# Sales pathetically low, what am I doing wrong?



## aab1

So far I'm averaging $10-20 of sales per month, I sell on my own website, eBay, Etsy and Amazon.

I was hoping to get about $500 of sales per month, what am I doing wrong and how can I increase my sales?

Thank you


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## girlishcharm2004

When did you start?  You're doing better than me!  I started selling on Etsy one month ago. 

I've heard other soapers say to focus on farmer's markets/craft fairs/etc and use online venues as a 24/7 way to reach you.  I thought that was good advice, and now I'm working on setting up for a farmer's market.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.  I hope other people comment because I'd like to know, too!


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## aab1

I started 3 months ago. So far most sales are from my website and eBay with none coming from Etsy.

I am working on getting them into stores also.


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## Sihir

Etsy is so insanely flooded with soaps that it's near-impossible to wade through all those listings and stumble upon your soap unless people were looking for it in particular in the first place. 

I agree with girlishcharm - focus on building up a local customer base. They'll become your regular customers and begin spreading news of your product around. Do craft shows, markets, etc. It helps people to see your face and make that personal connection as opposed to blindly buying a soap off the internet where they know little about the company and the person.


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## paillo

I've been on Etsy only seriously for a couple years, haven't tried EBay or Amazon, guess I should!

Etsy started really, really slow for me too. Most of my sales are for one particular salt bar, which I never expected, but it sells like crazy. I think most people know what they're looking for in terms of this particular soap, and find me by searching.  Then they try more of my soaps - I have a lot of repeat customers, and I love that. Agree that Etsy is full to the gills of really nice - and equally really ugly, amateurish soaps.

Agree also that it's great to sell locally at craft fairs, farmers markets, holiday festivals. I've found that people who buy at those often come back and buy more online. It all builds on itself, so don't be discouraged if it's slow at first...


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## paillo

Me again. Not much time to look, but I do think your photos would really pop with a different background. Your soaps are really, really pretty, and the wood grain background doesn't do them justice. I'd photograph them all again with a light, bright background. Just me, but I think it would make a big difference in the attractiveness of your website.


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## Pepsi Girl

paillo said:


> Me again. Not much time to look, but I do think your photos would really pop with a different background. Your soaps are really, really pretty, and the wood grain background doesn't do them justice. I'd photograph them all again with a light, bright background. Just me, but I think it would make a big difference in the attractiveness of your website.



I don't sell but I sold advertising years ago, i must agree with Paillo the wood grain does nothing to show off your soap.


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## Obsidian

I agree, your soaps are beautiful but the pics are kinda plain and boring. I would love to see the orange chunks inside one of your black and orange bars. Some close ups of the salt texture would be good to. A about me page or gallery with pics of the soap making process is always interesting to me as are lather/bubble pictures.

It might help to have more pizzazz on the descriptions, especially the scents you use. Take your cedarwood for instance, I have no idea what it smells like and there is nothing to describe if its woodsy, flowery, spicy, etc. If I was looking for a manly scented salt bar, I would probably skip your website and hit up a etsy store that has all kinds of flourish and overly descriptive adds. 

A review page would be good too. If you have happy customers who say great things about your soap, you need to share it.

I couldn't find you on etsy and I have no idea how to search for usernames but I found these two adds that are intriguing and fun, makes me want to buy their soap just from the description.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/76478943/mediterranean-spa-cold-process-sea-salt?ref=shop_home_active

http://www.etsy.com/listing/93835312/sea-salt-soap-handmade-cold-process-spa?ref=shop_home_active

Then there is this one. Being a soap maker I know its a good bar but there is nothing to grab your attention, I would skip over this one.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/159304270/homemade-sea-salt-soap-creamy-coconut?ref=shop_home_feat


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## moose

I agree about the photos. the soaps should "pop" a bit more. maybe try setting them up close to a window to get more even and better lighting, or maybe outside in the shade or on a cloudy day
try for an uncluttered background, and shoot at the same level as the soap instead of looking down at it. 
it might even be worth it to get a photographer to shoot some product photos for you. 
I think your soaps are pretty!


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## Sihir

Ah, I just checked out your photos too - my dad is a professional photographer and he (and all my friends who make or craft things for a living) swear by a light tent. You can either make one ( http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-make-a-inexpensive-light-tent ) or buy one that will last you a while (just google "Light Tent" ) $30 should get you a decent one that will last a while.

