Fun market research to improve your vintage online selling

Cozy up with your favorite device

Many of us realize that we need to do market research in order to improve our business. Yet, how exactly is it done?

There is an easy way. It is as simple as taking your favorite device and browsing the internet. Sound fun? It is! Why not give it a try?

(First, make a cup of your favorite beverage. Sit back and relax.)

Choose an item for sale

1. Choose an item that is currently in your shop, available for sale. Look over your product. Think about its overall use and who you think would be the person to purchase it. (No stress - this is just to get your mind warmed up.) Linger a bit, noting the color, size, texture, where it is to be used, how it might be displayed.

2. Next, go online, using Google, Bing and even other search engines. Search for a similar product as a shopper would. (No, you are not looking for yours. However you may very well find it during this process.)

Your goal is to see all the places, the venues, that show up for similar products. Example: you are selling a vintage fish brooch. Search for "fish brooch." Observe the array of ads, shops, pictures and locations. Enjoy the process... browse. Click some sites that look interesting.

3. Next search images. What appears? Select the links and observe how similar products are being sold. Read the product descriptions. Look at the pictures. How are the items being used? How are the similar items staged in their photos?

Who is your target market?

4. Find blogs that feature similar items. Read the posts (and even comments).

5. Browse Pinterest. Find some magazines. Locate similar products that are pinned and featured. What is being said? How is it being said?

6. Sip some beverage. Mull over your observations.

**There, that was fun!**

From all this shopping (I mean research) you should be able to identify some patterns about buyers:

• approximate age
• gender
• occupation
• home or office styles
• trends (like colors, textures and patterns)
• related products of interest
• location (USA, Europe, etc.)
• income level
• families? individuals?
• even personality, attitudes, behavior

Now you can see who your customer is. 

What else do they love, use or collect? (What other items could you be selling to them?)

Note any clues for improving your listings. What terms are used that could help sell your items? What vocabulary style(s) do you see?

(Perhaps your research will even reveal a new selling venue to try.)

How is your pricing?

Think about the photos you have viewed that show a similar item in use. Can you show your product in the same setting?

Do you see room for improvement in your product (if you make it)? How about your photography? Staging? Item descriptions? Pricing? Title and tag keyword phrases?

Use the information you have gleaned. Select a listing that is not performing well in your shop. Make some changes based on your new observations. It could lead to sales!

This fun process can be repeated of course. The more different kinds of items you offer for sale, the more types of items you should check in this way.

Research one item. Meditate on your findings. Make some changes. Evaluate the results. Lather, rinse repeat for more items in your shop. Your sales should improve.

Go ahead, try it. You might like it.

Thanks for joining me in the online selling journey.

Need more information? Here are 30 ways to improve your Etsy sales. Here are some more ideas if your shop sales are tanking.

July 2017 Admin Update for Sellers

On July 20 an update was held for a few Etsy sellers in positions of team leadership. Admin answered some questions. This is a condensed version.
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Etsy remains committed to Etsy teams. More team captains and leaders will be invited to join the Fellowship program [which is located on Facebook] this year.

Q. What effect do hearting games have on Etsy's search algorithms?
A. (The information provided by admin duplicates what was said during the public Q&A post on Etsy.) If a buyer clicks, favorites, or purchases an item found in search results, that has a positive effect on that items search ranking.

• If a product is clicked on or favorited outside of search results (for example, from social media), that has no impact on search ranking - neither a negative or positive effect.
• If an item receives a favorite, regardless of there it came from, that product will show up in the Recommended Items area on the front page - so there is a benefit there. But no benefit on the search algorithm.
• Better tags and titles can improve search ranking.
• Driving traffic to your shop via social media is still the best way to get exposure.

Q. Do conversion rates affect search ranking?

Lower conversion rates are better

A. Yes, conversion rates do affect search ranking.

Q. Is a fee increase in the works for sellers?
A. No.

Q. Regarding the 10 photos per listing, if not all 10 photos are used, will this reduce search ranking?
A. No. The number of photos used has no impact on search placement.

