timothy adam designs

Promote Your Etsy Coupons for FREE on Etsy Coupons

2011-06-16T11:45:00.003-04:00

So you have your Etsy coupons all set, but how do you get more exposure and get these coupons in front of more buyers. EtsyCoupons.com is the perfect solution!
Etsy Coupons is designed for all Etsy sellers to submit and promote their coupon codes. Submitting coupons is free and simple.
Benefits of submitting your Etsy Coupons:
Etsy Coupons is brought to you by the team at Handmadeology.
1. Gives Etsy sellers a specific place to send their buyers to promote their coupon codes.
2. Etsy Coupons utilizes social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, Stumbleupon, and many more to promote submitted coupons. Your coupons will be seen by our vast social media reach.
3. By submitting your coupons here you will gain valuable backlinks to your Etsy shop that will help improve your Etsy shop SEO.
Etsy Coupons is a simple site to use. Here is a step by step walk through of setting up your account and adding your first coupon.
1. You want to register for a new account. Fill out the user name and email and you will be sent an email with your password and login instructions. You can change your password once you are officially logged in.

You will find your account info on the top of the site under My Account. Here you can change your password and add important info like, your website, and short bio.

2. Submit your Etsy coupon:
Once you have your account all set up, you are ready to add some coupons.
You can submit your Etsy Coupons HERE.

Click the green button and you will be taken to the upload page.
Fill out the form entirely. Be sure to add the correct category and your Etsy shop link. If you don’t have your shop link added shoppers will not know where to use the Coupon code. Make sure you also enter the coupon code correctly. All of this info can be edited once your Etsy Coupon is accepted and posted by the admin. When uploading your picture for your coupon be sure to use a rectangle shaped picture. For the best results use a 280×210 size.

* Tip: When you are creating a title for your Etsy coupon be sure you are descriptive. When these coupons are Tweeted and shared on Facebook, you want people to know what you are offering.
3. Managing and Editing your Etsy Coupons:
You can manage your coupons HERE.

Check out Etsy Coupons on Facebook…. HERE

Top Etsy Photographer Interview

2011-06-15T11:44:00.000-04:00

The Swing Set – Fine art photograph – fair – carnival

I had the privilege of interviewing Irene from Is Photography and asking her a few questions about successfully selling photography on Etsy. Irene is the top selling photographer currently on Etsy. I have included a few of photos in the interviews, so please take the time to check out her amazing work and learn from what she has to say.
1. When and how did you become interested in photography?
I first became interested in photography in the mid 1990s. I started traveling and wanted to learn about photography so that I could take decent photographs on my trips. I took a night course at a college to learn how to use my camera. I became much more serious about photography in 2005 when I purchased my first digital SLR and found flickr.
2. How did you find Etsy, and why did you start selling on Etsy?
I noticed that a couple of my flickr contacts were selling prints on a site with a weird name: Etsy. I wasn’t even thinking about selling prints at that time, but a seed must have been planted and the idea began slowly percolating in the back of my mind. About a year later, in early 2007, I opened a shop. Initially it was simply a means to make a little extra money to pay for all the photography gear I was coveting.
3. When I first started selling on Etsy I was afraid of failing, did you ever encounter that fear? If so how did you overcome that fear?
I wasn’t afraid at the start. I didn’t have many expectations at first and I had a full-time day job. The start-up costs were minimal, the risk was low, and at that time there was no thought of doing it full-time. I decided to quit my day job in May of 2008. Then in September the economy crashed. Then, hello fear. The way I live with it is to have a Plan B and a Plan C. Last year I started photographing weddings to diversify myself and to develop a new skill set. If sales ever seriously slump, I can seek more wedding and portrait work. My Plan C is to go back to what I was doing before (technical writing), at least on a part-time basis. So far I have been blessed and feel so fortunate to be making a living doing what I love in this tough economy.
4. Do you remember your first sale on Etsy? How has your product changed since then?

Yes! I sold my first print the day after I opened my shop. It was so exciting!
At first I only offered photographic prints. Over time, I have added other products such as greeting cards, calendars, and photo jewelry (in collaboration with another Etsy seller). I also offer a matting service and I work with a local professional framer to offer framed prints at a reasonable price. My style has evolved over time as well. My color palette has shifted from darker colors to lighter hues. I feel it has gotten more impressionistic and abstract over time too.
5. Do you still get that “feeling” when you see your sold item number go up?
Oh yes! I feel that little jolt in the heart region every time.

Read more of the interview on Handmadeology.

Monday Connection - May 30

2011-05-30T10:39:00.000-04:00

Connections are everything when you are running a creative business. Here is your opportunity to leave your links and connect with other sellers, bloggers, and like minded creative business owners.

Leave a link to your shop, blog, twitter, Facebook... you got it you post it. How about a new item in your shop or a freshly posted blog post....

Ready ... Set.... Connect...

Stay At Home Moms - Here Are Some Tips to Help You Get More Etsy Sales

2011-05-28T10:13:00.000-04:00

Forest Knit Alpaca Neck Cowl with Cedar Buttons - ready to ship

AlpacaCreations says:
If you’re a stay-at-home mom like me, you probably laugh every time the “Quit Your Day Job” advice hits your inbox. Although I’m sure we’ve all had moments when we’ve wanted to, the simple fact is…we can’t quit our day jobs!

