tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67075976626324343372024-03-13T10:58:53.131-05:00Sellers Assisting SellersA blog for etsy sellers with helpful information on how to improve your pictures, increase your sales and more! Run by the Sellers Assisting Sellers Team on etsy.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17911777251584723837noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-55096813383474303192015-10-30T11:56:00.001-05:002015-10-30T11:57:29.289-05:00Sellers Assisting Sellers Team is Now ClosedUnfortunately, the Sellers Assisting Sellers Team is now closed. We are unable to help you with any Etsy or business questions.<br />
<br />
Thank you to the mentors who dedicated their time to the Etsy community over the years!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17911777251584723837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-23398855090466114172013-08-27T08:02:00.001-05:002013-08-27T08:02:58.759-05:00In case you missed it: Many new Features!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kBK_6JJXj3M/Uhyis5Pfx8I/AAAAAAAAAY8/E5eKVmJ77es/s1600/post.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kBK_6JJXj3M/Uhyis5Pfx8I/AAAAAAAAAY8/E5eKVmJ77es/s320/post.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
In case you've missed the news lately, Etsy has rolled out a number of updates and new features to your selling and buying experience.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/blog/news/2013/5-stars-for-etsys-new-review-system/">Feedback is rolling over to a 5-star system</a> with new ways to edit and resolve feedback issues with buyers.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/blog/news/2013/the-new-listing-page-better-shopping-more-personality/">Item listings have a whole new look</a> with more information.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/blog/news/2013/get-facts-in-a-flash-with-the-new-shop-dashboard/">New Shop Dashboard </a>helps you manage your shop with stats and orders status at a glance.Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-62024638884536480082013-06-11T16:33:00.000-05:002013-06-11T16:33:25.732-05:00Tutorial: Google Keyword Tool
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">How
to Use the Free Google Keyword Tool</span></b><span lang="EN-CA"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">I get a lot of people asking how to use the
Google Keywords Tool to do keyword research for their shops, so I threw
together a quick tutorial with screenshots for those who find it too
intimidating.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">The Google Keyword Tool is found here: <a href="https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal">https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">The tool does several things:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-CA">tells you how many people
search a specific term each month on Google</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-CA">tells you how much competition
there is for the phrase from people buying Google Adwords. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-CA">gives you other related terms
that you might not have thought of using</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Load the Tool, and start filling out your first search keywords. It will look like
this (click to see image larger):</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PVwmc_7-urs/UbeWUbbYvzI/AAAAAAAAAWU/_ATNPQHtPiE/s1600/adwords+set+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PVwmc_7-urs/UbeWUbbYvzI/AAAAAAAAAWU/_ATNPQHtPiE/s320/adwords+set+up.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-CA">enter your main search term</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-CA">click the “x” to change the
search options to worldwide instead of your country</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-CA">enter the “captcha” letters
(those weird words in black) into the box</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-CA">click “Search”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Then you will see this (click to see image larger):</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7h-HtqpFoJg/UbeWgrhZFAI/AAAAAAAAAWc/4h_hUhY1PR0/s1600/adwords+narrow+search.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7h-HtqpFoJg/UbeWgrhZFAI/AAAAAAAAAWc/4h_hUhY1PR0/s320/adwords+narrow+search.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span lang="EN-CA"></span><span lang="EN-CA"> </span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"> </span><span lang="EN-CA">What does this mean? First, the top result
shows you that 880 people do searches on Google every month that include the
words “<span style="color: purple;">abalone earrings</span>”. The keywords
beneath are Google’s suggestions, some of which will be completely irrelevant
for your item, but others will give you new ideas & info. </span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Do a quick skim through to get more keyword
ideas to try, and then unclick the “Broad” search box on the top left, &
click the “[Exact]” box (see the arrow on the left, above). This will tell you
how many type the <u>exact search</u> you are researching every month. Clicking
“Exact” is <u>a key step</u>, or you may end up choosing keywords that aren’t
very popular by themselves & are therefore not particularly useful. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">When you click “[Exact]” you will see:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3pZ1dK01z6w/UbeWko8Jz6I/AAAAAAAAAWo/2cXPrH-O1oU/s1600/adwords+exact+search.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3pZ1dK01z6w/UbeWko8Jz6I/AAAAAAAAAWo/2cXPrH-O1oU/s320/adwords+exact+search.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">[Exact] match tells you that 210 people
search “<span style="color: purple;">abalone earrings</span>” on Google each
month, and that there is high competition for the phrase (as opposed to Medium
or Low competition), in terms of paid Google ads. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Clicking on the blue keyword links on each
line will give you several options including “Google Search” which takes you to
a Google search for that term, so you can see what is currently ranking on the
search pages. There is also a link to “Exclude term” if it is useless to you
& you want more relevant results, & one to show more phrases similar to
the one you click on – very useful! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iyeOBiwWiKk/UbeWm9u0lRI/AAAAAAAAAWw/cdPlGEbF9Y4/s1600/ADWORDS+drop+down.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iyeOBiwWiKk/UbeWm9u0lRI/AAAAAAAAAWw/cdPlGEbF9Y4/s320/ADWORDS+drop+down.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Take note of all of the good keywords you
see (there can be up to 100) then enter another term to get more suggestions.
