Be An Expert - Forward Thinking - Wholesale For Christmas

Etsy recently published this Seller Handbook guide to Wholesale Christmas Prep: https://www.etsy.com/uk/seller-handbook/article/wholesale-christmas-preparation/159623538888. Even if you don't sell wholesale yet it's an interesting read to give you ideas for the future!

Could you dip your toe into wholesale this Christmas by asking a local gift shop if they will stock a few of your items? It could be the start of something big! If you want to look into wholesale more you can check out the Indie Retail Academy website for some more advice: https://www.indieretailacademy.com/

Even if you never want to sell wholesale, you can still take some useful tips from the Seller Handbook article to apply to your own shop:

- Change pitching stockists to pitching you mailing list - get you Christmas Gift Ideas emails ready

-Focus on packaging - think about offering gift packaging to your customers during the Christmas season

- Set up order deadlines - have a think now about what you will do if you get busy, and when people need to order by to get their item for Christmas

- Stock up to snag last minute orders - make sure you have enough 'blank' product in to keep making new things as your items sell, whether it's balls of wool or vintage spoons - make sure you have enough to see you through November!

If we get ready now then Christmas will be easy!

Be An Expert - Forward Thinking - Autumn Trends

We are marching towards the end of summer, and things will be starting to gear up for the Autumn and Winter seasons - Christmas is only 124 days away! Before Christmas we do have lots of other things to look forward to - pulling on our comfy cosy woolly jumpers, kids going back to school, watching fireworks, trick-or-treaters at Halloween, watching movies tucked up inside when it's stormy weather. Is your shop going to be ready for the change in season?

If your shop sells knitted or crochet items your hooks have probably already been flying to get ready for the cooler weather, but make sure you take a minute to check your inventory so you know how much you have to sell. For other shops - how can you aim for the Autumn? If you sell prints or mugs can you use some 'cosy nights in' phrases on them? If you sell jewellery have a think about the colours and shapes people will be wanting to wear. If you sell ceramic pots can you photograph them with pens and pencils in for a back-to-school (or back-to-uni) idea?

If you aren't able to change your actual stock, can you change the way you style it? Create an Autumnal Instagram photo or two, using Autumnal colours with a pine cone or other suitable prop. If you can get these ready now then you'll be able to hit the ground running when the time comes!

If you'd like to see what trends are on the way, then a couple of places to look are here for a brief look at expected fashions: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/style/autumn-2017-fashion-trends-aw17-styles-women/ or you can look at the SpringAutumnFair Instagram page to see what they are sharing from their upcoming trade show: https://www.instagram.com/springautumnfair/ 

Have fun getting ready for Autumn (and make sure you start thinking about Christmas too!).

Be An Expert - Back To Basics - Teamwork

For our final Back To Basics post let's look at teamwork and the many ways it can help you with your business!

Dorset Team: Obviously the Dorset Team is a great resource to help you with your shop. Check out the team forum and post your own queries if you have them here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/teams/14319/dorset-etsy-team you can also join the Facebook group for team members here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1514236692123255/, look at old and current posts on the blog here: http://dorsetteam.blogspot.co.uk/, join in the Twitter chat on Tuesdays from 7.30pm - 8.30pm using the #DorsetTeam hashtag, or use that hashtag at any time to reach out to our social media team and other members who might answer your questions, or re-tweet / re-gram your posts!

Other Online Assistance: You an join multiple Facebook Groups as well as the Dorset Team one for Etsy help if you want to, here's one for example, called the 'Etsy EK Sellers Help Group': https://www.facebook.com/groups/1099520500108154/ or the 'Handmade Hour' on twitter is another good place to network with like-minded sellers: https://twitter.com/HandmadeHour. You can join a few things and work out what works best for you to feel like you are supported and part of a team - find your tribe!

Business Helpers / Employees: When you have a rush of orders make sure you ask friends and family if they are able to help you out. Sometimes you can ask for help even if you aren't busy - send a message saying - 'I need help thinking of new product ideas' or 'anyone want to come and help me re-vamp my crafting room' you never know who will be able to help if you don't ask. One day you might need to hire an employee (or more!). Here's an article on taking your first steps towards hiring: https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/how-to-take-first-steps-toward-hiring/22819321220 and here's one about PAYE: https://www.gov.uk/topic/business-tax/paye - sole traders can hire employees but you'll probably need to tell HMRC you are doing so, and you'll definitely need to make sure you are following regulations like paying them the minimum wage!

Collaborations: Another way to network and work with another Etsy shop owner is to have a collaboration. Find someone who makes something you like, but which you could put your own twist on, then ask them if they'd like to work with you! Here's an Etsy article on collaborations: https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/expand-your-product-line-with-a/22850675416

Remember there are thousands of shop owners just like you. We are all part of one great big team, and if we work together to raise each other's profiles then it will help the handmade / vintage market to grow and grow!

Be An Expert - Back To Basics - Focus On Photos

This week for 'Back To Basics' were looking at photography. Do your photos show your products in the best possible way?