You'll be amazed what it does for your soaps! For the light-colored ones, you can always put down a dark cloth while still getting a good amount of light on them.


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## JaimeM

Sihir, that link is amazing!  Thank you so much!  I know what my next craft project is!


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## My Mountain Soaps

I looked at your website, and as a buyer the first thing i noticed is all that your soaps are a muted color. I agree also with the photography comment above, i also am a hobby photographer, lighting is essential. Use a soft box, or look at websites like Martha Stewart, (Ok, bad example i know, but i am tired so have mercy on me ) but look at how she sets up a photo even a simple little object, she makes it feel homey. Or look at other websites. and they can be easily mimicked with a decent camera and light box. Then also when i read your first paragraph the first thing you said as an adjective is "Rock Hard". as a buyer i am looking for something that will soften my already hard dry skin, and that makes me think even harder skin, so it is an immediate turn off. Buyers are lazy, tell me what i want to hear first, then i will listen to your specifics. Something like "Salt Soap is known to make your skin softer, helps to fight aging with its built in exfoliation, and last a long time" but better than that. you can tell i am not in sales! But as a buyer, that is what i picked up. Also, back to the muted color thing, your darkest soaps are listed first, then they get lighter. IF you are interested enough to scroll down that is. I am sorry if i sound harsh and direct, but i wanted to help


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## Sihir

JaimeM said:


> Sihir, that link is amazing!  Thank you so much!  I know what my next craft project is!



Have fun Jaime - and post pictures of your soap pre- and post- light tent! (Or just the "afters!")


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## My Mountain Soaps

Oh, i forgot to tell you that a soft box/ or diffused light can be made by using a day light bulb in an uncovered lamp or drop light, and place a white sheet between the lamp and your subject. Also, if you have depth or dimension in your photos, that helps too. For example blurred trees in the background, or a blurred window, etc. etc.


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## maloga3

Sihir said:


> Ah, I just checked out your photos too - my dad is a professional photographer and he (and all my friends who make or craft things for a living) swear by a light tent. You can either make one ( http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-make-a-inexpensive-light-tent ) or buy one that will last you a while (just google "Light Tent" ) $30 should get you a decent one that will last a while.
> 
> You'll be amazed what it does for your soaps! For the light-colored ones, you can always put down a dark cloth while still getting a good amount of light on them.


 
 A 'light tent'-I never would have thought of that, bet it really helps sales, and it's something I wouldn't have imagined...thanks!


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## cmzaha

Buyers are lazy, tell me what i want to hear first, then i will listen to your specifics. Something like "Salt Soap is known to make your skin softer, helps to fight aging with its built in exfoliation, and last a long time" but better than that. you can tell i am not in sales! But as a buyer, that is what i picked up. Also, back to the muted color thing, your darkest soaps are listed first, then they get lighter. IF you are interested enough to scroll down that is. I am sorry if i sound harsh and direct, but i wanted to help [/quote]

Don't say it helps aging...just became a drug not cosmetic 

I can tell you that my daughter works for hours daily promoting our website doing promos etc. An attractive easy to navigate website also helps. You want your products to Pop out at the shopper and I am sorry I would probably not spend a lot of time surfing your site. Not trying to be mean but you asked opinions. 
From my experience Salt bars are wonderful but unfortunetly not the best sellers as far as soap goes. I use salt bars daily but find it hard to convince customers they are great. I have a few customers that re-buy salt bars but no where near the percentage it would take to make a fair amount of money. I sell at Art Walks, Farmer Markets, Craft Fairs and of course our website and very few of my street fair customers actually purchase on our website, they just wait for me. Some will call and ask me to bring something out with me that they see on our site and I do that.


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## girlishcharm2004

....


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## ShayShay

Hi, 
I agree with all of the comments about the photos on your website so I won't belabor that point. I also think your site is a bit crowded looking and appears more like an inventory list than a website trying to entice buyers. I would try to go for an overall cleaner, less crowded look. Here is a site I have bought soap from a few times and and I love how simple, clean, easy to navigate and to the point his site is. 

http://rockytopsoap.com/

Also, I don't think your name is helping people find you. It's too generic. It's the name of a product, not the name of a company. One would have to know that your website is exactly "saltsoaps.com" in order to find your site. If you just google Salt Soaps hoping to find you, you'll come up with a million other hits. Your really should consider changing your name to something more original that will help in a google search. Same with Etsy. I assume your shop name is also Salt Soaps. How am I supposed to find you when I have to wade through all of the products called "salt soaps"? I can find Rocky Top's site or Etsy page easily because his name is original and easy to search. 