While I love the Etsy marketplace, the fact is 70% of my sales last year were local. Promoting your work on Etsy takes a lot of time – a commodity that is always in short supply when your main job is running a family!
What’s a busy mom to do? Promote while you work! What does that mean? Read on for examples…

1) BRING YOUR WORK WITH YOU EVERYWHERE. OK, I knit, so it’s portable. But, even if you paint, pot, bead, etc. find some aspect of your work to bring with you, even if it’s a sketch pad to draw out new ideas. I knit while waiting at the dentist, bank, car shop, airport – everywhere. Other people around me are invariably interested in what I’m doing. Which leads us to…

2) BE PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT YOUR WORK. While I was waiting for my car to be repaired last year, I had 3 car salesmen watching me knit. I started talking about knitting, and one of them shared a story about how he remembered his grandmother knitting when he was younger. Turns out he also loves supporting local handmade and took several business cards to pass out to friends. Once you start talking, you’ll find people will be more engaged with your work, which can also lead to sales.

3) BRING PHOTOS AND BUSINESS CARDS. I can’t stress this enough. We can’t carry a store full of products around with us, so I have a small photo book on hand to show people my work. At my last dental appointment, my photo book got passed around the entire office and I got 3 orders that day! Keep an ample supply of business cards on hand, too. That way people can check out your Etsy store and have your contact information.

Read more tips from AlpacaCreations in the Etsy forums HERE.

Giving important Etsy forum threads written by the Etsy community a second look, so Etsy sellers can Read, Learn, and Apply! Find more Etsy Tips Here!

Alternatives To Renewing - Tips from Etsy Admin

2011-05-27T09:00:00.002-04:00

Eames Plywood Chair Fine Silver Necklace | by:chocolateandsteel

Alternatives To Renewing - Tips from Etsy Admin

daniellexo says:

First, I want to note that we here at Etsy are working on other more interesting and innovative ways for buyers to find the Etsy items they’ll love and purchase AND more interesting and innovative ways for sellers to promote their work on Etsy. Our amazing product and engineering teams are on the case! These guys will undoubtedly speed up this process: http://www.etsy.com/storque/etsy-news/handcrafting-etsy-6508/ Until then, I’d like to share some tips and start a conversation on getting views without having to spend a pretty penny renewing.
I recently received a convo from a seller who was renewing every single item in their shop every day. She was frustrated at the fees she was accruing every month (as she should be!) I immediately had a few ideas for her shop that she could implement instead of renewing. I thought I’d share them here.
1) Make sure you are using all 14 tags. Your item’s tags are directly related to search. If you aren’t using all 14 you are missing opportunities! (Helpful article: http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/guidelines-tips-tagging-on-etsy-281/
1a) And make sure those tags relate to your items style, very specific colors, textures, size and themes/motifs. (Helpful article: http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/seller-how-to-tag-o-rama-with-descriptive-keywords-5474/
1b) Don’t just copy and paste your tags from one listing to another. Varying your tags will get your work seen in many different searches.
1c) Make sure your tags are accurate! If you are tagging a necklace with “earrings” in the hopes of getting more views, I beg you to reconsider this tactic. Shoppers looking for earrings are going to pay no mind to your listing so you’ll only be wasting a tag!
1d) Team Tags don’t need to be added to every single item in your shop. Just use them on a couple of items. Same goes with your shop name. It’s smart to tag a few items in your shop with your business name – just in case someone searches your name in search but forgets to use the drop down menu to choose search sellers.

Read more HERE
Giving important Etsy forum threads written by the Etsy community a second look, so Etsy sellers can Read, Learn, and Apply!

Etsy Treasury Tips - How to Get Featured in Thousands of Treasuries

2011-05-26T12:30:00.001-04:00

Water Element Necklace, Aquamarine Glass Round on Gun Metal Chain Handmade | By: Pole Star

Jen From PoleStar says:

This post stems from a few posts I have seen where sellers are astounded at others being featured in thousands of treasuries. I was going to post IN a recent thread but I thought the advice deserved it’s own post.
Everyone here should NOT feel like small potatoes for only being in a few treasuries. We all start somewhere! There are unlimited treasuries now so the potential for how many treasuries you can end up in is infinity!
If you want to be in more treasuries some things that help are,
1. of course, great pictures. Set a mood with your photo, if you had a store front, how would you stage the front window? That is what you want to reflect in your shop pictures, of course with out being cluttered.
Someone who posted in the other thread is AmyArtz, her avatar is gorgeous, it makes me want to click, to find out, what is this cool looking cube textured pendant.
2. Of course a well made product and some cohesion in your shop. After a while people will know your shop for a great photographed version of a product.
I sell wire wrapped jewelry. As do A WHOLE LOT of other jewelry sellers on Etsy. I love what I make of course, am obsessed with making it and I do like to run it as a business for profit as well. That is why I am here on etsy selling it instead of piling it on my bed and rolling around in it a la The Proposal or whatever that movie was. My category is swamped. But guess what? I don’t let that get me down, I just try to do the best that I can do in my shop.
I take unique photos and people know my shop look and come to my shop for items to put in their treasuries. I know this, b/c they tell me so .
I also have a large variety of colors in my shop. From neutrals to bright yellows, etc.
I make what I love. I love owls, Etsy loves owls. I made an owl necklace b/c I LOVE owls. I love foxes, but I am not feeling a fox necklace, just not wanting to go there.
And for SURE I will never EVER make a mustache necklace. If I do, slap me like the passengers do the freak out lady in Airplane b/c I will have done lost my marbles.
If you feel like you want to express a trend, do it! If not, don’t! It is important that you do what you love and follow your instincts.
3. Network. Especially network with other people who love to make treasuries. At the heart of the treasury is people loving to curate lists. Be it through your favorites, a challenge through a team, etc. It is a challenging yet fun experience. It can fulfill your need for window shopping and artistic expression as well!
Network by joining a team, START a team! Twitter, Facebook. I have made so many FRIENDS through teams, such good friends, I could go stay with them overnight and sleep at their houses w/o worrying they would be a psycho killer even though I know them only through the internet.
4. Make treasuries and let everyone know you are in them! Pimp them out. That involves convoing people who you featured, tweeting your treasury lists and facebooking them.
Even if you only do one a week it will help.
5. Pay it back and forward. If you are featured in a newbie treasury, make one with newbies; if you are featured by another bow maker who loves your bows, make a treasury with that bow maker.
6. Use the Etsy Merchandising terms.
http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/merchandising/
Personally, I go through the articles and pick out “key words” and email them to myself and when I make a treasury, I skim the list and include the relevant tags in my treasury.
I am by NO means curating a ton of front pages even though I would like to. But those help me nonetheless.
I love being on the front page, but you know what feels even better? CURATING a front page. That is such a rush, awesome feeling.

