“Your success is our success and growing your sales is what we are focused on. Period. Only by placing ourselves in your shoes can Etsy be successful.”
The above is the closing of a post by Etsy itself on the Etsy forums recently. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
We hear so many reports of people in various forums and blogs writing things that are contrary to common business sense. They write about Etsy hogging Google traffic for itself rather than letting it go to shops. They talk about changes in Etsy site structure causing search traffic to fall through the floor. (We’ve posted in the past: Don’t Count on Google for Etsy Sales)
When we hear those things, we have to wonder… why? What purpose could Etsy possibly have in reducing any benefit to sellers? If nobody sells on Etsy, nobody will be on Etsy. The success of sellers is inherently important to the business of Etsy. In fact, it’s pretty much the most important thing of all! Right?
There is always a natural decline right after the holidays and it applies to all consumer sales across the board. Maybe that’s what people saw.
There are other venues that want a bigger piece of the pie. Maybe they have something to gain by spreading the word that Etsy “just isn’t working for sellers”?
Maybe sellers are human beings and they tend to look outward when something is wrong in search of the source of the problem. Maybe the truth is that those who have seen significant declines aren’t running their Etsy business as a real business. Maybe they aren’t doing what they can to get traffic and sales.
Sellers who want to actually get sales can’t count on traffic from search engines or from the Etsy homepage. You may get some of both and that’s great, but the chances are not huge in your favor.
The thought is much like going over to www.blogger.com and starting a blog today, then wondering tomorrow why nobody read it and you have no comments.
Nobody knows it’s there. It’s up to you to tell them.
Great points! I couldn’t agree more. We work hard an advertise and promote our shop in every venue we can find. It is not up to Etsy to drive traffic to our shop.
Just wish that Etsy offered discount codes and a monthly package, but those are my dreams for Etsy. 🙂
.-= Charissa @ MiMi’s Babies´s last blog ..Bubblegum Pink TODDLER Crochet Beanie with Interchangeable Hot Pink Crochet Flower Hairclip – 9 months – 8 years =-.
Agreed. In my opinion, Etsy offers an incredible service at a very fair price. We have to pull our own weight.
.-= Catherine´s last blog ..May Already?! A review, giveaway, and more projects… =-.
Well said! Our success is dependent on ourselves. Quite frankly, that is why I started my own biz…I wanted total control. So, when things are good, I take all the credit! But when things are slow, I don’t look to blame someone else, I evaluate what I should or should not be doing. And then I try my hardest to turn things around!
.-= Melissa´s last blog ..BEER Soap – The Brunette – Made with Guinness Beer – Handmade Cold Process Soap =-.
THANK YOU!!! I am glad to hear that I am not alone in the sales dropping. I was getting some mixed feelings in some of the forums the other day, now I am glad I am not alone in my thoughts. I love the changes that are coming to Etsy. I think the best is yet to come!!! Great post! http://slmpetersen.etsy.com
.-= Stacy´s last blog ..PDF Links Fixed =-.
I can’t understand why anyone would think otherwise…i know they get a big chunk of my sales when i do good, they do good! it is alot of work to get your name and product out there, but i believe etsy has a great platform. I stay away from the forums as i don’t have time for kindergarten b**ch sessions, i have a business to run! :0)
“Maybe sellers are human beings and they tend to look outward when something is wrong in search of the source of the problem. Maybe the truth is that those who have seen significant declines aren’t running their Etsy business as a real business. Maybe they aren’t doing what they can to get traffic and sales.”
Thank you for this! I agree 110% – it’s my business, so it’s my responsibility to keep up with it. Whenever sales slow, I start brainstorming what *I* can do better, and I blame no one but myself.
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You know.. many people just like to complain… Put that energy into creating something new.. and it’ll be a new listing for your etsy shop and a better chance of selling something! Sometimes we just have to remind ourselves that the world is not against us… 🙂
.-= Cori Berg´s last blog ..Remember =-.
I completely agree. It’s up to you the seller to get out there and sell yourself! I’m online everyday promoting in some way or another. I’ have been very successful with Etsy since December 09.
I switched from my own website to Etsy after realizing there was just way more traffic on Etsy than to wait for someone to find me on Google.
1,000,000 % correct. Most don’t realize how much work it is to promote and get your name out there. Rather than do that or create new product, they go on the forums to moan and groan & make all kinds of strong suggestions as to how Etsy can better serve them. If they channeled that energy otherwise, we’d all be better off. Great post!
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THANKS for this post!! The negative threads on Etsy are such a downer & I was feeling alone in thinking that I was the only person who did not agree with them.
.-= Steph´s last blog ..A Pirate’s Life pirate charm bracelet =-.
Very well said. I have come across sellers that all the do is whine they haven’t had sales.
Any venue, just putting your product on the ‘shelves’ is not a guarantee they will sell.
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Excellent point, Kim. It always makes me laugh when people think “If I build it, they will come”. This may have been the case in 1990, but not today. It’s a full time job to get your name / brand out there…
.-= Cheri Tracy´s last blog ..Brimstone – Pure Organic Mineral Eye Color =-.
Amen! I think a lot of it has to do with the site changes Etsy was rolling out at the time – it gave people a convenient target for what was happening to their views and sales. With regards to the forums it is really frustrating – there’s a huge intimidation factor that keeps those of opposing views to have their say which contributes to the illusion that (to quote a certain thread) “sellers are up in arms”. It’s like the social obligation to hate your boss: it doesn’t matter what he/she does there will be those who cannot and will not judge them based on their actions on par with every other real human being. It’s easy to point the finger at ‘the boss’, and more insidiously, it contributes to the illusion that there are simple, neat solutions to every problem. Not to mention it shows an incredible lack of maturity and is remarkably inefficient in solving problems.
Such a great post! I would also add that Etsy’s purpose is NOT to make sales for you. Etsy provides a platform from which you (the Seller) can do what you are supposed to do: run your business! It is certainly not perfect, and there are lots of great ideas out the to improve things, but the lack of improvement is not because they do not care about whether or not sellers are making money!
.-= Kelly Irene´s last blog ..To sew or not to sew =-.
I am so glad to have read this post. When I started Etsy I got very involved & did a lot of homework. I improved my pictures, renewed often, & make more items. All of these things cost more money but eventually it started to pay off & now I have loyal customers who help spread the word.
YOU GET BACK WHAT YOU PUT IN!
This has always been my motto with Etsy.
I would love to be discovered
but I don’t want to be “mothered”
when Etsy tells me what I need to do
I want to cry the ‘it’s all your fault’ blues
what about my overnight success???
what about my unrecognized genius????
what’s all this ‘work work work’ fuss???
Don’t you Ants know that I’m a grasshopper!?!?!
Since I joined in January of this year I’ve spent hours and hours reading the resources, advice, suggestions, etc., etc., that Etsy admin provides for their vendors. It’s a honor to be an Etsy vendor. I am not just being obsequious (I heard someone use that word today and I had to go look it up). There’s no evidence that Etsy stands for anything other than the values they promote. Slowly but surely I’m applying what I learn, and slowly but surely I’m gaining hearts and views and traffic. I’m not going to throw up my hands because I’m not selling in the thou$$$$ands. My time will come if I am persistent.
Don’t read that blathering cr** on the forums, it’s a negativity vortex! Stick to the positive messages, the encouragement, and the TRULY USEFUL information available. You only have so much time, so much mental energy, and so many brain cells to burn. Where are you going to spend them???
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