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Disco Fever . Gift Tags on Ring |
If someone gave you 14 opportunities to make a sale, would you decide to only use 10? I doubt it. Don’t do that with your tags on Etsy either. You may miss the boat!
The first tag is Etsy’s official category list. Choose the one that most accurately fits your item (warning: Etsy does respond to complaints about mis-categorized items, so beware. Yes, we all want visibility, but not at the expense of customer good will.
Etsy has Tutorials and Help Articles
Etsy has several articles and helpful tips you can use, and they discuss using tags, choosing categories, and many other helpful items to set up and organize your store. So don’t overlook all they help they give to sellers.
Tags: Use ‘Em All
Standard tags I think you should use ALL THE TIME:
FIRST: The NAME of your Store
If you have promoted your store on your blog, if someone else has mentioned your store on their blog, or if they heard about you from another customer, you want them to find you, don’t you? Maybe they actually purchased from you before, but don’t want to go through their list of past purchases to find you. Whatever the reason, or however they know of your store, make that one of your tags.
SECOND: Your Name, or the Name you Use with your Creations!
This is another, to me at least, no-brainer. Friends and people at work may not remember my store name, but they will know mine. I always tell customers they can find our store on etsy, so they may remember that and go looking. BUT my store name, since I have a business partner, may not be quite that easy to remember. By entering my name in the search text, my items should pop right up.
Remember, your customers can’t walk in your store and ask questions, or ask for you, so you need them to find you, quick, easy and accurately.
More Tagging Suggestions
Describe your item in the next tags. Now, descriptions are a bit more tricky. Of course, you do want to be descriptive, but not so detailed that no one would ever use that as a search term. Cream, tan, or brown may be terms customers would use to search for a purse color, but ecru? Well, probably not so much. But if you have something that is a well known trademark name, be sure to add that. Let’s say you made a wall hanging using Mary Engelbreit material. Be sure you list that as an item. Customers would search on that, since it may be something they specifically want to find!
I sell jewelry so I am sure to list color, type of gemstone, and generally whether it’s silver or gold or copper, etc. I might also add the type of clasp, if it’s unique, such as heart toggle. I list the gemstone, if it is one I think customers would search on, such as turquoise, amethyst or sapphire. But I might not add that if the stone is uncommon, such as rhodochrosite, and especially not manganese carbonate! Who knows that! Not many customers. And if they do, they will also know they more common ways to find it, such as searching for pink or rose colored.
Team Tags
OK, maybe you have passed the obvious tags, and now you are wondering “what else?” Is this where you used to quit (used to, because you know you won’t do that anymore, right?). You have listed the basic descriptive terms, your name and your store. Next?
If you are the member of an Etsy team, add that as a tag. I have personally used this in so many ways, and it’s great. First, if anyone has promoted your team in a blog post or article, customers may search on the team name and get not only our store, but many of our individual items also! Second, if I am writing the article, I can search for our team name and immediately get items from our members stores that I can then high-light and link to in my article! Quick, easy. Third, it also makes it easy for a member to work up a treasury that will focus on team offerings. Finally, sometimes I can’t remember a member’s store name (in fact, some members may have more than 1 store).
Locator Tags
I also list tags about where I am located. I’ve never used “United States” but I may need to remember that one myself. But I list my state and usually my city. Or perhaps the closest large city to where I am. Many people try to shop local whenever they can, and I want them to find me. Maybe they will contact me for a custom order if they know we can meet and discuss it in person. Maybe they have a store and would take some of my items on consignment.
Also, if your item is somehow connected to a large special event, add that as a tag. If you make handmade wedding invitations, using calligraphy, you want that in your tags. If your item uses an image of Italy, or the Eiffel Tower, be sure those are tagged as such. Is it a bookmark with a cross? Maybes you add the terms catechism or baptism or confirmation, since these might be great gifts for such occasions.
It is not a tagging error to help customers find a gift for that special occasion or for someone who has a particular hobby or interest. You don’t want to be overlooked. Tags are your ability to suggest something from your shelves to your customer.
Read the rest of the article over on Handmadeology
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