Google Hits: Four Tips for Getting Found!

It’s so frustrating! You’ve worked like a dog to get found in Google, yet when you search your shop name or your items, nothing seems to surface. What’s an Etsy shop owner to do?

According to Susan Newman of Susan Newman Design, Inc. in Jersey City, NJ, there are a few basic things you could change this very day that could alter your results dramatically. And all it takes is just a little time at the computer.

Newman’s tips come from her years of experience in web design, branding and social media, and the use of these ideas herself in her own business. Here’s what she suggests:

Susan Newman

Name your jpegs with keywords. (NOTE: Etsy renames your jpeg titles once they're uploaded. However, it's still a good practice to name your photos with keywords for when they appear in blogs or web sites.) Very often, we name our images with just numbers or our own internal coding system so that we can best find them quickly in our files. But Newman says this is a big no-no.  What you name your jpeg in your computer is what Google is going to search once it’s online.

 If you’re a jeweler, for example, and you’re selling a gold necklace with some colorful beads, you may want to name that photo “gold_necklace_purple_beads.jpg” so that the item will now come up in Google’s images search.

“The name you give that image is going to follow it wherever it goes on the web,” Newman says, “whether it’s on Etsy or Pinterest or Facebook. You want the image name to be the answer to someone’s query.”

One final tip: Be sure that there are no spaces in the jpeg name; use hyphens and underscores to divide words.

Create a blog…NOW.  Sure, everyone knows that blogging is a great way to draw customers to your shop, but the statistics on those who blog and those who don’t are staggering. And the numbers get even more astonishing depending upon how frequently you post.

According to marketing-software manufacturer Hotspot.com, people who blog daily are 90% more likely to generate a sale than those who blog monthly, who have just a 13% chance of a sale.  And the person who blogs multiple times per day actually has nearly a 100% shot at generating a sale. It doesn’t matter what the subject is…it’s getting your shop name out there on a regular basis that’s important.

“The more you blog, the more content you have streaming to the web,” says Newman, “and the more people you have coming to your site. Of course it has to be good content, but basically the more you blog, the more the return on investment becomes unreal.”

Newman stresses that a blog title needs to be rich with keywords. And if there is an area for a description, don’t overlook it as an opportunity for keyword exposure.

She also explains the importance of “long-tail keywords,” which more clearly refine and define your products. A web designer, for example, might use the keyword phrase “web design” to describe his or her business, but Newman said that would be of no use at all. In the case of her own company, if she used the keyword phrase “web design Jersey City,” she’d see more traffic to her site, but if she became even more specific, using the keyword phrase “custom Wordpress themes Jersey City,” her traffic would skyrocket, as would her placement in a Google search.

“With a phrase like that, I might now be on the first page,” she says, “and quite possibly even number one.”

So switch it up. If you blog just a few times a month, try posting twice a week and see what happens. It’s quite possible that you’ll double your sales.

Create a Facebook page.  Almost everyone has a personal page, but not all Etsy shops have a Facebook page, which are for businesses, organizations and brands to share their stories and connect with people. If a shop posts solely on their personal page, Google has no idea what they're doing. Why?

“If Etsy store owners just have a personal profile, none of what they say or write is searchable on Google, because that profile is private,  provided they chose that option in their settings,” Newman says. “But a Facebook page is public. That means that everything is searchable…your galleries, your image descriptions, your bio information, plus the images you upload.”

Like your jpeg images, when it comes to your Facebook page, think “keywords” in regards to just about anything you write. By drawing web surfers to your Facebook page, you're in turn drawing them to just about everything else you do, provided you've linked to all of your other social media...your web page, your LinkedIn page, your blog, and, of course, your Etsy shop.

Create a YouTube channel.  As YouTube is the second most searched site on the web (Facebook being number one and Google being number three), if an Etsy shop doesn’t have a YouTube presence, an enormous opportunity is being missed.  Creating video content might not be the first thing an Etsy owner would think of, but Newman says it makes sense.

There are any number of videos shop owners could create that would be of interest to their customers: tutorials, themselves at work in their studios, or a photo stream of their wares (using sites like Animoto, a free video-making site).

