Tag.... You're It!

Finally got to revamp my Etsy store's listing tags. Things to Make you Squeal with Delight is updated with all of the hottest trend tags.

Update on the views for my Knit Earring Holder titled "Becca's Chocolate Raspberry" : I went from being at 38 views for a long time to 41 since my last blog post. With the renovated tags, things should pick up!

Putting it all into Action!

Today, I'm putting what I have been learning into action and have changed one of the Listing Titles in my store from the less commonly searched phrase "earring display" to "earring holder". My Knit Earring Holder currently has 38 views for the month that it has been listed (I am guessing I take up about 5 of those views, too!). Let us see if things change!

Tagging Your Etsy Items

     Tagging is a way to supply the Etsy Search Engine with the words that will lead people to your products. They are important! But you have a very limited amount to use for each listing. Today I am blogging about a blog that was about a discussion thread. lol I love it!

     The name of the blog post is Community Advice: Tagging Woes. It was written by Etsian daniellexo. It, too, points people towards Craftopolis. "Craftopolis will tell you exactly which of your tags brought in the views," says Etsy username AndersonBraid. So I'm glad to hear someone else suggest that, it just cements it in my mind as a useful tool to learn. (Something I still need to do.)

     Another tool mentioned in this blog article is Google AdWords. This VERY useful video for Etsy sellers talks about using AdWords as well as some other extremely helpful tips about Search Engine Optimization. It talks about everything I've blogged about so far, actually! Hey, I don't know about you, but repetition helps me learn. :)

Search Engine Optimization

Today, I am learning about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Etsy does all that for you (ie you can't mess with the HTML to help yourself out), but today I am acting as SEO Adviser for my husband who is a web developer.  He knows how to make a website, and I am learning how to make sure that website gets in the top 10 when certain terms are googled. It can be a very time consuming task! As I said, this isn't very relevant to Etsy sellers. BUT I have learned a couple things I've learned so far that are helpful:

1. When you title a new item for sale: keep it simple. Call it what it is. For example, don't list a set of earrings called "Dainty Glitter Fairy Wings." That will not be put into the "relevant" category if someone searches for earrings. Call them "Earrings: Fairy Wings" or something short. Think about the terms people will use to search for your item.
2. How do the search engines do what they do?! When a term is searched on Google (or any other search engine), it determines if a site is relevant to your search by checking out the following:

• It first looks for pages containing your exact phrase first. Having the exact phrase in your Title is important.
• Then it looks for pages that have those words close together but not necessarily even in the same sentence.
• It also looks for synonyms of the words your searched for.
• Then it looks at pages that have those words scattered around the page.

So: The content you provide for your item description should contain keywords (words people may use to search for your item) as well!

Etsy Mini

Like the little Etsy store preview widget off to the right of my page there? It is called Etsy Mini and it was not hard to install! Here's how to do it yourself:


Step 1: You've got to have an Etsy account, but you don't have to have a store. A quote from the Etsy Mini page that I'm about to lead you to: "It can show items from your shop (for shop owners) or items from your favorites (for everyone)."


Step 2: Make sure you're signed in and then go to Your Account in the top right of the page.


Step 3: In the list of options on the right of the screen, scroll down to the Promote section and click on Etsy Mini.


Step 4: Follow the simple step by step instructions on your screen! Here are the options I chose:

1. Items from my shop.
2. Thumbnail (75px square).
3. 2 columns + 3 rows.

Step 5: You will then need to copy the code given at the bottom of that screen. I chose to use the JavaScript code.

Step 6: Where to paste? Since there are lots of places you may want to share your Etsy Mini, I can't cover them all. What I had to do for Blogger.com, though, is the following:

1. When signed into your Blogger.com account, click on Design to edit your blog.
2. Depending on the layout you have chosen, the link to Add a Gadget should be in multiple places on this page. Choose the place you want to add your Etsy Mini (I think the sidebar is a classy choice) and click on Add a Gadget.
3. There will be a popup screen that opens. In the Basics section of this new screen scroll down to HTML/JavaScript and add it.
4. Next popup screen: You can add a title like I did (Things to Make you Squeal with Delight is my Etsy store name). Then paste the code into the Content section.

Wa-la! You have Etsy Mini!

To Bring You Up to Speed...

December 2010: "Here's a thought: I have no job so can finally dedicate time to sell my crafts on Etsy!"

January 2011: "Hey, Becca! Let's work together and make some things to sell on Etsy!" -Heather "Okay, Heather! Let's do it!" -Becca

February 4th: My Etsy shop called Things to Make you Squeal with Delight was created, but I had no products to list yet.

March 10th: The first products (Knit Earring Displays) were put up for sale!

As of today:

• Number of Knit Earring Displays listed for sale: 6.
• Number of sales: 0.
• Shop Hearts: 5 (most of them friends tho).
• Highest amount of views on an item: 87.
• Lowest amount of views on an item: 23.
• Level of ambivalence: 100%.

I just so happened to be exploring Etsy and I stumbled into an online information chat session for beginners. Score! Here is the list of things I need to do to help my store which I gleaned from that session:

Read:

• The Etsy Seller Handbook: All Our How-To's About Selling
• Etsy Success for Beginner Sellers
• Etsy's Guide to Custom Work

Learn About Shipping:

• Seller How-to: Shipping
• Research on USPS

Get Involved in the Etsy Community:

• Teams
• Treasury Lists

Learn about Search Engine Optimization:

• Read SEO for Dummies
• Learn what is being searched for using Google Adwords Keywords Tool.
• Learn about Google Alerts.
• Try out Craftopolis.
•  See if people are talking about me at Social Mention.

And last but not least: LEARN ABOUT BLOGGING!

• Read: Etsy's Guide to Blogging.
• Join: Etsy's Blog Team.
• Get the Pocket Shop for my blog.
• Maybe read this book: 52 Weeks of Blogging.
• An example of an Etsy blog.