Customizing the new Etsy forums and teams

Etsy community spaces have issues

Okay, you have found your team or forum. What else do you need to know?

I wish the answer was simple but it is not. Let us start with some basics.

You must log into teams and forums more often than in the past. If things stop working, look at the top right corner and make sure you are logged in.

Bear in mind that many features are not working as intended. Things have been really buggy.

Some things have been working.

Play around with your personal settings

Changing your settings

"To update your notification settings, click your avatar in the top right corner of the Etsy community and select My settings from the dropdown menu. From there, you can go into the Personal and Preferences tabs..."

Look at all of the settings

There are lots of things to adjust. Even if you have no idea what you want, look the choices over. Really, there is a lot of customization available.

Nested comments are not working

Adjust your linear layout to "threaded"

Ah, but they probably could. Nesting comments default to appear in date order, oldest first, whether they nest or not. Newest posts are at the bottom.

If you want your responses to nest properly, it is a matter of changing a personal setting. See the screen shot for resetting your linear layout. Mine was set at "oldest." It works better set for "threaded."

Push the tiny double arrow to get to the latest page in a thread.

Change a team setting for a better experience

The first thing I suggest for most team users is under "options" (just above the team announcement box). Select "mark all as read." That will make all of the bold titles go back to regular type. Thread titles will then become bold when someone comments on them.

It is all about the bell

How do I view "my threads"?

In the old days, we had "my threads." Sometimes there would be a little number there.

Well, "notifications" is that and more. First, click the bell and you will see all of the action on threads you are interested in.

Additionally, we can tag people so they get a notification.

Tagging? Yes, in order to get someone's attention when referring to their post (either on teams or in the forums) you must @[screen name] them. They get a notification (if they are signed up for notifications of course).

It is a bit exhausting to learn about all at once, but the feature is nice.

How do I unsubscribe from notifications?

Update notification settings

Although notifications are cool, sometimes they can be too much of a good thing.

"To update your notification settings, click your avatar in the top right corner of the Etsy community and select My settings from the dropdown menu. From there, you can go into the [Subscriptions and Notifications area] to subscribe or unsubscribe to emails and notifications for a variety of topics."

Thanks for coming along and checking out some of the new features. 

Etsy forums and teams will be temporarily read-only

Etsy newsbreak:

Teams and forums will be essentially offline for nearly 2 weeks... Starting in one week, Etsy will begin their "improvements ... to Etsy's community spaces."

“...we’ll be entering a brief read-only period in Teams and Forums spaces from January 10-22. During that time you’ll be able to view community content, but unable to post comments or start new discussion threads.“

“Starting January 22, members will have access to improved tools and features in the Teams and Forums spaces... We appreciate your patience while we finalize these improvements."

Admin officially announced the team migration here. 

Since making it official, they have amended the above announcement twice. The first adjustment was to state the "The only exception [to the full shutdown of the forums and teams] will be the Bugs forum, which will remain open for both reading and posting new threads and comments.

A day later, they added:

**More about the read-only period: In addition to putting the finishing touches on new tools and features, the January 10-22 read-only period allows for the extensive migration of existing Teams and Forums content—including over 10,000 Etsy Teams and millions of discussion posts—into our updated community spaces. Our aim during this period is to ensure a seamless transition that will make it easier for you to connect with other sellers, grow your creative business, and keep up with the latest Etsy news.**

Information for team captains and leaders here.

Etsy has provided some clues about how the new team spaces will be

1. They will run on Lithium. Lithium is the operating system used by PayPal's forums. So take a peek at how it may work. It seems like a less pictorial, less warm and fuzzy place for sure.

2. Previously deleted threads will no longer be accessible, and any deleted threads in the future will not be saved.

3. Forums threads without a comment in the past three years will not be available in the refreshed community space. If you have older Forums threads saved, you’ll want to jot down any pertinent tips or resources prior to the read-only period.

4. Improved tools for Team Captains and Leaders make it simple to quickly communicate with all members, including a streamlined group messaging feature and a customizable announcements section on each team's home page.

5. If you have set up a question for new members to answer, their answers will not be saved and teh question will not appear to future people trying to join.

6. There will still be the option to make your group open (anyone can join) or closed (members must request and be approved to join), but there will no longer be an option to hide your team completely and make it invite-only.

7. There will no longer be an option to download a CSV file of your team's members.

What about promotion? Etsy has said nothing. The indications I am receiving are that the new spaces are not designed for it.