Earrings Sterling Silver Lampwork Glass Hydroquartz, Fruit of the Vine

Read more tips from Jen HERE in the Etsy forums.

Giving important Etsy forum threads written by the Etsy community a second look, so Etsy sellers can Read, Learn, and Apply! Find more Etsy Tips Here!

The “core” of success is already within you—ready to be released—it’s all about YOU! Creative Etsy Success

Etsy Treasury Tool Bundle - Tracker and Blueprint

Product Lead Times - The Breakdown With John W. Golden

2011-05-24T16:14:00.001-04:00

owlsay says

Hey John, One of my biggest issues is communicating lead times for my products. I've ordered from you before and you have a pretty good explanation of how long your items will take before you ship. But I'm also use to Etsy and ok with waiting for handmade items. I've tried to make that explanation as clear as possible when a customer orders something that clearly states it has a lead time, but I still have customers who don't realize my handmade process really takes that ENTIRE time stated. Do you charge rush fees if a customer wants something sooner? How do you answer the 'when will my order ship' question when your customer seems agitated they will have to wait?

johnwgolden says

It took me a while to get that turnaround statement refined to what it is now :) and plenty have people have had difficulty comprehending it and some still do.
Quick answers to your questions:
I do not charge a rush fee, not necessarily because I don't want to, but only because the levels of requests has not risen to a level that I need to. If I did charge, it would be as more of a deterrent.
I try to give the customer my best honest guess as to when I will get their order out, and then I try to stay on top of that order. More often than not, I cannot accurately estimate how long it will take to get to an order, so I just have to give myself enough time to force that order out when I said it would go. I am still a work in progress when it comes to this.
I think the buying public is used to getting purchases quickly, and that does work against sellers that have long production or turnaround times. Fortunately, most of my customers have been understanding.
I don't know the foolproof answer to getting my turnaround times to be seen and read, but I try to get them read by putting it in the product listing, my shop description and policies and up front in the message from seller in the Etsy e-mail to the buyer. I also conclude a bit of verbiage about how busier times can affect turnaround.
An extended bit about turnaround and making customers wait follows:)
Ideally, we could just say 10 calendar days and folks would be willing to wait that long. I started out on Etsy shipping within 2-3 business days, so that phrasing of "business days" always stayed in the estimate. One day, you are having lots of daily sales and shipping in 10-14 business days and you realize: That can be 21 calendar days!
I realized most of my time management problems and unhappy customers were coming from my long turnaround, so I worked for months to get it shorter. That has almost eliminated the need to ask folks for an inordinate amount of patience (in today's overnight express world).
Since there are so many aspects of our production process that we cannot shorten, I focused on what parts I could speed up. Now, I chose to do this as I was also adding my art blocks to my Etsy line, which added production time. So, for a while my efforts were not all that effective and it took longer for me to get the turnaround down than it should have. The upside to that was I got plenty of opportunity to deal with folks that were having to wait too long.
I make sure that no matter how long someone has waited, they know how sorry I am to make them wait and how much I appreciate their patience. i also let them know what I am doing to correct that problem and to prevent it from happening again. Then I just try to get back to work as soon as possible.
If you can't shorten your turnaround time, or can't immediately think of ways to do so, don't sweat it too much. If you concentrate on the aspects of your business that you can control, stuff like that tends to work itself out over time.

Read up on the Break Down Series.

Tips From An Etsy Veteran

2011-05-23T11:49:00.000-04:00

: 50 Keep Calm And Carry On Lip Balms | by: KreatedbyKarina

The longer you are involved with something the more you are bound to learn. Karina has been selling on Etsy for over 4 years and she has kindly shared her tips for running a successful Etsy shop.
Karina from KreatedbyKarina says: Veteran