You really want to drive traffic to your site. To do that, you need to have a search optimization strategy (google it - there are volumes on the topic and lots to learn) and big part of that strategy is having a name and a web address that is unique enough that will come up in search rankings and Salt Soaps is just not original enough to do that. Say you are at a craft fair and I stop buy your booth, but don't buy anything. Later on I want to look you up - I would never find you. Unless I have your card with your exact web address, but I lost that ages ago. But if you changed your name even to Sacha's Salt Soaps - that would increase my chances of finding you tremendously. 

So, although I think the photography advice is great and important - I think your first strategy is a name change because no one is even going to see the photography if they can't find your site.


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## heavensgrace

You have some great soaps, but your delivery could use some help!

I found a pretty cheap lightbox here that I'm going to buy:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281125041458

And maybe take a look around competion's web pages and scroll down to see what website service they use. I'm going to try

http://www.volusion.com/ecommerce-web-design/

They offer a free templete that, IMHO, would be better than what you have, also, when you can afford it later down the line, you can pay them for SEO and a host of other things. 

On another note about the pics, go to a pawn shop for a camera. I payed $40 for a Nikon CoolPix 16.1 MP. I don't think there is ever a real need for a $300+ camera to take photos of small, unmoving things that's close up to you anyways.

*I think* the MP (Megapixels) is the most important thing. The higher, the better. I'm no photographer and I haven't sold online-yet, but this is what I've learned so far!! 

Also, it's all about the marketing. Even if I did find you, your not selling me a "vision" or a "dream". Words are power. Make me feel like I'll be better off in my life with your product. I'm in the same boat as you except at least you're online, Lol. But seriously, google something like: how to market soap to online consumers or something along those lines. The holidays are coming up and there's more than enough customers to go around. Go grab some of them!


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## Sihir

Just as a clarification, more megapixels does not really mean a better picture or camera - in short, it just means that you can make a larger print of your image (or crop in closer on your image on the computer and still have it be as sharp as the original.) 

Since most of us soap makers are wanting to use our pictures online, a large number of megapixels isn't important since we won't be making 20x24 inch prints of our soaps. (Or maybe you are!) 

I'd look for other qualities in a digital camera such as an excellent macro feature to get close-ups of your details on your soap, a better sensor, ability to adjust exposure - really the best camera is the one that has the features you need! If you go to an actual local camera store the people there can give you great advice and many of them offer secondhand or refurbished cameras for a discount. (Again - local - not one of the chain camera stores or big retailers. They often don't know nearly as much as they should about what they are selling.)

One of my favorite cameras ever was a Panasonic Lumix (amazing macro) but I currently shoot with a Canon T1i

Hope this helps!


Sent from my iPhone using Soap Making


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## Sihir

girlishcharm2004 said:


> My turn?
> 
> www.theolivealley.etsy.com
> 
> Will you be brutally honest about what I need to change?  (This is such a vulnerable feeling!) :shock:



Would you mind making a separate thread with your critique request in it? That way we don't have to jumble up the current one 


Sent from my iPhone using Soap Making


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## 100%Natural

I'm going to be blunt here, but my intent is not to upset anyone, but sometimes brutal honesty is the best way.  If you want to make serious money selling soap, you need to get off your duff and start booking into markets and shows throughout the entire year.  Putting up a shop on a site like Etsy etc obviously isn't working for you.  If people don't know you exist, they can't buy from you.  

Once you have developed a loyal customer base then the online sales will pick up.  I currently average $2500-$3500 per month of in person sales.  The online sales have been growing and still only account for another 10% of my sales.  Add in that 90% of those online sales are from people who have bought from me in person and it tells you just how difficult online sales can be.

People want to see and meet who is behind the products they're buying - especially handcrafted ones.  Sitting around expecting customers to just magically find your products and spend their money is ridiculous.  Don't be afraid to break a sweat.  It will pay off!


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## girlishcharm2004

Sihir said:


> Would you mind making a separate thread with your critique request in it? That way we don't have to jumble up the current one
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Soap Making



Oops. My apologies, you are absolutely right.  I got caught up in the moment.


