How to: Getting Started in the SASsy Critiques Forum

Every day we have a few new Etsy sellers apply to the SASsy Critiques team.  With all of these new users, we thought it might be helpful to write a little guide to the SASsy Critiques forum.

Who can join?

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, which is located right here.   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.

We also encourage all of the SASsy Mentors 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.

How do you participate? 

Post a question.  

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"

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.

Be a part of the discussion.
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.

What are the rules of the forum?
They are pretty simple.  First, please be respectful.  The forum is about helping each other and being constructive in your comments.

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.

Your questions have to be about your shop.  We can't help you with critiques of Treasuries, Facebook pages, blogs etc.

No "critique me and I will critique you" games or promotional threads, please.

And you need to abide by Etsy's Terms of Use:  http://www.etsy.com/policy/terms


What if I want to talk to a mentor one-on-one and not have a discussion in the forum?
That's great!  That's why we have our Mentors List.  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". 

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!

What Impression is Your Shop Leaving your Customers?

I'm Impressed by Jake & Noel on Etsy

Today's mini critique is for SilverSmack, and she wants to know what the overall impression is of her shop.

So since this is a little different than a normal critique, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to show you a screenshot of SilverSmack's shop, give my two cents on the impression that her shop gives me, and then leave you with a check list to use on your own shop so you can see what kind of impression you're leaving for your customers.

Okay, so lets get going. Here's SilverSmack's shop.

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Here's what I see:

• pics - sell silver jewelry that's hammered & worn {not polished}
• prices - midrange & affordable
• listings - You're a serious shop. You have a business. You're a professional not hobbiest. I can see this because you have a lot of listings, you list frequently, & you have regular sells.
• sections - you offer a variety of jewelry

My thoughts on your shop:

• title - it says "inspiration"...I'd change that to "jewelry" because when that shows up in a Google Search, people won't know what you make from the word inspiration
• banner - you only have pics of your rings. Since you make other pieces of jewelry too, I'd add a pic of a necklace & earrings as well as a ring.
• listing photos - look nice. Nice backgrounds & props...in some photos, the colors of the jewelry are competing with the color of your background {gray on gray or white on white}.
• descriptions - great use of links. I did notice that in some you weren't providing a link to your policies even though you were directing customers to them.
• SEO - looks like you've done well getting your shop optimized for SEO from the look of keywords used in your listing titles, descriptions, & shop announcement

My thoughts as a customer:

• return/exchange policy - I was excited to see that you offered lifetime repair on your jewelry! That makes me very comfortable buying from you!
• description links - like I said earlier...provide a link for me if you're directing me somewhere. Make it as easy as can be for me.
• description questions - Why do I need to order my ring a half size bigger than I wear? What does "oxidized" mean? It would be a good idea to answer any & every question a buyer may have. 
• Profile bio or welcome - tell me about your crafting process. This helps me to value the product I may buy from you more. It also helps me to understand the price as well.

Overall impression:
 Great shop! Nice products! I feel like I know exactly what I'm getting from you & what to expect. I know that if I have any trouble or change my mind that you will work with me to meet my needs. I also like the fact that I can get anything custom made from you!

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7 Ways to Leave a Good Impression with Your Shop

1. Graphics & Pictures - high resolution, not grainy, styled & branded well, professional looking
2. Copy - well written, no grammatical or spelling errors, provide all necessary info about product, answer any potential questions customer may have
3. Bio - tell about yourself & how you got started in your craft & your shop, provide links to important places in your shop & on the web.
4. Customer Service - appear friendly & easy going in your writing, tell how to contact you, let buyers know if you offer custom orders, make return/exchange policy clear
5. Policies - well written, provide all necessary information, be specific
6. Feedback - work to satisfy customers so you'll get great feedback. Good feedback makes customers feel comfortable buying from you
7. Pricing - offer a range of prices so there's something for everyone

What do you do in your shop to provide customers with a "good impression"?