In a few months I'll be celebrating 4 years on Etsy! To mark the day, I thought I'd share some of my best-kept secrets from running Soap That Makes Scents (well, ok, they are not really secrets but rather segments of advice I have given out here in the forums or in convos as a member of the Sellers Assisting Sellers Team). An FAQ of sorts, and it's all here in one place for you--might be a long read but you can pick out the parts you find useful to reach your own level of success:
~ Promoting ~
Probably the most common question I get asked is "how do you promote?"
My best tip is to figure out your target audience and promote directly to them.
Promoting to a wide audience is fine, but in the end you'll save yourself a lot of time, money and energy focusing your advertising strategies on those people who are more likely to purchase your products.
Think about the ideal person who would shop in your store---how old are they? What sort of websites/blogs would they most likely visit? What kind of magazines do you think they likely to read? What areas of the city would they live in? You can expand to other brainstorming questions but those few should give you a good start in figuring out the type of people who frequent your shop (as well as the type of people you want to direct your items to).
Once you've figured out your target audience, you can then take out ads on those same blogs, websites, magazines etc. Or concentrate on doing craftshows geared towards that "type" of audience.
~ When Selling, Think Like A Buyer ~
For instance...when trying to figure out how to tag your items, think of how YOU search for items when shopping. Do you search by color, or by certain keywords you find yourself using over and over? If so, use them in your tags as well. A great way of figuring out how to describe/tag your item is to ask friends and family. Let them take a look at what your selling (or give them a sample!) and ask what single words they would use to describe it to others. Pick out the most relevant and common ones and use those as tags if they fit, or incorporate some of their suggestions into your item descriptions.
Also---think about what promotional tactics work on YOU. Do you sign up for lots of newsletters? Maybe it's time you offered one of your own to your customers. Do you find yourself throwing away business cards, but keeping magnets and always reminding yourself "to check out that store" everytime you see it on the fridge? Invest in getting some promotional magnets made to give out with your orders or to people you meet. Things like that.
~ Organization Is Important ~
When I started out, I had supplies laying around everywhere--and I mean *everywhere*. My husband used to joke that at times he felt as though he lived in a warehouse. I realized that I was wasting a lot of time by having to go to one place for a box/envelope, one place for a pen, one place for a business card and soap sample, one place to collect the invoice, etc. Now I have a room dedicated to packaging, shipping, wrapping and labeling--Everything is stored in clear plastic bins, and out of reach from tiny hands. Recently we moved the computer in there as well just to make things even more easier. Keeping everything in one place can streamline the process from the time you receive an order, to the time it's shipped out.
~ Going Full Time~
(I took this part below from part of my QYDJ Storque interview so it may seem repetitive if you've read it)
Another common question I get is about how I made the transition from part-time soapmaker to full-time soapmaker. The easy answer would be "I just took the leap, and everything worked out fabulous!!" The more realistic answer is that it was a lot of planning ahead of time, tight budgeting to make my business self-sustainable and turn a profit, plenty of sacrifice (time, energy, luxuries), a bit of luck, and old-fashioned hard work.
If you don't have a Business Plan drawn up, I seriously urge you to get one. You can find lots of information and templates (as well as full examples) at www.sba.gov It truly is my opinion that no business can succeed fulltime without one. My husband and I sat down and wrote ours several years ago. A business plan covers not only your company's mission and planning out your target audience, but also your fiscal projection for several years ahead, all costs associated with running it from the beginning (ie. license cost, capital needed, utilities, supplies, advertising budget and a slew of other areas), HOW you plan on covering these costs, short and long-term goals, and will become your Business Manual of sorts. Plus, if you need to go to a bank for a loan to finance your business at any time, many will want to see your business plan (which should then also cover how you plan on paying your lender back).
As it stands now, Soap That Makes Scents pays for itself, with enough left over to pay our bills and rent, as well as groceries, etc. Etsy has been incredible in exposure and while they are the forefront and a large part of my business, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that craftshows, wholesale accounts, and private soap parties (and online soap parties!) make up a large portion of my income--although I wouldn't have gotten any of those accounts if it hadn't been for them finding me on Etsy.com
It's our goal for my husband to quit HIS day job in either 2011 or 2012 by the latest. He's already taken the first step by reducing his hours at work.

Read more awesome tips from Karina about money, competition , and newsletters HERE in the Etsy forums.
Giving important Etsy forum threads written by the Etsy community a second look, so Etsy sellers can Read, Learn, and Apply! Find more Etsy Tips Here!

: Chocolate Espresso - Handmade Shea Butter Vegan Soap

Monday Connection - May 23

2011-05-23T07:45:00.003-04:00

Advertising Your Etsy Shop - The Breakdown With John W. Golden

2011-05-22T16:13:00.001-04:00

John W. Golden is a digital artist that has been designing since the 80's. John joined Etsy in July of 2006, and has sold over 8,000 items. You can also find John's work in Target! The Breakdown series is a ongoing series that goes behind the scenes of John's successful Etsy shop. We will be looking at real questions from real sellers, and John is going to break them down and give his straight-up answer. We will be covering a wide range of topics, but all will be geared to the success of your Etsy business.
Today's Breakdown - John talks about advertising your Etsy shop.
joyoustreasures says
First of all thanks for posting this thread! Very generous of you to do this.
Do you have any advice on how I can advertise to my market, or how to go about finding them? I have tried to get in contact with a few blogs that focus on books and reading, but got no response :( What other suggestions might you have?
I personally think that I need to start marketing off etsy, but don't have much experience with that!
Thanks in advance!
johnwgolden says
joyoustreasuries - If you can budget some money to purchase advertising on those blogs that you identified as good places to feature your work, you might find that they write a feature on your work. I don't ever spend much when I advertise on blogs, but only because I don't have much budgeted for doing so. If you can find that rare blog with lots of traffic and very affordable advertising, it can pay off.
Barring that:
If I was seller your product, and I had already tried the books and reading blogs, I would concentrate on trying to find and get in front of:
1) folks who love flowers and horticulture
2) folks who know folks who love flowers, etc.
3) Readers, of course
4) folks who know readers
And pretty much anybody else I could think of that could need a bookmark and likes flowers :).
I'd look for gardening blogs, specifically ones with a focus on gardening books. Don't know if those exist, but that's what I would look for.
If you have any kind of community in place, like this team, or a Facebook page, or Twitter, I would put out to those folks that you are looking for places to approach with your bookmarks. Ask if they have any favorite gardening blogs, etc.
I guess what I am suggesting is, since you have tried the places that you would expect to get a little traction generating exposure for your work, try some of the unexpected places.

Read up on the Break Down Series.