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## aab1

There have been so many replies I'll read them in another window and answer each point below:

About Etsy, I am paying for "search ads" but it's only costing me about $2 per week and not bringing in any sales.

How does it work to get into craft shows and markets? I've never even been to a craft show.

About the "wood grain" background, it's actually sand. What would you recommend I use to make a better background?

I know my descriptions are very plain and boring, I'll work on improving them.

Thanks for the light tent idea, I was looking for a solution for more consistent lighting, I'll make one soon.

About me selling mostly salt soaps, I will be adding several normal soaps to the website in the near future, but am wondering if I should shift to mostly regular soaps with a few salt soaps instead of the opposite? If so, should I consider a new domain/website name?

I have a good camera, just no proper lighting setup, I'll definitely be making or buying a light tent.

100%Natural: $2500-3500 of in person sales is amazing, is that all through shows and markets? How do you find those places and do you have to pay to be there? What are the costs?

By the way I've also sold a lot more in person than online to family, friends, neighbors, etc.

Thanks everyone that replied!


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## hellogorgeous

If you're thinking of adding new "regular" soaps I'd be tempted to change names entirely and do a complete re-launch.

Definitely better pics! The exposure is all off on every photo. You need to change the settings on your camera somewhere or get a new camera. Use a plain background - white is best. Bright and light.

What's your Etsy shop?? If your tags and descriptions/titles aren't top notch on Etsy then purchasing search ads is like throwing money out the window. They don't work unless you have proper tags! I'd be happy to take a look if you provide your shop address.

And yes please get a better website. There are tons out there that are free or cheap that will be a million times better.

What's your branding like? Do you have a logo? Branding is everything!

For craft shows, just google it. Join handmade groups around you etc. Maybe start with doing a small church sale? Tables vary depending on show. I've found most church sales are $25 for a table on average. Larger multi-day shows are $600+. But definitely get into a couple shows!


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## ShayShay

> About me selling mostly salt soaps, I will be adding several normal soaps to the website in the near future, but am wondering if I should shift to mostly regular soaps with a few salt soaps instead of the opposite? If so, should I consider a new domain/website name?



If this is in response to my comments, let me clarify. My comments we not about what types of soap you are selling, but solely about your name. If you want to be a niche Salt Soap seller, that's fine (this is not my area of expertise, so I am really not recommending one way or the other), i am solely commenting on the generic aspect of you name. Salt Soaps.  It's a description of a product. It's not a company name. It doesn't stand out and won't show up in searches. It's too generic. You can still sell solely salt soaps if that is what you want to do (again not recommending one way or the other), just have a more original name than Salt Soaps.com. Sacha's Salt Bars, Salty Sea Soap, Sacha's Salt Bars, Sacha's Soap Bar, Calgary Salt Soap Company, Sacha's Alberta Soaps, etc. Whatever - it just needs to be more original. Salt Soaps or Salt Soaps.com just doesn't stand out and will not show up in internet searches. You have to remember - most internet searches do not start with the domain name. People search key words. Salt Soaps will bring back way to many results. Same on  Etsy or Ebay or any other way you are planning to sell online. But If I met you at a party and you told me you sold soap and then I go look for you - I will have better results finding you with a name like "Sacha's Salt Bars" than with "Salt Soaps". 

Let me give you a non soap example. Say I decided to brew homemade beer and decided my specialty would be Lager. So I decided to name my company Lager Beer and bought the domain www.lagerbeer.com. Go ahead - google that - "lager beer" and see what you come up with. A million, non-descript articles and other crap about lager beer but you won't find my specific site because it's too generic. Not a beer drinker? Okay - how about caramels?  Let's say I make caramel and want to specialize in Sea Salt Caramel. Very popular right now. But If I name my company ""Sea Salt Caramels, how am I standing out? I'm not. A million other people make sea salt caramels too (just like many other soap makers make salt soaps). So if people are looking for me they aren't going to find me - my company name is the same as the product description hundreds of other sellers make. I am just naming my company after the description of my product. It's not a smart marketing strategy. A simple name change to ShayShay's Sea Salt Caramels increases the chance of finding me (still not a great name, but you get the point).

