Cutest Halloween Costumes

This is my latest Etsy treasury I created today.  I just love to see all the cute costumes and kids around. 

Do you? 

You are welcome to click on the treasury and leave a comment there. Or just comment on this post. 

Happy Halloween! 

Etsy shop critique

for The Happy Tree Hugger

When I've seen this gorges avatar, I was very excited doing critique for this shop. Unfortunately after opening the page I didn't see what I was expecting.
I do not like the banner. I would expect something from the nature, the tree,  the happy huger, the positive energy.... Jewelry inspired by nature.  If you want to keep the background, use different font color. It's hard to read.

You have absolutely gorges and unique jewelry, but bad pictures.  You have some nice shots, but sometimes you are choosing wrong background for you silver tones. E.g. the picture in your avatar is very good.  But  other pictures are blending in your background, they don't pop up.

I am telling you again, your jewelry is GORGES and very professional looking! BUT You won't sell it, until you present it in better more professional way.
Take a look at this website http://www.connieulrich.com/ConnieUlrich.com/Bracelets.html  this is an example, how your jewelry might be presented.

This is a great picture (this picture should be first in your listing)

But what is this? 

I'd advise you to look around etsy, to find similar jewelry style and how it is presented.
This is very important for you, because once you have a great picture you'll get to the front page and you'll get sales. People are looking for jewelry like yours.

I know it's not easy to take great pictures, you need to invest into the light box and backgrounds. I think the dark background suits your jewelry better.

I couldn't resist and played with your pictures in photoshop (not a big difference, just a little touch) .

 

All other sections of the shop are good. I like your profile, how you explain the name of your shop.  

Facebook, Twitter, Blog - post it?

Professional presentation - this is what you need!

Good Luck!

Just a note

I've been playing with the blog design. Do not wonder if the template changes during the day or week - it's still the same blog :o). I didn't have time to create a design for the header yet, but I hope I'll finish it this week.

 and

I am looking for:

1.Interesting tutorials or "how to make..." descriptions for this blog. I love to create all kind of craft and art and I want to see a variety of projects. So please contact me if you are interested.

2. I am looking for international creative and talented people who would be interested to tell us about the Christmas/Holiday craft, traditions and how they celebrate this time of the year in their country.

Please contact me at martina[!at]msaly.com

Thank you!

Treasury featuring new and undiscovered shops

How to display earrings in your online shop

As and online seller of handmade jewelry I know that pictures are very important  parts of the selling process. The way how you present the jewelry is very important. The buyer needs to see, how the jewelry looks like, how big is it and how does it look in someones ears or on someones neck.

After reading several forum post I realized that for some people is unacceptable to buy earrings previously worn by someone else. This is understandable. So how to display the earrings and show the real size?  The easy solution would be to use prongs, which I don't like. They look kind of weird.
One day I came across a post where the jewelry seller explained using a picture from a magazine to display earrings, and an other seller explained she just printed the picture from the computer. So, that was an idea...
I visited www.istockphoto.com, searched for a woman head and purchased a picture. And then I just played with photoshop to get a real size of a woman head in black and white and printed it out. The last step was to glue the picture on a cardboard and pierce the ear.
And here is the result! I think it looks very realistic, and shows very well how the earring looks on a real person.

What do you think?

And this is a detailed picture. 

m.saly jewelry

Etsy shop critique

  for Houghton Studio

This is a beautiful and colorful shop. It's very peaceful!

You don't have a great banner but because you have beautiful pictures in your featured items section, it kind of fits together.

You do a lot of watercolor paintings, but the word watercolor doesn't appear in your announcement. The words from your announcements are picked by google, when people search for items to buy. So if someone is looking for a watercolor painting with births, you shop won't show us.

Your pictures are great. But you  don't utilize all 5 spots for your pictures. Also people want to see, how the picture would look like in a frame on a wall etc... You don't need to frame it. Personally I prefer to buy unframed paintings and frame it, so it fits my house style. But you may do a suggestions, how the picture would like in a frame. There are softwares which can help you to  "frame" your painting, also photoshop can help. I am sure if you google it, you'll find something.

Here is one example:

This is a super cute picture. But how does it look like in real? Give me some perspective here. 

Beautiful shop, good luck! 

Etsy shop cirtique

for b.pfister designs

First I have to say, this is a very cool shop. I love people with great ideas, especially when it includes recycling and green art!

You recycle old china and make a beatiful jewelry. How unique. I love it.

Banner: is very nice
Avatar: too

You have to write a little bit more in your announcement. Use more words like earrings, bracelets, necklaces, green art, ....

I like your profile: boring research administrator who is turning in to a creative artist after work.  This sounds kind of familiar and I know exactly what are your talking about. Look at my profile m.saly jewelry :o)

Now your problem? Pictures!
You have couple very nice pictures and couple very bad pictures. You have to be consistend and produce the same quality of pictures all the time. If you are able to make nice pictures, why do you post the bad one?
Look at this example. This is how you present one of your items in one listing:

or this one looks like there are two different earrings:

 

When I buy this earrings, how would they look like on me? The left picture or the right one? 