Etsy Tags: Use ‘Em All - Here Are Some Pointers

2011-05-21T15:54:00.001-04:00

Disco Fever . Gift Tags on Ring

If someone gave you 14 opportunities to make a sale, would you decide to only use 10? I doubt it. Don’t do that with your tags on Etsy either. You may miss the boat!
The first tag is Etsy’s official category list. Choose the one that most accurately fits your item (warning: Etsy does respond to complaints about mis-categorized items, so beware. Yes, we all want visibility, but not at the expense of customer good will.

Etsy has Tutorials and Help Articles
Etsy has several articles and helpful tips you can use, and they discuss using tags, choosing categories, and many other helpful items to set up and organize your store. So don’t overlook all they help they give to sellers.

Tags: Use ‘Em All
Standard tags I think you should use ALL THE TIME:

FIRST: The NAME of your Store
If you have promoted your store on your blog, if someone else has mentioned your store on their blog, or if they heard about you from another customer, you want them to find you, don’t you? Maybe they actually purchased from you before, but don’t want to go through their list of past purchases to find you. Whatever the reason, or however they know of your store, make that one of your tags.
SECOND: Your Name, or the Name you Use with your Creations!
This is another, to me at least, no-brainer. Friends and people at work may not remember my store name, but they will know mine. I always tell customers they can find our store on etsy, so they may remember that and go looking. BUT my store name, since I have a business partner, may not be quite that easy to remember. By entering my name in the search text, my items should pop right up.
Remember, your customers can’t walk in your store and ask questions, or ask for you, so you need them to find you, quick, easy and accurately.

More Tagging Suggestions
Describe your item in the next tags. Now, descriptions are a bit more tricky. Of course, you do want to be descriptive, but not so detailed that no one would ever use that as a search term. Cream, tan, or brown may be terms customers would use to search for a purse color, but ecru? Well, probably not so much. But if you have something that is a well known trademark name, be sure to add that. Let’s say you made a wall hanging using Mary Engelbreit material. Be sure you list that as an item. Customers would search on that, since it may be something they specifically want to find!
I sell jewelry so I am sure to list color, type of gemstone, and generally whether it’s silver or gold or copper, etc. I might also add the type of clasp, if it’s unique, such as heart toggle. I list the gemstone, if it is one I think customers would search on, such as turquoise, amethyst or sapphire. But I might not add that if the stone is uncommon, such as rhodochrosite, and especially not manganese carbonate! Who knows that! Not many customers. And if they do, they will also know they more common ways to find it, such as searching for pink or rose colored.

Team Tags
OK, maybe you have passed the obvious tags, and now you are wondering “what else?” Is this where you used to quit (used to, because you know you won’t do that anymore, right?). You have listed the basic descriptive terms, your name and your store. Next?
If you are the member of an Etsy team, add that as a tag. I have personally used this in so many ways, and it’s great. First, if anyone has promoted your team in a blog post or article, customers may search on the team name and get not only our store, but many of our individual items also! Second, if I am writing the article, I can search for our team name and immediately get items from our members stores that I can then high-light and link to in my article! Quick, easy. Third, it also makes it easy for a member to work up a treasury that will focus on team offerings. Finally, sometimes I can’t remember a member’s store name (in fact, some members may have more than 1 store).

Locator Tags
I also list tags about where I am located. I’ve never used “United States” but I may need to remember that one myself. But I list my state and usually my city. Or perhaps the closest large city to where I am. Many people try to shop local whenever they can, and I want them to find me. Maybe they will contact me for a custom order if they know we can meet and discuss it in person. Maybe they have a store and would take some of my items on consignment.
Also, if your item is somehow connected to a large special event, add that as a tag. If you make handmade wedding invitations, using calligraphy, you want that in your tags. If your item uses an image of Italy, or the Eiffel Tower, be sure those are tagged as such. Is it a bookmark with a cross? Maybes you add the terms catechism or baptism or confirmation, since these might be great gifts for such occasions.
It is not a tagging error to help customers find a gift for that special occasion or for someone who has a particular hobby or interest. You don’t want to be overlooked. Tags are your ability to suggest something from your shelves to your customer.

Read the rest of the article over on Handmadeology

5 Minute Traffic Boosting Blog Post Ideas for Etsy Bloggers

2011-05-21T12:44:00.000-04:00

Let's face it blogging can sometimes be difficult when you are just not sure what to write about. You always want to make sure you are engaging your readers with content that they want to read. Figuring out strong topics can be a challenge and will leave you frustrated. Like I always say , "if you are not enjoying your blog... you need to change it up and make it fun".

Strong blog topics that bring in readers do not necessarily need to be long. They just need to grab the attention of your readers.

3 characteristics of a strong 5 minute blog post:

Attention Gabbing
Involves other artist and blogger
Promotes social sharing (facebook , twitter, blogs, ect)

Grabbing your readers attention:

This all starts with your title. Make sure your title tells your people exactly what the post is about. When your post is Tweeted and shared on Facebook, you want people to click. The second way to grab attention is with awesome pictures. Every post you ever write on your blog must have a picture. Pictures are crucial for Facebook. Wall posts with pictures have a higher click through rate than those without.

Get others involved promotes social sharing:

When you get other artist and bloggers involved in your articles, you are harnessing the power of numbers. If you feature one other Etsy seller, that seller will love the exposure and then spread the word around.

What if you could feature 10 or more Etsy sellers in one post?

Here are two strong 5 minute blog post ideas.

1. Featuring a Handmade Top 10 list.

Handmade Top 10 is a voting site that is brought to you by Handmadeology and is designed to help sellers improve their products and to bring the very best handmade, vintage, and supply items in front of buyers. Our voting system is allows anyone to add items from Etsy and vote. There is no login or sign up required, and is 100% free.