What is is store for forums?

1. "We’re increasing the overall number of sections available in the Forums, and adding intuitive labels to surface the answers you need quickly." Included is a "new shop critique section provides an easy way to share and request feedback."

2. "... enhanced comment functionality lets you @mention and “like” other members’ posts. After posting a new thread, you’ll be able to select an accepted solution that indicates when another member’s reply addresses your question effectively." You will have "the ability to like and tag other members within threads..."

3. "...search simultaneously across existing Forums and Teams threads to see what questions have already been answered by the community. You can even follow threads or saved searches that you want to pay close attention to."

4. There will be "an increased character limit and text formatting tools including bullets, numbers, and emphasis options like bold and italics."


Will it be better? I have not seen it so I cannot say.

We will find out soon!

Etsy Plus features: restock request setup & use

Etsy Plus is now available to sellers

Have you tried out Etsy Plus yet?

I have... I cannot say that it is worth $20/month for me. The discounted subscription fee of $10/ month until the end of 2017 is reasonable... With a cost to my shop of $2/month with the credits, it is worth a try.

The banner features are of questionable value. But hey, why not try them out, right?

I already purchased my domain name (for this blog in fact). So I am not in need of that feature.

Restock request

I am most interested in the restock request. According to Etsy's promotional information, "When an item sells out, shoppers can sign up to be automatically alerted when it’s back in stock. See which sold out listings are most popular so you can plan your inventory."

So a potential customer can find out when I restock something they are interested in? Sounds interesting.

To see how it should work, go to my sold items and select an item. There is an orange button to "Let me know when it's back". "We'll send you an email when this item is back in stock."

Restock request as seen on the item sold page

Restock request setup

First let us set it up. It is easy using the bulk editing tool. In your Shop Manager, go to your "listings" page. Click the "select all" button in the top left corner. (Click a second time to select everything in your shop if you like.)

The "Editing Options" box un-grays and you can select from some options that drop down. One is "Edit restock request option for listing." Select "yes" and "apply." Voila, done!

(You will want to do this for your sold items as well.)

Setting up the restock request in your sold items using Etsy's bulk editor

Using restock request

Now comes the coolness. Go back to your Shop Manager, listings page. 

On each listing you will now see a little counter for each listing (Restock requests: 0). The best part? You can filter the listings in order of restock requests: high to low.

You can look to see which items to source because shoppers have indicated an interest.

It is simple to view how many items have restock requests

Important note

For the restock notice to go out, you will need to renew the sold listing rather than make a new listing.

Follow up

My shop has yet to receive a real restock request. Sellers have this trial period from now until the end of the year.  That will be enough to tell me if this feature is alone worth the price.

It is possible that like some other features, Etsy Plus is better suited to handmade shops. Time will tell... I will let you know here!

(Here is Etsy's tutorial on how to use the Restocking feature.)

Will you try the new Etsy Plus tiered seller package?

If you use Promoted Listings, this package may be worth a try 

Most know about Etsy's fee increase. Along with that, they are rolling out new tiered packages.

First, if you are happy with how your shop is now, you do not need to do anything... everything is the same, except there will be a 1.5% increase in the sold item fee (up from 3.5% to 5%).

Folded into this announcement are details about new seller packages. One in particular may be of interest. The details from Etsy's information:

Etsy Plus (coming in July)

New ways to customize your shop

Sellers will be able to customize special options for their shop's look with new banner templates and featured listing options.

Tell shoppers your items are back in stock

When shoppers are interested in sold out items, Etsy Plus subscribers will be able to email them when the item is back in stock. Sellers can find out which listings are most popular. Could this be helpful in planning your vintage buying?

Send customers to your own web address

Save 50% on a custom .com address or get a .store address for free for a year. Some sellers may find this helpful.

**Bonus listing and advertising credits**

Get 15 listing credits and $5 in credit to advertise your items in Etsy search with Promoted Listings each month.

Discounts on custom packaging and promotional materials*

Enrolled sellers receive a special discount on custom shipping boxes, business cards, and other marketing materials from Etsy's partners.

If you use Promoted Listings

Etsy sellers who advertise may have even more of a reason to try out the "Etsy Plus" tiered upgrade at low cost; it is the "bonus listing and advertising credits."


The breakdown:

15 listing credits per month x 20 cents each = $3

$5 in credit to advertise your items (I spend over $30/month) = $5

That means that for the $10/month you pay for Etsy Plus at the introductory rate, it will cost only $2/month to try out.