Last week I did actually buy caramel and toffee at a craft show. It was so good I think I might buy them as christmas presents. Luckily their name is more unique than just Sea Salt Caramels, and I found them online in less than 10 seconds. If they called themselves just "Sea Salt Caramels" or "Caramel and Toffee", I would have given up looking after 30 seconds.

I am sorry if this seems harsh. I am relatively new to the soap world, but I have worked in internet marketing and advertising for over a decade. It's all about driving traffic to your site. You want to show up in searches. Generic names do not work in today's global internet economy (neither does the old school philosophy of naming your company with double A's at the beginning because the yellow pages barely exist anymore and it doesn't matter if you are  first alphabetically). It's all about being unique and driving traffic to your site. With your website name or your domain name (Salt Soaps or Saltsoaps.com)- people will never find your site.

So - should you consider a new website and domain name? Yes. Absolutely. 100%. I will be blunt - the name stinks because it's not a name, it's a description. But that doesn't mean I think you need to change you product line. It also doesn't mean you shouldn't consider it. Again, I am focusing solely on the name.

One more disclaimer. I am also not saying this is the be all end all of your overall marketing strategy. As others have said - craft show, farmers markets, networking, etc. It all ties in. But IMHO, your first strategy should be a name change to something more unique.

Afterthoughts - 
I realized as I was just walking my dog, that I left out a really key idea here. And that is BRAND. Salt Soaps is not a Brand. Again, not to beat a dead horse, but Salt Soaps is a description. It's not a Brand. You need to come up with your Brand and build that. Market that. Your niche can still be salt soaps (if the business warrants), but that is not your brand. Going back to my original example of a soap seller whose site I liked - Rocky Top Soap - his niche is vega, unscented, uncolored soap (okay yes, he uses ingredients that do color soap, but that is not their main purpose in the soap). But his brand and name -"Rocky Top" doesn't spell out the vegan, unscented aspect. It gives him leeway to branch out should he feel the need. So you need to differentiate your Brand from your niche product. Because your niche could change over time, but you want to establish your brand and keep it growing and evolving. I will use another, more main stream example - Banana Republic. Banana Republic started out as a niche catalog clothing company that emphasized the jungle/safari theme. Their first retail stores also focused on that theme. Now it's a global mainstream upscale clothing retailer. Their niche changed but their name didn't and their Brand evolved over time. 
I think you are confusing your name with your niche product line and you need to differentiate the two. Come up with a unique Brand and then evolve from there.


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## StarBrown

In my opinion, and it is just my opinion, you should put the online sales on the back burner.  (Spruce up your website and take off the pricing--that way you charge what is appropriate to your sales venue. For now, its only purpose is to provide reference and credibility. You can always come back and activate it when you have demand.)

 Identify your target markets--the type of people who would be interested in your soaps, the people who could benefit if they knew about your soaps, etc. Figure out where they shop and socialize locally and find a way to develop a presence there.  You already have a product, you need to make sure it's packaged attractively and that you have some well written and designed sales materials (mini-brochures, sell cards, etc.) that will resonate with your target audience.  Then...get your assets out there and make some friends--the sales will follow.  

Visit managemymarket.com, set-up a profile and check out some farmer's markets in your region. Not all markets and fairs are soaper friendly, but there are enough for you to find one.  And with the holidays coming up, there will be all kinds of gift fairs, craft fairs, etc. Seek them out. There are several online craft show calendars--just google craft show calendar.  Check every church, civic association, non-profit, school, convention, conference, hootenanny you can. If they have crafter vendor spaces for $50 or less, take it.  You'll sell and you'll get yourself out there.

I once cleaned up at a retirement village holiday shopping event; a table was $25 and I sold almost $1000 worth in one day. I chatted with the elder folks about learning soap making from my grandmother and listened to their tales of helping to make soap and candles when they were children. I also took PAPER order forms, with large print.  By the time it was done, I was almost out of soap and candles and I had more custom orders than ever (people really wanted 100% lard soap).  Their families also started contacting me too. There were some net savvy seniors there, but they weren't interested in shopping on Etsy.  Had online sales been my only path, I would have missed an entire segment of the population who had a special appreciation for my product.

Long story short, you have a good product that no one knows about.  You have to garner some direct attention.  Online sales are the final frontier, there are so many more frontiers you can conquer first.

I wish you all the best!


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## savonierre

It is very hard to sell soap online from Canada, our shipping is ridiculous. I looked for shops and customers to wholesale too, that works the best for me imho.. It takes years to build up your business..