Once a list is finalized there is even more opportunity for exposure. This is where any blogger can come in and place a finished list in a blog post.

We understand the importance of sharing and promoting lists through social media. On every list open and closed you will find a promote button.

Here is what our blog post widget looks like: It is a clickable live widget that changes with the votes!

When writing about a top 10 list from Handmade Top 10, you will be including 10 other Etsy sellers. A post like this will take you only a few minutes to complete, but will give you the opportunity to grow your readership and increase your traffic. Spend the extra time to let the sellers know that you have featured them on your blog.

2. Featuring an Etsy Treasury:

We all know them and we all love them.. Etsy treasuries are a great way to spread the blog featuring love! There are thousands of treasuries to pick from when deciding which one to feature. The fastest way to add a treasury to a blog post is with Whale Shark Websites Etsy Treasury Tool. You can have a clickable Etsy treasury in a blog post in seconds! We have featured thousands of Etsy shops right here on Handmadeology using this tool.

Here is an example:

'Find the Beautiful' by kateemarie

great thanks to maechevrette for the title!

Blue Sunset - ONE OF A KIND ... nothingspecial... $35.00	Huge 20 x 16 paper print - F... maechevrette $42.00	Turquoise/Teal Ruffled Silk ... bstudio $18.00
Bronze And Sterling Silver O... Mocahete $48.00	Dandelion Photograph, 8x10 F... Briole $30.00	Vintage "ALL" Laun... Vintageurbanco... $47.00
You Can Do It Pablo Picasso... brooknoel $10.00	Felted slippers Green Meadow jdackyte $65.00	rustic fern- ceramic focal p... kylieparry $14.00
Magical Forest - labradorite... InmostLight $25.00	Taj Earrings - Teal Green WishByFelicity $16.00	Black Metal Staircase with T... shyphotog $10.00
retired fishing boat connama... michaelprior $30.00	Eco-friendly Hemp Bag with S... Uzura $48.00	Little Dreams On The Wing 8... jmbarclay $25.00

Remember there is strength in numbers, and featuring other Etsy sellers will help your blog grow in readership and traffic. Have fun with your blog and post items that you enjoy.... you have to look at your blog too!
Article from: Handmadeology

Top 10 Ceramic and Pottery Items from Etsy

2011-05-21T12:36:00.000-04:00

Handmade Top 10 is designed to showcase the very best items from Etsy. Here are the Top 10 Ceramic and Pottery items from Etsy. 68 items were submitted and 9873 votes were recorded.

Looking for more exposure? With our unique sponsor system your ad/item is guaranteed to be seen. Sponsors are seen on on our front page and throughout the voting.

Right now we are running a special on sponsor spaces. $20 for 1 item for 1 month or $35 for 2 items for 1 month .

If you are interested in more sponsor information click HERE.

Top ten test

2011-02-12T11:03:00.001-05:00

FREE 5 Day Ecourse - YOur Business Identity

2011-01-26T16:51:00.000-05:00

What is your unique business identity and how does it direct your business’ path?
Your Business Identity is a free email-based coursework created by me (Tim of Handmadeology) to help you know yourself and uncover tips for reaching your business’ goals. In one short (and entertaining) week, I’ll guide you through these topics:

Your Introvert or Extrovert Temperament: Are you aware of the ways your personality can help or hurt your business?
Your Business Adventure – Risk Tolerance Levels: How does your sense of adventure limit or hurt your business?
Your Personal Renewal Style: How do you stay fresh when you are tired or burnt out from your business?
Your Spending Behaviors: How does the way you spend money impact your business’ finances?
And more!

I’ve created these short personality quizzes, self-assessment tests, and exercises to help you discover the success that lies only within you and reveal practical ways to apply what you learn to your business’ operations.

Being keenly self-aware is often difficult and as entrepreneurs transferring that knowledge to the way we operate our businesses can be tricky at best. I’ll share some of the things I’ve learned so far on this entrepreneurial journey and hopefully help you awaken your hearts and mind to find your own business identity that leads to success!

Sign up for your FREE Business Identity HERE.

Why Set Goals?

2011-01-11T18:36:00.000-05:00

Setting goals and trying to met them should be apart of your daily business.
Goals written are dreams achieved: There is something to writing down your goals. When you use a pen or pencil, you can touch and smell it and you are turning a thought into a physical object.
Goal writing tips:

1. Stay positive. The more positive your goals are the better.   Work for what you want to acheive in your Etsy shop, not for what you want to leave behind. For example ” I didn’t make enough sales last month, I have to improve my sale” . How about “This month will be my best sales month to date”. Don’t remind yourself about what you didn’t accomplish. Stay positive!

2. Detail, Details Details. When writing your goals for your Etsy shop use as much detail as you can. “I will sell 250 items in the month of December.” “This holiday season I will design a new line of jewelry trees.” The more detailed you become with your goals, the more focused you can get. You will be able to drive your focus toward your goals and reach them!

3. Write – Rewrite – Tweet – Share – Blog . The more you write and rewrite your goals the better you will remember and work on your goals.   Keep your goals in the front of your mind, the tip of your tounge, and the “palm of your hand”. Why not Tweet about your goals, or write a blog post

4. Track the Progress of Your Goal.   Tracking the progress of your goals in a spreadsheet is a gret way to visualize your goals.   Graphs are also another powerful way to visualize your goals.

The team here over at Handmadeology has put together a free Excel spreadsheet that will help you track your sales and your goals for 2011. The Handmadeology Team wants to help you with your Etsy goals and help you keep track of your Etsy sales. We have developed a simple yet powerful Sales and goal tracker for Etsy sellers. We are offering this to all our readers, followers, fans, and subscribers for FREE!!!

