thank you!

FashionTouch said...

Thank you! Very informative and helpful!!! Agree with HomeZen ab the team

Francie Horton said...

Tim,

I found your blog through Enna at the Handmade Gift Guide. Writing up a mini-interview on her.

Was reading your traffic tips. My blog is a PageRank 4 if you'd like to add it to your list for people to comment on and leave their links. As long as it's relevant to the post, I gladly welcome the comments. Oddly, some of the PR people I work with don't look at PageRank but are interested in commenters so this would be mutually beneficial. :)

I've done art book reviews for several months. This next week I'm starting a new series on reviews of art products and handmade goods. First step in taking my blog more seriously. It's my first love. :)

IrelandBrady said...

Thank You! You always seem to be dead on target with all of your blog posts. You make what seems complicated and nearly unachievable ... easy to understand and manageable.

DulcetDesign said...

Wow, a year and a half later and all still relevant, although there are even more sellers on etsy, making this post even more relevant! Thanks!

dulcetdesign.etsy.com

Comfy Heaven Decor- Anita said...

been reading your articles for awhile now . I always learn something I can apply to my Etsy shop. thank you so much.

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