And the last thing I want to say. You have to promote your jewelry. I don't see Facebook, Twitter or blog in your profile. You have to use social media or other marketing tools to bring traffic to your shop.  You have a great and unique idea, but you have to sell it! 

Good Luck! 

Etsy shop critique - Nikkisic

Etsy shop citique for Nikkisic

What can I say here. This is a beautiful shop, stylish with great pictures, beautiful models. I especially like how you show the detail of the button and the fabric. 

You don't utilize all 5 spots for the pictures!  

Now the banner !  I love the banner, but I don't like the text on it. It's almost imposible to read what is written there. I'd suggest to use different font. I am sure you'll find an other nice, romantic and baroque font for your shop. 

I like your avatar - very nice. 

I'd suggest to have links to your social media sites also in your profile. 

You have beautiful items, in a great quality. The price is higher, but it reflects the quality. Which means, you have to promote, promote an wait to find the right customer. 

So for everyone else, this is a good example of a great shop. Beside the banner, everything else is great. 

Good luck! 

Etsy shop critique - Jarg0n

Etsy shop critique for Jarg0n

First look - wow. What a great shop. Great banner, avatar, pictures, colorful, eye catching... but...

Second look - I didn't know you have these beautiful crochet doilies!  I wouldn't expect it in your shop. Post them in the featured items.

and more pictures. Why don't you use all 5 spots? Show me how to use them, on a piece of furniture, from a farther distance. 

And what is this?

A bag? I've never seen something like that. This is GORGES!!!  How do I use this kind of bag? Show me, pictures, pictures.... I don't know if I would pay $59 for this bag. But maybe I would if you convince me :o) 

And other, other surprises - hats, gorges, all the cutE animals wow ....  cross stitch? an other surprise....

Ok, now you don't have policy - a big no, no! You have to have policy! 

How about your facebook and blog, or website? .... post it under your profile, so people can find you. 

Overal great shop!  Unique and great items.

Have you ever thought about selling a tutorial? I think a tutorial for one of your crocheted animals for e.g. $5 would bring traffic to your shop. I know it's a lot of work on the beginning, but  than you can sell it over and over...

Would you consider to contribute to this blog? Tutorial for a small crocheted ornament (maybe a star), or show us how you create one of your items .... Remember the blog articles are picked by Google and show on one of the first pages.  

Good luck! 

Etsy shop critique - Shauneys Designs

Etsy shop ciritique for Shauneys Designs

I think you have a very nice shop with unique items. I like the nursing necklaces and also the Bookmarks.

But you don't sell them well. You have nice pictures, but they are to zoomed/croped and buyer doesn't get a perspective about the size. Utilize all 5 spots for picture available. Show the nursing necklace on a model/mom with a baby in her arm (if possible) and try to use other backgrounds,  experiment. And the bookmarks I want to see a picture how they look in an open book. And btw. I like this photo:

Your banner.... hm   Now I am thinking if I like it or not. I guess yes :o) it's ok. I like the color and the graphic. But I would change your avatar. It should show one of your products. E.g. I like this one

this is a great picture and will make a great avatar. You'll get noticed in the forums etc.....

Also do you have Facebook or Blog? Mention it in your profile.
Comunicate with potential buyers, do give aways, blog about your products.
How do you sell your products? Did you try to offer the nursing necklaces to a local shop with baby stuff? How about moms clubs etc... You said you had a hard time to find a necklace for yourself, so you started to make them. This is a niche market - so promote to moms like you....

Good luck with your shop!
And keep us posted, if you make any changes.

Etsy shop critique - The Woven Spoke

So this is my first post on this blog. Today I am doing critique of one of Etsy shops - The Woven Spoke

Overal I like your shop.

I like your banner, although it doesn't include any text. I think the text is important to help people recognize on the first sight what you offer. But in your case, the picture speaks more than any words - like it!
I like your announcement, but... remember your first 3 sentences are picked by Google and have to be SEO friendly. (I am sure I'll have a special post about SEO soon). So shortly, in the first 3 sentences you have to include words, the people will search on Google to find your shop. Make it readable, but include words like handmade, baskets, woven, dreamcatchers, home decor, dyed reed etc.... and than you can speak about the process.
Lot of people like to read about the process how you create your items. I like your descriptions, they are great. But you don't utilize all the tools:
- tags: you have 14 available why don't you use all of them?
- pictures: 5, why do you have only 2 or three by some items?
And pictures again!

So this is an example of a bad picture. The blurry picture doesn't present your item well. Rather no picture than this one! 

Your pictures are too cropped. People need to get a perspective about the size. Show us how to use your baskets. Put some items in, arrange it in an interior, next to sofa or in the kitchen.  Just show us how to use them. 

Also the wicker santa boot:

Make some Christmas decoration around. I know you live in sunny Arizona, but for some people is hard to imagine Christmas under a hot sky.

(I used to live in Hawaii and on the Christmas day I stayed all day inside the apartment pretending that outside is cold and snowy weather :o) 

Shipping - under the item description you don't have cost for international shipping. I know you mention it under policy, but the same statement should be at the end of your item description. Not everyone looks in the policy section. They look at the item and then go away when there is no international shipping specified. 

Just a little change and you'll become a successful Etsy seller. I am sure about it! Good luck!