Q. Why have sales have plummeted for sellers this year?
A. Etsy admin understand that fluctuations in sales are scary. Unfortunately, there are many causes. There is no general trend; it is SHOP specific.

Concerned shops that have decreasing sales may contact Etsy. A team of Etsy admin can do a 15 minute shop critique to increase sales. The link is in the Help pages. Shop owners should click on the contact button in that Help section to request a critique.

Q: (Re-questioned): you are saying that there is no Etsy trend that is affecting sales… It goes back to the individual shops? That the experimenting that seems to be affecting sales, is not having an effect on sales?
A: As part of the recent realignment, Etsy now has a dedicated group of admin (called Voice of the Consumer) who are listening to all channels to hear from sellers…

Q: Some feel that morale among sellers on Etsy is at an all-time low. Shop owners could use more timely information from Etsy.

A: We are currently working on better communication plans. We will communicate better with our sellers. This week there are lots of meetings going on at Etsy about being more transparent to sellers. We are working to be better at letting sellers know testing and experiments, ones that are working and not working.

😎 Thanks to long-time Etsy vintage sellers Gail and JD for the above information!

Sales tanking? Vintage online selling remix

Sales are tanking... what should you do?

Time for some soul searching. What is the issue?

Four questions to ask

Start with pinpointing where the issue lies:

1. Is there demand for my items?

2. How is my pricing?

3. Are my photos top-notch?

4. Have I optimized my listings for SEO and getting found on Etsy searches?

I continually see shops with weak tags and titles. Before deciding on words for your title and tags, always ask yourself if a shopper would type those words into the search bar? If not, avoid using them.

Take action on any of the four above issues that need work. Get everything is in shape. See if sales increase.

Consider an advertising campaign.

It could be that your items are simply not being seen. Many categories are saturated with listings. Etsy's promoted listings get your items in front of more potential buyers, more exposure.

There are no short cuts. Successful advertising campaigns depend on the above four points. Your items must be in good shape as to photos, in demand, pricing and SEO/Etsy relevancy.

Keep costs down by making maximum bids low. Give it a month or two and see if things improve.

What about changing what you sell?

Perhaps there is not very much demand for some of your items. Experiment with selling other items. Try specializing more. Or less. Research trends. Perhaps rebranding your or refreshing your product lines will improve your sales.

One vintage seller added a "DIY" section to her shop. That dovetails with her branding. Other shops might consider a party section. Both of these ideas may involve reselling of new items (allowed with craft and party items). The dollars could be smaller. But listing multiple quantities is less work. You are attracting a different target audience, broadening your selling reach.

Consider changing up your selling outlets

With vintage, there are several ways to move your items:

1. Rent a booth in an antiques mall. This is a good way to dip your toe into local in-person sales.

2. Sell at shows. This can be a lot of work. At the right show, profits can be high.

3. Sell on Craigslist or another local venue (especially larger items).

4. Open a brick-and-mortar shop. Be sure to do your research. You will have to collect sales tax on any sales within your state, even online.

5. Open a Pattern shop. It now allows you to offer items less than 20 years old. Your items on Pattern can differ from what you sell on Etsy. There is a $15 monthly fee as well as final value fees. You are still subject to many of Etsy's terms and conditions. If you lose your selling privileges with Etsy, it will include your Pattern shop.

6. Create your own website. Most involve a monthly charge but no listing charges and no final value fee. Showcase your brand and creativity. There will be payment processor fees, however. There is no traffic, so you must drive traffic to your own site. Many sellers like making their own rules.

7. Sell on another online venue. Many Etsy vintage sellers sell on eBay already. Some items sell well there, particularly collector items. Perhaps yours will. Other websites include Amazon, Artyah, Artfire, Bonanza, Ruby Lane, eBid, eCrater and more. There is even a start-up in the works.
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Meditate on it. Ask a trusted friend. Carefully consider your options.

Does your business need a remix? How will you change it up? How will you ensure it is working?

30 ways to improve Etsy sales

Managing our Etsy shops is kind of like riding a bike. Staying balanced. Going forward. Never stop moving. Etsy's algorithm likes to see constant movement. 