To find out more about how to download your Free 2011 Etsy Sales Goal Tracker Spreadsheet, just click HERE!

Gifts every Man deserves on Valentine's Day

2011-01-10T18:51:00.002-05:00

'Gifts every Man deserves on Valentine's Day' by LaurenceCollection

Barbershop Quartet - Mini Co... poppychicdesig... $64.00	Love You Like A Fat Kid Love... ecceprints $12.00	Hand Made Suede Leather Shoe... shoemakers $148.00
Pure wool beanie made in nat... chicksale $42.00	You Heart Me Cufflinks - You... WaxwingJewelry $38.00	Hand Knitted Knitting Scarf ... crochetbutterf... $25.00
Free shipping in USA Amboyna... SarabbyCreatio... $50.00	Primitive 64 Drawer Apotheca... redroosterbab $899.99	Bluish black checked wool 14... lilywhitepad $113.00
Nice Ass Hand Painted Mug LennyMud $15.00	Handcrafted Wooden Wine Rack... honeystreasure... $60.00	vintage HARVARD PLAiD newsbo... shopREiNViNTAG... $40.00
Bee Mine christinawilli... $3.00	Aunt Helen's Pumpkin Muf... jewelofthelion $39.00	Necktie Wallet - Recycled Re... prixprix $30.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

A fresh mint wishlist

2011-01-05T13:54:00.001-05:00

'A fresh mint wishlist!' by Signoraluna

Enjoy!

Hand Embroidery in 3 inch Ho... merriweatherco... $30.00	Handcrafted Vintage Style St... circlecreekhom... $22.00	Hummingbird Pendant kimiko611 $18.00
Old songs of winter 8x10 Fi... sunshineartdes... $18.00	Antique keys 4 magnets rafya $18.00	sweet mint - ribbon lace bra... nanofactory $21.00
Mint green winter party purs... HeartFeltByNin... $50.00	Original Oil Painting 10x10 ... michelemaule $200.00	Forest for the trees - Fine ... irenesuchocki $30.00
NORTH POLE STAR Necklace, Sw... DorotaJewelry $36.00	Days like this - Fine Art St... GrainnePhotogr... $10.00	Sea Salt - Double Wrap Avent... MadRiverDesign... $
HOLIDAY SALE-Peacock Pillow-... sewluckygirl $30.00	Braided Maiden Headband/Earw... YesJess $28.00	Tequila Sour Salt Bar Soap w... soapdeli $5.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

What Does Success Look Like to You?

2011-01-05T11:35:00.002-05:00

Creative Etsy Success

I have realized that success does not just come from how you use social media, how you advertise, or a thousand other "hot topics" on Etsy. All of those are useful and very important, but do not get at the "core" of creating a successful business venture. The "core" is YOU!

Creative Etsy Success

Your personality, strengths, skills, dreams, creativity, and encouragement levels are all key variables to finding your unique pathway to success on Etsy. Knowing yourself helps utilize your individual qualities for the greatest impact. This resource helps you discover your distinct path through a variety of fun, insightful, and engaging tests, quizzes, self-assessments, guides, workbooks, and practical tools.
Learn more about this brand new eBook brought to you by Handmadeology.
Over 33,000 words and 150 pages packed full of information to help you grow your creative business.

2011 Marketing Calender from Smallerbox.net

2011-01-04T21:53:00.000-05:00

Printable Mini Calendar- 2011

Planning out your promotions for the new year is important. Here are some great ideas from small business blog Smallerbox.net

Even though the Christmas tree might still be in your living room, it’s time to start thinking Valentine’s Day, at least if you have an online retail business. Marketing and merchandising for seasonal occasions is an essential part of boosting sales, and doing it effectively means planning ahead. That’s why it’s important to take stock of all the events throughout the year you could market for and set a schedule for when you’ll start doing your marketing for each.

Valentine’s Day:
At the latest you should begin your marketing by mid-January. If you are hoping for some print press remember that monthly publications work months in advance and you can start pitching them as early as November. Weekly, online and daily publications need less lead time, but you still want to get on their radar by early January.
If you plan to do a coupon, giveaway, or other promotion, you’ll want to start drumming up interest with your customers by mid to late January.
Graduation
People start shopping for grad gifts as early as April, so if you have products that make good graduation gifts, come up with a plan to market them by early March and start pitching those products to monthly media outlets. Weeklies, dailies and online outlets can be pitched throughout April and into early May.

125 Brand Building Tips from Copyblogger

2011-01-04T21:43:00.000-05:00

Shabby Chic Vintage Alphabet Block Pin - B

Here are 125 tips for building your brand from Copyblogger.

1. What drives you? Is there an emotion, need, desire, or past event that motivates you to take action? How can you infuse some of that energy into your brand?
2. What are you passionate about? What gets you excited, angry, or motivated to take action? How can you let your passion come through in your brand?

51. Who is your competition? Everyone in every niche has a competitor. Even if you don’t have someone in your niche that offers the same products / services / information as you do, there’s always someone you compete with in search engine rankings for your keywords. Know who they are.
52. What makes them a competitor? Are they offering the same things you are to the same audience, are they competing with you for the same keywords, or are they a friend that you compete with for fun?
53. How do they describe what makes them unique? What words and tone of voice are they using to convey what they do? How does their description differ from yours? Do you need to adjust your branding to make your description more appealing to your audience than theirs is?

To read the rest of these great tips head over to Coppyblogger..... HERE.