Keep doing this until you have a full list of keywords that describe your
items. Now you are ready to optimize one listing, several similar listings, or
even a whole website! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">There are a few other things you can do
with this tool; here are a couple of more advanced tutorials including
different aspects of it:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Google%27s-Keyword-Search-Tool">http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Google's-Keyword-Search-Tool</a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://todaymade.com/blog/google-adwords-seo/">http://todaymade.com/blog/google-adwords-seo/</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://www.ecommercefuel.com/keyword-traffic-research/">http://www.ecommercefuel.com/keyword-traffic-research/</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">But to do basic Etsy keyword research,
using the above tips & also checking the suggested searches on Etsy, you
don’t need to get too complicated, so only click on those links if you have
mastered the basics and are looking for more advanced ideas<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><i>Post by Cindy. Cindy is the co-captain of the SASsy Mentors team and an SEO expert. </i></span></span></div>
Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-86229583723871024472013-02-06T22:30:00.000-06:002013-02-06T22:30:31.918-06:00USPS Announcement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tlQWCmAYfaY/URMtEHGfPtI/AAAAAAAAAUk/4CpWX-0t7A0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-02-06+at+10.25.37+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tlQWCmAYfaY/URMtEHGfPtI/AAAAAAAAAUk/4CpWX-0t7A0/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-02-06+at+10.25.37+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Important news for Etsy Sellers: The USPS announced today that there will be a change to mail delivery services starting in August. <br />
You can read the full press release here: <a href="http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2013/pr13_019.htm">Press Release</a><br />
Or the quick fact sheet here: <a href="http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2013/fiveday-factsheet.pdf">Fact Sheet</a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z31Dx64TcXI/URMtj-iR-YI/AAAAAAAAAUs/yjLKEEGOLFI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-02-06+at+10.28.39+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z31Dx64TcXI/URMtj-iR-YI/AAAAAAAAAUs/yjLKEEGOLFI/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-02-06+at+10.28.39+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">images courtesy USPS website</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-17559254938818841412013-02-04T11:55:00.000-06:002013-02-04T11:55:14.724-06:00What do YOU want to know?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-43wuJ1KiQvg/UQ_14BhU_II/AAAAAAAAAUQ/xFOILrKp-kY/s1600/IMG_2642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-43wuJ1KiQvg/UQ_14BhU_II/AAAAAAAAAUQ/xFOILrKp-kY/s320/IMG_2642.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We are working on putting together a list of blog topics for the next few months and we would love to have your input! What would you like to see here?<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Is there a particular topic you would like help with?</li>
<li>What questions would you like us to answer?</li>
<li>I would really love a tutorial to show me how to do _________________.</li>
<li>I need more resources for learning __________________.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Please leave a comment and let us know.</div>
Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-909429412274044402013-01-22T09:12:00.002-06:002013-01-22T09:13:02.161-06:00Shipping Rates go up January 27<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Small_USPS_Truck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Small_USPS_Truck.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
If you haven't heard, shipping rates for most package services with USPS are going up on January 27. Most services have a pretty small increase, but some of the international rates have almost doubled! If you ship internationally, you should probably be prepared to do some updates. Check out this handy summary<a href="http://www.etsy.com/blog/news/2013/shipping-rates-update-for-sellers/"> from Etsy</a> or see the <a href="http://pe.usps.com/January_2013_Notice_123_SS_v7.xls">new chart from USPS</a>.Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-34051361987029005612012-11-28T17:38:00.000-06:002012-11-28T17:38:11.619-06:00Holiday Shipping Deadlines<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/5649763/il_570xN.341524137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/5649763/il_570xN.341524137.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage Postage stamps by <a href="http://thebrightonemporium.etsy.com/">TheBrightonEmporium.etsy.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It can't be time to start thinking about holiday shipping already? <br />
<br />
Here are some helpful links to some of our favorite shipping companies with deadlines for making your shipping adventures a little more stress free this holiday season:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.usps.com/holiday/welcome.htm">USPS Shipping Deadlines</a><br />
<a href="http://www.fedex.com/us/holiday/last-days-to-ship.html">Fed Ex Shipping Deadlines</a><br />
<a href="http://compass.ups.com/holidays/">UPS Shipping Deadlines</a><br />
<a href="http://www.dhl.com/en/mail/globalmail_observer.html#past">DHL Shipping alerts</a><br />
<br />
<br />Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-26439157828471857382012-10-24T18:41:00.000-05:002012-10-24T18:41:32.179-05:00How to: Getting Started in the SASsy Critiques Forum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://img3.etsystatic.com/000/0/7702/iga_170x100.11463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://img3.etsystatic.com/000/0/7702/iga_170x100.11463.jpg" /></a>Every day we have a few new Etsy sellers apply to the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/teams/7702/sassy-critiques">SASsy Critiques team</a>. With all of these new users, we thought it might be helpful to write a little guide to the SASsy Critiques forum.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Who can join?</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Anyone can apply to be a part of the team, but you have a little homework to do. First you need to read the Shop Critique Checklist, <a href="http://etsymentors.blogspot.com/p/critique-your-own-shop.html">which is located right here</a>. Why? This checklist answers many of the questions that new sellers have and it has lots of links to great information for the most frequently asked questions. By going through the checklist, you might be able to answer many of your questions on your own. After you have read the checklist, come back and apply to the team.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We also encourage all of the <a href="http://etsymentors.blogspot.com/p/find-mentor-by-expertise.html">SASsy Mentors</a> to be a part of the Critiques team. These mentors are there to participate in the discussions as a voice of experience. They should identify themselves as a "SASsy Mentor" in their comment, so you will know who they are.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<b>How do you participate?</b><i> </i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TAjJHXBbQZU/UIh55b5-lSI/AAAAAAAAARk/vPp2Eyes5Is/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-10-24+at+6.28.54+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TAjJHXBbQZU/UIh55b5-lSI/AAAAAAAAARk/vPp2Eyes5Is/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-10-24+at+6.28.54+PM.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Post a question. </i> </div>
Once you have been accepted to the team, you can start a new thread with your question by clicking the "Create Thread" link at the top of the discussion list. Be sure you are asking a specific question like "I would like some help with my titles. I don't think they are helping me get many views." or "Please critique my photos, I don't know if the background color is working for my items"<br />
<br />
We cannot do a full shop critique, as it says in the forum guidelines. If you post a question like "Please look at my shop and tell me what I am doing wrong.", we will probably ask for you to narrow it down and be more specific.<br />
<br />
<i>Be a part of the discussion.</i><br />
Everyone is encouraged to be a part of the discussion to answer a question. If you know the answer or have an opinion, please chime in.<br />
<br />
<b>What are the rules of the forum?</b><br />
They are pretty simple. First, please be respectful. The forum is about helping each other and being constructive in your comments.<br />
<br />
We won't critique your prices or your art technique. Only the seller can know what is an appropriate price for an item based on costs, overhead and desired profit.<br />
<br />
Your questions have to be about your shop. We can't help you with critiques of Treasuries, Facebook pages, blogs etc.<br />
<br />
No "critique me and I will critique you" games or promotional threads, please.<br />
<br />