You can find out if anything else in the package works for your and boosts sales. You can always opt out before the fee goes to $20 a month.

Read here for how to set up the restock request feature of Etsy Plus. Here is a deeper explanation of the new features from Etsy's CEO.

I hope this was helpful... Thanks for joining me for this quick tip about Etsy's latest announcement!

On machine learning and other Etsy search changes...

Hold on tight... Etsy is a sea of changes

Sometimes it feels like there is a sea of change at Etsy. I know that I felt that way earlier this year. Since then, there have been further transformations afoot.

For one thing, Etsy stated that they are doing even more testing than in the past. They use the term "experiment velocity."

Etsy has not announced these changes per se. But they are happening.

Etsy has added many new search features:

• Item attributes can now be searched in some cases. (Make sure yours are all filled out.)

• New filters are available (items on sale, free shipping, some attributes on the left side).

• Badges may appear for things like "best seller" and what they call a "scarcity".

• Guided search, which are orange-toned buttons that appear at the top of some broad searches.

Some changes to Etsy search

• Shop feedback (star ratings) now display in search results.

• Similar items buttons are under search results (only show up if your cursor is over that item).

Artificial intelligence & search

Etsy has begun to use machine learning technology ("artificial intelligence"). That is why Etsy purchased the company Blackbird Technologies last year.

What is Etsy's algorithm?

The goal is to determine the intent of a buyer when making a search. (Here is more about the related "Context Specific Search Ranking.")

In the past, search results were returned to shoppers that best matched their exact phrases in tags and titles. And the best "quality scores." 

Items used to be shown one per page per shop as per the "fairness" part of the old algorithm.... but that has changed...

Some things have been removed

Gone is the "shop diversity" element. There is no longer a limit of one item per shop per page of search results. "Clumping" is now the norm. This is a big change for some shops.

Also gone is the opportunity to test search to see how your items place. Why? As mentioned above, your search results are becoming contextualized and personalized. Results are different for each buyer. 

As artificial intelligence is self-learning, the personalization is still developing. It is learning to make connections between the terms that searchers use and what their real intent is. (For example, when someone types in a word, what is it that they eventually buy?) Etsy stated that factors include search history, user data and "as a first step" sales data. It is far from perfect, but you can expect it to get better with time.

Any improvement in Etsy search is good news, right?

What is next at Etsy?

We do not know. And there is no recommendation to make any major changes to titles or tags. As always, use a variety of long-tail keywords. Use accurate titles and tags. Those are the best ways to capture different queries that buyers might make. And ultimately sell your items.

(And, of course, offer cool stuff.)

Etsy is working on more interesting ("revolutionary") discovery tools... So plan on more changes!

Etsy now announcing some tests

A step forward in transparency

Oh no, another test... Have you ever complained about it? I know I have. It can be hard to navigate a site that constantly changes. It is especially difficult for those of use at a certain (ahem) age...

Etsy is now announcing some tests! That is happy news. Transparency is good.

Here is the page where you can find out what is going on. (You may wish to bookmark it.) Not all tests will be announced this way.

After all of the complaints by sellers I think that this is an improvement. If we see something unusual, there is an official place to go and check.

That is better than reporting something as a bug just to find out it is a test. It is more accurate than just asking around.

😎 Happy Etsy selling. 🍂

Will you offer free shipping on Etsy?

Etsy is phasing in free shipping. It is optional for sellers. Buyers will start to be able to see free shipping on listings starting on October 9th.

Buyers will see a badge on individual listings. They will also be able to filter listings when performing a search.

Free shipping is not free for sellers

As with everything else, Etsy sellers have mixed opinions about participating. Some studies suggest that the conversion rate improves 90% when free shipping is offered. Etsy stated: "More than half of the buyers we surveyed in August said free shipping is a very important factor in their decision to purchase an item."

Free shipping can certainly be a powerful marketing tool. Do you shop on Amazon, using Amazon Prime? Or Wal-mart? Or eBay? Free shipping is not new.

Increased sales and a modest increase in fees are the up side for Etsy. (It will only be available in the USA.)

Does free shipping improve your placement in search results? "Offering free shipping doesn’t change where your listings rank in search results... buyers will have the option to filter search results for listings offering free shipping."

Should I offer free shipping?

Of course, this is a business decision. Every seller needs to make an analysis of the benefits versus the cost of offering free shipping. It comes down to one thing: can your business still make money if you offer it?

