Still More Helpful Hints for Etsy!

Part Four

I'm aware that I have some repeats, but some things bear repeating. I might go back and take off 'repeats' in my installments eventually, but for now I'll just leave them alone and work on adding more. This is incredibly time consuming, but I really want to put all this information in one place....this blog.

♥ How to 'Heart' or 'Favorite' a Shop ♥

If you ever want to leave a 'heart' or 'favorite' (same thing) for a shop, just go to their shop page. If you look to your left you'll see a long list of things.

Scroll down a bit and you'll see the word ACTIONS.
In that section you'll see a red heart ♥ and the words Add To Favorites.
All you have to do is click on those words and you will have added that shop to your favorites / hearts.

 

And, if you see a particular item in a shop that you'd like to 'favorite / heart', just click on the item and it takes you to the item's page. This time the information is on the right side of the page.

 

Just look down and right up under a few little 'thumbnails' (small pictures) you'll see the words Add Shop To Favorites. This is another way to add a shop to your favorites. And look down a few sentences and you'll see another red heart ♥ and the words Add Item To Favorites.

 

So, you can add an 'item' to your favorites and a 'shop' to your favorites. It's also called hearts, or hearting.

 

And you can see where you can click and see who else has hearted the shop or items, too. It's a good way to branch out and see other shops.

 

Hearting shops can get YOUR shop seen. It's a good way to get some exposure. If someone has hearted your shop, heart them back. We ALL love shop hearts.

 

And if you want to sincerely heart something to come back to later on, put them in your 'item hearts'.

 

How to Save Money on Camera Batteries

Let me pass along this little tip I learned this year. Talk about having a 'duh' moment.
I have always used a 'card reader' instead of uploading pictures to my computer with my camera. We know that a card reader saves a ton of money in camera batteries. Nothing runs your batteries down faster than uploading your pictures straight from your camera to your computer.

 

If you don't have a card reader, go get one.

 

However, now that I'm on Etsy and our pictures are EVERYHING, I'm going thru a lot more batteries. Yikes! VERY expensive. All the zooming and taking and retaking of pictures is killing my wallet in batteries.

 

One day while eating lunch I stopped over to the Etsy forums and I was reading the different topics and this wonderful woman (now my hero) raised a thread on a good tip about camera batteries. I clicked on it and OMG, it changed my LIFE.

 

She said that one day her batteries died while taking pictures and she was cussing about it to her husband. He casually told her to go buy an electrical camera adaptor (AC Adaptor) and then she wouldn't need to use batteries ever again.

 

DING, DING, DING.....that's IT!!

Brilliant! Genius!

 

Why, oh, why had I never thought of doing that?

Duhhh...

 

So, I went online and had little hope of finding an AC Adaptor for my 9 year old camera. But lo and behold, I did, I found it on Amazon.com and I think I only paid like $24.99 for it with free shipping.

 

It arrived and OMG, I never have to buy camera batteries again. My camera batteries used to cost $18.99 for two batteries. Then I started buying 'lots' of them on eBay really cheap. There were so many that I could make them last a few years.

 

Well, I can't find the 'lots' like that anymore. So, I was really thinking I was screwed once I used the last of my batteries, which was going to happen VERY soon.

 

Then that wonderful woman came on the forums with her camera tip and it changed EVERYTHING for me.

 

I have a place set up for all my picture taking. And there's an outlet right there to plug up the AC Adaptor. And trust me, it paid for itself in the first few sessions of my picture taking.
All is well in CattLand!!

 

No more expensive batteries.

 

So, do yourself a favor and get yourself an AC Adaptor like that. If they don't have it where you bought your camera, just go online and get one. You can get them anywhere, even on Amazon. And you'll probably find it a lot cheaper online anyway.

 

Just Google the brand and type of camera you have. This is an example of what I typed in to find my AC Adaptor:

 

Olympus C-700 Ultra Zoom AC Adaptor

 

You can find all the information you need right there on your camera. And more than likely your camera is newer than mine. And if I can find an AC Adaptor for MINE, you can find one for YOURS.