And you need to abide by Etsy's Terms of Use: <a href="http://www.etsy.com/policy/terms" target="_blank">http://www.etsy.com/policy/terms</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>What if I want to talk to a mentor one-on-one and not have a discussion in the forum?</b><br />
That's great! That's why we have our <a href="http://etsymentors.blogspot.com/p/find-mentor-by-expertise.html">Mentors List</a>. Sometimes you have a question about a difficult situation with a customer or you just want a little more personal conversation. Look at the list, choose a mentor who specializes in the topic you are looking for and send them a "conversation". <br />
<br />
You don't need to be a member of any team or forum to contact one of our mentors. If you have a question, please ask!Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-45980377135972859572012-10-15T15:56:00.000-05:002012-10-15T16:04:27.488-05:00New Etsy Feature: Browse Pages<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P61kCcwT9PA/UHx2gKn7dQI/AAAAAAAAARM/6q5DFDMvRLs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-10-15+at+3.47.01+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P61kCcwT9PA/UHx2gKn7dQI/AAAAAAAAARM/6q5DFDMvRLs/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-10-15+at+3.47.01+PM.png" width="164" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Earlier this week Etsy introduced new “browse pages” which
have taken the spot of the Discover pages & the listing categories on the
Etsy home page. </span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">You can read the announcements here:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/blog/news/2012/better-ways-to-browse-a-new-look-at-the-marketplace/" target="_blank">http://www.etsy.com/blog/news/<wbr></wbr>2012/better-ways-to-browse-a-<wbr></wbr>new-look-at-the-marketplace/</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2012/how-to-get-found-in-browse/" target="_blank">http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/<wbr></wbr>2012/how-to-get-found-in-<wbr></wbr>browse/</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">& there is a basic help file here on how it all works:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/help/article/3323" target="_blank">http://www.etsy.com/help/<wbr></wbr>article/3323</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Despite the admin announcements, there are still a lot of
questions, & a lot of confused sellers. Here are some basic pointers that
address some of the most common concerns:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>How are those Browse pages created? How do I show up there?</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">To fill the browsing pages, Etsy does many smaller
searches for related words, & then combines them & sorts the listings by
relevancy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/help/article/3323" target="_blank">http://www.etsy.com/help/<wbr></wbr>article/3323</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">“our system looks across the entire marketplace for items
that are relevant to the themes of the particular browse section, and then it
displays those items sorted by relevancy.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XuJFKqri9OU/UHx2IHJJ8OI/AAAAAAAAARE/tKuU8DRRDi4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-10-15+at+3.45.49+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XuJFKqri9OU/UHx2IHJJ8OI/AAAAAAAAARE/tKuU8DRRDi4/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-10-15+at+3.45.49+PM.png" width="320" /></a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">For example, for the browsing page Jewelry -> Earrings -> Eco
Friendly</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/browse/jewelry/earrings/eco-friendly" target="_blank">http://www.etsy.com/browse/<wbr></wbr>jewelry/earrings/eco-friendly</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Etsy does smaller searches including "eco friendly" & “upcycled”, then
combines the results. This is why the browsing pages looks very different than
if you searched “eco friendly earrings” – they contain different searches,
& the browse page does not need to match the exact phrase as the relevancy
search does. Some of the listings do not even have the words “eco friendly”
anywhere, but they do have words that fit the “eco friendly” theme. </span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Listing Categories & Browse Categories are different.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">A lot of people are upset that the browsing pages do not
match the listing categories, but that should not affect your placement, since
the listing categories have little impact on where you show up in the browsing
pages. So I can list a new necklace in Geekery -> Science -> Jewelry
& it could show up on the browsing page for Jewelry -> Men -> Necklace,
since it has the words “men” & ”necklace” in the title. It doesn’t matter
that the categories we use to list new items do not include “men” under Jewelry;
the most important part is that you tag & title using the words Etsy is using
to search to fill that browsing page. (Unfortunately,
Etsy is not going to tell you what those words are, so you will need to look through
the pages & figure each one out for yourself. But if you tag & title
using a diversity of strong keywords, you should eventually show up in these
pages)</span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Playing favorites? </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">There have been a lot of complaints that too many
listings from the same shops are showing up, & Etsy appears to be looking
into that. They have also already made a few changes to which browse page some
items show up on. It will likely take a few weeks for this to be ironed out,
& expect it to change periodically, just as the relevancy search does. </span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Recency still matters & shoppers behaviour influences the ranking.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Just like the regular relevancy search on Etsy, ranking
on the browsing pages gives some weight to the most recently listed items, as
well as to “aggregate shopping and browsing behaviour”. This means that what
people do with your listing when they see it on Etsy matters to your ranking. </span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I hope this clears up some questions! Please ask more in the
comments if you have them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Guest Post by Cindy, SASsy Team Co-Captain</i></span></div>
Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-91970400997866293692012-10-01T09:00:00.000-05:002012-10-01T09:00:10.089-05:00News you might have missed Seller Protection, Google Ads and Wholesale: Etsy has made some pretty big announcements lately. Just in case you have been busy and missed the big news<br />
<br />
<div class="excerpt">
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/blog/news/2012/introducing-etsy-seller-protection/" rel="bookmark" title="Permalink to Introducing Etsy Seller Protection">Introducing Etsy Seller Protection</a> </div>
<div class="excerpt">
"Etsy’s new, comprehensive Seller
Protection Program will ensure that our members have a safe and smooth
experience buying and selling on Etsy. " </div>
<div class="excerpt">
<br /></div>
<div class="excerpt">
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/blog/news/2012/etsy-investing-in-google-product-listing-ads-for-sellers/" rel="bookmark" title="Permalink to Etsy Investing in Google Product Listing Ads for Sellers">Etsy Investing in Google Product Listing Ads for Sellers</a> </div>
<div class="excerpt">
"Google Product Search will soon be moving towards a paid-only model, but fret not — we’ve got your back." </div>
<div class="excerpt">
<br /></div>
<div class="excerpt">
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/blog/news/2012/etsy-wholesale-on-the-horizon/" rel="bookmark" title="Permalink to Etsy Wholesale on the Horizon">Etsy Wholesale on the Horizon</a></div>
<div class="excerpt">
"We’ll soon be launching Etsy
Wholesale — a place for vendors and retailers to connect and discover
unique products."</div>
<div class="excerpt">
<br /></div>
<div class="excerpt">
</div>
Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-38684966119114092412012-09-26T12:21:00.000-05:002012-09-30T20:30:02.784-05:00Words of Wisdom Series: What Camera Do I get?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cRfXB7ENuKk/UGM41kUyflI/AAAAAAAAAQo/eefDGVM9P7M/s1600/il_fullxfull.281138297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="319" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cRfXB7ENuKk/UGM41kUyflI/AAAAAAAAAQo/eefDGVM9P7M/s320/il_fullxfull.281138297.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raspberry Necklace by inedible jewelry</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In this series, we ask the SASsy Mentors for their "words of wisdom"
about a specific topic. This month, we asked Emma from <a href="http://benconservato.etsy.com/">benconservato</a>, Jenny from <a href="http://thepaintedlily.etsy.com/">thepaintedlily</a>, Lauren of <a href="http://sugartreecreek.etsy.com/">sugartreecreek</a>, Ilze of <a href="http://ilzesmemories.etsy.com/">ilzesmemories</a>, Jessica of <a href="http://inediblejewelry.etsy.com/">inediblejewelry</a> and Becka of <a href="http://beckarahn.etsy.com/">beckarahn</a> this question: <b> </b><br />