How can you decide? Try testing out whether it works by offering it on some items and not offering it on similar items. See which items sell better. Analyze your profit margin, how much money you are making.

Do returns increase? Some sellers say that they do...

Offering free shipping is a business decision

Is the increase in sales enough to keep your shop making money? Making enough money?

Additionally, sellers should consider "the cost of offering free shipping as the cost of acquiring a new customer or retaining a loyal follower." There is some value to that, but how much?

Sellers can set a minimum order dollar value. They can also specify a minimum number of items in order to qualify for free shipping.

Etsy says that sellers can combine free shipping with another promotion (sale or coupon). "Eligible buyers will see both the free shipping and the other sale or coupon discount."

The best items for this type of promotion would be items with a relatively low shipping cost, of course.

Do you want to try it on some of your items?

A short how-to:

1.) To create a free shipping sale or coupon, go to Shop Manager > Marketing > Sales and coupons and click "New special offer."

2.) Specify which discount you would like to offer by selecting "Run a sale."

3.) Select "Free shipping" from the dropdown menu, fill out the rest of the details about your sale and click "next."

4.) Choose the listings you would like to include in the offer.

There. All done!
...................................................................................................................................
(Another way is to go to each listing and change it manually. Change the shipping method to "manual." Then, reduce the shipping to $0. In my case, I added most of the cost back on. However, I stuck to some price points... I was not rigid across the board with how I handled repricing.)

Here is a quick trick I discovered.

Here are more strategies from Etsy for offering free shipping.

Etsy Quick Trick: display your entire item description

Etsy recently made truncated descriptions the standard rather than a test. This is where your item description fades into your reviews.

Extra description text is hidden.

Do you like it? Or do you hate it?

If you are in the latter group, there is a simple solution. Short item descriptions are shown in full. How short? Keep your  item descriptions under 1100 characters, including spaces and line breaks, or about 15 lines.

Are your descriptions still fading after you have reduced your characters to 1100? Be sure to take into account how many "hidden characters," line breaks and special characters you use. Reduce your characters until the fading is gone.

Use your photo slots for more information

Aim for under 1100 characters.

Is the prospect of counting to 1100 daunting? Use a character counting program. I use this one. Here is another. And another. Microsoft Word can count characters for you as well.

If you have more to say in your item descriptions, try using your photo slots. Buyers may be more inclined to look at photos than read text anyway. For example, one seller uses her photo slots for routine clothing sizing information.

Here is more information about how to write compelling item descriptions.

Vintage sellers certainly have a unique set of challenges when selling online. How long to make the description is a balancing act. Sellers are trying to make Etsy happy (by keeping it short), make Google happy, and be thorough in describing flaws.

How are you doing walking that fine line?

Thanks for joining me for another Etsy Quick Trick!

Are you having a sale?

Etsy is having a Labor Day Sale promotion. Are you participating? Here is the announcement.

I am moving in September, so you bet I am. Who wants to cart inventory to our new place two hours away and find it again? Not me.

I still need to figure it out. (Sorting and packing take time.) However, the tool seems easy to use. The metrics are very nice, too. Order minimums are not permitted for this promotion.

Users report that you cannot edit a sale once it goes live. Perhaps Etsy will fix that.

This is an example of how a shop looks with a sale:

Kris from EitherOrFinds has set up a sale.

Etsy stated that they will promote the sale by "driving traffic to the page through marketing emails, site banners, social media, and Etsy’s homepage."

Will you promote the sale... put out a Shop Update?

Here is Etsy's explanation of the new tools. More general information from Etsy on sales and coupons.

Will you be having a sale?

See the extra sale information?

Testing Etsy Badges: Popular vs. Unique

It sounds like something from high school: do you want to be

Are these Pyrex bowls really one-of-a-kind?

Most popular?  

or

Unique?

Here is Etsy's announcement. Some are seeing the new badges: "best seller" and "one of a kind."

How do sellers get the badges?

Shop Manager view of an item's past sales

Look at your item using the Shop Manager. (Toggle on your stats first.) Stats are displayed along the bottom of each listing: visits, favorites, SALES.

Quantity: more than 1

If you have a quantity of more than one, then it is not one of a kind. 

No stats are available for how many items need to be sold for a listing to be considered "best-seller." Chances are, most vintage sellers will not qualify for this badge. However, you may receive another designation. Read on.

Quantity: 1, Sales: 0

Bingo! Your item will show as "one of a kind" and get the badge.

