Guys, I've come to a serious decision. I'm going to be letting all my listings in both of my Etsy shops expire, last one ends in late Jan. I'm not going to close them but leave forwarding info (shh don't tell the Nazis) after the SEO mess up my sales there have almost disappeared. I never really promoted my Etsy shops like I do my Artfire shops but I'm surprisingly unique enough that people tend to find me a few times a month every month since I started Aug. '08. But I haven't made a sell at Etsy since mid Sept and my views have almost stopped when I was getting several new views and hearts almost every day a few months ago without any effort on my part. Splitting my time between two sites is a lot but mainly I don't want to confuse my local customers by sending them to 2 different sites when Artfire is so much better for me at least.
Also on a more personal (slightly evil bitter note) I found something on Etsy which sealed the deal for me. A particular shop there (no names) opened a few months after me, sells feather jewelry which (in my biased opinion) is more primitive, less imaginative, smaller selection and she frigging takes 2 pic with the earrings obviously lying on her couch, wtf??????? And she was FEATURED!!!!! in the DOURKE, storke, stourge, however you friggin spell it a few months ago and now her views are crazy and her sales are double mine.
To be clear I'm not jealous of her, she may be perfectly nice and deserving of success but I'm pissed at Etsy for ignoring their own "rules" of pro pics/listings/ etc and featuring a shop which is in my opinion not top quality. Not saying it should be me but it should definitely not be her. But if she's being featured only because of who she knows and not her talent/product then I'm not wasting another dime there.
(I mean at least her inside friend should have nudged her saying, "Hey, hon what don't you upgrade those pics before I feature you, okeydokey?) That just makes Etsy look as stupid as they obviously are, duh.
whew, rant over....
Wow! Etsy has been effing up royally lately, and as hard as I try to bring traffic to my Art Fire shop, buyers won't bite! While the fees at Etsy are killing me, I'm getting steady sales. I'm afraid to NOT re-list out of fear of losing a potential sale. It's a catch-22. I'm seriously contemplating re-opening my own website after the new year and just listing a few "key" items in all of my venue shops.
ReplyDeleteMy AF shop is much more successful than my Etsy shop. I got the charter member price $7 and I don't have to relist like crazy since it's randomized. Seriously, it's bad enough that my sales dropped but so did my views, I used to get lots every day and now may a couple, it's pathetic! My AF views start slow then skyrocket over time because of google search. I have my website, too with the AF rapidcart on it. I feel like I'm in the Etsy corner after paying my fee and I'm supposed to be grateful to them! Good luck with what ever you decide.
ReplyDeleteJinx, i love your stuff and i am so sorry that you had this happen...i love artfire and am trying to redirect to that end as well...so many people are die-hard e's though...i wish you all the best, you have a beautiful art!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kim and Stacy! I've been neglecting my artwork in favor of my jewelry but once the Christmas season passes I'll be picking it back up again. And I'm expanding my supply on AF with Vintaj items. I really believe AF is my future cause it just keep getting better and better!
ReplyDeleteI totally get what you mean. I think creativity is dropping by tonnes in Etsy. People just buy connectors from similar supplies stores, attach one or two stones on it, never mind the poor workmanship, and call it their own design (heck, just by different colours?). Then, for no reason, these stores get featured on FP! But AF isn't pulling in more sales for me...I am hoping AF can look cleaner, but they are doing very well in technology (imagine the coupons!)...so i am not complaining =P.
ReplyDeleteFeronia, you just have to remember that AF is just a year old this month. They've done a lot in 1 year and have big plans for the future. Many people I talk don't know about AF which is understandable but those same people don't know about Etsy and I think after 5+ yrs that's just highway robbery!
ReplyDeleteI wished I had heard about Artfire sooner. I joined in July 2009, but didn't get my shop really up and running until Sept. I have been an etsy seller since Oct.2008, but I love Artfire so much more. The community there is so helpful and nice. My stuff may be simply but at least its all done by me!! I will probably let my etsy shop go as well. Its hard to have a job outside the home and find the time you need to run another business. But I am hopeful more sales will come my way. Any how, I understand how you feel about Etsy. Artfire is so great for me.
ReplyDeleteEtsy totally screwed things up with search and took forever fixing it. Now they're messing up googlebase. I was letting my stuff expire too but finally just deleted it all.
ReplyDeleteI get annoyed when they say good photos showing your item will get you on the front page when the ones on the FP usually are "artistic" and the item isn't the point of the picture.
Too much disconnect between perception and reality there on the point of admin
Leta and Fantasy, I hear ya...you put all that effort into your product and all you ask is that the game is fair or at least as fair as it can be made. But we the big wigs care more about their pocket books and their buddies everyone else doesn't matter.
ReplyDeleteHoly crap, now with AF freaking out I'm at a standstill as to what to do! I'll keep my AF and etsy for now since they're both established and I guess I'll have to rethink whether or not I'll being leaving E after all...sigh...
ReplyDelete