 

Of course, I'll have a set of batteries set aside in case I need to take pictures where there isn't an outlet. But for all my Etsy pictures? I use the adaptor. It's a godsend.

 

See, you can learn LOTS of things on the forums. I've been selling online for years and it took a lunch break and a quick trip to the forums to learn THIS cool trick. And this was only a few months ago, at that.

Who knew?

 

You never know what you're going to learn. That's why it's worth going there, even if it's only five minutes a day, or when you can. After all these years I'm STILL learning things like that.

 

 

Here's some more Odds and Ends tips

 

Typing Styles That Are Annoying & Hard to Read

 

You know how some people, especially those who make and sell primitive dolls type like this...pRiMiTiVe DoLLs.

Stop it.

It's annoying. No one likes it. It's not pleasant to read and it doesn't increase sales.

 

I've seen many sellers talk about this horrid typing on the forums and some have even said they don't bother to even look at the item if they see the title typed in that style.

It's not necessary to type like that. You could be losing sales and views.

 

Typing in All Capital Letters

 

Another pet peeve of people...typing in all capital letters. If you don't know it by now, typing in all capital letters is considered SHOUTING in the cyber world. It's annoying and very hard to read.

It also gives the appearance of being lazy.

 

If I see a forum post or even a listing with all capital letters, I never read it. It's too hard on the eyes. Lots of people won't read it.

 

We're trying to be professional. Our listing should reflect that. Make the effort.

And remember, if it looks like you don't put a lot of effort into your pictures and listings, then it seems reasonable to assume you don't put a lot of effort into your business, possibly even your customer service.

Keep that in mind.

 

Use Line Breaks in Your Paragraphs

 

Another thing that's very difficult to read is when people don't use 'line breaks' in their paragraphs. Their paragraphs are the length of my arm.

Again, I won't read it.

It's too confusing and hard on the eyes.

 

To make a line break, just hit the 'enter' key twice after your last sentence of your thought or paragraph. It's nice spacing in-between.

Notice how the paragraphs I type have line breaks.

It's easier to read.

But if this entire page was one long paragraph, you'd never read it. And I don't blame you.

 

'Sections' in Our Shops

I love that we can have 'sections' in our shops. It helps to organize our items, especially if we offer a variety of things. I wish we had more, but for now we can only have ten sections.

Google 'spiders' our shop when someone searches for things. For example, if someone was looking for a Gothic doll, my shop would come up in the search somewhere, both on Etsy and Google and other search engines.

And one of the areas that's 'spidered' or 'crawled' by the Google search engine is our Shop Sections. Our section titles act as keywords.

So, if you have spaces between your letters like this:

P R I M I T I V E S

Google will never pick it up. We can only guess how many opportunities were missed because Google ignored your shop. You shop didn't come up in the search for primitives because of the spaces between the letters.

So, don't put spaces in-between your letters.

Don't put all capital letters in your section titles.

And try to use keywords for your section titles. For example, in my sections I have:

Primitives
Neckwarmers Cowls Scarf
Shelf Sitters
Sewing Craft Supplies
Witch
Greeting Cards HallDark
Gothic
Halloween
Creepy
Vintage Household

Notice that none of my titles reads like a sentence with unnecessary words like 'and', etc.
All of my section titles are keywords that people generally type in to find those types of items.
We have to 'think' like a buyer.

Look at your items and think of what a buyer would type in to find it.

Another place that's picked up by Google is our Shop Announcement. It should be LOADED with keywords pertaining to the items you sell in your shop. Don't worry too much about having it read with pretty sentences. Google only 'spiders' or 'crawls' the first few sentences.

Take advantage of that fact and make the first few sentences all keywords. For example, here's my own shop announcement, at least the beginning of it:

Gothic Dolls, Primitive Dolls, Folk Art Dolls, The Catt's Ugly Babies Handmade Dolls, Gothic HallDark™ Collage Greeting Cards, craft supplies and more. thecattsuglybabies on Etsy will be listing Halloween items and sleeping masks soon.

 As you can see, it's pretty much composed of all keywords for how people can find me.