READ THIS: A great book to read if you feel like you need an in-depth refresh of your photos is this 'The Crafter's Guide To Taking Great Photos' book by Heidi Adnum: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crafters-Guide-Taking-Great-Photos/dp/1844487512 with A LOT of tips on background, props, lighting, and more. 

LIGHTING ISSUES: If your main issue is light, you could try making a DIY lightbox: http://www.wikihow.com/Create-an-Inexpensive-Photography-Lightbox If your products are too big to fit in a lightbox then consider asking a friend with big windows whether you can take some photos there (you might need to tape white tissue paper to the windows to diffuse the light). 

FIX THE SHARPNESS: If your photos need to be sharper, try these tips from the Etsy Seller Handbook: https://www.etsy.com/uk/seller-handbook/article/6-steps-to-creating-sharper-product/23125317730

LIFESTYLE SHOTS: Do you take 'lifestyle' photos as well as plain ones? Lifestyle photos means you show how the item might be used, or place some props around it to give it a sense of scale or to invoke an emotion. For example if you make jewellery you don't HAVE to show it on a model (though this could be good) but you could show it draped across a jewellery dish - a modern neon stripe dish with bright white lighting if your jewellery is for the young fashionista, or a vintage saucer dish with warm lighting if your jewellery is for the more mature or softer-styled lady.

Here's 2 good posts with tips on lifestyle photography: https://photography.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-create-compelling-lifestyle-product-photographs--cms-23076 and http://www.hollybooth.com/blog/how-to-style-your-product-photos

5 LISTING PHOTOS: Finally - do you use all 5 photo spaces whenever you can? Here's some Etsy ideas on 4 different photos to use: https://www.etsy.com/uk/seller-handbook/article/4-essential-product-shots-for-your-etsy/22504064051 and the 5th photo could be a photo of your product packaging if that's something special!

Be An Expert - Back To Basics - Starting From Scratch

During May we are focusing on going back to the basics and making sure everything in your shop is as good as it can be. You may have been having so much fun uploading new products that you've forgotten that your 'about' page still talks about products you no longer make, for example. Making sure everything is up-to-scratch will help your customers trust you and make you appear in the relevant searches!

Here's 3 things to go and check right now, and some links to articles to find out more if you need help. Whether you are a new seller or an old-hand, it's worth making sure these are current, and fit with your branding:

About Page: https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/how-to-craft-a-killer-about-section/22636178725

Shop Policies: https://www.etsy.com/uk/help/article/38745785811

Cover Photo & Shop Icon: https://www.etsy.com/uk/help/article/160 (if you refresh your cover photo regularly with new products then returning customers will immediately see what's new in store as soon as they land at your shop. You can create photo collages in PicMonkey or Canva to fit the right dimensions!)

Finally here's a top tip which is good for new sellers, or long-time sellers who didn't know about this -

Top Tip: Your listing titles are essential for Search Engine Optimisation. Fill up as much of the title space as you can, using 2-3 word phrases separated by commas. If you are selling artwork don't put the name of the artwork in the title, put it in the description, as no one is likely to search for that artwork by title. Instead use phrases people are likely to search for. For example, a title SHOULD NOT say:

'Beautiful unicorn wandering through a wood A4 painting'

It SHOULD say something like:

'Unicorn Painting, Unicorn Art, Unicorn Gift, Fantasy Art, Fantasy Art Gift, Girls Bedroom Decor, Daughter's Birthday Gift, Original Art'

Go and make sure your titles are working for you!

Be an Expert - Panetone Colour of the Year

Panetone have released their 'colour of the year' - except this year it's 2 colours!

You can see the announcement here: http://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year-2016

And on the Etsy blog here: https://blog.etsy.com/uk/2016/03/10/pantone-colour-of-the-year-2016/

It could be worth adding the tags 'rose quartz' or 'serenity' to some of your items that match these colour hues. There might not be that many shoppers who know about the colour trends but there will be some, but more importantly Etsy, and press like magazines or bloggers, may search those tags to see what products to feature in an on-trend article!

The other popular colours for the year can be seen in the Panetone Spring Repot here: https://www.pantone.com/pages/fcr/?season=spring&year=2016&pid=11.

Be an Expert - Getting featured on Etsy

Have you wondered what you need to do to be featured on Etsy Picks? 

Check out this article here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/help/article/149

You can't submit to be featured - the Etsy team just keep searching for items to feature. So making sure your shop looks great and has good SEO is essential. You should also think about upcoming trends and seasonal purchases that Etsy might be creating picks for soon - they often do the same each year, and others will follow trends. Keep an eye on what the official Etsy UK FB page / Twitter / Instagram are sharing or what hashtags they are using which you could use too so you get on their radad!

Etsy UK FB: https://www.facebook.com/EtsyUK/

Etsy UK Twitter: https://twitter.com/EtsyUK

Etsy UK Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/etsyuk/

Be an Expert - Sourcing materials for your Etsy shop

Have you ever thought much about the materials you use to make your items? Do they reflect your values and the story behind your shop?