<b>What camera do you have and what is the best/worst feature about it?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Our panel was in agreement on several recommendations:<br />
<ul>
<li>New or old doesn't matter. What <i>is</i> important is knowing your camera and learning how it works to get the results you want.</li>
<li>Manual settings including the ability to select ISO, adjust white balance, shutter speed and aperture give you lots more flexibility for different lighting situations. <b></b></li>
<li>Sometimes it is more about the light than the camera.<b> </b> Making sure that you have bright, even illumination is going to help your photos look great.<b> </b>Many recommend using natural light, but you can also get great results by using other light sources combined with the right camera settings. <b><br /></b></li>
</ul>
<b>Canon</b><br />
Becka, Emma and Jenny are all fans of the Canon Powershot G Series, both older and newer models. (Becka has a G9 and G12, Emma has the G10.) The color/white balance is great. The PowerShots have lots of settings you can adjust (ISO, white balance) and many features (that you usually only find in a DSLR) in a point-and-shoot style body. Macro mode is excellent. The G12 model has auto-detect for macro shots so you don't need to switch the modes back and forth.<br />
<br />
Jenny's tip: <i>It's nice to be able to have a smaller camera sometimes to
shoot things when I only have one hand available. I model my own rings
for the shop and it's great to have a nice, light camera to shoot those
with.</i> <br />
<br />
Lauren recommends the Canon Rebel 3i and Canon 5D but has this to say about getting a DSLR: <i>I
use a Canon 5D, because I am also a professional photographer. I set it
on manual, meter the light and use the macro lens. But don't think you
need an expensive camera for a good picture of your craft. These cameras
have lots of settings which means lots of knowledge about your camera.</i><br />
<br />
<b>Panasonic</b><br />
Panasonic DMC-TZ3
Lumix with the Leica lens. Emma says: <i> It has good and bad points. Sometimes it
adjusts the light in a way you don't want it to - it looks fine on the screen, and
the shot is then dark or blue in tint or very yellow... annoying. I usually have to slightly adjust the photos in PhotoShop anyway. I am not
the only person I have spoken to who has light issues with this camera.</i><br />
<br />
<b>Nikon</b><br />
Jenny says: <i>I currently use a Nikon D80 that I've had for a few years. I love that
it's easy to shoot with and that it works so well with natural light. I
shoot on a tripod with side light from a window and I never use a flash. I
shoot on my macro setting to be able to get great details and super
close ups.</i>
<br />
<br />
Ilze says: <i>I shoot with Nikon D300 for 3 years now, and I really love it. There
have been few generations that already have followed with improved and
added features, but my D300 has great shutter speed, minimal noise, and
variety of lenses available. I use it in my photography business as well
as my etsy business. </i><br />
<br />
<b>Olympus</b><br />
Jessica says: <i>I use a 12 year old Olympus; I'm not sure of the model. It was a decent,
mid to high end camera ...in the late 90s. I am looking to upgrade,
primarily because I've reached the technical limits of my camera and the
photos need to be more high-res in the future. My favorite aspect of the camera (and a feature I can't recommend
strongly enough!) is that it's super easy to manually set the white
balance. I
just snap a photo of a piece of white card stock, then hit a button to
let my camera know that's white in my current light condition. My camera
then automatically corrects for my lighting, which means my colors come
out very true to life.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-8954956789541953722012-09-10T15:45:00.001-05:002012-09-10T15:45:49.797-05:00More on thinking about your Customers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-52Zow0I-BtU/UE5RTMkyTUI/AAAAAAAAAQU/387LJfYspVg/s1600/water-1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-52Zow0I-BtU/UE5RTMkyTUI/AAAAAAAAAQU/387LJfYspVg/s200/water-1-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
If that last post got you thinking about your potential customers, this one will definitely give you some more to think about, especially if you make patterns or kits. Check out what stuffed toy artist and blogger Abby Glassenberg has to say about the idea that <a href="http://whileshenaps.typepad.com/whileshenaps/2012/09/i-got-an-email-the-other-day-from-someone-who-was-considering-purchasing-my-magical-molly-bronco-ben-hobby-horse-pattern-th.html">"<b>Each new customer is looking at listings with something unique in mind."</b></a>Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-78081352812320646382012-09-04T10:00:00.000-05:002012-09-04T10:00:05.979-05:00Guest Post: How to Find More Paying Customers for Your Handmade Shop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wqx6Gi54iLE/UEU4NDyxGYI/AAAAAAAAAP4/IxDWhbF82jc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-09-03+at+6.07.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wqx6Gi54iLE/UEU4NDyxGYI/AAAAAAAAAP4/IxDWhbF82jc/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-09-03+at+6.07.08+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I’m Lisa Jacobs of <a href="http://www.marketyourcreativity.com/" target="_blank">Marketing Creativity</a>,
where I help handmade sellers build their creative businesses into the
career of their dreams. I’m so excited to be here today, and I’ve been a
proud member of Team SASsy for some time now.</span></span></span>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I
appreciate your attitude and willingness to learn. Simply being readers
of this blog and followers of this team shows your dedication to the
creative businesses you’re trying to build. Your effort alone is
something to be proud of, and I ask that you never forget:</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333233; margin: 0px 0px 17px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Somebody is out there, right now, just waiting to pay you to do what you love to do.</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333233; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">As
handmade artists, you offer a unique value: you provide your customers
that special feeling only an item made from passion can produce. Artists
and crafters love what they do so much that they often cringe at the
idea of targeted marketing. In fact, the notion of cold-selling what’s
been made with a warm heart makes many creatives downright
uncomfortable.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333233; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">However,
targeted marketing simply means finding the customers who desire your
work, and it's time to show the world what you've got to offer. So, how
do you find your paying customers?</span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333233; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">In
the handmade community, we often count fans, sales, followers, and
favorites, but the number that adds to your bottom line, the audience
who will truly help you fund your passion is composed of paying
customers. They will help your business grow, your talents expand, and
your skills improve. This audience is composed of the people who “get
you” and they want what you’ve got to offer. These are “your people.”</span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333233; margin: 0px 0px 17px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>How to Find "Your People."</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333233; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9nrO_emglbc/UEU5pz08fHI/AAAAAAAAAQA/0r6lmeNqkWo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-09-03+at+6.13.06+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="269" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9nrO_emglbc/UEU5pz08fHI/AAAAAAAAAQA/0r6lmeNqkWo/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-09-03+at+6.13.06+PM.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">If
your product is for everybody, it’s for nobody, because nothing is for
everybody. Realize that your product isn’t for everyone; it’s for a
select few who share your taste, and have an eye for your art and a love
for quality handmade. If you could tell the whole world about your
product right now, and then separate the interested buyers from the rest
of the population, you could never keep up with the demand from that
interested sea of paying customers … not by yourself, anyway.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333233; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">In
order to find “your people,” you have to identify them first. Do this
by narrowing it down to one person: the ultimate fan of your art. Now,