Do you prefer popular (only 1 left!) or unique?

Quantity: 1, Sales: 1 or more

If your previous sales with that listing show as one or more, your item may get an "only x left!" badge. This rewards your item that has sold more than one.

Artists report issues

Some art work is not receiving the OOAK designation. Why, who knows?

Here is an example:

Only one piece of original art in this group receives the badge

Here is a forum discussion on this test with a lot of interesting perspectives on it.

Remember, this is only a test.

What can we learn?

So, just like... other things... Etsy is going over to polar opposites here it seems.

Sellers are rewarded for selling:

The MOST, or

One Of A Kind.

Stay tuned for further developments.

Five more photos - Etsy vintage shops score big

On July 11, Etsy made a major announcement: sellers have five additional photo slots in their listings! This is very exciting for vintage sellers, who have been hoping for this feature for a long time. 

Etsy stated, "90% of shoppers said the quality of the photos was “extremely important” or “very important” to a purchase decision."

That fact tells us that photo quality is crucial for Etsy sellers... Buyers often will not click through on items they see because the photos are not top-notch. Photo quality will be the subject of a future blog.

Fill the slots

Is it necessary to use every one of the spots for photos? Etsy admin says "no."  But think of the possibilities!

Of course, there is the obvious choice of extra photos of the items for sale. Etsy tells us to have a photo that has something with the item to show its scale.

Show more angles. What angles, you say? When I sell rings, I try to display it on the finger from many directions. 

Photograph your item on a mirror. Try taking pictures in different location with different light.

Especially important is the case of flaws and irregularities. Vintage sellers need to bring them to the attention of any potential buyer. Extra photos are necessary for that.

Primitive farmhouse style

Lifestyle photos can sell items

What if your listings do not require ten photos? 

Try some "lifestyle" photos. 

These are photos of your item in use, or with similar items. Such photos make your item way more valuable. They help our potential buyers "see" an item as their own and BUY.

Is this tropical setting too bright?

Who is your target audience? How will your items fit in with their lifestyle?

Having trouble figuring out what types of pictures to take? Make some test searches of similar items on Etsy. Note the photos that you like. Why do they work? Then try to come up with something even better. Showcase your creativity.

Pay attention to styles. Add props that complement your item, not compete with it.

Use care, though. Props can be overdone. Choose props(s) that allow your great item to shine.

Highlight your great item in use

Display your item in a seasonal way (summer, fall, winter) and rotate out the first picture depending on the time of the year.

Still have photo slots available?

Display your brand in a unique way

There are still all sorts of possibilities. Be creative.

Showcase your coupon code

These slots could become sort of like a shop update. (Need some ideas for those?)

Make some "stock" graphics or take photos that illustrate:

• how you package or gift wrap
• a collage or collection of similar items
• a great photo once used as a shop update
• a coupon code
• sizing chart (for clothing)
• your words of wisdom
• your standalone shop and/or blog address
• your shop logo

My shop logo

How will you use those five new photo slots?

What happens if Etsy gets sold?

Is Etsy for sale? Is that a bad thing?

Would would it mean if Etsy were sold? Rumors abound about it.

It is really a matter of ownership: do the current stockholders continue to own Etsy, or will someone else step in? If they did, would it make a big difference?

I went into a panic about this a couple of weeks ago... Will life here as we know it end?

Someone pointed something out to me:

(Taken from Wikipedia)

"Founded by Steve Ells in July 1993, Chipotle had 16 restaurants (all in Colorado) when McDonald's Corporation became a major investor in 1998. By the time McDonald's fully divested itself from Chipotle in 2006, the chain had grown to over 500 locations."

Think about it: when McDonalds had a large stake in Chipotle Grill, did they go and change all of the restaurants to McDonalds? No, instead Chipotle expanded greatly. 

Being taken over could mean getting improvements and upgrades like phone support and better site releases. Not so many site bugs would be nice, would it not?

So being sold might not be a bad thing. Regardless of how it plays out, Etsy is changing. 

Hopefully we all like what Etsy becomes, is becoming.

Staying positive in a sea of change

Sailboat off the Maine coast

We knew change was coming. It had to. Etsy did not buy an artificial intelligence company for nothing.

Turning the sailboat

To do anything well, we need to be flexible, to be open to change. Selling online is no different. On a vibrant modern selling venue, shifting direction is essential to stay on top of things. What things?