After that first paragraph I have normal sentences and all that.
But those first few sentences are crucial for keywords.

What if the beginning of your shop announcement was this:

"Wow, I can't believe I'm finally here. I've wanted to try this place for a long time."

or...

"I'm so excited! I was just featured in a magazine this month and I'm so happy!"

No one will be typing those sentences in a search. You will be wasting all your chances for keywords and 'search engine placement'.
Those very sentences can keep you from showing up in searches, even if someone is searching what you have.

USE this chance to include keywords for your SHOP. You want people to find you.

Look!

Seriously, when was the last time you used the work LOOK in your search? Have you ever typed it in to find something?
That's right, and neither will anyone else.

It's not a search term. It's not a keyword. Don't waste precious space and the opportunity to use keywords for finding you on ridiculous words like that. It doesn't help.

I've never looked down a list of items and picked out the ones to click on that say LOOK.
I avoid those listings.
It sounds like a Snake Oil Salesman. It makes me run the other way, not want to come in.
I'm a person, not a robot with a wallet.

The same goes for MUST SEE!!

Think of how YOU feel. When you see a list of items to look at, are you immediately drawn in as if under a trance to go see the ones that shout LOOK? Of course not. And neither is anyone else.

Use your title for keywords, colors, and what the item IS, not what it CAN be used for. Don't worry about it reading like a sentence. Keywords are important in this area, not well constructed sentences. Trust me on this.

Another area in your shop that's picked up by Google and other search engines is the first few sentences of your listings. I have something similar to this at the beginning of ALL my listings:

Primitive Handmade Halloween Witch Shoes Pincushion. Handmade Gothic and Primitive dolls by thecattsuglybabies on Etsy.

 Notice that I include what the item is...and again, it's comprised of keywords. I also have as my second sentence the fact that my item is handmade, Gothic, Primitive, Dolls, and that it's made by thecattsuglybabies on Etsy.

See how the sentence is constructed. It includes all the important keywords for finding that item AND for finding me....and finding me on Etsy, at that.

So, copy and paste that sentence onto each of your listings at the very top of each page...changing it to reflect YOUR items and Etsy ID, of course.
:-)

Oh, and if your Etsy ID is different than the name of your shop, ALWAYS use your Etsy ID. Your shop name won't come up in the search on Etsy, only your Etsy ID.

Etsy doesn't allow us to change our ID's, at least not at the moment. So, you HAVE to ALWAYS use your Etsy ID for people to find you.

So, to recap...your shop Sections, your Shop Announcement, the first few sentences of your listings, and your Item Titles are picked up by Google. Make wise use of that fact by using KEYWORDS.

Business Card Addresses

If you are putting together business cards and your Etsy shop address is simply too long and confusing, try going to this place. It's called tiny url and it shortens your address so it's easier for people to remember, and it fits better on your business card.

Here's the link: Tiny URL

When you get there you will see a box for you to paste your complete Etsy shop URL (or shop address).
Under that box you'll see another box that says this:

Custom alias (optional):

That's where you can put the name of your shop, if you want.

For example, if your Etsy ID is different than your shop name, THIS would be a good chance for you to not only have a smaller address to your shop, but it also includes the NAME of your shop, not just your Etsy ID.

Here's the tiny url for MY shop:

http://tinyurl.com/thecattsuglybabies

As it is, the name of my shop is the same as my Etsy ID. But if yours is different, then going for a tiny url is perfect for you.

Marking Items as Shipped

After you have packed, labeled, and shipped an item, it would be a good idea to go and mark the item as 'shipped'.

Some people know where to go to see this information, many do not. You have no way of knowing who knows what, so it'll be a good idea to go ahead and mark the item shipped.
It's good business practice.

Here's how to do that.

Go to Your Account on the upper right hand side of your shop, or any Etsy page if you're on Etsy.

When you get there look to your left, scroll down till you see the section ORDERS.
The very words under that reads Sold Orders. That's what you need to click on.

You will see a list of items you have sold and over to the right you'll see the option for marking the item shipped.
You'll see a lot of information about that transaction all in one place.

