The Art of Selling Online - Hosted by Storenvy

Last Thursday Adam Hendle and the awesome folks at Storenvy hosted a workshop to give online sellers, like us, more information and advice about.. well.. selling online!

It was an open event (with a $5 donation to the San Francisco Homeless Children's Network, who are based in the same building as Storenvy) and quite a few members of our SF Etsy team decided to check it out.


Since the Storenvy offices are the the Mission and no trip to the Mission is complete without eating Mexican food, a few SF Etsy members also met up beforehand for a sneaky burrito, before the workshop started at 7pm.


11 of our team members showed up for the presentation and it was great to meet a few more team members and put faces to Etsy shops and Twitter accounts! They were:
Eko from Eko Wright, Even Howard from nadene, Lisa from Tickle and Smash, Katy from Katy Atchison, Kathryn Hedges from Splendid Colors, Rochelle Foles from Haute Melange, Conor from San Francisco Terrain, Veronika from Recherche, Brandi and Briana from Urban Bazaar and me, Claire from Embergrass. Told you there were quite a few of us!

So what did we learn?
Well, the presentation was a very comprehensive look at all aspects of selling online and it was crammed full of information so there's no way I'm even going to attempt to cover it all here. I will leave you with some of the highlights, though, and a few quotes from some of our team members, taken from our recent tweetchats.

• Be self-aware, find a niche, be passionate about it.
• Recognize that not everyone is your target customer and find those people who are.
• Set realistic, achievable and measurable goals.
• Tell your story and carry your brand through in everything you do.
• Make sure your product descriptions include all the information the customer needs - they can't see or touch your product over the internet

"Pack good keywords into the first section-easy to do this if you start with the story + it shows the handmade nature better" - Jen (Acts of Craftiness)

• Take great photos of your products.

"Good light! One of the most important aspects of taking photos" - Claire Smith (Embergrass)

• Include more information on how your product is made, behind-the-scenes photos and lifestyle or 'lookbook' photos on your blog.
• Try to show scale in your photos, definitely make sure your photos aren't misleading.

"I made the mistake of using size ambiguous props.. people thought my handbags were change purses" - Lisa Spinella (Tickle and Smash)

• Always provide outstanding customer service and be a real person.
• Interact on social media like twitter, facebook and pinterest.

"I try to pretend my customer is standing there in front of me..what would I say, do to remedy the situation. BE Real" - Sarah Mones Friedman (birdbags)

• Admit to mistakes and apologize then try to fix them
• Packaging is the first impression your customer gets of you - make it good and consistent with your branding

"there is always a tough balance between presentation, perception and being eco-friendly" - Kathleen McMahon 

• Customer service doesn't end when you ship your product - follow up to see if they have feedback.

A lot of great resources were also thrown up during the workshop, you can find them over on the Storenvy blog on their recap of the event. If you wished you'd been there, don't worry, Adam will be doing the presentation again sometime, keep an eye on the Storenvy blog to find out when.

Upcoming Event

If you have a burning desire (or just a desperate need) to find out more about how to use Google Analytics, your wish has just been answered.

Google Analytics Workshop
September 18th
6pm - 8pm
Hosted by Storenvy, in conjunction with the SF Etsy Team

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Katy or Steph about joining SFEtsy!

Tips From The SF Etsy South Bay Meet Up

Last week, some of us South Bay SF Etsians got together at Specialty's cafe in Sunnyvale to talk about crafting and all things Etsy. It's always lots of fun to hang out with fellow creative folks! I was delighted to see so many familiar faces and to meet new friends. Our gathering was very casual: we each took a turn sharing something about ourselves and/or our shops, and the conversation included many helpful tips, some of which I'd like to share today.

It turned out that both myself and fellow team leader Géraldine had taken advantage of the shop critiques generously offered recently by Tina of Better off Wed. We talked at length about the vital importance of tagging appropriately -- as you probably know, now that Etsy's default search is most relevant, it is even more important than before to match your tags, titles, and keywords in your descriptions. Géraldine shared a really nifty way to think about keywords, including a diagram! (I love visual thinkers!)

When I asked if we could share it on the team blog, she was even kind enough to make a clearer copy for me to post. Thanks a bunch, Géraldine! (For legibility, I kept the file bigger than our blog format, so click on the pic for the full image.)

Talking about keywords led to talking about Etsy's Merchandising Desk -- did you know that you can increase your chances of showing up in a treasury by using relevant keywords that match the selections made by the Etsy Merchandising Desk? Each month,  Etsy announces themes, and you can check them out here. If you're looking for ideas about keywords and how to tag your items, you should check out the Merchandising Desk articles at the Etsy blog.

Part of the fun in every meet up is seeing what people are working on lately. It's like grown up show and tell!

From top to bottom: recycled sari silk yarn from Amber Threads, Art Prints from Devika's Art, and succulent pot from Live Decor.

We were especially impressed by the custom display box made by Kathryn of Splendid Colors. 

 

It had the sweetest little insert boxes to keep everything organized -- and a row of hanging holes for earrings! (All beautifully decorated and laser cut at TechShop San Jose.) After we oohed and aaahed, Kathryn said she's considering doing custom work for anybody who is looking to upgrade their organization or display booths. Nifty!