Etsy as a business must stay in tune with the trending desires of shoppers. And Etsy must keep up with the constant shifting and upgrades of e-commerce and computer technology.

We must face it: Etsy caters to buyers, not sellers. Etsy incorporates the latest technology to satisfy the needs of shoppers, not the sellers' need for stability.

So Etsy changes. A lot. They might even (gasp!) test strategies before implementing major changes.

If that is what they feel they need to do, then so be it. They have a vested interest in me as a seller. It comes down to these two points:

1. If there were no shoppers, there would be no need for sellers.
2. Etsy does not make money if we do not make money.

Simple as that.

How long have you been selling on Etsy? How many changes here have you personally seen here?

Here are some adjustments that have occurred on Etsy over the years:

• Rearrange shop (6/2009)
• Renew sold and copy listing (11/2010)
• New Etsy forums (2/2011)
• Feedback for buyer eliminated (3/2011)
• New listing attributes (7/2011)
• Search results based on relevancy, not recency (8/2011)
• Search ads (9/2011)
• Listing stats (2/2012)
• Direct Checkout (2/2012)
• Listing variations (10/2012)
• Circles replaced by activity feed (2/2013)

  

  Recent Etsy changes can seem overwhelming

• Etsy Shipping Labels (3/2013)
• Forums restructure (6/2013)
• Shop Dashboard (8/2013)
• New review system (8/2013)
• Mobile app for sellers (4/2014)
• First class shipping up to 16 oz (6/2014)
• New home page (9/2014)
• Promoted Listings (9/2014)
• Broader item categories (2/2015)
• Listings manager (2/2015)
• Calculated shipping (4/2015)
• Shop icon (8/2015)
• Shop Updates (2/2016)
• Mobile payment methods (3/2016)
• "Save for later" added to Etsy Cart (3/2016)
• Pattern (4/2016)
• Save for later function for shopping cart (4/2016)
• Individualized home page (5/2016)
• Treasuries (2006-10/2016)
• New payment processor Adyen added (10/2016)
• Improvements to spelling correction (11/2016)

And more recently:

• Multi Shop Checkout (1/2017)
• Etsy Studio (2/2017, discontinued in 2018)
• Variations & Attributes (2/2017)
• New Shop Manager (2/2017)
• Relevant reordering of shop home items (optional) (4/2017)
• Etsy Payments replaces Direct Checkout (4/2017)
• Site color changes (4/2017)
• Coming soon: guest checkout

I agree that it can seem overwhelming. As I have worked on this post and after I released it, the changes keep coming!

If Etsy has stopped working for you, then find another venue. Start your own website. There are other options out there.

The rest of us are working hard, trying to stay positive and ride the waves of change!

Direct Checkout is now "Etsy Payments"

Etsy made a big announcement on April 11, 2017

Etsy’s payment platform has changed. Etsy announced that Direct Checkout is now called "Etsy Payments." According to Etsy, here are some benefits:

• More flexible deposits (daily, weekly, twice monthly, or monthly)
• EP allows shops to accept ten payment methods
• Multiple shop check out

Can you keep your PayPal sales separate?

Yes, standalone PayPal is still permitted. Of course, Etsy recommends integrating your PayPal account.

Do you have to do anything?

If you already have Direct Checkout, you are automatically enrolled. If you do not accept payments via Direct Checkout, you must get on board by May 17, 2017. If not, your shop will be suspended.

The "update settings" button is displayed prominently.

The fine print

Etsy Payments fee structure

The fee to use the payment service remains the same: 3% + 0.25 USD for each sale (may differ in your country). This is in addition to your Etsy selling fees.

Some countries require a minimum amount of funds for daily disbursement. For the USA and Canada, the minimum is $25. That means that if you were to arrange for daily withdrawals, it will not happen if there is under $25 in the account. (For countries using the Euro, the minimum is 20 Euros.)

Non-USA sellers may have to pay more in conversion fees to move their money between countries.

Sellers do not have to participate if EP is not offered in their country. Etsy plans to add more countries, including Turkey.

You must have your last name on file with Etsy Payments. Check here to make sure. You must have a bank account to deposit your EP funds. "We cannot process Etsy Payments (debit/credit card, gift card, etc.) funds to your PayPal account."

If a buyer uses multi-shop checkout, EP will be used even if the buyer paid with PayPal.

If there is an issue with EP, "an Etsy employee will be able to mediate." That is big news from a company with notoriously few customer service agents.