“In having a YouTube channel, you’re giving your audience another way to find you and your work,” Newman says. "As with your jpegs and Facebook, be sure to tag your videos properly with keywords and good descriptions, then cross-pollinate your platforms by putting that video link on your Facebook page and your blog. The more variety you have in the formats you give people, the more you’ll be opened up to new audiences.”

Click here for more information on Newman’s services.

Until next time!...
Mary Ann

maryannfarley.etsy.com

**********************************

Etsy Tools for Sellers: Prototypes

Etsy has a lot of tools to help us as sellers succeed.  We have forums and teams, shop stats, search ads, and the super informative Etsy Seller Handbook.  All of these are great tools (especially teams like PromoFrenzy).  One of my favorite things offered by Etsy is their prototypes.  I’m a member of five out of the 15 currently available, and while some haven’t really affected me one way or another, some have proved invaluable.

What is an Etsy Prototype? Straight from the Etsy Prototype page:

 Prototypes are projects from Etsy Admin that explore different ways of using Etsy.  Each prototype is released with the goal of gathering data and observing how people use them.  Note: Given their nature, these projects may come and go at any time, and they may not always work as expected. Etsy offers limited support for prototypes.

Basically, by joining an Etsy Prototype, you’re becoming a sort of beta tester, helping Etsy experiment with potential new features that they may or may not decide to roll out to everyone.  Some are by invitation only, some you have to apply to, and others still can just be signed up for with the click of a button.

Over the holidays, I was lucky enough to be invited to join a shipping prototype that let me offer a variety of shipping speeds to my customers.  It was amazing, and once I got it set up, it was a huge time saver.  My customers could choose what speed worked for them without either of us having to jump through extra hoops, and, as a special little treat, items that would arrive on or before December 24^th were surfaced to last minute shoppers.  I’m fairly certain being a member of this prototype was a huge contributor to my shops success at the end of last year. 

I was so bummed when the decided to do away with the changes rather than roll them out, but that’s the nature of prototypes.  It was still really awesome; not only was I able to experiment with the potential changes, but I was also able to provide feedback and discuss improvements with Etsy admins.  I felt like I had some say in the future of such a great site.

There are about 15 current prototypes on Etsy right now.  To learn more about each one, you can visit http://www.etsy.com/prototypes and scroll through the list.  The following are four of my favorite:

ShopStats Improvements:

I added this prototype last year, shortly after I joined Etsy, so I’m not 100% positive what the difference between shop stats with and without this might be.  I think the biggest difference is that on your shop stats page, down below the “Listing Favorites” section, there’s a “Treasuries” section that lists all the treasuries you’ve been featured in for whatever time period you’ve selected, and what items have been featured.

Add Item to Treasury from Item page:

This is one of my favorite prototypes, and it’s just invaluable for creating treasuries.  Once you’ve joined this prototype, you can add items to your treasury with one click, and it’s automatically saved.

When I click on that link circled in red, I’ve given the option to add it to an existing treasury, or to create a new one:

 And then, whatever option I pick, it automatically saves the item to the assigned treasury, which is a huge help, because sometimes I forget to save, and wind up losing entire treasuries.

Digital Items:

This is another really awesome prototype.  I believe there’s currently a waiting list to join, but once you do, you can upload your digital products (up to 5 files per item, or 20MB, whichever comes first) and when a customer’s payment is processed, they get a link to download the item automatically.  It’s a huge time saver (once you’ve uploaded all your files), and while there’s still some drawbacks, it’s such a handy tool.  I can’t wait to see what else they do with it, and I’m hoping they’ll decide to roll it out to everyone.

Custom Order Requests:

This is one I’ve only just joined, but I’m really excited about the concept.  I accept custom orders, in fact I love custom orders, but communicating that to potential customers has been a challenge from day one.  By joining this prototype, there’s now a very prominent button on every item page that says “Request Custom Order”

that when clicked on, brings up a contact box

Pretty cool, right?

There are plenty of other great prototypes, all of which can be found at http://www.etsy.com/prototypes

They're definitely worth checking out, and who knows, you might find something that makes your life a little easier.

Happy sales to everyone!

Its That Time of the Year Again!!