We discussed many other topics of interest, more than can be shared in a single post. But here are two more takeaway tips from the meeting:

• Have you heard about FotoFuze?  If you're taking pics on a white background but have greyed out results, you might want to check it out. This free app brightens up your photos in a few easy steps.
• Did you see the link that Heather so kindly posted about the Small Business Week workshops in San Francisco? There was some interest in carpooling from the South Bay, so let us know if you might want to be in on that.

We are working on setting up some evening/weekend South Bay gatherings over the summer, because we know that the daytime weekday meetings don't work for everyone. We will have our next South Bay meet up on May 24th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Look for details at the team Google group!

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Katy or Steph about joining SFEtsy!

Savvy Entrepreneur: You Can Judge A Gift By Its Box

We’re officially in December, which means the holiday shopping season is in full swing. Many of you have already had Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales and the holiday show season officially starts this weekend. I seem to be getting a new invite everyday.

Many people will be seeing your products for the first time in the coming weeks, both online and in real life. They are shopping for someone they care about and have most likely chosen to shop handmade because they understand the care that goes into each piece, not to mention it feels good to support artisans.

Make sure that your care and attention to detail carries through to your packaging. Nothing is more disappointing than buying a beautiful pair of handmade earrings or a painstakingly crocheted hat only to walk away with it in a simple paper bag or receive it in a beat up padded mailer.

This is your chance to make it the truly amazing and special gift that it is. Take the time to wrap it in tissue paper that matches your shop colors. Seal the paper with a logo sticker or even a simple circle of accenting color. Use the right size box that is sturdy enough to not get banged up or crushed. Make the box unique by putting a stamp, bow, or even a personalized gift tag on the outside. Include two business cards, one with the receipt for the gift giver and one inside the box for the receiver.

During a show this can seem like a lot of work with someone standing and waiting for you and others quickly lining up to ask questions or make a purchase. But trust me when I say that if they can see the care you’re putting in, they’ll wait.

If you do most of your sales online include at least one shot of what your packaging looks like. It may be that one detail that makes someone choose you over a competitor. I know I’ve been swayed by thoughtful packaging.

Receiving and opening that box should be as much a treat as what is inside. It’s a sure way to make everyone feel special and for you to be remembered.

If your product or shop style doesn’t really work with a traditional gift box don’t be afraid to be creative with your packaging, just keep in mind that you are selling an experience. From beginning to end the experience should fit. The way you present your product, interact with your customers, and package the sale should be as special and memorable as the product itself.

I’d love to hear some of the unique details you already include in your packaging.

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I encourage comments directly to this post, but also feel free to email me directly with questions, reactions, struggles, etc. genevieve [at] lightboxsf [dot] com

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!

Etsy Classes at TechShop SF!

Exciting news! TechShop SF has an upcoming workshop that is spot-on for Etsy folks. Read on for more info!

SF Etsy's own Tina of Better Off Wed is teaching Build a Killer Etsy Shop - A Step by Step Recipe on November 5th.

This course will give your handmade biz the rocket fuel you need to have constant sales on Etsy. This ain’t no touchy-feely lecture -this is about a tried and true strategy that will turn your crafty inclinations into a steady stream of cash. We won’t be talking about legal structures or book-keeping. Instead we’ll take a deep dive into the core of your business idea--identifying your customer, how to get found by customers, and winning sales. We’ll also take a magnifying glass to your product idea--including pricing, profitability potential and how to launch a full shop with almost no capital.

The recipe for success on Etsy is about accurately identifying market opportunity and executing an intelligent product strategy--I’ll show you how!

Teacher Bio: Tina Albin-Lax is a maker and serial entrepreneur with a love for strategy and teaching lean business methods. After some serious failures on Etsy, she launched a shop that made over 200 sales in less then 5 months. She makes 3K a month--almost all of it profit--and has to work on her business only one day per week. She’s distilled all of her experience into a precise step-by-step recipe that she’s thrilled to teach other Etsy entrepreneurs.

Can't make it November 5th? There's another session on November 12th! More info here.

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!

The Art of Selling with Sharon Zimmerman

I'm delighted to share an announcement from an SF Etsy teammate, the very talented Sharon Zimmerman -- who will be teaching a class called The Art of Selling! Read on for more info!
Just in time for the holidays -- a class that teaches you how to capitalize on each and every sale! I would love to see a diverse group of artists for this seminar, so sign up soon!

We all put time into honing our artistic skills and our craftsmanship, so wouldn't it be great if we could apply this same dedication to selling our work? Wouldn't you like to have a spectacular holiday season of selling your art?

Come to this interactive workshop to learn techniques for selling your art work in person. More than just a lecture, we'll spend time practicing how to work with customers and learning how to treat every person who approaches you as a potential client. We'll go over a few techniques for dealing with the difficult ones too!

This is a great opportunity for anyone who plans on doing holiday art fairs, trunk shows or craft bazaars. The seminar will break down how to talk to customers, how to answer their questions before they ask, how to easily and clearly communicate what you do, your best practices when dealing with the public, and when to throw out all the rules and improvise.

