Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Your Handmade Business and Etsy

***This post contains affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy here***

The world has changed so much with technology and the internet compared to when I was a kid (my children cannot believe there was no such thing as internet then!) I remember travelling to craft shows with my mom and that was how you sold your handmade creations back then. Nowadays there are many selling platforms available online for those who want to sell their craft and Etsy is definatley at the forefront. For those of you who haven't explored this amazing marketplace,  Etsy was launched in 2005 as an ecommerce site for handmade and vintage items as well as supplies. While it has changed and grown over the years I personally still find it extremely user friendly and economical to list on. There are tons of great resources out there for those looking to start or grow their own Etsy shop.

 In my recent post Looking Ahead in 2019 I mentioned that I wanted to refocus on my products in my Etsy shop. While great products, appealing pictures and good use of tags (words that people use to find your items) are essential I have found that adding more products translates to more sales. Makes sense right? In previous years I have had as many as almost 200 items listed and if I'm really serious about focusing on continued growth for Kawartha Beads (which I am!) then I would like to get back to that number. While this tactic may not prove true for everyone or even attainable, it is something that I KNOW works for me. Additionally, in the early days of Kawartha Beads I wrote a series of posts Etsy Shop Blog Series and I went back and reread those articles and most of that information still holds true today plus it made me take a look at my shop through beginner eyes again vs. those of someone who has been selling there for almost a decade.

I mean seriously when was the last time I went through and reviewed what tags were on my products? Do my products have more than one picture? I changed how I present my products several years ago and as I went through my listings I noticed that many of them do not have a picture of the new cards I put my products on. Something to add to the to-do list. Watch for my Etsy shop check-in in the weeks to come!

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