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## Ancel

This is all great advice, and experience, thank you everyone!


Sent from my iPad using Soap Making


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## 100%Natural

Yes, that is from in person shows and markets.  During the summer months I was averaging $3500 - $5000 per month.  I worked my tail off and spent a minimum of 12 hours a day working whether it be selling, building inventory, developing products etc.  It has paid off in a huge way!  Blood, sweat and tears is the only way to build a successful business IMO.

Craft shows and markets are easy to find.  Google craft shows and farmers markets for your area.  You can also go onto tourism websites that post events and festivals.  Fees can range from $10 all the way up to $700 depending on the show and the length.  Just start sending out emails inquiring about the shows and you'd be surprised how quickly your calendar fills up.  I'm a bit of a gambler so I entered some big shows and it paid off!  Huge pressure, competition and stress kept me going and once I got to the shows I realized I had nothing to worry about.  My booth holds its own against other ones of a similar nature.  

When doing in person sales be sure to look the part.  Appearance is everything!  There are some sellers I come across that don't even look like they know how to use a bar of soap let alone make one.  Having an attractive display and your appearance looking tip top will go a long, long way to boosting your confidence for selling and your customer's confidence in buying from you.

The most important thing to remember - know your stuff and your products inside and out.  People ask all sorts of odd questions and having the answers for them sells.  If you're not a natural born seller, then consider asking a good friend that can sell to help you out.  

Know your competition before you even go to a show.  I always ask for a vendor listing of businesses in my category and start researching.  There is always something that sets me apart from them and I use that without bashing their business.  

Break that sweat and you won't regret it!


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## Bann51

This has been great for me!   Someone had told me I needed to get a professional photographer in order to put pictures on the web. .  WEll I couldn't afford that so I recently made a light tent out of box. Found the info on the internet. I took better pictures with my cell phone than my camera. I don't sell on line, but at craft shows when time permits.  I also sell to friends who keep coming back. Now that I've retired, I plan on putting more time into looking for venues. As I'm just starting to CP. I can take my time.  I think planning is everything and getting mentored is another.  Slow down and digest all this great information that's been presented here. I looked at your website also.  It's a lot of information coming at you all at once. Browsing a good website is like browsing the ladies department at Macy's. Good luck.


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## heavensgrace

Sihir said:


> Just as a clarification, more megapixels does not really mean a better picture or camera - in short, it just means that you can make a larger print of your image (or crop in closer on your image on the computer and still have it be as sharp as the original.)
> 
> Since most of us soap makers are wanting to use our pictures online, a large number of megapixels isn't important since we won't be making 20x24 inch prints of our soaps. (Or maybe you are!)
> 
> I'd look for other qualities in a digital camera such as an excellent macro feature to get close-ups of your details on your soap, a better sensor, ability to adjust exposure - really the best camera is the one that has the features you need! If you go to an actual local camera store the people there can give you great advice and many of them offer secondhand or refurbished cameras for a discount. (Again - local - not one of the chain camera stores or big retailers. They often don't know nearly as much as they should about what they are selling.)
> 
> One of my favorite cameras ever was a Panasonic Lumix (amazing macro) but I currently shoot with a Canon T1i
> 
> Hope this helps!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Soap Making



Thanks for the clarification! I sure hated to give out wrong camera info
My ex was as clueless as me searching for cameras. You would think that we were born in the 30's!!


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## aab1

Sorry for the long delay in replying I've been really busy.

I definitely want to change names and relaunch as I don't think selling only salt soaps is helping the business. My initial plan was to sell only salt soaps, then I thought of doing maybe 75% salt soaps and 25% regular, I'm now thinking of renaming the business and having about half regular and half salt soaps and I can adjust from there based on sales of each type.

I'm aware my photos are absolutely horrible and have already bought everything to make a light box and it's almost done. The problem wasn't my camera but my horrible lighting conditions.

What do you recommend I use as a background for the soaps?

My etsy shop is https://www.etsy.com/shop/ActualHealthInfo (I will rename it once I decide on my new name)

About the etsy tags, it seems like they decide what the tags will be for search ads so I'm not sure how I could change that.

About the website, I programmed the entire store myself so that it would work like I want. I know the visual design is bad, but once the business starts running I'll pay someone to do a "facelift" as I prefer to keep the store software I designed myself.