Give me some coffee...please

2011-01-04T21:17:00.002-05:00

'Give me some coffee...please' by ile1974

I love coffee

I Heart Coffee - Fine Art Ph... elr104 $15.00	Coffee time anytime BeadCatcher $24.00	NO COFFEE NO WORK (Black) - ... LaVieIllustree $7.49
50 Wishing Tree Wedding Gift... EdgeInspired $20.00	Chocolate Espresso Cake Truf... lollidreams $27.00	Cappuccino All Natural Shea ... opheliasapothe... $3.75
SMARTIES CHOCOLATE - scarfle... ixela $52.00	COFFEE AND CREAM - Peyote Cu... debger $40.00	COFFEE tea CUP Necklace Silv... AngelPearls $22.00
SWEET ROSE NECKLACE - VELVET... bijouxdellostr... $26.00	Mini Cafe Cutting Board in S... grayworksdesig... $40.00	Chocolate Blossom - rich bro... sydneyalfano $15.00
Coffee Cup Confessions Mr. D... MeadowTea $20.00	Necklace, Coffee Buzz Amulet... LeBeadoir $155.00	Hot Coffee Rubber Stamp norajane $3.50

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

Increase Your Etsy traffic

2011-01-01T12:31:00.000-05:00

Take a look at these simple steps... They are all things that I have done to increase traffic and sales in my Etsy shop. Below you will find some articles I have written in the past few years.

Simple SEO For Etsy Sellers

Etsy Tips From Handmadeology

Top 20 Small Business Blog Posts of 2010

Increase your Etsy Traffic by 500%

Give your Etsy Shop a PageRank Boost

*Google Page Rank defined

*PageRank tips for inside your etsy shop

*PageRank tips for outside your etsy shop

***3 insider tips that I use to increase my Traffic to my etsy shop and blog
*Cool tool to check your Google Page Rank
*Question and answer with Etsians
*and much more!

3 Fixes for the low views on Etsy

Taking better pictures
Tagging your items on Etsy more effectively
On Etsy and Off Etsy Promo (forums, facebook, twitter, blogs, and more)
How I achieved 500 views in 1 hour

Squeezing Your Advertising Dollars

Learn how to run a killer advertising campaign on Project Wonderful
Step by step How To Video
I show you how I spend $10 for 1000 views
Question and Answer with Etsians on Project Wonderful
My list of recommended high traffic sites to advertise on
Long list of in-depth articles on Google Adwords

Branding Your Etsy Business 140 Characters at a Time

How I use Twitter to brand my bussiness
Loads of Twitter tools
Quick Do's and Don'ts

Twitter Following Made Easy
Twitter: Not Just a Fad

Making the most of your Blog Profile

Learn how to build a more user friendly blog profile.
Post your Etsy mini in your blog profile
Step by step how to video all about the Etsy Mini
How to video on making hyper links for your blog and e-mails

Social Bookmarking in a Flash

I have found that Social Bookmarking to be the most effective form of FREE marketing for my online business. In this video I explain what Social Bookmarking is and how to apply it to your online business. I also so you step by step how to mark your sites and pages on 48 different social bookmarking sites in less what 20 mins..

Tips for Blogging Success (100,000 views)

I have had a blog for just over 20 months, and I have reached and passed 100,000 views.. and 70,000 unique visitors. I use my blog as a very effective tool for my business.

I want to share with you a few steps I have take to reach this goal..

Installing Google Analytics for Your Etsy Shop

Google Analytics and Your Etsy Shop

Google Analytics: Tracking Time Trends

Google Analytics + Etsy Update

Google Analytics In-depth

Facebook / Twitter

Facebook and Twitter Marketing Tips

Growing and Nurturing your Twitter Network

Swanky

2011-01-01T11:32:00.000-05:00

'Swanky' by DawnCorrespondence

Beer Lovers Towel Set - Set ... NestaHome $	STUD 14x18inch recycled felt... alexandrafergu... $69.00	vintage Mens Navy Blue Pinst... shopgoodgrace $30.00
Vintage 1961 Sears Tower Cit... TheFancyLamb $82.00	Chiaroscuro TShirt, Unisex E... ArtHistory101 $28.00	sale Vintage 1950s FIRE BRIC... SmallEarthVint... $54.40
Briefcase in Black Genuine L... jennyndesign $226.00	Fancy Moustache Pins yummypocket $	Pair of Vintage Shoe Trees shavingkitsupp... $20.00
Circles man ring in sterling... Jealousydesign $47.00	Black Licorice-Hand Knit Woo... schemata $50.00	Avant-Garde Gray Leather Bom... apocalypsevint... $175.00
Nautilus Shell. Screenprinte... toybreaker $30.00	Vintage Ice Bucket, Crystal ... calloohcallay $38.00	The Day Pack in Dark Olive infusion $

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

My 15 Minutes of Fame!

2010-12-31T01:20:00.001-05:00

Check out my 15 minuets of fame on That's Life with Robin Swoboda. I talked about my metal and my other internet adventures.

Here is how it all went down!

I met Robin this past fall at a marketplace that I had a small store in... She wanted to interview me then, but I was leaving the market because my online busy season was coming up. I talked to her, her producer and the camera guy for about 15 minutes, and that was the end of it.... Then the producer from the show emailed me and said they wanted to do a spot on me and my work.... So they came to my house and filmed the interview. They also got a bunch of footage of me welding and working on some projects! After they left my wife called the local newspaper and they are printing a story in the next few days on the show!

Here are some pics from the filming of the show! They came out to my house and filmed me working and filmed some of my finished products!

Be sure to click on the pics.. they are very detailed! My wife took them!

Check out more updates over on my Twitter Channel @timothyadam
Check out all my designs in my Etsy shop!