about <i>that</i> person: </span></span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Is she single or married?</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Does she have children?</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Does she exercise, and if so, what's her preferred method?</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Is she conventional or quirky?</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Which magazines does she subscribe to?</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">What are her favorite television shows?</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Who are her role models?</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">What hobbies does she have? Is she a crafter or artist too?</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">What does she dream of doing/seeing/being one day?</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">How do (or will) your products make her feel?</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<div style="color: #333233; margin: 0px 0px 17px; min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">There
are many benefits to answering these types of questions about your
target audience. Identifying this person will help you generate a whole
list of ideas on where she might be hanging out (and how you can
approach her). It will help you determine your niche market, because
your niche market is the sea of people doing much of the same.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333233; margin: 0px 0px 17px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Building Your Creative Business: Free Webinar</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333233; margin: 0px 0px 17px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I’m
doing a free webinar, exclusively for readers and members of Team SASsy
on Building Your Creative Business. On Wednesday, September 5 at 7PM
(EST), I’ll be discussing how to improve your shop, gain exposure, and
find more paying customers for your creative business. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333233; margin: 0px 0px 17px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It’s one jam-packed hour of brainstorming, networking, and live Q&A. Your seat is free, <i>but spaces are limited</i>. To reserve your spot, please <a href="http://www.marketyourcreativity.com/welcome-team-sassy-heres-your-exclusive-invitation/" target="_blank">click here and complete the sign-up form</a>.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #333233; letter-spacing: 0px;">Thank you! </b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: #333233; letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333233; margin: 0px 0px 17px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I
want to thank the members of Team SASsy for all that you do! Thank you,
Becka, for writing and maintaining this fabulous blog. Please keep up
the good work! I wish you continued success and all the best.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333233; margin: 0px 0px 13px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>Lisa Jacobs writes </i><a href="http://www.marketyourcreativity.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0726a7; letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>Marketing Creativity</i></span></a><i> for fellow creative spirits who aim to build a career with their own two hands. She </i><a href="http://www.marketyourcreativity.com/%E2%99%A5-motivation-for-hire/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0726a7; letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>leads group webinar programs and offers one-on-one coaching</i></span></a><i> designed to help you get paid to be ... you.</i></span></span></span></div>
Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-78132880513446265462012-08-27T19:20:00.000-05:002012-08-27T19:21:07.148-05:00Polish Your Photos Series: Quick Tip #5 Know When to Say NoAnother great photography skill you can learn is knowing when to just throw away a photo and move on. So often I hear people say "I will just Photoshop it," with the confidence that Photoshop can fix every problem. Sometimes that just isn't the case. <br />
<br />
Here are some examples of "No Photoshop Fix" photos, with ideas of what you might do when you re-shoot the photo to correct the problem.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rJMwctF8lYk/UDwERIIDMoI/AAAAAAAAAPI/uFxjtw1IdOY/s1600/nofix-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rJMwctF8lYk/UDwERIIDMoI/AAAAAAAAAPI/uFxjtw1IdOY/s320/nofix-6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JTZZ7-qWz9o/UDwEMRT2HQI/AAAAAAAAAOo/xWqOUUV7QQc/s1600/nofix-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JTZZ7-qWz9o/UDwEMRT2HQI/AAAAAAAAAOo/xWqOUUV7QQc/s320/nofix-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Problem 1: Focus</b><br />
There is no amount of sharpening that can fix something that is blurry. Even if your photo looks ok as a thumbnail, when the customer clicks and it is one big blur, that is probably not going to result in a sale. For the top photo, there is great sharp focus in the center and blur
around the edges. This is your camera creating a tiny depth of field.
Sometimes it can be an amazing artistic effect (think macro shots of a
single flower bud with a soft fuzzy background), but not always what you are going for. <br />
<br />
<b>Problem 1 Re-Shoot Fixes:</b><br />
For the top photo, the way to get everything sharp and in focus is to add more light. Adding a brighter lamp or waiting for a sunnier day will get more light in the camera, increase the depth of field and make everything in focus.<br />
<br />
For the bottom photo, the easiest fix is probably to turn on the camera's macro mode. This ball of yarn is so close to the camera that it is having trouble finding the focus. Macro mode (tulip icon) will help the camera focus really close and get a great detail of the yarn.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BuNoM7rqtwM/UDwEOsT4t8I/AAAAAAAAAOw/KJHToIzWiec/s1600/nofix-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BuNoM7rqtwM/UDwEOsT4t8I/AAAAAAAAAOw/KJHToIzWiec/s320/nofix-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IJo0YrgYi6E/UDwEQGUZ-EI/AAAAAAAAAPA/wtSKo34AbDA/s1600/nofix-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IJo0YrgYi6E/UDwEQGUZ-EI/AAAAAAAAAPA/wtSKo34AbDA/s320/nofix-5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Problem 2: Over Exposed and Under Exposed</b><br />
These are also two related but opposite problems. In the top photo, there is a big reflection (too much light) on the glass and in the bottom, the whole photo is really dark. You can do a little Photoshopping on these, but the problem is that in the very brightest brights and darkest darks, the camera didn't capture all of the data. It just saw that big white blob as 100% white and not as 100 shades of something else. So there are no colors left to tweak and try to adjust, just white. <br />
<br />
<b>Problem 2 Re-Shoot Fixes:</b><br />
For the top overexposed photo, the key is to make that reflection go away. A light box to soften and diffuse the bright glare might help. Sometimes positioning yourself at a different angle will let you not see a reflection. You can also try using a bright white piece of paper to reflect light back at your piece instead of pointing a lamp right at it. Point the lamp at the paper instead.<br />
<br />
For the underexposed photo, adding more light is going to be a big help. If you have some manual settings on your camera, it will also help to open up the aperture to allow more light in. Aperture is adjusted by choosing a smaller f-stop. (Smaller numbers = more light) Want to learn more? <a href="http://digital-photography-school.com/aperture">Read this article.</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ysd2YUDTx5I/UDwEPb8KTGI/AAAAAAAAAO4/4xntA61itV4/s1600/nofix-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ysd2YUDTx5I/UDwEPb8KTGI/AAAAAAAAAO4/4xntA61itV4/s320/nofix-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Problem 3: Too Many Light Sources</b><br />
Believe it or not, the photo above is a yellow ball of thread on a white background. The background has acquired a lovely gradient caused by the light sources I used to take the photo: a very yellow tinted incandescent lamp (top right) and a blue tinted light from the kitchen window (lower left).<br />
<br />
<b>Problem 3 Re-shoot Fixes:</b><br />
One or the other of these color shifts is pretty easy to fix (<a href="http://etsymentors.blogspot.com/2011/08/polish-your-photos-series-quick-tips-to.html">see this article</a>), but fixing both problems in the same photo is really difficult to keep your item looking the color it is supposed to be. The solution is to try to use one kind of light source. Switch to all lamps/lights (make sure they all have the same kind of bulbs), find a brighter window or take it outside.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zbzieB-49_w/UDwNfrnA4fI/AAAAAAAAAPc/zzjfrkknyg4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-08-27+at+7.10.12+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="72" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zbzieB-49_w/UDwNfrnA4fI/AAAAAAAAAPc/zzjfrkknyg4/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-08-27+at+7.10.12+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>What are your photo problems? </b> <br />
Please add your questions in the comments and we will try to address them in future blog posts!<br />
-- Becka, SASsy Team Co-CaptainBeckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-54027483472666239522012-08-22T16:02:00.001-05:002012-08-22T16:02:49.662-05:00Why does that t-shirt cost $75?A really great "food for thought" article by a handmade clothing designer about thinking through what really goes in to making her work.
