The Urge to Etsy

I've been fighting it for who knows how long?  At least a couple of years.  I had this incredible fear of Etsy.  I've done everything I could to avoid becoming a seller on Etsy.  I've joined myriad other sites,  including but not limited to:  ArtFire, Amazon, ThreeSistersMarketplace (chose not to go any further with them),  yardsellr,  blah blah blah.

ArtFire was working for me for a couple of months there,  and the price is right.  I just don't think enough people know about ArtFire,  therefore there's not enough traffic to keep my little business afloat. 

Oh,  and I fought the Ebay urge too.  I love shopping for supplies on Ebay,  but I just wasn't having any of the selling.

Now,  my two main sales forces are Ebay and ETSY...and I am LOVING IT!!!!!

I've only been with Etsy for two or three days now.  Wish me luck,  and think happy thoughts!!!!!!

Designing my Amazon.com Webstore

Holy Mackerel!!!  It started out quite simply,  not I have photos that are "unavailable"!  I wanted to launch my Amazon.com webstore today,  but until I have a few issues fixed,  I just don't want to.

It's like this for me with every site design.  I don't know whether I am not keen enough to figure out what it is they are asking for,  or I'm just impatient.  Doesn't really matter,  because it all ends up the same way...with me frustrated.

But I am excited!!!  We chose Amazon over Etsy and Ebay,  and may end up letting go of my Artfire account if this all pans out.  I am hoping that with the millions of shoppers Amazon has annually,  I might be able to tap into some of their business.  At least on Amazon,  I think I will have the best chance of getting some interest.  I can't wait to see what happens!!!!!

Okay,  back to the drawing board...I've got to go deal with tweaking and trimming my site.  Wish me luck!!!!  And in a day or two,  perhaps you can visit me at Cinnamon Lotus' Amazon.com webstore!!!!!!

My Experience with Online Marketing

Well,  I admit,  most of my sales have been to little boutiques and farm stores, co-workers, and people I connected with on a regular basis.  Up until recently,  I did not venture into the online marketplace community.  Since last December, I have been diving deeper into the morass of internet marketing.
I use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter,  mainly to connect with friends and like-minded artisans to exchange news, well-wishing, and creative ideas.  I have met many many super-creative men and women through these sites,  and they have opened up new worlds of design and possibility for me.  They are a never-ending source of support, encouragement, and honest appraisal. I'm a huge fan of Facebook, and am enjoying Twitter.
When I was searching for an online artisans' community, I considered Etsy then Artfire. I ended up choosing Artfire for a couple of reasons.  First and foremost, I was concerned that on Etsy, I would become just another face in a sea of many. Secondly, there was a commission and fee schedule that I wasn't sure my beginning low sales volume would support.  I am on a strict budget for sure. So, I went with Artfire.
Artfire is an attractive site at an attractive price, and can be tailored to your specific needs. However, in the 4 months I have been on Artfire, my views have dwindled down to nearly nothing, and I haven't had a single inquiry or sale!!!  I'm planning on dropping down to a "basic" free membership...and looking into Etsy.
Yardsellr.com!!!!  Yay,  Yardsellr!  I sold my first item through this site today.  It's an awesome and easy to use site. Each seller can host a "yardsale" of all their items which can be promoted on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and Google! They even chart your views, tally their origins, and display the number of comments you've received on each item. One of the coolest features is each seller is assigned a rank according to views/comments/sales.  You are also given 5000 "photons" for each comment you make on products sitewide (equivalent to $0.05 - but it adds up fast). A big THUMBS UP to yardsellr.com!!!
I am going to check out crobbies.com,  shophandmade.com, artsefest.com, imadeitmyself.com, and threesistersmarketplace.com soon.  What the heck?  It goes along with my theory...exposure, exposure, exposure!