And if you want to see if an item YOU have purchased has been shipped, again, go to Your Account.

When you get there, look to your left and you'll see the word at the top of the list Purchases.
Go there.

All the way to your right you'll see where the item has been marked shipped.

But keep this in mind, just because it's not marked shipped doesn't always mean that it hasn't been shipped. The seller might not even know to mark it shipped. We are all still learning, and learning at a different pace.

Besides, if you ship with a PayPal label that you printed out online, it automatically sends the information to the customer that a label was created, etc. They can pretty much assume the item is shipped, or will soon be shipped.

Keep Organized

One of the things I do to make sure I've done all I need to do in getting an item shipped, is keep a check list. Yep, I have a little blue index card that I have written things on...it's a check list so I won't forget things. It's taped right here on the front of my computer.

I included all the steps I need to remember:

Thank customer, inform when shipping
Pack item
Packing slip included
Extra goodies included (this is a personal choice)
Print out shipping label
Do book work (I keep info. on all transactions)
Arrange postal pick up online
Mark item shipped on Etsy
Refund excess shipping fees (if any)
Feedback, unless I'm waiting till later to leave it.
Take item off of other websites (I sell the same things on several websites, so if I sell something from one place I have to remember to take it off the other places so I can avoid double sales)

Even with all the things I've sold online over the years, I still keep this check list right here at my computer. It's so easy to overlook something. Or I might make a late night sale, or early morning sale before coffee, and I'm not exactly at my best. It's easy to forget something.
:-)

Keep Religion Out of Your Business

Trust me, this turns people off more than you know. I have read, read, read tons of times how people feel about religion mixed with business. They don't like it.

They don't like scriptures from the Bible quoted on listings.
This annoys them.
It doesn't instill trust or make a person seem more safe to do business with. It's as bad as mentioning your politics.
Never do that, either.

Keep religion and politics out of your listings if you want sales.

In fact, the few bad experiences I've had with transactions were people who quoted the Bible and had scriptures on their emails, etc. They were a nightmare to deal with.
I'm just sayin'...
It's no guarantee that the person will be a dream to work with. It's not how people think when they see this on listings.

I know people mean well, but keep your religion off of your listings, unless you don't mind missing sales. It will never increase your sales to have religious sayings and quotes from the Bible. But it most certainly can COST you some sales. The choice is yours.

The same goes with Biblical quotes on your business emails. People honestly don't appreciate it. Most people probably have a different belief anyway, and it'll serve to do nothing but insult or annoy them. Why take that chance?
Business should not mix with religion.

And this goes for including religious pamphlets in with the items you're shipping. Bad business. This really pisses off a lot of people. They don't want it. And they will probably never do business with you again.
Can you afford that?

And it goes without saying to leave it off the feedback you leave, too. Yeah, some people even put religious sayings on other people's feedback. It's bad business and will have the opposite effect of your intentions. It won't convert anyone, and it'll make you look like a 'bumper sticker Christian'.

Believe me, God won't take away any days of your everlasting life if you don't plaster religious thoughts all over your business transactions.

The few people who don't mind it will pale in comparison to those who don't appreciate it.
You will lose business.

Do any of you know MY religious preference? That's right, and it's because I don't include it in my business.

Are you here to sell or preach? You can't have both.

Don't Mention Illness or Your Handicap on Your Shop or Listings

I know this is a sensitive subject for many, but not for me. This is a heads up on something that really DOES turn off a lot of people.

I'm just being real here, and very honest. My objective in these installments is to HELP, and if that means talking about things that I KNOW will turn a lot of customers off, I will.
I want you to be successful.

Not once in all the years I've been shopping online have I ever felt compelled to spend my money where people talk about their illness or their handicap or hardship in their shop or listings, no matter where it is.
I'm not alone in this thought.

It's like trying to put people on a 'guilt trip' for NOT buying from them.

Some people use their hardship and handicap in hopes of better sales.
It doesn't work.

The rest of us never see it as it may be intended, even if innocently done.

It looks desperate, it looks cheap, it looks 'bottom of the barrel', it looks bad.
It never impresses people when they see someone use 'the cripple card'.
Seriously.