I do not yet have a logo, I will need to decide on a new name first.

My reason for wanting to change the name is not because of the comments that it's too generic, it's because I think selling only salt soaps will not result in the most sales and I want to also sell regular soaps.

However, about salt soaps not showing up in internet searches, I was on page 1 for "salt soaps" within a week or so of launching the website and on page 3 for "salt soap" (without the "s"), in fact that's why I chose that name, I knew it would easily appear on page 1 for "salt soaps", I might even keep that website running alongside whatever new website I start.

About shipping being expensive in Canada, that's true but for items under 20mm thickness the cost is dramatically cheaper (from about half to a tenth the cost, even at the same weight), and I luckily found molds that make soaps that are just over 19mm thick, I can ship these for just over $1 for 1 bar.

My next step was to bring my soaps to stores to get them to sell it, however I had a major issue with my salt soaps sweating like pigs, in even just slightly humid weather they get absolutely drenched, almost wetter than if they had been soaked in water. All the ones that were labeled had the labels ruined as they got soaked. I have since found shrink wrap so I can hermetically seal them to solve this issue. However now I will want to find a new name before I ask stores to sell them, I don't want to show them under the saltsoaps.com name and a few weeks later tell them I'm changing names.

Thanks everyone for the help


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## 100%Natural

Wow!  Congratulations of coming up with a plan!  Definitely get the name first and then the logo.  Package and label design is next!  Once you have a fully designed product, it's time to hit those stores and start making money!


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## pamielynn

May I add something to all of the excellent advice you've gotten? This isn't fact or based on any scientific findings -just my personal opinion, but when I see a soap selling for $1.99 (no matter the size) I think "cheap". And I see the price before I see the size and go "Ah, small bar; that's why". I'm not saying you should charge $12 just because you can - but I"d up your bar size and charge appropriately. Seriously, just my opinion. Good luck with your new plan!


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## hellogorgeous

Name logo, packaging etc ... great! All things that need to be done!

As for your Etsy shop ... STOP THE ADS NOW!!!

The only tags you have for your soaps are Bath and Beauty  Soap  Vegan. That's it!! You're allowed 13 tags - USE THEM. 
I've had great success with Etsy so anytime someone complains about no views or low sales on Etsy I always ask about tags. 99% of the time they're not using all 13 or the tags aren't relevant. 

I know it's not soap, but look at this listing - https://www.etsy.com/listing/77724154/vintage-perfume-label-wedding?ref=shop_home_feat
Scroll to the bottom and you'll see a section that says "related to this item". Those are the tags I used to describe the invite. It's always best to use multiple words too. Don't say "soap" say "salt soap", "handmade soap", natural soap". Use terms people will search for!

Right now with only 3 tags used, you're throwing money at Etsy - and they're laughing. No one will find you on only 3 tags, plus you're doing search ads which won't work unless you have the proper tags.

Sorry if I'm harsh at all, but it all comes down to tags and yours aren't nearly good enough.


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## aab1

pamielynn said:


> May I add something to all of the excellent advice you've gotten? This isn't fact or based on any scientific findings -just my personal opinion, but when I see a soap selling for $1.99 (no matter the size) I think "cheap". And I see the price before I see the size and go "Ah, small bar; that's why". I'm not saying you should charge $12 just because you can - but I"d up your bar size and charge appropriately. Seriously, just my opinion. Good luck with your new plan!



The reason I made the smaller bars is that because in Canada shipping an item that is under 20 mm thick literally costs about ten times less than an item of the same weight that is over 20mm thick. I also have larger bars on the website, but the small ones allow me to offer shipping that is nearly 10 times cheaper.

Thank you


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## aab1

hellogorgeous: Thanks, I didn't know that, I'm an eBay guy and on eBay there's no tags so I didn't think anything of it when I saw the tags field on Etsy, and I didn't add those 3 tags, when I go to edit a listing none of the 13 tags are filled in, I will fill them in now for each listing.

Will letting the Search Ads run once the tags are updated be worth it?

It's only costing me something like $2 a month anyway.