It's the season that many of us have been waiting for all year, the time to display our hard work and love to strangers everywhere, in the hopes of making back some of the money we spent doing what we love. This years Holiday Art & Craft Show season has wrapped up for the most part! Hope you all had lots of sales, made lots of friends, and met new customers.

We all wonder about our displays. Are they as good as they can be? How do other artisans set up their displays? Am I creative enough? What can I do to attract more customers? Is my brand apparent?

Here is your chance to look at the displays and goodies of some of the members of the Promotional Frenzy Team on etsy.com  You can see their ingenuity, creativity, and the beauty of their displays and products.

TrinketsNWhatnots.etsy.com

BijiBijoux.etsy.com

ChanelledCreations.etsy.com

DLitesbyDorene.etsy.com

KatersAcres.etsy.com

LindaB142.etsy.com

LoriBergmann.etsy.com

MtBaldyGlassWorks.etsy.com

TurtleXIII.etsy.com

Great ways to advertise your shop for FREE

This is something I am always on the look for, free ways to advertise my Etsy shop. If you are like me you probably have the same "advertising budget" as many of us Etsians do, $0. However, we are all business owners, and all business advertise in one way or another. Instead of throwing hundreds of dollars away my focus is doing it for little to nothing.

This first site is an easy way to get your shop seen and you can add yourself to it as often as you like, its called 100 craft links, and it's only for crafters with hand made items. It shows 100 shops at one time and as people add you slowly go down the list until you drop off. You are able to add a little blurb about your shop and people who are looking for handmade goodies visit this site daily!

http://www.100craftlinks.com/cgi-bin/ldb/ldb.pl

Another great site is http://craftori.com/  used to be known as Etsylush.com but has now opened a new site. Here you register for FREE (they do have paid section but I don't use it), than post your etsy items. People do come here to shop and I have gotten several hits from it. Again this is a site you can ad to weekly when you need to promote your shop.



My favorite place to submit my items is http://www.etsycontest.com/ 

Here you submit your entire shop, and pick a day that you like from their calendar, and they will pick and item to put in the contest. Since submitting I have been in the contest at least once a month and actually came in 1st place last month!!  Basically once they put your item in the contest people will go through and vote for the item they like best 2 at a time.

One more site I have been able to get some views from is http://www.linkreferral.com  it is an easy sign up process and FREE. You add your shop and than you can visit other sites and rate other sites in order to post your ranking and get more views. Lot's of other Etsians are on their and it's an easy way to network with other shops. 

Now my last site is FREE the first time you use it, but from there on you can pay for more credits or refer people. Its called EtsyonSale.com and its a great tool and promotional site. You can use it for many things but they way I use it to drum up business is to run a sale (4 credits, you will get 5 when you sign up) you can pick the amount % off you wish to give. You can pick entire shop or 1 section.
The site will change your images to reflect the sale and adjust prices (once sale is over they will to all the work to fix it back to the way it was.  They also have a page on their site for people to shop to see who is having a sale on Etsy. Whenever I run one of these my views and sales shoot up. Much easier than a coupon code and worth the extra publicity.

Hopefully this will give you something to work on to get more views/sales for your shop at little no cost.  I will collect more free sites and share them with you again soon.

Bill
PagancellarJewelry.etsy.com

Are Your Colors On-Trend?

The Pantone 2012 Fall/Winter Color Report is certainly not new News ... but with many of us well under-way creating for the Fall/Winter season right now, a little reminder can't hurt!

When Pantone speaks, Retailers listen, and these are the colors that women will be seeing when they are in the stores. It may still be hotter than heck, but Summer Clearances are going on and the Fall items have shown their pretty faces everywhere!

There will be a lot of women wearing these colors, and they want to accessorize in the very same shades. If you create jewelry, knit & crochet pieces, handbag accessories - just about anything that will be worn or toted around - these are the colors you should be thinking about.

For those who carry and/or create supplies, these are the colors your customers will want. Those who create personal items like Bath & Body, using these shades in your items will be au courant and much more likely to catch the eye of shoppers.

Items for the home are not exempt from color trends. If a woman is attracted to the so-much-fun bright colored jeans we are seeing, they'll also be excited by the same hues when they're looking for cool stuff to put in their home. And don't forget all the college kids decorating their dorm room!