<a href="http://whatthecraft.com/overpriced-cant-afford-handmade-pricing/">http://whatthecraft.com/overpriced-cant-afford-handmade-pricing/</a>Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-7784772728916360662012-08-16T18:12:00.000-05:002012-08-16T18:12:21.235-05:00Updates and things you might have missedEtsy has made a few updates in the last little while. Here are a couple of items just in case you have been busy with summer barbecues (at least in the northern hemisphere.)<br />
<ul>
<li>Updates to the prohibited items list including tobacco, hazardous materials, motor vehicles and human remains. What a list! Etsy has clarified and added to some of the items that are prohibited in these categories and more. (August 8)</li>
<li>(Aug 15) "We just launched a prototype that aims to make creating treasuries much
faster and simpler by letting you to add an item to a treasury directly
from a listing page." Learn more by visiting this link: <a href="http://www.etsy.com/teams/13135/add-item-to-treasury-from-item-page" target="_blank">www.etsy.com/teams/13135/add-item-to-treasury-from-item-page</a></li>
</ul>
Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-56633934118036054102012-08-02T23:16:00.001-05:002012-08-02T23:16:46.621-05:00Shipping Labels are now built in!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DX6wPwoPUDE/T7ZhW1-KcFI/AAAAAAAAANU/y41HFtfbSeQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-05-18+at+9.48.38+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DX6wPwoPUDE/T7ZhW1-KcFI/AAAAAAAAANU/y41HFtfbSeQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-05-18+at+9.48.38+AM.png" /></a></div>
The ability to print your own shipping labels is being rolled out to Etsy shops that have signed up for Direct Checkout. The cost for the labels will be rolled in to your monthly bill. Read all the details they have announced here: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1422858894">http://www.etsy.com/blog/news/2012/special-delivery-etsy-shipping-labels-are-here/</a><br />Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-4784625315594388392012-07-31T18:59:00.000-05:002012-08-27T19:22:20.872-05:00When Craft Shows Flop<br />
A nice commentary from a seasoned seller. Sometimes craft shows don't live up to expectations and things that were hot last year are a flop this year. Here are some ideas for helping get past the disappointment.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://madeinlowell.blogspot.com/2012/07/surviving-bad-craft-show.html">http://madeinlowell.blogspot.com/2012/07/surviving-bad-craft-show.html</a>Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-60899083556950133452012-07-04T09:07:00.003-05:002012-07-04T09:07:38.378-05:00Words of Wisdom Series: 5 Minute Marketing Tips<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AqTubNmi0fo/T_RN_djh4WI/AAAAAAAAAOc/Rdj33yf3a2M/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-07-04+at+9.04.07+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AqTubNmi0fo/T_RN_djh4WI/AAAAAAAAAOc/Rdj33yf3a2M/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-07-04+at+9.04.07+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
In this series, we ask the SASsy Mentors for their "words of wisdom"
about a specific topic. This month, we asked Bob from <a href="http://birchcreekleather.etsy.com/">BirchCreekLeather</a>, <a href="http://crochetgal.etsy.com/">CrochetGal</a> and Lisa from <a href="http://energyshop.etsy.com/">EnergyShop</a> for quick tips about <b>marketing your shop and things you can do in just a few minutes a day.</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Go offline. Being involved with your local artisan guild does have its benefits as a great place to discuss the business of running your own
business as well as exchanging ideas, venues and potential customers. Many people think that because their business has an online platform
that everything must be done online and they forget about some of the
'old fashioned' methods. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
Friends and family don't have to be buyers but if they are aware of what
you are doing, you will find that word of mouth advertizing can go a
long way. Give them a few of your business cards to carry around too!</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li>
With just a few minutes a day, you can grow and build a Pinterest board
that represents what your shop is about. This can include inspiration,
products, customer appreciation, and quotes. Lisa hosts bi-monthly "Repin-It-To-Win-It" contests on her board, featuring some of her most popular
products. The customers love this, it grows the popularity of the board and helps promote those items. Here's an example: <a class="external-link-overlay-trigger overlay-trigger" href="http://pinterest.com/energyshop/energy-shop-and-inspiration/" rel="#external-link-overlay" target="_blank">pinterest.com/energyshop/energy-shop-and-inspiration/</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li> Make sure your shop url is in your email signature and signatures in other forum posts, ie. "Visit my shop at <url>". (Make sure that the forum you are posting in allows ads.) Make your posts thoughtful and engaged with the topic (not self promotion) and people will want to learn more about who you are and what you do.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Tweets, Facebook posts, and blogging about your shop 24/7 is not
effective. Each of these venues should have a minimum of 75%
interesting related content and less than 25% shop promotion in order to hold
people's attention. No one wants to watch a TV channel that is 100% commercials. Draw people in with really compelling information and you will keep them around to see what you are promoting. (What is interesting related content? Try things like tutorials, behind the scenes photos, news or articles about your media or field, "how it's made", the ancient art form vs modern and so on.)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Wear it, use it, live it. If you are using your soap, wearing your jewelry or carrying one of your handbags you have an easy way to start a conversation about what you do and show your passion about it.</li>
