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Website help and critique -- Get assistance with your website. |
2010-03-31, 1:44pm
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Member
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Join Date: Jun 06, 2008
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 38
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website vs etsy/sale sites
Hi
I am wondering what you do better on when listing your products.
Do you do better on your own website or do you do better making sales on sale sites like etsy?
Thank you so much
iona bailey
firefrost studio
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2010-03-31, 1:55pm
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Experimentalist
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Join Date: Nov 15, 2005
Location: Penryn, California
Posts: 6,758
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I do best with my own site and eBay, after that is Etsy (rare!) and ArtFire is non-existent sales.
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2010-03-31, 2:46pm
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sunscreen me baby
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Join Date: Jun 05, 2005
Location: Exeter, NH
Posts: 17,496
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Once upon a time my site did well for me. But over time those buyers preferred online venues and I finally took my shopping cart off last Fall. I spend a few years selling at online venues with the plan to get the buyers and convert them to my site. It made sense then but web shopping habits have changed. I think over the years people have come to feel safer shopping at big name places versus some random site. We all know how easy it is to set up a basic web site and how is one supposed to know if you are for real when taking their credit card? A place like Ebay or Etsy has a big enough name the shopper feels as if that makes it credible and safe.
I do think a site can still work. But it requires some serious cultivating and probably decent advertising. I suppose it really depends on what kind of sales you are looking for.
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2010-04-01, 12:35am
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picking Job's Tears
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Join Date: Jan 27, 2009
Location: Hilo, Hawaii
Posts: 6,825
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When I felt I needed a shopping cart I went to Etsy. I have a lot of things that aren't on it (yet), but one of my local repeat customers (driving from where she is is more expensive than priority mail postage) has bought from my Etsy shop several times as well.
Think about it this way: I got a promotional email from Paypal, the lowest cost shopping cart (promotional) is $5/month. If I don't sell anything of what I newly list that's almost a listing per day on Etsy. And I don't have to keep track of anything but my Etsy listings (and sales). Of course there's sales fees as well. If you have greasemonkey and copy listing installed it's really easy if you list similar things. As I do my own website, installing a shopping cart is major. I have my website for my local customers (supplies and such, including mgambo seeds, gemstones that I don't even have on the website, etc., basically for information), advertising locally on e.g. Craigslist. I may list more on Etsy, even in the commercial supplies, but for me that still beats the work involved establishing web-commerce, and the money involved that I'd be paying to other people who are also not local to me.
What Susan said, it depends on the kind/localities of customers you're looking for. Made a $70 sale tonight to somebody who will pick up. That's what I consider my website is for. Non-local people can buy from Etsy as I'm concerned.
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HotHead on bulk propane and a Glasshive kiln
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2010-04-01, 6:27am
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ManBearPig
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Join Date: Jun 28, 2005
Location: Roanoke, VA
Posts: 8,540
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I sold about 75 things through my web site last month. I sold one through Etsy.
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2010-04-01, 9:21am
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To Bead Or Not To Bead
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Join Date: Jun 15, 2005
Location: Livonia, Michigan
Posts: 2,089
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I've had my own websites a couple of times in the span of about 3 years. Sold only once through it, but I know very little about linking my store to other sites and promoting it. I've always done better on Ebay and Etsy.
Patsy
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2010-04-01, 9:23am
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To Bead Or Not To Bead
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Join Date: Jun 15, 2005
Location: Livonia, Michigan
Posts: 2,089
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Forgot to mention, when I did have my own website, I paid extra money per month to have my name hit the first two pages when someone googled my tagged names. Very costly and, of course, didn't work at all.
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2010-04-01, 10:12am
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Experimentalist
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Join Date: Nov 15, 2005
Location: Penryn, California
Posts: 6,758
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cosmo
I sold about 75 things through my web site last month. I sold one through Etsy.
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Thanks for chiming in. I was starting to feel like the odd man out.