Sharon Zimmerman brings more than 12 years of experience in retail and customer service to the table. She has sold furniture, vintage jewelry, baked goods, kitchen wares, organic vegetables, yoga (yes, really) and jewelry-not just her own, but other designers as well -- to people young and old, rich and poor.

Sharon will give you great tips on how to turn potential sales into actual sales and how to build customer relationships for the long term. No materials are necessary for this class, but bring a pen and paper, and examples of your work (photographs are fine too!) to share with the class.This class is open to artists of all stripes and anyone who sells art for a living. Join us for a fun afternoon!

$65
Sunday, November 13
1-4pm
Scintillant Studio
Class is limited to 12 people, so sign up soon!
Email Aimee Golant (info@aimeegolant.com) for your workshop
registration form to reserve your spot.

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!

Social Media With Etsy -- All Week Long!

Happy Monday, everybody! Did you know it's Social Media Week over at Etsy?

We all have heard about how helpful it can be to use social media to help promote our Etsy shops -- our own Savvy Entrepreneur has had lots of great things to say about it! -- but if you're anything like me, you can always use some more insight into this area.

Every day this week, Etsy will offer all sorts of social media tips and tricks for everybody from newbies to experts. They will also be giving highlights from the Seller's Handbook, and livestream workshops and chats.

All this will lead up to Thursday's exciting event: comedian Eugene Mirman, Twitter's Elizabeth Weil, Amy Turn Sharp of Little Alouette, Etsy's own Laura Chin, and Jen Rubio from Warby Parker come together for Almost Internet Famous.

Intrigued? Excited? I know I am! Be sure to check out the full schedule for all the details and sign up for the livestreams to participate.

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!

Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp - Another Way to Pump Up Your Brand

I drew this in honor of the "Holiday Boot Camp Pledge"

As we all know, the busy Holiday Season is just around the corner. September went with the blink of an eye and craft stores are already putting up their pine wreathes & golden ribbons.

Being owners of our micro-businesses, we are often pushed into the roles that big-box businesses might have several (hundred) people filling. Store managers, sales associates, stock people & marketing teams are all encompassed in each one of us. Although we are expected to wear these many hats, we may not all know how to wear them well just yet.

That's where DanielleXO comes in.

DanielleXO is the Etsy admin in charge of helping Etsy Sellers find the resources they need to become successful in a virtual handmade marketplace. Having taken a survey about the Etsy Success mailing list earlier this year, we were asked how we felt about being given tasks to designed to help us reach our business and sales goals in the year to come. A moderate portion of the Seller population welcomed this idea & patiently awaited the start of a "boot camp" email for months.

The first email finally arrived on Thursday, 23rd September, 2010 (click here to see it in HTML format). Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp is a task-driven regime in which you, the Seller, can pump up your shop into tip-top shape, just in time for this Holiday Season's rush of shoppers.

Some of us may be new to the role and some of us are Holiday Season veterans, but all of us could use help with sales. What better way than to utilize our networking skills to promote ourselves & each other in order to generate yet another venue for free advertising of our brands?!

With a community that's becoming ever-aware of the need to buy handmade & support local business, how can we pass up the opportunity to learn how to reach the masses? With exercises on branding, Google Analytics, merchandising & more, the Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp hails to be one of the best places to be these upcoming weeks.

One of the first items of business is to pick a Mascot for the Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp Team. Check out the treasury they put together.

'Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp Mascots' by daniellexo

Who should be the Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp Mascot? Let me know in the comments below!Keep your eyes on Etsy's blog for more information about the Holiday Boot Camp on Thursday!

Roman Warrior Hat G... AlyInBloom $	Birds in Helmets n0... poordogfarm $10.00	Camouflage Cutie Do... ProperPuppy $14.99
Camouflage Monkey homehooked $20.00	French Bulldog Camo... TheFabFrenchie $	Punkin tu2couture $50.00
Army Boy 2 piece ha... DownUnderDogDe... $50.00	Cat Art Fine Art AC... TaraFlyPhotos $5.00	Dog Sweater Small B... aandboriginals... $25.00
Lou the brown monst... MonstersEtc $35.00	Camouflage Print Do... dogties $8.00	Alfreda -Woodlands ... JanisCarletonA... $16.00
Norwegian Viking Ca... Olsentrademark... $15.00	Woodland Warrior - ... BeaumontStudio $11.00	Boot Camp Bandana rocstardogbout... $14.95

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

Another awesome inclusion to the Boot Camp is having weekly forum threads set up to help everyone help each other with sharing tips & tricks, links & success stories. You can check of those out here. There's even a Facebook Page from which you can take the Holiday Boot Camp Pledge!

For more info on how YOU can join the Etsy Success Holiday Boot Camp & pump up your brand, check out the article in the Storque.

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Steph Cortés from nerd JERK is the Roving Reporter, one of the newest members of the SF Etsy Blog Team. She enjoys going out to new crafting events and supporting the handmade movement. Look forward to more reports on her artsy shenanigans in weeks to come. Feel free to email her comments & tips on shows anytime.

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!