</ul>
<br />Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-78888550371377449222012-06-07T18:33:00.000-05:002012-06-07T18:33:45.401-05:00Hey, Look! There's a new About Page for your Shop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r99o5tMZ0jU/T9E6DGbzxVI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/u3cGvCfkR80/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-06-07+at+6.32.00+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r99o5tMZ0jU/T9E6DGbzxVI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/u3cGvCfkR80/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-06-07+at+6.32.00+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I just logged in to my shop today and discovered there is a new "About" page. What a nice surprise! You can read what Etsy has to say about it <a href="http://www.etsy.com/blog/news/2012/introducing-an-about-page-for-your-shop/">here in today's announcement.</a><br />
<br />
The About page includes:<br />
<ul>
<li>an image of the shop owner and members of the shop (note: this is cropped to be a circle, so be sure to pick an image that has focus in the center)</li>
<li>a short bio</li>
<li>your shop "story" of how you got started and what you are all about</li>
<li>5 images</li>
<li>ability to add links to Facebook, Twitter, other blog and websites</li>
</ul>
To add your new About page info, go to the "Info & Appearance" tab on the "Your Shop" page.Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-54289370912261869312012-05-23T16:53:00.001-05:002012-05-23T17:13:31.063-05:00News to Note: Weddings & Revised FeesIn case you haven't kept up with all of the latest news, here are a few highlights of some new things happening at Etsy.<br />
<ul>
<li>Wedding Registry lists are now available! You can check it out here at <a href="http://www.etsy.com/registry">Wedding Registry</a> and read all about how it works at the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2012/what-to-know-about-etsy-weddings-and-registry/">Seller's Handbook</a>. Once a member has created a registry, they will see the “Add to
Registry” button below “Add to Cart” across Etsy, allowing them to add
any item from the Etsy marketplace.</li>
<li>Starting this week, there is a change to the listing fee for multiples of an item. Now, sellers will only be charged $0.20 to list or renew an item,
regardless of quantity. For example, if you have listed a new item and you have 3 of them to sell, you will be charged $.20 when you list those 3. Then it works like an auto-renew feature — when your item
sells and you still have 2 left, your listing automatically
renews for $0.20 and updates to say you have 2 available. If your listing sells out, the total fees are
effectively the same. You can read more about <a href="http://www.etsy.com/blog/news/2012/no-longer-pay-for-quantity-up-front/">the details here.</a></li>
<li>"Showcase" style advertising will be phased out starting May 29. Etsy has learned that Search Ads seem to have better performance for sellers than Showcase spots, nearly three times more sales per click, so they have decided to discontinue the Showcase.</li>
<li>Etsy vocabulary is also getting more colourful and flavourful as they integrate British English spellings of words into the search engine mechanics. So now if a buyer searches for "jewellery" or "jewelry", "colorful" or "colourful", all versions should work for buyers without you needing to tag your items with alternate spellings.</li>
</ul>Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-52402800032484882042012-05-18T10:24:00.001-05:002012-05-18T10:24:10.176-05:00Words of Wisdom Series: Shipping Tips<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DX6wPwoPUDE/T7ZhW1-KcFI/AAAAAAAAANU/y41HFtfbSeQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-05-18+at+9.48.38+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DX6wPwoPUDE/T7ZhW1-KcFI/AAAAAAAAANU/y41HFtfbSeQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-05-18+at+9.48.38+AM.png" /></a></div>
In this new series, we ask the SASsy Mentors for their "words of wisdom" about a specific topic. This month, we asked Celeste from <a href="http://cricketscreations.etsy.com/" target="_blank">CricketsCreations</a> and Jessie from <a href="http://modified.etsy.com/" target="_blank">Modified</a> for quick tips about <b>shipping</b>: time saving ideas or things they wished they knew when they were first starting out.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Buy your shipping supplies in bulk. Even though it may seem like 200 or
500 bubble envelopes is too many, they can be SO much
cheaper this way in the long run. Also, mailing an envelope is often less expensive and has shorter transit
time than using a box. Try the biodegradable, eco-friendly and
recycled products in all different sizes offered by <a href="http://www.ecoenclose.com/?Click=351" target="_blank">EcoEnclose</a>.</li>
<li>Put your return address on a few dozen envelopes when you have a little bit of down time. This task may seem like it
doesn't take much, but it will definitely save you time in the long run. You could also get a return address stamp made, like these cute ones from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/lettergirl?section_id=6749656">lettergirl</a>.</li>
<li>When establishing the cost for shipping, don't underestimate the <i>actual
costs</i>. Keep in mind the cost of boxes, labels, envelopes, tape and any
other supplies. It's important to make sure you're not losing money on
shipping!</li>
<li>Shoppers love getting free or discounted shipping, even if you make the
money back by charging a bit more for your actual items. Especially
popular are, "The more you buy, the more you save," opportunities, such
as combined shipping where additional items cost less or nothing to ship
after the customer pays full shipping on the first item. (Combined shipping is easy to set up in your shop!)</li>
<li>Afraid of losing money on international postage? One strategy is to charge the
highest amount to "Everywhere Else" to make sure that you're covered, then you can refund any shipping overages back to the customer.