Since the WorldPay fiasco, there is this. "Note: In some cases, deposits to sellers’ bank accounts could be temporarily delayed by an issue at Etsy, at Etsy’s third-party service providers, or at a seller’s bank. ... Etsy is not obligated to refund any fees or reimburse any expenses due to holds or delayed deposits."

Sellers not based in the US will now be charged conversion fees. This does not happen with Paypal; for some large sellers this could be an issue.
-----------

Etsy is still on the move. Sellers need to hang on tight.

Oh, no. Another test!

Oh, no, not again!

"Etsy is rearranging my shop for me. What is happening?" "Etsy is testing yet another thing... Don't they have enough going on?"

Yes, Etsy is testing another new feature. Here is Etsy's announcement about it. Like most tests, only some user accounts see it.

Here is part of the announcement:

"As a continuation of a temporary test we began earlier this month, some buyers may see Relevance as the default sort option in some shops without a custom arrangement. We’ll let you know if changes to default sort options become permanent."

Etsy has now concluded the test and relevance is a new option for shop arrangements.

Shop arrangements

Shop owners have long had the ability to allow their shop to be arranged by recency. The most recent thing listed or relisted will be the first thing in your shop.

To get out of that, many shop owners use Etsy's newer option of custom rearrangement. I put my prettiest things (newly listed first) at the beginning of my shop. Relisted items stay where they were before I relisted them.

Etsy now has an option of your shop displayed sorted by relevancy.  For vintage sellers, this option will probably not work well. It is because "best sellers" are at the top of relevancy. Vintage sell so many different items that this approach likely has no..., well, relevance.

Try to opt out of site testing

If you do not like being in a site, you can sometimes opt out. Clear your browser cache. Change web browsers. For details, refer to point #4 of this article.

Sometimes, we are just stuck in a test. Right now (April, 2017) some sellers are seeing a different profile page. There is nearly always some testing going on. Testing is a way of life at Etsy.

Etsy wants to continue its reputation as the premier place to sell. They work hard to stay ahead of the pack. Testing potential new features is part of that process. All users, including sellers, share in site testing.

Happy selling!

😊

Big Changes at Etsy in 2017

Etsy is on the move! If you have sold there for any amount of time, you know that change is a constant on this vibrant online marketplace.

First, what changes were announced in Feb, 2017?

1. A new website called Etsy Studio has been created for those who sell supplies.
2. Many new categories were created for supplies. Your items may have been moved to new categories without your knowledge.

3. Shop Manager is available. It is an improved "all-in-one" interface to navigate the selling side of Etsy.

4. Enhanced search attributes are being added to all listings.

When is this happening? These changes are being rolled out over days and weeks. Possibly months. You may already have some of these changes. I know that I do. March 27 [date updated] has been announced as when the new attributes will begin to factor into buyer searches.

Etsy Studio - Etsy's New DIY Marketplace

For a long time, Etsy has been a website for (1) handmade, (2) vintage or (3) supplies. If you sold supplies in 2017, this new development affected your shop. Etsy Studio was born!

Etsy's (former) CEO Chad Dickerson described his vision of the new one-stop crafting marketplace*. A venue with "joy" to compete with traditional craft stores. Etsy's new do-it-yourself marketplace sought to provide an all-in-one crafting experience. People were supposed to refer to detailed tutorials for crafting projects. Etsy Studio would provide a list of all supplies needed for a project. Those supplies would be purchased on Etsy with one click.

How our items appeared on Etsy Studio. See the "Vintage" feature?

Money orders, checks and "other" payment would not be accepted in Studio.

A traditional new craft website would need some time to get off the ground. Etsy Studio has access to the millions of crafting items already for sale on Etsy. There was no extra cost for sellers on Etsy Studio.

All sellers' items in the "supply" category were automatically added to Etsy Studio.

On Etsy Studio, items could have a special designation feature of "vintage" or "recycled." We all are familiar with what vintage means. But what about recycled? Here are Etsy's guidelines about that.

Here is more information about Etsy Studio.

Enhanced Supply Categories

At that time, Etsy updated the categories for materials and supplies. Etsy wanted to help sellers with these changes. They performed bulk category edits.

There have been some unintended consequences. For example, sellers reported that some framed art had been moved into "Supplies."

Additionally, sellers found it necessary to reevaluate whether additional items qualified as supplies. I moved my doorknobs and drawer pulls from "vintage" to "supplies." That way they could enjoy any extra exposure of Etsy Studio.