Check out this Etsy Article in the sellers handbook about some of the things to consider and how to plan for a change in the materials you use: https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/4-tips-for-sourcing-materials/38755320963?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share

Though these details aren't always neccesary when you're starting out, they are good to think about as they can be a great way to support your business branding, and connect with customers!

Be an Expert - How does your shop look in the Etsy app?

Have you checked recently how your shop looks in the Etsy app, for buyers browsing on their phones or tablets?

See this Etsy article about making sure your shop is optimised for mobile viewers: https://www.etsy.com/uk/seller-handbook/article/is-your-shop-optimized-for-mobile/22858082407

In your shop stats you can see how many of your overall traffic sources found your shop on the Etsy app - it might be more than you think! Make sure your photos and descriptions grab people browsing on the app as well as on a desktop computer

Be an Expert: Investing in yourself this year

Photo Credit: Made by Burbs 

This week's post is a really nice little Etsy article on investing in yourself this year. Some lovely simple ideas! 

https://www.etsy.com/uk/seller-handbook/article/3-ways-to-invest-in-yourself-this-year/36232908517

Be an Expert - What to do when things go a bit pearshaped...

What to do when things go a bit pearshaped... 

Not all transactions are five-star perfect and from time to time things go wrong. A package doesn't arrive; something is damaged on receipt; or the size or colour are not quite what the customer expected. For new sellers especially, dealing with a problem transaction can seem daunting - so here are a few resources and suggestions. Experienced sellers, do please chime in with your tips and advice too!

Things you can do to help ensure happy customers include making descriptions and titles very clear and informative - remember people shopping on the mobile app won't necessarily see the description so your title should be clear what the item is and possibly its size/dimensions too. And it goes without saying that your main photo should be as clear and accurate as possible. Learn about photo dimensions and a whole bunch of other information about adding a listing here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/help/article/187 

Shop policies are vitally important. Not all customers will bother to read them but they are there to make it clear what the procedure is if there is a problem. Things like who is responsible for return shipping, how long the customer has to change their mind, under what circumstances you offer refunds and/or exchanges... most of this is covered by the EU Consumer Contracts Regulations (which replaced the old 'distance selling regulations') so do have a read and make sure your policies are fully compliant. Nice clear guide from Which? here: http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/consumer-contracts-regulations

Communication is the key in any situation where the customer isn't happy. Usually the situation can be resolved amicably and you'll still get a good review. Here is the Etsy guide to the review system: https://www.etsy.com/uk/help/article/102

However, sometimes you will get a bad review out of the blue anyway and it's up to you whether you then pursue it and try to persuade the customer to change it. If you feel you must respond, try to do so in a calm, professional and factual manner. Remember your future customers will be reading what  you wrote. And never, ever, ever, go to the Etsy Forums and post details of your correspondence with your 'problem' customer - this will get your thread closed by Admin and it looks very unprofessional. Remember that a lot of buyers read the Etsy Forums too. If you must vent, do it in a private forum or offline! A private thread on the Dorset EtsyTeam forum is the best place to ask for advice.

If all else fails and the customer opens a case with Etsy and/or their payment processor, here is the Etsy Help guide to the process: https://www.etsy.com/uk/help/article/364 . Fingers crossed you never actually need to do any of this though!

Share your top tips for happy customers with the team - please tag them #DorsetTeamTips so we can find and retweet them :)

Be an Expert - Achieve your goals!

Photo Credit - Lindsay from SlumberMonkey who is a Dorset Team member

Happy New Year!

This week our 'Be an Expert' post is all about goal setting for 2016 and achieving your goals. Setting goals is a great way to keep motivated throughout the year and keep track of your progress.

There is a fantastic resources on how to set your own goals for this year here:
https://www.etsy.com/uk/seller-handbook/article/ready-for-etsy-success-start-with-an/22665600045

 https://www.etsy.com/uk/seller-handbook/article/how-4-sellers-achieved-their-goals-in/36568397091 

This article from Etsy also goes through different goals and share resources for how to achieve those goals. There is something from Etsy sellers of different expertise from total newbies to those more established.

What are your goals for 2016? We would love to hear.

Please share them by adding a comment below or by sharing on #DorsetTeam

Be an expert - 5 ways to maximise your business card

Business Card holder by Sonia from LAYOUTLINES 

With Christmas fast approaching it is a fantastic time to start thinking about your business cards. Business cards are a great way to get the word out about your Etsy shop and remind people where to find you. It is a good idea to keep a stash of business cards on you wherever you go as you never know when you might need them!

Joanne Dewberry from Charlie Moos who lives locally in Dorset  and is the author of 'Crafting a successful small business' has written a fantastic blog article on how to maximise your business card.

Find the article here:
 http://joannedewberry.co.uk/articles/5-ways-to-maximise-your-business-card/

What does your business card look like? We would love to see. Please tweet/ instagram us a photo at #dorsetteam