Meagan @BabySwank & @MeaganVisser.com

So you want A Shop Critique!

Everyone wants an individual shop critique, but there are a few basic things that will apply to almost every shop. Here is my list of the main things to consider.

1) Banner and Avatar - do they relate to your products in some way? Is the text clear and easy to read? Your avatar can be used very effectively as part of your ‘brand’, so select it wisely. I’ve kept the same avatar as long as I’ve been online.. people recognize me by my avatar. Others like to change theirs on a regular basis. There is no ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ way to do it. You just have to do what works best for you. I personally like to see an avatar that reflects in some way the product(s) that you sell, but that is my personal opinion.

2) Shop Title - This appears directly below your banner and is updated in the ‘appearance’(insert link here) section of Your Etsy. The shop title is also known as your ‘tag line’. Use it effectively but keep it short.

3) Shop announcement - Please don’t tell me your life history here.. I don’t want to know. I do like to see a short (few lines ) about your shop and any current ‘specials’ you may have. Also, be absolutely sure that any links that are on your shop announcement are not broken. And be aware that if you do have an active link here that I just may follow it and get distracted elsewhere. Don’t tell me about every team that you belong to here... unless you don’t want me to look at your product.

4) Featured Items - A great place to show off your different styles of work. Use items from your earlier pages (people can already see what’s on your first page). A variety of items and prices is always nice. Remember, that when people ‘heart’ your shop, these three items are their reminder! Keep them fresh.

5) Profile - Tell me about yourself. How did you get started in your art form, what inspires you, etc.


6) Shop Policies - This is one of the most overlooked sections by Etsians and is by far (in my opinion) the most important. Having good shop policies in place can help to avoid situations down the road. It is strongly recommended that every shop have policies in place for payment , shipping and returns/exchanges.

7) Location - Another very useful piece of information. Etsy is an international site, so please list your town (or the nearest larger town) , your state, and your country. I’ve been to Paris but not to France, I love Melbourne but I’ve never been to Australia. Sydney is a beautiful stop in Nova Scotia (Canada) . By putting your complete information in your location it makes it much easier for others to use the ‘geolocator’ to find you! And you are looking to be found are you not?

8) Shop Sections - Shop sections are a great way to organize your shop. Use them to your advantage! You have complete freedom to choose how you want your sections to be set up so have some fun!

9) Photos - everyone wants a critique of their photos. Make sure that the photo is clear and crisp, and use as many photos as you can of the item. Inside, outside, upside down, you get the idea. Unless you are selling a rug, please don’t put your item on the floor. Natural light is best, and avoid a cluttered background. If you are unsure of a particular photo, have someone look at it and tell you what caught their eye in it. If its not the item for sale, its not a good photo.

10) Tags - One of the most misused and abused features (in my opinion) on Etsy. When selecting tags, try to pick words that you would use to describe the item to someone who cannot see it. IE paint a visual picture. Don’t forget to include the colour! Please make sure that the tags are relevant though. Everything can be a gift, so ‘gift’ is not a relevant tag. ‘Stocking Stuffer’ is a tag that gets used during the holidays. As soon as someone can define accurately exactly what a ‘stocking stuffer’ is then it will be able to be used. But until then let’s just leave it off.

11) Materials - This is one of the most overlooked sections in a listing. Be as detailed as you can in your materials listing. There are 13 tags available for materials so don’t be afraid! Also, people can search by material so keep that in mind..

12) Feedback - Some sellers are concerned because they don’t have any feedback. Personally I enjoy buying from an ‘undiscovered’ shop. However, if you are concerned about not having any feedback, I strongly suggest that you make a small purchase from a fellow Etsian. Besides the feedback, you will also get to experience the thrill of making a purchase (and the steps involved).

Other places for information:

There are some absolutely wonderful reference sites right on Etsy. All are accessible from the ‘help’ tab at the top of any Etsy page.