Here's a quick roundup of the Shades of Fall that you can keep in mind when creating ...

To see Pantone's palettes for the home, visit this site

Contributed by Jill Q of jQ jewelry designs

What's So Great About June . . . PEARLS!

Artist, Johannes Vermeer ... The painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring"

Pearl is the official birthstone for the month of June and is also the birthstone for the Sun Signs of Gemini and Cancer. Fresh water pearls are given on the 1st, 3rd, 12th and 30th anniversaries. 

United States: First Lady ... Michelle Obama

An organic gem, pearls are formed inside mollusks such as oysters and mussels. They are formed when an irritant such as a tiny stone or bit of sand gets inside the mollusk's shell. A shiny substance, called nacre, is secreted around the object to protect the soft internal surface of the mollusk. As layer upon layer of nacre coats the irritant, a pearl is formed. Light that is reflected from these overlapping layers produces an iridescent luster. This process of building a solid pearl can take up to seven or eight years.The most valuable pearls are perfectly symmetrical, relatively large, are naturally produced and have a high degree of iridescence. 

Stunning Stick Pearl and Lamp Work necklace by CalliopeAZ

The main oyster beds are in the Persian Gulf, along the coasts of India and Sri Lanka, and in the Red Sea. Chinese pearls come mainly from freshwater rivers and ponds and Japanese pearls are found near the coast in salt water. Freshwater pearls occur in the rivers of Scotland, Ireland, France, Austria, Germany, and the USA (Mississippi). The coasts of Polynesia and Australia produce mainly cultured pearls.

Necklace focal created with Pearls, Swiss Topaz & Labradorite by jQ jewelry designs

There are many types of pearls:

* Natural pearls - made without human interference
* Cultured pearls - This method was first used in 1893. A foreign substance, often a small piece of shell, is intentionally inserted into a living oyster.
* Keishi pearls - formed when the oyster rejects the inserted substance. The resulting keshi pearl is 100% nacre. This gives it an especially lustrous and shimmering surface quality.
* Baroque pearls - pearls that have irregular shapes
* Biwa pearls - an irregular shaped pearl which forms in the freshwater of Lake Biwa, Japan
* Freshwater pearls - pearls which form in fresh water mollusks and resemble puffed rice
* Blister pearls - pearls which grow attached to the inside of the shell * Mabe pearls - cultivated blister pearls
* Seed pearls - small, tiny pearls used in Victorian jewelry and sewn on clothing, often wedding gowns.

Freshwater Pearl cluster dangle earrings designed by Galla15 of Trinkets N Whatnots

Pearls are usually white, but may also be black, gray, silver, cream, lavender, peach or pink depending on the type of mollusk and the water it lives in. They are now being dyed a rainbow of other colors and are used in fashion jewelry. Because the nacre is organic, pearls are very sensitive to heat, cosmetics, hair products and humidity. Care should be taken when wearing and storing them.

Beautiful combination of Keishi Pearls, Lampwork & knotted silk by Peelirohini

LORE:

Pearls were once thought to be the tears of God. The ancient Greeks believed that wearing pearls ensured a happy marriage. Pearl is often referred to as the "Queen Gem"; Diamond is referred to as the King Gem. Cleopatra was said to have dissolved a pearl in wine and swallowed it to seduce Mark Anthony because it was thought to be a powerful aphrodisiac, and to attract love. They were prized by royalty, both male and female, and were even worn by knights who went into battle in the Middle Ages, believing that pearls would protect them from harm. As an emblem of modesty, chastity and purity, the Pearl symbolizes love, success, and happiness. In many countries they are used as a wedding gift and still symbolize a happy marriage.

 

 DID YOU KNOW?

The Pearl of Allah, the largest pearl on record, was recovered from a giant clam on May 7, 1934, off the coast of Palawan Island, Philippines. The pearl is 9.4 inches long and weighs about 14 lbs. According to the "Guinness Book of Records," the San Francisco Gem Laboratory has valued the pearl at $40 million. The Muslim diver who found the pearl said its surface bore the image of a turbaned face, and he named it the Pearl of Allah.

Pearl of Allah

It may be the world's largest pearl, but it's also the ugliest! It is just me, or does this thing resemble a brain?    Ewww . . .

