In Conclusion

Well since I covered product and product presentation in yesterday's post, as well as customer service, I'll wrap up my Etsy-versary week topics with a few more quick things:

- You can't just "list and leave" - even after I list, I still change photos, description, tags, etc. Until I feel like it is the best I can do. Once, I added a flower to a vintage hat, re-took photos, re-listed the item, and sold it that very evening.

- Speaking of tags, try to use all of them.

- Your listing title is what shows up in Google searches - so don't make it something odd that only 2 people in the whole universe will be looking for on Google. If it is a pair of 1930's t-strap shoes, call it 1930s t-strap shoes, not Flapper Footware or something like that. Always think in terms of search engines and the Internet when listing.

-If you have 2 items in your shop you're going to get buried. After items are listed, other items listed after that pile up ahead of your item, and you might end up being on page 34,568. If you get buried, and you don't have new stuff to list, re-list your items and you go back to the front of the line for a while.

I try to list several new items a week; sometimes a few per day, depending on how sales are going and what new items I have. Or, I re-tag and re-list.

- Offer international shipping. My first sales were international. It is not hard to ship international at all. There is one little form to fill out; that's all.

- Make friends with your post person. Also make friends with the USPS website. I use it all the time for making shipping estimations both domestic and international.

- Stay away from personal topics on the Forums, especially religion and politics.

- Fill out your policies. This is really really important. I usually won't buy from a seller without policies; you don't know if they accept returns, when they ship, etc. etc.

- Pick a clickable avatar. Some Jewelry sellers use their product photo in hopes shoppers will see their cute item in an avi in the forums or wherever and click their shop.

- Create a cute banner.

- Fill out your profile. I love reading sellers profiles. It makes the on-line shopping experience more personal.

- But from other sellers! I do almost as much buying on Etsy as I do selling.

- Be visible. Use the Etsy supports. Use the forums. Have a Facebook fanpage. Tweet, if that is your thing. Make a blog. Talk about your Etsy shop.

It doesn't happen by itself. YOU have to make it happen.