An example of a country that's more expensive to ship to from the US is
Australia, so you could base your "everywhere else" rates on USPS <a href="http://ircalc.usps.com/?country=10013" target="_blank">estimated Australia prices</a>. Make note of this in your shop policies.</li>
<li>For small lightweight items, invest in a small postal scale of your own. You can weigh your packaged items at home; check the <a href="http://postcalc.usps.com/" target="_blank">rate at USPS.com</a>; add postage stamps (which you can get in many denominations) and drop them in a drive through mailbox, skipping the trip to the post office.</li>
<li>Make yourself a "shipping station" with all of your supplies in one place so you don't have to spend 10 minutes trying to figure out where you put the tape. This also helps you see when you are getting low on envelopes and other supplies at a glance so you can stock up before your busy seasons. </li>
</ul>Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-85201186155334240442012-05-02T17:37:00.000-05:002012-05-02T17:37:02.625-05:00Polish Your Photos Series: Quick Tip #4 Macro ModeSometimes the way to fix your photos isn't with Photoshop, but the trick is to change a setting on your camera so that it is taking the right kinds of photos. It is really important to have close up detail images of the work that you are trying to sell in your Etsy shop. I often see that those close up shots are blurry and completely out of focus, but that can be easy to fix!<br />
<br />
Take a look at the buttons on the back of your camera and see if you can find a picture of a tulip.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IrI92V3kQCU/T6GxaJrrH9I/AAAAAAAAAMs/AE9mLwhRZJs/s1600/macromode.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IrI92V3kQCU/T6GxaJrrH9I/AAAAAAAAAMs/AE9mLwhRZJs/s320/macromode.jpg" width="158" /></a></div>
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This tulip is the icon for "Macro Mode". When I push that button on my camera, it lets me switch between regular and macro mode.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rduVl4yGp5o/T6Gxo5oPutI/AAAAAAAAAM0/V4mWUnpUELg/s1600/macromode-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rduVl4yGp5o/T6Gxo5oPutI/AAAAAAAAAM0/V4mWUnpUELg/s320/macromode-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Try switching modes and taking your close up photos in "macro mode". Macro mode tells the camera that you are trying to take a close up shot of something and it re-adjusts the way it focuses. Here are a couple of examples. These are basically exactly the same photo (same lighting, same distance, same camera settings) except one is in regular mode (left) and one is set to macro mode (right). (Oops! You can even see the dog hair in macro mode.)<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VCu4YAc6c_I/T6G1BbwoqEI/AAAAAAAAANA/Ex5rADTKu6c/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-05-02+at+5.26.57+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VCu4YAc6c_I/T6G1BbwoqEI/AAAAAAAAANA/Ex5rADTKu6c/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-05-02+at+5.26.57+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OSwTPYAM3wQ/T6G1C_4-4DI/AAAAAAAAANI/qGyC4J_4zzE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-05-02+at+5.27.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OSwTPYAM3wQ/T6G1C_4-4DI/AAAAAAAAANI/qGyC4J_4zzE/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-05-02+at+5.27.08+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Not every camera is going to have a macro mode, but it is a very common feature. Sometimes you will find the tulip icon on a button or dial on the back or top of the camera. Sometimes you might need to dig through the menus to find it. If in doubt, check your owners manual.</div>
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>After a brief hiatus, the Polish your Photos Series is back! Click <a href="http://etsymentors.blogspot.com/search/label/PolishYourPhotos" target="_blank">here</a> to see the rest of the series. About the author: Becka is a geek for fiber art and technology. She is the co-Captain of the SASsy mentors team.</i>Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-7793224220087832262012-04-16T10:28:00.001-05:002012-04-16T10:29:56.261-05:00Ways to Connect with Customers: QR Codes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="qrcode" src="http://qrcode.kaywa.com/img.php?s=5&d=http%3A%2F%2Fbeckarahn.etsy.com" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello! I am a QR Code.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
You have probably started seeing these little codes popping up everywhere lately: on products, flyers, advertisements. But what are they for? QR stands for "quick response" code. It is a kind of bar code that can be read by lots of devices like smart phones. (You do need to have a QR reader app on your phone in order to read QR codes, but there are lots of free ones that are easy to download. Just search for "QR reader".)<br />
<br />
The way it works is that you scan the code with your device and it can do all kinds of things, like take you to a website or send you a coupon code. You can even do things a little outside of the box. For a gallery exhibition, I created a <a href="http://www.beckarahn.com/?page_id=828">piece of embroidered art</a> that had the QR code as part of the design. If you scanned the embroidered piece itself, the QR code would send you to a blog page that was a journal documenting the piece, showing all the steps of making and embroidering it.<br />
<br />
Some ways you might want to use QR codes: The QR code above links you to my etsy shop. The one below brings up a message that gives you an example of free shipping coupon code. I can save these QR images and print them on my business cards, put stickers on my packaging, or print them on flyers or postcards that I hand out. You could even go crazy and print one as a door magnet on your car or wear it as a brooch - anywhere you think someone might scan it.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nyz6ZMbtUxc/T4wzZEGNwBI/AAAAAAAAAMM/UeHop-pTq3I/s1600/qrscan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nyz6ZMbtUxc/T4wzZEGNwBI/AAAAAAAAAMM/UeHop-pTq3I/s320/qrscan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It is easy to get QR codes for yourself! Visit <a href="http://qrcode.kaywa.com/" target="_blank">http://qrcode.kaywa.com/</a> (This is just one example, there are other sites that will also generate them.) Type in the information you would like the code to link to. Save the image and you are ready to go. (Click to see image larger)<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ILmHaeqaTsA/T4w3gY1dMfI/AAAAAAAAAMc/wdKmLI1Xs6Q/s1600/howtoQR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ILmHaeqaTsA/T4w3gY1dMfI/AAAAAAAAAMc/wdKmLI1Xs6Q/s320/howtoQR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The example above goes just to my main shop, but you could also make codes that link directly to a specific section or even a single item by grabbing that URL and making a code from that. You could link to your Facebook Page or the form to sign up for your mailing list. It's a quick way to get someone directly to your information without having to remember and type in a long complicated URL. Here's a great link for more ideas on how you can use QR codes: <a href="http://youtu.be/QjNh2NGALpM">http://youtu.be/QjNh2NGALpM</a><br />
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<i>Author: Becka Rahn is a fiber artist and co-Captain of the Sellers Assisting Sellers Mentoring Team.</i><br />
<br />Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707597662632434337.post-39059379061476322452012-04-06T08:38:00.002-05:002012-04-06T08:38:57.964-05:00Policy Change: SASsy Critiques ForumBecause of the huge number of requests we have been receiving, the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/teams/7702/sassy-critiques">SASsy Critiques forum</a> is no longer
able to offer full critiques. The time commitment for doing full critiques is more than our team can sustain and so we need to revise the rules of the critiques forum.<br />
<br />
We are still very interested in answering your questions, so we therefore request that you:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>read </b>and fully <b>apply</b> the <a href="http://etsymentors.blogspot.com/p/critique-your-own-shop.html" target="_blank">Critique Your Own Shop</a> (as you agreed to when joining the team)</li>
<li><b>read</b> and
<b>apply</b> the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/teams/7702/sassy-critiques/discuss/10092412/page/1/" target="_blank">General Full Critique (at the top of discussion thread)</a> </li>
</ul>
Once you have completed those steps, then <b>please post questions</b> by
starting your own thread. The questions need to be <u>specific to an area
or item in your shop</u>. For example, "Can you please give me some feedback about my photos? I think they are too dark and I don't know how to fix that." This will enable Mentors will specific expertise
to provide the best advice in response to your question.<br />
<br />
Please note that it will take anything from a week or more for questions
to be answered so please be patient. We know you are there and will get
back to you soon.<br />
<br />
<br />
Thank you! If you have any questions about this new process, please feel free to post them here.<br />Beckahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16814463294248347675noreply@blogger.com0