Victor Barbish, who owns 66 percent of the pearl on behalf of his daughter, told WorldNetDaily he received an offer in 1999 from individuals who said they represented Osama bin Laden. They tried to purchase the pearl for $60 million as gift to Saddam Hussein "to unite the Arab cultures," and Hussein was prepared to accept, according to the pearl's owner. 


from Jill Q of jQ jewelry designs

The Winner is: Linda B of LindaB Jewelry Designs

Congratulations to the Winner of our Mother's Day Challenge ...

~

I'm one of the original  Promotional Frenzy team members, before Etsy made changes to the threads and chats, at least over a year ago. Not only am I addicted to chatting with team members, I've been able to learn a great deal about my business and share knowledge that I have in certain areas. 


It's so exciting to win the votes for the Promotional Frenzy team Mother’s Day challenge. I’m grateful to everyone who voted for my necklace. I used Facebook, Twitter, G+, and my blog to ask for votes and it worked! And, I learned how to do a lot of social media from the Promo Frenzy team. 

I’m thankful for the leaders and members of the Promotional Frenzy team for helping me to stretch my creativity, challenging me to create new designs, and for their support and promotion. It’s a terrific Etsy team to be on; one where can share your ups and downs (we have a prayer thread), and I’m addicted to checking in and chatting with these terrific people.

I’ve been designing beaded and gemstone jewelry since around 2003 and my designs have changed substantially from attaching a pendant and a few beads to a cord to wire wrapped swirls and squiggles on and around gemstone pendants. A co-worker (and a client) suggested Etsy to me.  I opened my Etsy shop in Feb 2008, but didn’t do anything with it until April 2008. I met several other helpful people online: Tim Adam of Handmadeology and CrochetGal of the EtsyTwitter Team, who also give guidance to Etsy shop owners. I have an Artfire shop www.lindab142.artfire.com and my own (neglected) website www.LinorStore.com

10 things I’d like you to know:

1. My niche area is Jewish jewelry and wire beaded kippot (headcoverings) for Jewish women. It is such a joy to create a piece for someone’s bar or bat mitzvah or wedding, a lifecycle event.
   
   

 Copper Wire Kippah   

Passover Seder Plate Earrings

2. I got my ears pierced in 2004 so I could wear my earring designs. Before that, it was easier for me to poke myself in the eyes to put in contact lenses than put on an earring post. Also, I prefer fishhook earwires.
3. I am mostly self-taught, but I did take a few classes in beadweaving (not for me), wire wrapping  (love it), and 1 session in making wire beaded kippot, and that’s what I truly love. I’m very excited to go down a new path using these techniques, by adding prom and bridal party jewelry to my shops. Also, I am creating different shapes for kippah designs – ovals, and squares and using different colors of Swarovski crystals, pearls or seed beads. Some of my designs are adapted from beading magazines and suppliers.  I’ve also purchased a few design tutorials.
4. My design elements involve movement and flow.  These are reflected in the 2 pieces that I entered into the Mother’s Day challenge:

a.       Blue Sodalite Wire Wrapped Necklace has the flow of trees grounded (wrapped) to the earth. I have a vision of customizing these necklaces for moms, daughters, and grandmas with a generational tree using the birthstone colors of each family member.  

Blue Sodalite Wire Wrapped Pendant Set  

b.     Yellow Blister Pearl and Jade Necklace - I love the color and the different sizes and shapes of the gemstones. 

Antique Pink Swarovski Crsytal Sterling Silver Necklace and Earrings Set - check out the movement added to the pendant part, a dangling pearl, and the earrings are really about movement.

5. I have a tremor that sometimes makes it difficult to add the final crimp beads to finish a piece of jewelry. Plus, my kitty assistants seem to always jump on the table to help me complete the design. In February 2012, I started having pain in my hands and thought it was carpal tunnel, but it is tennis elbow. Unfortunately, I have to give up my marathon jewelry and kippot designing weekends and pace myself.  And, I have to be online less and rest my arms and hands. 

