Ladies I am a marketing manager and here's a piece of advice - just because you build it does not mean they will come. Its like throwing a small rock into a large pond - unless you have a compelling reason for people to buy, it will sink to the bottom. You need to target your market and drive traffic and float that rock to the top. Use your community outlets to let people know what you have to sell - community newpaper advertising is cheap and easy. Good pictures are a must. Segregate by application, for example "looking for a unique handmade baby shower gift?" Or "Wouldn't you like a more attractive grocery tote bag?". Use bulletin boards at your local grocery store or college campus. Post your link on Facebook and let people know about your ongoing projects. Leverage what the Etsy experts provide for tools (I looked - they have some good advice). Tell everyone you know that you sell on Etsy - just like job networking, you need to spread your expertise to as many people as you know. See if you can link up with others who sell different things (like jewlery or Avon) and see if they would be willing to do a combined dem.

JNCT thank you so much for that. I have a store on etsy as well have sold two items. I self-sabotage myself by not advertising. If we want to sell our stuff we have to get it out there and seen. This is my new years resolution---way out of my comfort zone for sure. Put business cards up at store, started advertising in our local high school newpaper but the getting out there and meeting people is my downfall, I am super shy.

Thank you so much for your inspiring words.

If you have a store make sure to put it up so others on this board that are members can circle your store, it all helps.

Good Luck to all fellow etsyians I am off to get my store stocked.

Happy Sewing
Tammy

I was on etsy a few years ago and nothing. I started again last summer. I have less than 12 items on at once usually, mostly small quilt tops. I just checked my stats, I have had 13 sales since last June.

I agree, you can't just list items and then sit back. You have to work the system. Put people in your circle. Find similar items to yours that you like, favorite the item, add the seller to your circle. I don't know how but this works. When I see an Etsy link in a signature here on the QB I add them to my circle.

Several times people have put one of my items in a treasury list and it sells within days. I am quite happy with Etsy and am selling more on etsy than on ebay lately.

ETA - waving at Tammy, you are in my circle!

Waving back at ya Barb, you are in my circle too!!

ETA I really need to go study the treasury thing and how to make one. Have a great weekend!!!

I sell on ebay and don't sell much either. I also have a store and don't sell a lot. The right person with the money has to see your item no matter where you try to market it. Etsy looks like the best place right now!

Etsy is a great place for buyers, but it's really hard to sell anything because there are so many listings that your item is not easily seen or found. If you have another venue to link people to your shop, that helps your items get seen. There is a ton of competition there, and it's not a matter of having the lowest price, it's a matter of getting seen.

I keep about 50 items in my shop, and sell maybe one every other month. If that much...

I keep my etsy address as my sig line on sites like this, hoping people might go take a look at what I have to offer... On the old website it was a hotlink, but on this new site it doesn't come out as a hotlink, which makes it harder for people to use it. They can't just click and go, as they did on the old site.

There must be a way to make it a clickable link cuz that's the way mine is.

With QuiltNNan's help I was able to fix my hyperlink problem!

Sewbizgirl, I went and looked at your etsy shop and you have very lovely things on there. I noticed one item had over 570 views! I think it is a lot easier to just click on the link. I usually have to copy and paste, but the hot link is nice.

I usually look for fabrics on there or things that I have noticed from searching through. Can't figure out why things don't sell on there.

Etsy is VERY economical. They target a specific market (unlike Ebay) of consumers looking for hand-made goods. If you go to their website, you can look up the rates. I highly recommend them.