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2010-04-01, 10:24am
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sunscreen me baby
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Join Date: Jun 05, 2005
Location: Exeter, NH
Posts: 17,496
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I wish things had sold well at my site. It cost me a heck of a lot less. Although it was such a pain to list all the items I had. If you make a site work, kudos to you.
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2010-04-01, 11:22am
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Storm Queen
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Join Date: Aug 30, 2005
Location: SQUIDVILLE
Posts: 8,816
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The only reason I don't list beads for sale on my website is because my shopping cart doesn't have inventory control. Even back when I did sell some bracelets and labeled them "one of a kind", I had someone put one in their shopping cart and then change the amount to two. She then told me she wanted me to make another for her mother so they matched.
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2010-04-03, 6:03am
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I'm not Barbie.
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Join Date: Sep 03, 2005
Location: Out of my mind - beautifully so.
Posts: 4,054
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I do well on both etsy and my website.
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2010-04-03, 6:20am
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burnin' glass just becuz
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Join Date: Apr 16, 2006
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Posts: 1,251
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i just chose etsy simply cuz i didn't want to spend my limited beadmaking hours managing the backend of my own shopping cart. the cost is worth it for me. i haven't spent a lot of time promoting it but i've sold a few things and the free publicity to such a large audience is a big plus. it gets my name and work out there easily and cheaply with minimal effort and drives people to my site.
if i torched full time, i think i'd still choose etsy, even if i had my own site shopping cart for the reasons above
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Evelyn - Carlisle Lucio w/ 8lpm EX-15 To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
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Give ideas away - there are new ones underneath... Diane Vreeland
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2010-04-03, 6:41am
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ManBearPig
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Join Date: Jun 28, 2005
Location: Roanoke, VA
Posts: 8,540
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ewdb
i just chose etsy simply cuz i didn't want to spend my limited beadmaking hours managing the backend of my own shopping cart. the cost is worth it for me. i haven't spent a lot of time promoting it but i've sold a few things and the free publicity to such a large audience is a big plus. it gets my name and work out there easily and cheaply with minimal effort and drives people to my site.
if i torched full time, i think i'd still choose etsy, even if i had my own site shopping cart for the reasons above
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It's quicker to list something on a cart hosted on your site than it is to list on Etsy/Ebay. Takes an hour or two to do the initial setup of the cart, but once it's done you can list items in seconds.
This is assuming you have a good shopping cart software...
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2010-04-03, 8:57am
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Storm Queen
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Join Date: Aug 30, 2005
Location: SQUIDVILLE
Posts: 8,816
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You don't even have to have good shopping cart software. Mine, I just have to copy and paste a section of code and change the item description, code and the price if necessary. Literally takes about 20 seconds. But like I said, mine doesn't have inventory control.
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2010-04-26, 5:24pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Mar 07, 2006
Location: Tehachapi, CA
Posts: 2,032
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This is exactly what I was looking for when I came to this section of LE. I had a website for awhile but I didn't sell anything from it. I think I listed maybe two or three items max. I was paying 12.95 monthly for the site (which is a lot for me) and getting really nothing out of it. I have a blog and I know I need to link my Etsy store to it. I was doing well on Etsy but lately it's been slow.
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2010-04-26, 6:34pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jul 01, 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,458
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I mainly sell on my site and eBay - started on eBay - but now I'm branching out to Etsy, too. It seems like they'll all do equally well as long as I do my part and keep them stocked.
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"...living hopefully ever after..." -john lennon
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2010-04-26, 7:07pm
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passionate about pets
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Join Date: Oct 26, 2007
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada
Posts: 2,046
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I just started my Esty site about 3 weeks ago and not one sale
so I guess we will see. I do not want to have to pay for a web site as this is only a hobby for me. I find Ebay scary and I hate to buy on it so why would I sell on it.