New look - Shop Manager dashboard

New Shop Manager

This is a centralized dashboard for Etsy shop owners.  It improves the visibility of important information, such as orders, buyer conversations, statistics, and inventory management. Sellers see right away what needs prompt attention, such as overdue orders.

Sellers can opt in and out of the Shop Manager for now. I find it beneficial to opt in rather early, as the change is coming anyway. If you wait a week, Etsy admin can get some of the bugs out.

A new capability is included. The new Shop Manager allows sellers to perform searches across multiple shop tools, including Conversations, listings, and orders. I am not sure how useful it is, but it does work.

Included is an improvement in inventory management, SKU numbers. SKU's are visible to the seller but no one else. This is a great innovation for those of us who have been known to {looking away} lose sold items. Here is more information about how to set up an effective SKU numbering system. I have seen complaints that the SKU system is not all that sellers had hoped for.

Search Attributes

Sellers will be able to able to add details about listings. Such "attributes" will eventually serve as filters when buyers search on Etsy. Attributes include:

• Colors (primary and secondary)
• Occasions
• Holidays
• Size: clothing, jewelry, pillows, dollhouse furniture, dolls, signs, wall hangings, fabric
• Capacity: teacups, cups
• Fiber content, potential use (and a lot of other aspects): fabric

Quick Add Attributes for Etsy Studio itens

If you had an item in the "weddings" category, the "wedding" attribute should be pre-selected for you. Sellers report that some pre-selections are inaccurate, so you will need to recheck.

This is pretty straightforward for vintage sellers. If the attributes do not apply, no need to try to force them to fit. Conversely, if more than one attribute could apply, be sure to vary your attributes for different products. This way you will show up on more different buyer searches.

Here is more information about attributes.

Item Variations for Custom Colors

Below the colors is an option for "more than one."

Item Variations are useful if you sell items like hand made jewelry. There you might have multiple options of lengths, colors and styles with different price, quantity, and SKU numbers. They have been broadened out with these changes. Here is more information about them.

Some have been upset about the color attribute choices. If you have an item that is maroon and cream, you have to call it "red" and "white." Turquoise becomes "blue" (or "green").

On the screen that pops up, select "create a new option."

There is an interesting workaround. If you have colors that are not on the list, they can be added using Item Variations. Once you select "color," you will see a box with colors listed. At the bottom it has a spot to add your own color.

The custom color(s) you add to variations will be used in regular search. However, the colors will not be seen if the color search filters are used. (Search filters are not available yet. Well, they are but they are not really working. A working color filter will eventually become available.)

Pluses and Minuses

More details about your items will now be visible on the Etsy app on mobile. Item descriptions are hidden when buyers use the mobile app, so this in an improvement.

Attributes will act like "extra tags and titles." This means more opportunities for your items to be found by buyers.

Big shops will need to take some time to make the necessary changes to attributes. Etsy's promised bulk editing tool is available, but some users do not find it very helpful.

Will the new attributes affect how items are found via searches?

As mentioned, the new search attributes and variations will "become a factor in Etsy search" starting in late March. When it takes effect, both pre-set and custom variations and attributes will be searchable, same as tags and titles.

The filtering aspect will not be enabled until later. [Update: Etsy has begun testing filtering in June, 2017.]

It is impossible to know how Etsy's search algorithm will change. Stay tuned for more on Etsy search as information becomes available.

Quick Add screen for new attributes

What do you need to do right now?

1. Make sure all your items are properly categorized. Etsy may have changed the categories for your items without your knowledge. You will want to recheck every item's category during this process.

2. Use Etsy's new "Quick Add Attributes" tool. Mine had a little thermometer-style indicator [for a while] that told me that I have only 609 listings to go... It takes you quickly through the process of adding attributes and fine-tuning categories (but nothing else). Unfortunately, if you have already made changes, it will still take you into the listing. It has a reputation for being buggy as well.

If you have a large shop, this task may seem daunting. Try breaking it up into smaller pieces, like sections.

The new search attributes will eventually become important to getting found when buyers search Etsy. They will begin to factor into buyer searches on March 27.

[June 20, 2017 update: most of these changes are not yet fully implemented. Attributes are not up and running to any degree. Custom variations still cannot be searched. Etsy's recent tests hardly even using the attributes. Etsy Studio has very few sales as of yet.]
*Here is Etsy's former CEO Chad Dickerson's interview about Etsy Studio:
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/etsy-ceo-reveals-new-craft-supply-market-studio/