My Orbit pearl necklace

5. I’ve written a few guides on social media: blogs, FaceBook and press releases and publicity. That reminds me, they need to be updated.  I like to write, too. 
6. I have a Web Design Certificate that I earned by going back to school full time when I was unemployed in 2001. I took 5 courses in 1 semester and attended school 5 days a week, using Fri. to catch up on all my assignments (using a MAC). 
7. My husband is very supportive of my bead and Etsy addictions. We met at the local movie theater where we worked. I was a candy girl; he was an usher.  I moved up to selling tickets in the box office, and he became a floating assistant manager at different movie theaters owned by the same chain. Our theater had a balcony, architectural column on the sides, and a ceiling filled with working twinkling stars. He proposed to me in the balcony during the movie “Cactus Flower.” 
8. When I’m not beading, I’m reading or watching TV. A few of my favorite authors are James Patterson, Stephen King, Nora Roberts, Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick, Steve Martini, and Nicholas Sparks. TV shows I watch: House, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory, Gray’s Anatomy and Hard Core Pawn. 
9. Tip: Join Etsy teams and Facebook groups to connect with like-minded people. You’ll be rewarded by giving and receiving information and making friends that you may get to meet in person while traveling. I've met several Etsy vendors at local craft shows before. 

Here's where you can find Linda B online: 
www.lindab142.etsy.com
www.lindab142.artfire.com
Web: www.LinorStore.com Blog: linorstorecom.blogspot.com
Facebook Bus: facebook.com/linorstore
Twitter: twitter.com/lindab142
Stumbleupon: stumbleupon.com/stumbler/lindab142/all
G: http://tinyurl.com/3f7ao9l Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24930325@N03/

Learning to Nurture the Creative Process

 

The creative process is a deep and mysterious thing ... more so for some than others, but we all know how exhilarating it is when we have those Ah-ha Moments!

As kids we enjoyed the luxury of slowly waking from sweet slumber, while simultaneously calculating the possibilities of the day ... and all this before our feet even touched the floor. We were still innocent enough to feel a giddy excitement about what the day had in store, never doubting it would be brilliant!

Happiness is ... knowing that every day I will be Brilliant!

Picasso said, "All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."

I wasn't intimidated by the box of 64 Crayola colors, worried about what to sculpt with my play dough, and lord knows, as soon as I could get outside to greet the day there was no need for Nintendo to facilitate my game playing adventures. I made up my own games and more importantly, my own rules. I was not in survival mode back then, life was easy ... life was fun.

 

When we become adults, the times seem to change. Corinthians puts it much better than I ever could ... "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." What a shame!!!

The creative spirit resides deep within, even as a young child. But as grown-ups with lots of distractions and the stress of daily life, what happens when we become scattered and our creative juices suddenly and unexpectedly run dry? As a jewelry designer, I ponder this dilemma, albeit only momentarily. I have several quick fixes under my belt. Here are some suggestions to help you through those unproductive periods that haunt us all.

Sometimes it can be hard to get your act together ...

• Commit to taking time out of your day, maybe early in the morning before anyone else is awake, to be quiet and at peace, even meditate if the spirit moves you to do so.

• The space in which you work needs to be comfortable as well as inspirational. Hang pictures of images that kindle the imagination, paint the walls your favorite color, and place your special pieces in prominent locations throughout the space.

• Go for nature walks, they are refreshing and you will be surprised by the things that inspire you along the way.

• Engage in artistic pursuits other than your chosen medium. Even though I am passionate about jewelry design, I also write, play the flute and shop ;D

• Go with the flow. Creativity is a mysterious process that ignites unexpectedly and if you allow it, will flow continually all your days. When an special idea explodes let it take you over ... It's not about you, it's about the process. Creating really is a form of surrender. For me, it often takes place in the early hours of my day, while I am putting a bead on, taking a bead off, until I am no longer thinking, just doing, and that's when something fresh & unique just might become form. Once the trance is broken I may as well walk away until the next urge to slip back into my studio takes over. I live for those moments.

It is nice to remember the days of our carefree childhood and how much easier it was to 
"let our freak flag fly", but I sure would like to believe it's still possible to live that way each and everyday of our lives. So, even though the restrictiveness of our daily schedules try to crowd out our precious play time, it is important to take the time for creative pursuits and conceive the impossible!

Contributor: Jill Q of jQ jewelry designs

Photo Credits:
Happiness is ... Sarah Jane Studios