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"You create your own reality"
*StOrM*
Nortel Minor- Natural gas & Oxycon
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2010-04-27, 9:03pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Aug 28, 2005
Location: Sanger, Tx
Posts: 3,552
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I think it's important to have an etsy shop. A lot of people cruize etsy, but will go to the website to buy, cause they're smart enough to know you have fees involved when they buy through etsy.
It's a small price to pay for the exposure.
-D
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2010-04-28, 7:00am
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Yup.
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Join Date: Jun 18, 2005
Location: California coast
Posts: 4,157
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I can't imagine life without my website.... I can definitely imagine life with out eBay, Etsy and shows. Shows would be hardest to give up of the three.
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JC Herrell
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2010-04-28, 11:08am
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ManBearPig
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Join Date: Jun 28, 2005
Location: Roanoke, VA
Posts: 8,540
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I thought about getting rid of Etsy (haven't used Ebay for years) and just selling from my web site. But, so far Etsy has been doing okay for me. I sell mostly finished stuff on Etsy and sell more books from my web site...
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2010-04-28, 12:59pm
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Formerly Travelin'gal
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Join Date: Jun 05, 2005
Location: Cajun Country
Posts: 14,359
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Personally I think etsy gets more traffic, however it all depends on how much work you put into any particular venue. If you just list every once in a while, then that isn't going to be effective. Any venue needs to get refreshed often for people to want to come back.
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2010-04-29, 7:17am
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ManBearPig
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Join Date: Jun 28, 2005
Location: Roanoke, VA
Posts: 8,540
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Right now I'm selling on both my web site and Etsy. I really only have my books on my web site. They seem to sell better there for some reason (plus I can accept credit cards through there). It's kind of a pain to keep both my site and Etsy going with stuff, but I'm going to do it for a couple more months and see which one seems to do better.
The main advantage of my web site (aside from being able to accept cards) is that when people buy a digital book they can download it immediately. I sell probably 5 digital copies for every one printed copy I sell, so it really works for me to have that available. However, Etsy does get more views, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do right now. Plus, I don't have to pay any fees on my web site when I make sales. If only there were a way to integrate credit card processing through Etsy...
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2010-04-29, 8:03am
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Aug 28, 2005
Location: Sanger, Tx
Posts: 3,552
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cosmo
However, Etsy does get more views, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do right now.
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I find that a lot of people who see me on Etsy go the the site to buy. Try asking if that's where you customers found you.
-D
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2010-04-29, 2:10pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Mar 07, 2006
Location: Tehachapi, CA
Posts: 2,032
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Speaking of keeping your Etsy store stocked, I have 115 items listed right now. Some items I've renewed if they didn't sell, some not. Do you all renew your items if they don't sell? I hope I'm not the only one who has items that expire before they sell!
I'm one of the few people left who still lists on Just Beads, mostly because I have a small customer base who buy my lampwork. Would it be spamming to email them and ask them if they'd buy from Etsy if I stopped using JB?
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2010-04-29, 4:38pm
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ManBearPig
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Join Date: Jun 28, 2005
Location: Roanoke, VA
Posts: 8,540
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I generally have to list things on Etsy 4 or 5 times before they sell...
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2010-04-29, 4:59pm
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Mar 07, 2006
Location: Tehachapi, CA
Posts: 2,032
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Ok, that's good to know that I'm not the only one who has to relist!
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2010-05-02, 1:15am
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picking Job's Tears
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Join Date: Jan 27, 2009
Location: Hilo, Hawaii
Posts: 6,825
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On Etsy I relist after expiration more often than not - and after sale for most of the others because they are botanical beads of which I have more -.
Chad, I have many people new to Etsy who buy there (comparatively, I don't have that many sales). I doubt all of those pay by Paypal acount, I'd guess that a lot of them pay with credit cards. Other than the one person from China who never paid (I relisted the item before canceling the sale) I haven't had a problem yet.
(Shop is in vacation mode right now as I'm away from home)
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