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Last Updated: Dec 19, 2008 - 3:36:08 PM |
I have a new addiction. It’s a pretty benign addiction, though most of my addictions, which include books, Netflix, and refined sugar, aren’t that much to worry about. (I should probably worry a little about the sugar, but coffee just doesn’t taste right without it.)
My new problem is etsy.com. It’s a website designed for crafters to sell their wares online. You set up a “shop” by uploading photos of your items, picking a category, writing descriptions, setting your prices and then you sit back and hope people stop by. The people who manage Etsy do an excellent job of helping people promote their shops. There’s an attractive picture display on the front page which changes several times daily---and that’s where one of my addictions begins. I check back, and check back, and check back, because I might miss something good. I also occasionally fumble around in the categories, but by sticking to merely the categories I mostly shop in---pottery, obviously---I may miss someone’s really adorable hand-knit baby booties (hmmm…is anyone I know pregnant?), or a really funky hand-hammered metal necklace (I don’t wear much jewelry but I like to look at it), or a knitted piece of fruit. There are shops with soap, dog collars, and even food for both humans and animals. Last night I discovered a couple who make necklaces out of felt. Yes, it might sound a little odd jewelry-wise, but they were well-crafted and nicely photographed which made for some pleasant viewing.
I first heard about this website from a coworker of mine in Iowa City who told me I should try to sell my pottery online. I visited it (on company time, of course) and put it in the back of my mind until Martha Stewart started talking about it incessantly on her show. She even featured some of the crafters. So this past month I opened my own shop. (I’m hoping since she’s a dog person she might stumble upon my dog-themed pottery. And yes, I realize it’s a little pathetic that my dreams of fame involve someone as simultaneously annoying and yet oddly intriguing as Martha and her craft enterprise.)
So once I opened up my store, my obsession became two-fold. Now, not only am I wondering what new stuff other shop owners have posted, but I’m wondering how many people have viewed my items, and how many people have added me as one of their favorites. I suppose in a way it becomes of a bit of a popularity contest---though I’m not so concerned about how many people have made other shops their favorites, just that people are viewing my stuff. If they like me, it stands to reason they might tell their friends to take a look, and the more people who look, the more chance I have of making a sale. So every day, several times a day I open up the site, and like I gambler I say “Come on……17 (or 18, or whatever number comes after how many are currently listed).
Have I actually made a sale? Not yet. Not officially anyway. Oddly I’m not even that concerned. I’ve had several people email me with questions, and I had a woman request a special order, but any start is a start. I don’t expect to become an instant Etsy success. Things like this have to build gradually. But boy does it consume my time. As I wander around the website, I start to understand a few things about marketing. To be seen, you have to make yourself seen, therefore it pays to add a new item daily, or at least a few times a week. When a shop adds something new, it gets featured in the “just added” section, which is constantly updated on their main page. Also, it pays to visit some of the chat areas and billboards, because that also gets your name and a link visible on the pages. As I said—time consuming.
A friend of mine pointed out that a website like this could possibly, in the future, wipe out the neighborhood mom and pop artesian gallery. I don’t foresee that really happening, since most artesian galleries are in tourist areas that get a lot of foot traffic anyway. At the worst, they might be required to drop their commission down from 50% to something a little more reasonable. Personally, I think the site is genius, and if I actually had any money to spend, I would be dangerous. Everyone I know, maybe even people I don’t know well, would be getting a handmade gift from Etsy this Christmas. It certainly beats supporting the CEO of a major corporation and his private jet by buying goods that were made in China by people who are paid slave wages. And no, I’m not a socialist. I just believe in capitalism coupled with humanity. Merry Christmas, everyone!
Susie’s esty.com address is www.reddogblackdog.etsy.com
© Copyright 2008 by The East Iowa Herald
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