Shameless Self-Promotion #3

Now let's explore some free or inexpensive Websites we can use.

First, of course...Etsy.
http://www.etsy.com/

Why have an Etsy shop?-First, for your Artisan market customers. Many customers ask if I have a website so they can look at my products later. But I usually take the initiative. When someone looks at my items but doesn't buy, I finish up my 'sales pitch' by saying, "And, you can look at them from home, here's my business card with my website". When someone buys something, the last thing I say is, "I put my card with my website in the bag" or, if I know it's a gift, I say, "I put two cards with my info and website in the bag, you can give one with the gift and keep one for yourself".

-Your Etsy shop will help your business come up in a Google search.

-People might buy things from your Etsy shop. ;) [But, if they don't, don't be discouraged. It usually takes more effort than just listing your items, to get sales. We'll keep talking about that in the future.)

-Loading an Etsy shop is MUCH easier than creating your own website if you aren't experienced, and much cheaper than hiring someone to build a website for you. AND you can also buy a .com and simply have it FORWARDED to your Etsy shop. You can just put the .com on your business card. That's what we do with our Saturday market collective shop. I bought http://www.saamaa.com/ and had it forwarded to http://saamaa.etsy.com/, so I don't even have to tell people the etsy address, just the www.saamaa.com. That way, later on you can build your own awesome website, ditch Etsy, but your old business cards will still take people to your new site.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Etsy is like Ebay in one way - it's a "venue" site. That means you list your own items and you deal with the customer directly. It's different from Ebay in a couple of important ways - on Ebay, anything goes, but Etsy only allows Handmade [by you], Vintage, or Commercial Supplies. And, instead of auctions that last only a few days, your Etsy listing lasts for 4 months [or until the item sells].

You choose a username, register as a seller, and then you can start adding items, and fill in your store front with a banner, avatar, Shop Announcement, Profile and Policies. The shop front is free, and each item costs 20 cents for 4 months. You get to list 5 pictures for each item.

I'm going to go into detail about the Username because you can't change it later. Everything else, you can work on as you go, change and improve.

Username
Choose your username carefully. *You can't change it later.* [you can start all over with another one if you use another email address]. It will be your Etsy shop's web address. So it's important. I also recommend buying the .com for your Etsy username. For that matter, use the same username everywhere on the web - then customers can find you everywhere, and you'll be subtly promoting your business everywhere you go. Mine is Such Pretty Colors, so my Etsy shop address is http://suchprettycolors.etsy.com. Yours will be http://whatever-name-you-choose.etsy.com.
Points to think about:
-Does the name reflect positively on what you do?
-Does it leave room for change if you branch out, change or add mediums?
-Can the spelling be confused by customers? Sometimes clever names can backfire. If I picked "SewPretty", I'd have to spell my website every time I tell someone about it.
-Use something easy for a customer to remember - just a memorable phrase, not Jenny8764.
-Avoid possible apostrophes - "Ann's Quilts" - you'll always be saying "no apostrophe in the web address".
-Pick something which has an available .com. Avoid a situation where you'll be stuck with a .net or .us because another business already has your .com, it's just one more little confusion for customers, and it's hard enough for them to remember how to find us already. You can buy the .com affordably at GoDaddy.com.
-Think about registering the name with Washtenaw County. That helps avoid a name that's already in use, and helps prevent a new person taking the same name in the future. You can do it at the County building at the Registrar of Deeds, I believe it's $10. Beware - the county sells your name to every junk mail sender on earth. :(
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This is the Etsy Wiki.http://www.etsywiki.com/index.php?title=Main_PageIt is chock full of page upon page of help and advice for selling on Etsy.Some of the links go to another page full of links, so there is really a ton here. It's worth really getting into and exploring, if you want to make a go of it on Etsy.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------When you get your shop running, or if you already have a shop, put your Etsy web address in the comments here on the blog. Then we can all network with each other.

--------------
by Ann Sheppard