# Still can't get a sale on Etsy.



## miaow (May 1, 2011)

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/? ... 2630279707
My facebook soap album.  Are my soap pics too plain?
I welcome your honesty.   What works for you?


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## sandyfootfarm (May 1, 2011)

Etsy is not a great place to sell anymore, seem they are putting more effort into making it a social site rather than supporting their sellers so I'd look at moving your store to a different site. Then ask for critiques.


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## miaow (May 1, 2011)

sandyfootfarm said:
			
		

> Etsy is not a great place to sell anymore, seem they are putting more effort into making it a social site rather than supporting their sellers so I'd look at moving your store to a different site. Then ask for critiques.


Not only that, but if you report a reseller, they tell you it's an inappropriate use of the flagging option!


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## sandyfootfarm (May 1, 2011)

There are a few eye opening blogs that expose etsy for what it really is too, great reading.


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## Relle (May 1, 2011)

I would show more of the soap in the photo rather than your label with your logo, when I clicked on your photo then the larger version showed  with your soap easier to see, but some people won't go that far.


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## Dragonkaz (May 1, 2011)

I like the look of your soaps ... so as long as I had some material to read about them and their ingredients, (and I was looking to buy soap) I'd definitely buy them!


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## Northland Naturals (May 1, 2011)

your soaps are very nice!  don't take it personally, the online marketplace is oversaturated.  unless you're doing something to target your buyers, you probably won't be able to sell much online.  you've got to give customers a reason to purchase and provide a sense of urgency.  do you have a business plan?  may want to think about putting something down on paper if you don't have it yet.  answer the who, what, where, when, why, how of just about everything you can think of and that will give you some insight perhaps.

as an additional critique, you may want to invest some time or money into photography.  the lighting in some of your pictures is uneven and can give an amateurish look.  with all the master soapmakers out there that make over-the-top amazing soaps at around the same price (especially with online buyers) one simply cannot afford to not represent the product perfectly.

just some ideas!


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## JackiK (May 1, 2011)

Yes, Etsy is not what it used to be.  I make wonderful leathers for dogs and not one sold on Etsy.  If I take them to a market, people ooh and aah over them, and I sell a lot.  

Soap is one of those things that needs to be seen, touched, and smelled to sell.  Unless you already have a customer base, I wouldn't waste my time or money trying to sell on-line.

Just my humble opinion.


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## Tabitha (May 1, 2011)

I make living on my etsy shop. I quite my day job & make more money at etsy, but I do log long hours. Etsy is what you make it. I have sold close to 400 bars of soap on/through etsy this months.

Type  ‘Love Spell Soap’ into the search. There are 170 shops selling Love Spell soap. It's not original; you can buy it on every street corner. I don't mean to sound harsh, but you have to make your product original. I am not speaking to the OP, but to everyone who is upset that etsy isn't making them rich and famous. It's not etsy's job. They have given you tools & you must figure out how to use them to your benefit. 

You cannot sit & wait for sales to come; you should research what is & what is no selling for other shops. Research which shops have top sales & try to figure out why, update your photos & verbiage regularly. Figure out what is not being offered and offer that, which gives you a niche market. Advertise. Advertise. Advertise. Keep a blog , a facebook & a twitter (just having them doesn’t count, you must work them too). Check out which tags are most frequently searched on etsy & incorporate those unto your shop. Offer sales & specials, free samples, friend referral & so on & so forth. Find other shops (or even a whole team) with a similar customer base & cross market with them, NOT other soap makers that would be counterproductive. Maybe a jewelry shop or a makeup shop, you feature her & she will feature you & you can share your customer base while expanding your own. Featuring 1 shop 1 time is not helpfull, you need to feature a different shop each week. That means you get featured each week too. Each feature should get you new customers, so this way you are adding a few new customers to your customer base wekly. Be smart though, feature shops that are already established so they have customers to share. If they have no customers, it was a waste of your time. By the same tone, don’t feature shops that are out of your league or they will feel it is not worth their time to reciprocate. Think, Think, Think. Read everything you see about marketing, social networks, etc. (I have even bought those little guides on etsy for 5-6 dollars, secret marketing strategies, etc). You will get tips & ideas on how to be successful. Pretend like you are working for someone else. Pretend you are managing their business & they are paying you $25.00 an hour to increase sales monthly. If you expect your hobby to be a business, you have to treat it like a business. You have to work it.

I know this is a bit of a rant, but honestly, making the soap is 10% of the business, it's the other 90% that will get it sold & most of the time people are not willing to do the other 90% and whine because their soap is not selling like magic.  You MUST work hard. 

Above all else, stop whining! Whining never ever sold a bar of soap, get off your behind & work at it.

If anyone who would like to be positive, procative & increase their ETSY presence please join the thread I am starting in the business section of this forum.


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## Tabitha (May 1, 2011)

I have started a thread for anyone who would like to be pro-active and increase their ETSY presence.



http://www.soapmakingforum.com/forum/vi ... 047#223047


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## miaow (May 1, 2011)

This is why I love you guys


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## scouter139 (May 1, 2011)

I am not sure of the rules for the mods but I have to tell you guys, you need to add your links to your etsy, web and/or ebay stores below your posts...I can't tell you how many times I've clicked on them...it sure is nice to have them right there so if posters have websites, you really should put the links in your posts.


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## Bubbles Galore (May 2, 2011)

I think you need to do some work on your photography. I don't mind the close up photos of soap only but I'm not keen on the use of props in other photos.  :wink:


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## my2scents (May 2, 2011)

Etsy is a good way to sell your stuff off  to people  in the off season or when they can't get to you.
 return customers from farmers markets & such.
Its seems to me it works best as an economical way  for  posting your stuff & selling to existing customers who can't actually meet up with you.
  I don't even worry or expect to get any new customers off Etsy WAY WAY too much competetion. I just use my Etsy shop as my own personal little online shop that I promote at Farmers markets & local events & stuff.
  Its perfect for that....... as long as my customers don't get too curious & look at Soaps that are nicer looking than mine & start cheating on me with another soaper ( thats always a possibility)


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## Catmehndi (May 2, 2011)

The soaps look as good if not better than a lot of other soaps out there. I think Tabitha has a lot of good points (thanks!!!)
Perhaps better photography would help - your logo is a little too much 'in your face' for my taste.

I just saw a seller at a trade show who had cut up their soaps / leftovers into little cubes and sold them as individual / one time use soaps. Perhaps you could give those or something similar to everyone who buys a soap (give them another scent) or package them as samplers at a great introductory price. (in a muslin bag, baby food jar, tin, box...)


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## miaow (May 2, 2011)

Thanks for the tips everyone 
I've been taking my pictures outside in natural sunlight with a lightbox.  Maybe I'll try again without the labels on.


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