Thanks


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## hellogorgeous

aab1 said:


> hellogorgeous: Thanks, I didn't know that, I'm an eBay guy and on eBay there's no tags so I didn't think anything of it when I saw the tags field on Etsy, and I didn't add those 3 tags, when I go to edit a listing none of the 13 tags are filled in, I will fill them in now for each listing.
> 
> Will letting the Search Ads run once the tags are updated be worth it?
> 
> It's only costing me something like $2 a month anyway.
> 
> Thanks



Yes you'll have a million times better results with search ads once your tags are fixed. Right now, I can't see anyone finding you. How many views are you getting per day and from search ads?


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## aab1

I was getting 0-4 views per day, I don't know if it updated already or is a coincidence, but I already added tags and today I had 10 views, an all time record.

I only added about 8-10 tags for most items as I couldn't think of other terms, do you have any suggestions?

So does Etsy searches not work based on words in the item title like eBay does? Or does it use a combination of the title and tags?

Thanks


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## hellogorgeous

aab1 said:


> I was getting 0-4 views per day, I don't know if it updated already or is a coincidence, but I already added tags and today I had 10 views, an all time record.
> 
> I only added about 8-10 tags for most items as I couldn't think of other terms, do you have any suggestions?
> 
> So does Etsy searches not work based on words in the item title like eBay does? Or does it use a combination of the title and tags?
> 
> Thanks



Relevancy is a combination of title and tags. But you won't show at all unless you have tags. If you check your stats, you'll see where the views are coming from. It usually takes a couple days to update, so I'm betting the views are coming from this forum since you posted the link here. Your tags already look tons better though!


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## aab1

I'm anxious to see if it finally gets me sales through Etsy, so far the only soaps I sold are in person, through my website and on eBay.

I also listed them on Amazon recently but still no sales from there. Are there any other sites that would be good to sell soaps on?

Thanks


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## Jencat

hellogorgeous - Thank you for the information on Etsy tags!  I'm not selling on there yet, but now I know to pay attention to filling them in once I start.


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## hellogorgeous

Jencat said:


> hellogorgeous - Thank you for the information on Etsy tags!  I'm not selling on there yet, but now I know to pay attention to filling them in once I start.



No problem! Etsy is my main selling venue - I have 4 shops (invites, soaps, graphic design, and jewelry). I'm always happy to help when it comes to Etsy. They're sneaky! Always changing the way things are found or how the site operates. Gotta stay on top of it!


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## pamielynn

aab1 said:


> The reason I made the smaller bars is that because in Canada shipping an item that is under 20 mm thick literally costs about ten times less than an item of the same weight that is over 20mm thick. I also have larger bars on the website, but the small ones allow me to offer shipping that is nearly 10 times cheaper.
> 
> Thank you



I didn't know that and I certainly didn't mean to imply that YOUR soaps are cheap. I'm just chiming in with my perceptions.


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## paillo

hellogorgeous said:


> No problem! Etsy is my main selling venue - I have 4 shops (invites, soaps, graphic design, and jewelry). I'm always happy to help when it comes to Etsy. They're sneaky! Always changing the way things are found or how the site operates. Gotta stay on top of it!



Wow, I didn't know all that either! Gonna update my store tomorrow, thank you so much!


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## girlishcharm2004

I use all 13 tags on my Etsy store.  I get on average 20 views per day.  I signed up for advertizing because I thought it would bring me sales.  After a month and $30+, I had 4 views from Etsy advertizing.  I stopped that quick before I lost anymore money because clearly my tags were bringing in way more views than paying Etsy to advertize for me!


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## nebetmiw

I for one love your sand background idea.  If you can get the white sand it would work great with the right light.  You can also change the design for each photo for each soap easy.  I also think you are OK in specializing in salt soap as it is not that easy for many to make.  Regular soaps are a dime a dozen but salt soap is not.  I would put more educational information without getting in too trouble about the salt salt like maybe a history or links to benefits while putting disclaimer that you are not claiming anything but soap.  But people can do the search and make up their own mind.

As far as naming the soap go with spa and ocean, seaside themes.  I would use your name in the company unless you have a farm or another company that you work from to incorporate.  We had one poster here list some really great choices. You might want to brainstorm it some and then do a poll here to see what we all think.  

Look at it this way you have sales right now with everything you are doing.  You will get alot more with a few simple changes of lighting and name.  After you do those two things I would wait for a few more months and see if things do improve before changing inventory too much.  You might add one or two regular bars but I would not do more.  I would add more salt bars in other colors and maybe more sizes too.  Good luck and do not sweat it much. We are all here for support.


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