Friday’s Fast Five: Holiday Prep I

Sep 30th, 2011 | Fast Five

Winter strikes early for purveyors of handmade holiday gifts. It may seem premature to start preparing for the winter season with Halloween a month away – but Etsy sellers are already kicking it into gear. These tips will help you prepare for the upcoming months of heavy holiday traffic. Stay tuned for additional holiday preparation ...

Etsy Search Ads: The Missing FAQ

Sep 27th, 2011 | Etsy Tips

Last week’s debut of Etsy Search Ads left many sellers with questions and concerns. Etsy admins have gone to great lengths to answer questions in the Etsy forums, blog posts and interviews – but the results are scattered and difficult to find. I’ve gathered many common questions about Etsy Search Ads in this unofficial FAQ. ...

Etsy Admin on Search Ads

Sep 23rd, 2011 | Etsy Tips

On Wednesday, Etsy unveiled Etsy Search Ads, a new promotional tool for Etsy sellers. Sellers can purchase ads for their entire shop, or specific sections and items in their shop, based on automatically detected keywords. With the Search Ads forum thread overflowing at over 100 pages, there are plenty of concerns to be addressed. To answer ...

Wedding Woes: Shoulda Put a Tag On It

Sep 21st, 2011 | Etsy Tips, Wedding

Summer is wedding season and the sales frolic like newlyweds in a field of poppies, but many sellers feel left at the altar by the time fall rolls around. If your sales eloped with another shop this year, it may be time to rethink your wedding strategy. Targeting summer wedding sales makes good business sense – ...

Handmade Anniversary Gifts

Sep 20th, 2011 | Etsy Spotlight

Handmade gifts are perfect for anniversaries – they’re one of a kind and special, just like the love of your life. Making your own handmade gift is a wonderful option, but buying a personalized gift from a handmade seller can also provide that unique touch. The first few anniversaries are very special – when the ...

Etsy Spotlight: Wedding Wonderland

Sep 19th, 2011 | Etsy Spotlight, Wedding

Weddings are the perfect time to show off your sense of style and your love of handmade. Etsy even has a blog dedicated to Handmade Weddings. Whether you want to go all out and have a themed wedding, or just want to pick one or two custom items to make your day perfect, you’ll find ...

Friday’s Fast Five: Etsy Apps

Sep 16th, 2011 | Fast Five

Etsy has been working to provide sellers with tools, but they’ve also opened up their data for Etsy Apps to fill in the gaps. These seller tools can provide insights, alerts and analysis of your shop. The CraftCult Treasury Widget will embed a treasury box on your website or blog. Enter an Etsy username and choose ...

Advertising, Simplified

Sep 15th, 2011 | Etsy Tips

Advertising doesn’t have to be hard. The advertising guru over at Flytrap has a five-step plan to make advertising accessible to mere mortals. If you’re struggling to make advertising work for you, read on as she unloads years of marketing experience in one digestible guide. Let’s get one thing straight – I don’t...

Your Giveaway is Illegal

Sep 13th, 2011 | Editorial

Last week’s article on giveaways struck a chord by pointing out that nearly all giveaways hosted on Facebook are violating the Facebook Promotions Guidelines. The more depressing news is that even those giveaways run outside of Facebook are probably illegal. Legal definitions Why is it so hard to give products away without breaking laws?...

Friday’s Fast Five: Pricing

Sep 9th, 2011 | Fast Five

Your items are made, photos are taken and you’re ready to list your wares on Etsy. Now comes the challenge of pricing your goods. The pressure to stay competitive and the desire for your first sale will likely play a part in your initial pricing strategy. However, in order to get what you truly deserve ...