30 ways to improve your shop's sales

1. Think like a customer. What do you like about other shops? How would you like to be treated? What search terms do you use to shop for items? What pictures do you click on when browsing?
2. Look professional. Fill your store with merchandise. Have an avatar (shop icon) and profile photo.. Complete your "About" page. Fill out your shop policies. Set a decade of manufacture.
3. Feature awesome "clickable" item photos. Use all ten slots to show additional angles.
4. Craft titles with the most important key words and phrases at the beginning. Keep them to 70 characters. Create matching tags for the most important keyword combinations. Keep key word lists for your product lines.
5. Avoid spammy titles, stuffed with keywords. Don't repeat the same word twice in your title. Vary your titles and tags so your items show up in more different searches.
6. Compose short, but complete item descriptions that include the item's size and condition. Anticipate the questions of buyers. Don't use boilerplate. (Don't copy sections of your descriptions word-for-word from listing to listing.)
7. In your item description, avoid copying and pasting your title at the start of the description. Rather, sprinkle the keywords from your title conversationally into the first few sentences.
8. Create an original, cohesive brand. Find your niche. Let your unique style shine. Buy and resell what you love.
9. Specialize in what you carry in your shop by style or type of item. Who is your target market? Do some market research.
10. At the same time, don't be too narrow in your product offerings. If your items aren't on trend, adjust your mix.
11. Sell items at a variety of price points to attract a variety of buyers. Keep your prices reasonable while still making a profit. Find what price points work for you.
12. Ship quickly. Provide great customer service so customers come back. Do something extra, like gift wrap or enclose a small gift.
13. Operate your shop legally. Pay your taxes. Follow all copyright and trademark laws. (You can get shut down for violating Etsy policies.)

    

    Do shop updates regularly

14. Sell with integrity. Make sure all of your vintage items are at least 20 years old. Tell the truth. Disclose all item flaws.
15. Do regular Shop Updates. Here are some ideas for vintage sellers.
16. Use good grammar and spelling.
17. Try Etsy promoted item advertising.
18. Try Etsy's Shopping Engine Advertising
19. Avoid team mass clicking games (affects our conversion rate).
20. Avoid team mass favoriting games.
21. Be active in social media.
    
22. Start a blog. Search engines love them.
23. Adjust the tags, titles and photos of low-performing items. Fill out the attributes. Make sure your items are in the right categories.
24. Keep your shop active. Renew expiring items. List new ones. Tweak listings by changing out the first photo.
25. Offer fresh product. Stale items fall to the bottom of search. 
26. Package your items with care and style. Mail them quickly.
27. The Etsy marketplace is constantly changing. Pay attention to what is going on by checking the forums and/or being active with a vintage team or two.
28. Test out searching for your items to see where they appear. How do your items look compared with the rest of the search results?
29. Visit your shop on a mobile device. Note how it looks, as well as your items. Make any needed changes.
30. Spend your time wisely. Use the tools Etsy gives you. Learn how to read your stats. Effectively use Etsy's Listing Manager. 

Were there enough references?

Small tweaks daily to your Etsy shops can improve sales. What are you doing today? 

Stats 8 - Why isn't my item selling?

Why isn't my item selling? My shop feels stagnant! Have you ever felt that way?

A very basic analysis of our stats can help. Let's use this powerful tool from Etsy to improve our poorest performing listings.

Etsy listing issues? Stats to the rescue!

Scroll down until you’re looking at a listing with a very small amount of traffic. Click on it to open a Listing Page View that offers a breakdown of traffic for that specific listing. Here's how to do that.

Ask yourself the following questions about the listing:

1. Is the first photo of high quality?

2. Does it have a powerful title? Be sure it has keywords and phrases that buyers will use when searching. Keep the most important search terms at the beginning of the listing to maximize their importance in search.

3. Am I making the most of my tags? Use all 13 tag slots. Use a blend of multiple-word phrases repeated from your title and description. Use terms that buyers will use to search for this item.

4. Is there market demand for the item? Are similar items selling online?

5. How is my pricing compared to similar available items?

Here is Etsy's tutorial on the subject.