Etsy Help Guides

Frequently Asked Questions (about selling):

Etsy Do’s and Don’ts - learn what you can and cannot do

Terms of Use (TOU) - the basic rules for using Etsy


And of course, there is the Storque, Etsy’s mega blog. I think that just about every topic on Etsy is covered at least once in the Storque!

Please note that the opinions expressed here are the opinions of the writer and are NOT necessarily the opinions of Etsy.

About the author: Valerie has been a member of team SASsy since the beginning, you can check out her shop here and her blog is full of useful tips

Come and play in the Virtual Labs with us!

A few of us will be in the VL tomorrow at 3:00 Etsy Time for quick critiques and tips. Team members are encouraged to stop by and help out and all shops are welcome to stand in line for a critique. The more the merrier! I'll be hosting this session with Valerie from CrochetGal in the classroom.

If you miss this one, you get another chance on the 18th at 6:00. Keep an eye on the schedule for future dates. See you there!

A little bit about me: I'm Andrea from kitsandcaboodles.etsy.com. I have been part of the Etsy community for over a year and just recently reached 1000 sales! I'm thrilled to be able to share what I have learned with others. You can find me often in the forums or one of my monthly critiques in the Virtual Labs. Or you can visit my personal blog. ♥

Join in the Fun

Some SASsy team members have been showing up in the Virtual Labs lately, offering their two cents worth of advice for shops just getting off the ground.

Everyone is welcome, so please join us there. You can pop in for a chat today at 4:00p.m. Etsy time for live shop critiques with Kits & Caboodles (me!).

Anna over at The House of Mouse is on the schedule for Nov. 16th @ 12:00p.m. and also Nov. 19th @ 9:00a.m.

The Labs are a great place to come if you're a newbie (or not so new!) looking for advice and shop ideas. Around 5:00p.m today, Daniellexo will be showing you some cool packaging ideas. She'll be showing off some examples of easy packaging you can make yourself, and you can even get a sneak peak at what my own packaging looks like! Danielle is often in the Labs giving On the Fly Critiques, which are a ton of fun.

Watch the schedule in the Virtual Labs for more SAS dates and more!

Before You Ask for a Shop Critique...

In the two years I've been an Etsy shop owner, I've been asked to do a number of shop critiques, and on many occasions, I've asked the requester to do a little homework before I spend my time and energy giving a thorough critique. Why? Because I'm a big meanie? Well, perhaps I am, but I also want to help get your shop in the best possible shape. These steps will help you get ready for your critique:

1. A little light reading
I ask that everyone who approaches me for a critique read all of Etsy's FAQs, Do's and Dont's, and Terms of Use first. I know that it seems like a daunting task, but it is all written in very simple, straightforward language, and it won't take as long as you think. It's well worth the time. It's probably not possible to memorize everything in there, but at least you'll have a familiarity with what is included in Etsy's policies and guidelines.



2. Fill in all of your shop sections
Make sure that you have a banner and an avatar, a shop announcement, a profile, a shop policies page, shop sections, a message to buyer, and at least a few listings. It's difficult to evaluate a shop that isn't complete.

3. A tiny bit more reading
After setting up shop, check out the EtsyWiki for advice to shop owners. There's a ton of great advice on photos, pricing, and on successful selling.


4. Make improvements to your shop based on what you've read
This step might seem obvious, but be sure to use what you've learned. You'll find that improving your shop is a constant iterative process. There's always more to learn, and there are always ways to improve.

Now that you've completed these four steps, you're ready for a detailed shop critique. Contact the Etsy Mentor of your choice, and we'll be happy to give you pointers based on our own experience.

About the Author: My name is 'Chel, and I'm the owner of Lava Jewelry and Zbella. I've been a member of Etsy for just over two years, and I'm available for mentoring in the following areas: Etsy Policies, Shop Critiques, USPS Shipping, and Gemstones.