And trust me, many people who sell online are having hardships, are handicapped, and are ill, too. And they have the good taste to keep it to themselves.

Sharing it with new friends in a growing friendship in emails and all that is fine. But to broadcast it on your listings is just bad business.

Plus, keep in mind, there are MANY people out there who use this ploy and they are rip offs. They lie and pretend to be collecting for charity, or to help others, or because THEY need the money because of hardships, yet there they are on a computer, online, on cable, no less, and they're buying up a storm all over the internet.
I've seen it all, my friends.

And it pisses people off when they themselves say nothing about their own hardships, yet here's other people playing that 'card'.
It's an insult to everyone who had the good taste to not use it as a way of garnering sales.

Even if that's not your intention, it does come off that way.

A lot of you who are reading this right now are completely unaware that I myself am handicapped.
I am a double amputee of both legs from the knees down.
I've been this way all my life. 

There are four of us female amputees in my immediate family.
So it's no big deal to me. It's no big deal to ANY of us in my family. We have other problems to concentrate on, just like everyone else.

And, to make it even MORE of a challenge in my life, I'm temporarily in a wheelchair while healing a broken femur and learning to walk all over again. Ugh.

And you didn't see this anywhere in my shop. You don't see it in my listings. I don't use the 'cripple card' as a way of getting folks to hopefully buy from me.

I'm only mentioning it HERE because this is my blog...and it's not necessarily about my 'business'. I have a mixture of things in my blog.....personal and otherwise. But THIS is the place to mention things like that, not my business listings.

After all, I can talk about it here because there's a real woman behind thecattsuglybabies. I have pain and challenges and excitement and frustrations just like everyone else. And if I choose to talk about it, it'll be here or in my emails to friends. Or, you can call me and I'll talk to you till the cows come home.
:-)

I have never wanted people to feel sorry for me. It wasn't a big deal in my family, after all, there's four of us amputees in my family.

And it goes ten feet up my ass every time I see someone use 'the cripple card' in hopes of getting sales.

Look, we're all going through something, right? We have hardships, illnesses, lay offs. We hurt, ache, and many of us are going through our own personal hell. The economy sucks and many people are losing their homes and jobs.

As brought out in my first blog post, I'm going through a heartbreak right now. My boyfriend of five years broke up with me. It sucks. But I'm still working. I'm still going on with life. My life can't stop just because of HIM.

However....I wouldn't dream of putting all my troubles on my shop announcements, profile, or listings in hopes of better sales.
It wouldn't work.
And I'm not that desperate. I'm not 'that person'.
I'm normal, in my opinion, and I'm trying to make it out here like everyone else. We all have our hardships to bear.

And yeah, over 6 years ago I WAS desperate for sales on eBay. It was just around the time my husband of 20 years walked out on me and left me to fend for myself. I had no family here, no close friends, no transportation, and he left me holding the bag with all the bills.
It was bad, bad, bad.

I'm talking, house in foreclosure, bill collectors calling day and night, camper trailer was repossessed, utilities getting turned off, my husband had left me for another woman, he wouldn't speak to me or help me, and even my mother died and I had no way to the memorial service, which was over 500 miles away in Maryland.

It was horrible and my eBay sales had tanked. I wasn't making $20 a month. And I desperately needed some money. I was here alone with no family. Talk about a scary and terrifying experience.

I mentioned some of it in one of my listings and it got me NO WHERE. Not even with regular customers.
I was sincerely desperate, but it didn't come off as anything but a cheap shot at getting sales, no matter WHAT my intentions were.

So, I learned the hard way, and now I'm here to pass that along to you.

Just remember, no matter what your intentions may be, mentioning hardships, etc., does not increase sales. It turns people off and they will hit that back button FAST.
We can't afford to turn away a good sale, right?

More helpful tips to come soon!

Copyright © March 17, 2011 Catt Alexander

 

No portion of my Etsy Helpful Hints and Tips are to be copied in part or in it's entirety without my permission. These installments are the result of my own hard work, research, opinion, and experience.